Moose Hunting in the Yukon

O

Onfoot

Member
Hi guys. Sorry to have disappeared for a while. Wanted to report on my moose/caribou hunt last week. Sadly, our warmer than usual autumn has apparently delayed the rut, so no success in calling in the bull moose who are still in the high country. But a great time in the bush, nonetheless, with lots of good memories. And still time to get a moose this year. But first time with the RTV in 'recreational mode' and I have to say that I was very impressed. It climbed cat trails that were difficult to walk up, and without so much as a whimper of protest. Just hunkered down and kept on going up. Would not have believed it possible if I had not seen it with my own eyes.</p>


Attached a few photos to give you a taste of the countryside.</p>


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Onfoot,</p>


God is good to you my friend!!! You are a lucky man to see such beauty >>>></p>


That is what dreams are made of !!!!!</p>


</p>


............. jamie ( two guns )</p>
 
Yes, That is indeed beautiful country.!! When it gets really cold up there, how do you keep your fingers warm? Have you or others ever used those hand warners that use butane ? Glad to hear here the RTV did well for you.I just turned over on 2900 hrs and still love mine. Bordercollie</p>
 
[quote user="bordercollie"]</p>


... When it gets really cold up there, how do you keep your fingers warm? Have you or others ever used those hand warners that use butane ? ...</p>
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[/quote]</p>


Sometimes it can be a bit of a challenge. I have seen the handwarmers you describe, but have never used them and don't know anyone who does. (My guess is that they are mostly bought by tourists--greenhorns or, in the local parlance, 'cheechakos'.) When it is really cold I wear a combination of gloves and fur-lined over-mitts. I have never had a problem keeping my hands warm when so covered, even at less then -50F. In the top photo I am wearing my fleece photography/hunting mitt/gloves. The are like gloves without finger tips, but have a mitt-like flap that folds over the fingers tips when dexterity is not needed. They are great for keeping your hands warm while yet allowing your fingers to be free when needed. I find them really useful and practical.</p>
 
Great pics. I see the snow line is still fairly high up there. Wait a week or 2 and it will move down quick.</p>
 
Sorry the hunt has not gone well. Just spending time in a place like that would be worth the trip. </p>


I would love to ride the hills and trails up there with my RTV.</p>
 
thats some realy nice country you got up there jeeze man it's like lookin at a kinkade picture it's just unreal it's so pretty and natural it looks fake.lol but after seeingthe rtv in the picture i said yeathe rtv's gotta be real.lol </p>
 
[quote user="muleman"]</p>


Great pics. I see the snow line is still fairly high up there. Wait a week or 2 and it will move down quick.</p>
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Yeah--it's lower just about every day. The last day of our hunt we had an inch of snow at our camp. And we had snow at the house here two days ago--didn't stick on the ground, but won't be long. And to Tommy--the lighting up here can be incredible, producing photos that are just about unbelievable sometimes. Have had more than one person accuse me of faking the colours and lighting. But it's all real!</p>
 
My wifes Dad had a front on encounter with a bull moose about 20 years ago. It lowered its antlered head and charged at him head on. Now a big bull moose can do a lot of damage in a frontal attack such as this. Fortunately for the father-in-law and not so fortunate for the moose in this case, her dad was driving a 5 engined freight train at the time. He says he never felt a thing when the collission occurred.</p>


Seen some serious damage to big rig 18 wheelersthat try to play chicken with a moose however and your average car doesn't stand a chance.</p>
 
no i do believe that them pictures are real they are some nice pictures man if it wasn't so cold up there i would really like to visit that place. i like the outdoors and takin pictures my wife just bought me a new camera it's a fuji10mp fine pix and this this is nice it makes videos just as good and clear as my sony video camera and the pictures are really clear "when i get the right setting"that is.lol please feel free to post up some morepictures of that nice landscape you got. i know if i lived up there i would have huge windows on every side of the house just to see the lanscape. with views like that who needs artwork on their walls.</p>
 
[quote user="Kubota Kanook"]</p>


My wifes Dad had a front on encounter with a bull moose about 20 years ago. It lowered its antlered head and charged at him head on. Now a big bull moose can do a lot of damage in a frontal attack such as this. Fortunately for the father-in-law and not so fortunate for the moose in this case, her dad was driving a 5 engined freight train at the time. He says he never felt a thing when the collission occurred.</p>


Seen some serious damage to big rig 18 wheelersthat try to play chicken with a moose however and your average car doesn't stand a chance.</p>
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i bet that was a huge "SPLAT"</p>
 
Been up your way Onfoot only once. Took one of those Alaska cruises. I think it was in Skagway we took the train up through White Pass up to the edge of the Yukon. We were there in mid September a few years ago. At that time of year you could already see fresh snow in some places.</p>


</p>


How does your RTV do in those harsh conditions? Any extra care. </p>


</p>


Here on the gulf coast we hardly even get down to the freezing mark. I cain't imagine living in a place where it does not rise above freezing for months on end.</p>
 
