When Bob and I heard of a few Bison hanging around the first few kilometres of the Ashihik Rd. we quickly put our skidoos and gear together in the big yellow bus with a trailer and headed out very early the next morning.
As we rolled up to the spot, I saw another hunter using binoculars to see the four bison that were about 2 km away and about 400 m higher. My heart dropped. It would have been nice to be the only one watching the bison. We spoke very briefly, and politely I wished them luck and left the site for these hunters to go after the bison.
Bob and I jumped in the bus and went down the road out of sight and waited a few minutes. Sure enough, these two hunters left the spot and Bob quickly backed the bus up to where we saw the bison. As we got our gear together the hunters returned and said “Hey Your going after our Bison!”
I responded, “You left, and I did not know they were YOUR BISON.” This man argued, we have been watching them for 4 days, I asked “Well… are they getting any closer?” With my last question, the one hunter looked at me as if he was going to explode, and quickly left.
Bob and I surveyed the hill and looked at how much time it would take and what we would need in the next 5 hours. We set out on snowshoes and carrying minimum gear, hoping to have triggers at 2 pm. As I hiked with Bob, I felt very fortunate to have him as my hunting partner. The kind of hunting partner everyone wishes for. Someone that can fearlessly take on a task of hard work with the possibility not probability of Success.
As always Bob had timed the hike perfectly. In 5 hours we had hiked that hillside, with Bob breaking trail all the way! I simply could not keep ahead of Bob and break trail, each step with the snowshoes meant you lifted huge piles of snow up just to stretch out for your next step, it was tough! I would have slowed the hike down too much, and it would be too dark to shoot by the time we got to the top. Bob was 64 at the time and I made a pact with myself to get in better shape so I could break the trail more when he would be 65.
We often heard from Bob jokingly “When I was your age I would have been there already.”
As I hiked up behind Bob, he knew I was doing all I could to keep up with him and the fast pace and so I was spared the When I was your age…
It was a great moment when we broke through the last part of deep snow, crested a small rise, and downwind of our prey with plenty of time to make perfect shots. Carefully we selected just one and dropped it quickly. Bob and I looked down into the vast valley below at a tiny yellow bus, and let the feeling of a great accomplishment sink in.
