Call it what you will: harvesting, shooting, killing, it all adds up to the same thing. I don't know anyone who is big on the killing portion, but we are thankful, and we ensure that all portions of the animal are used. Meat wastage, besides being illegal, is unethical, irresponsible, lazy and downright un-cool.
Michelle and I, Redgrant and Dunc made our annual 9 day hunting trip together, and were successful. Dunc took his first Moose as a Yukon resident. It came charging out at him at his first bull call. It ended up in the middle of the river, but a cable puller got him onto a clean gravel bar where we cleaned him up and got him into the boat.
Dunc, Dunc's son John, Paul and I also made another trip in October, and while we weren't successful in the hunting sense, it was a great trip none the less. I spent a few hours in a swamp watching a bull with 2 cows and 2 calves. A reasonable shot never presented itself, which was fine, so the Moose got to be Moose.
It's pretty cool to observe 5 Moose hanging out together.
Probable the best aspect of these fall trips is just being out at the changing of the seasons. The woods are alive with migrating birds, animals getting ready for winter, and the flora winding down for winter.
Campfires with good friends, crisp nights and clear, cool days are all a part of it.