[quote user="Uncle Doug"]</p>


Been up your way Onfoot only once. Took one of those Alaska cruises. I think it was in Skagway we took the train up through White Pass up to the edge of the Yukon. We were there in mid September a few years ago. At that time of year you could already see fresh snow in some places.</p>


How does your RTV do in those harsh conditions? Any extra care. </p>


Here on the gulf coast we hardly even get down to the freezing mark. I cain't imagine living in a place where it does not rise above freezing for months on end.</p>
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The White Pass and Yukon Railway is one of the railroad wonders of the world! Glad you got to experience it, Uncle Doug!</p>


With regard to my RTV and the winter, I have had absolutely no problems. I have heaters for the tranny, oilpan, block and battery. When I need to start in temps below about 0F, I typically will plug it in for an hour or so first. (I live off-grid, so cannot leave it plugged in all the time without putting an inappropriate drain on the system.) Last winter was my first, but it started and ran just fine at temps below -30F. When I do start it, I then let it warm up a bit before trying to move it. And I try not to have to run any machinery when it is below -40. Metal and plastic become brittle and things begin to break. Worst case, if I did need to use it in a really cold spell (see photo below taken last winter not far from where we live), I would throw a tarp over it and run the Reddy heater for a while to get it warmed up a bit.</p>


/cs/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.36.14/Yukon-Winter-2009.jpg</p>
 
[quote user="Onfoot"]</p>


[quote user="Uncle Doug"]</p>


Been up your way Onfoot only once. Took one of those Alaska cruises. I think it was in Skagway we took the train up through White Pass up to the edge of the Yukon. We were there in mid September a few years ago. At that time of year you could already see fresh snow in some places.</p>


How does your RTV do in those harsh conditions? Any extra care. </p>


Here on the gulf coast we hardly even get down to the freezing mark. I cain't imagine living in a place where it does not rise above freezing for months on end.</p>
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[/quote]</p>


The White Pass and Yukon Railway is one of the railroad wonders of the world! Glad you got to experience it, Uncle Doug!</p>


With regard to my RTV and the winter, I have had absolutely no problems. I have heaters for the tranny, oilpan, block and battery. When I need to start in temps below about 0F, I typically will plug it in for an hour or so first. (I live off-grid, so cannot leave it plugged in all the time without putting an inappropriate drain on the system.) Last winter was my first, but it started and ran just fine at temps below -30F. When I do start it, I then let it warm up a bit before trying to move it. And I try not to have to run any machinery when it is below -40. Metal and plastic become brittle and things begin to break. Worst case, if I did need to use it in a really cold spell (see photo below taken last winter not far from where we live), I would throw a tarp over it and run the Reddy heater for a while to get it warmed up a bit.</p>


/cs/cfs-file.ashx/__key/CommunityServer.Components.UserFiles/00.00.00.36.14/Yukon-Winter-2009.jpg</p>
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At those temperatures if you were to strike that brushguard with a hammer, one of two things would happen. The brushguard or the hammerhead would shatter. Bet you didn't keep the bedroom window cranked open slightly that night to let in a little fresh air......</p>
 
[quote user="Kubota Kanook"]</p>


</p>


At those temperatures if you were to strike that brushguard with a hammer, one of two things would happen. The brushguard or the hammerhead would shatter. Bet you didn't keep the bedroom window cranked open slightly that night to let in a little fresh air......</p>
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You got that right! :-)</p>
 
i know it must really hurt when your workin on something and your and slips and you smack your knucles on something.it hurts downhere when it's in the 30's so i know it gotta hurtat -30. man your lucky your finger just don't snap and fall of.</p>
 
[quote user="tommy 20/69"]</p>


i know it must really hurt when your workin on something and your and slips and you smack your knucles on something.it hurts downhere when it's in the 30's so i know it gotta hurtat -30. man your lucky your finger just don't snap and fall of.</p>
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It can be PAINFUL. We joke about ears and noses breaking off, not to mention other appendages... And half serious. One does need to be careful about exposed skin when it is really cold. I got frostbite in my hands two winters ago when I needed to jump my wife's 4Runner at the airport and (stupidly!) did not have my winter gloves in the car. Trying to mess around with the cables and batteries at -30F with the wind blowing was not fun. And the cable insulation kept cracking off, being stiff in the cold. Ever since my hands cannot take the cold at all.</p>
 
i hate it when i have to use my hands to get the last few shrimp out the bottom of the ice chest. and thats only 32 degrees</p>
 
On Foot </p>


Thanks for sharing your experiences and photos. The pictures are just breathtaking. Sometimes we might take for granted what God has blessed us with until we see such beautiful landscape.</p>


Be safe up there and ... keep warm.</p>


Keifer, a RTV wannabe</p>
 
[quote user="Onfoot"]It can be PAINFUL[/quote]</p>


Yup! Sure can hurt when that frostbite starts to come out. I kinda' liken it to a combination of the pain of a real bad toothache, the sting of several wasps and a migraine headache all roled into one and applied to area that got nipped. Got the fingers nipped by old Jack Frost a while back and haven't been able to take the cold in that area either. And hurts like the dickins' when that freezing comes out. </p>


Mother Nature can be very beautiful in the North but She does have a mean streak in her 'nature'</p>
 
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