This weekend I planned to go moose hunting with Dad Saturday morning but the weather just didn't cooperate. It rained heavy until 8am, we needed to be in the woods 5:30-6am so combined with the wind & cold we would have been just absolutely miserable for the rest of the day. Dad had prior commitments Sunday but Mark, Stroh, Harry & Arch were heading down early that morning for another crack at filling their licenses.

I loaded up Project Foreman and picked up Matthew who was also on the recovering injured list around noon. We cripples headed down the shore equipped with all the fixings and gear to prepare a nice hot lunch for the whole crew.

We met the crew out at the trucks, they didn't have any luck so fat this morning. French left his Argo at home this trip and was riding his brand new Yamaha Grizzly ATV, Stroh was in his Yamaha Viking side by side and Harry piloted his Polaris General side by side with Matthew acting as co-pilot for the afternoon.

We headed in the gravel road stopping by a river to have a boil-up for lunch.

Yesterday evening I put together my crew favourite Backwoods Fried Moose concoction which is thinly sliced moose roast, mushrooms & onions in a marinade of wine and secret seasonings. I paired it with French onion flavoured rice and some Bassan family recipe Moose Sausages for sides.

I cooked up the works on my Coleman Hyperflame stove, using a big skillet and my Sea to Summit collapsible X-pot.

Needles to say no one went away hungry! It was absolutely fantastic to be back in the woods cooking & hunting with the byes for the first time this season!

Harry's Polaris General is a big very comfortable machine. I was pleasantly surprised to see just how capable and nimble it was on the narrow paths inside our hunting area, quite the machine indeed!

With lunch all squared away Harry and I set up in one of my favourite spots while Matt, Arch, Stroh and Mark took to neighbouring overlooks to cover as much ground as possible for the evening hunt.

Also took a moment to check a couple trail cameras, and replace batteries in another.

Weather conditions were as close to perfect as one could hope, cool temps and almost zero wind. It was one of those times were you could hear a branch break for a half mile.

My Sitka hunting great is still holding up absolutely perfect. The Sitka Hudson Jacket & Bibs are incredibly comfortable in all fall conditions, it's windproof, water proof, insulated and breathable. Last year I changed out a basic SIMMS sling pack I bought for hunting for the Sitka Sling Choke. It's a little larger, much more comfortable and has more pockets. Most important it slings on my left shoulder so the strap is not in the way to raise and mount a firearm! Every other sling and standard backpack had to be dropped before firing accurately.

We all gave it our best shot utilizing callers and driving some woods, but as is often the case we were in the right spot at the wrong time, the moose must have been elsewhere this evening.

Even so, it was still an absolutely outstanding day in the woods with great friends.

Cheers, MIKE

Copyright © 2025 Michael Smith