DAV moose hunt...WOOHOO!!!!!
- Thread starter JohnCushman
- Start date
JohnCushman
Well-known member
Sunday morning we all rolled out of our racks and vehicles and gathered around the fire. Grant cooked up some potato hash and Emily brought out some muffins. We rotated coffee with Matt's compressor pot and I had some jet boil instant in between. Gerald started butchering up the heart and Grant started cooking them up. We all enjoyed hash and heart and coffee and pepsi. With full bellies we sat around a while and a small bull wandered in close to camp. Gerald played with it for a while and it finally left. People started packing up. We started saying goodbyes as they started to leave. Randy ran me up to where we had signal and I got out some texts and messenger messages. Everyone started to leave and eventually it was down to Grant and me and dad. We hung out for the day and Grant heaved up some fire trees. Not wood, literally trees. We spent the afternoon chatting and drinking adult beverages. Josh showed up and we chatted a while and showed him my skull. Apparently the average bull taken in the unit is 33 inches, and mine was 41 1/2. Boner moment. We all chat a while and then Josh leaves. We were all still full from hash and heart in the afternoon, so we were on our own for dinner. We all go to bed and sleep well. I wake up Monday morning and Grant is pouring water on the fire. He tells me there was a bull literally in camp that morning that came all the way up to our fire area. Grant starts packing up and me and dad get our day going. Grant leaves and me and dad go to cell service where I can get a call out. I call the butcher that Sean said to go to. Shit, voicemail. Me and dad have a truck bed full of moose meat and we take the chance of going in. The butcher is closed on Sunday and Monday, and today is Monday. Dad drives the hour down the mountain and get into the little town. I run into the gas station ad get a coffee. I call the butcher again and he answers. He can process the bull in 2-3 weeks. Dammit. I tell him I need it in a couple days. He said he can have it done by wednesday morning for a $150 rush fee. OK, we head to Pocatello to the butcher. We get to the butcher and drop the meat off and then head back down to camp. And hour to Clifton, and hour up the mountain to camp and we arrive at our camp site. Me and dad break down camp and look for any trash and make sure the fire is out. We are loaded up and head back to Pocatello to the hotel for a 2 day stay. The next couple of days are filled with hot tub, food, adult beverages, and sleep. We wake up Wednesday morning and eat some hotel breakfast. It really wasn't too bad. Eggs, sausages, home fried potatoes, and make your own waffles and cereal and danishes, bagels, and yogurt. Get back to the room and I poop and then take a shower. We get to the butcher around 8:15. They bring out my boxes of meat. Holy shit. We unload the truck and pack the meat boxes in and repack out gear around the meat. We gas up and grab some coffee and drinks and snacks, and head out for the 12 hour drive home. The drive is uneventful. We swap drivers every couple of hours. We stop in Limon for gas and McDonald's. We head south for the hour drive to my house. We get to my place and are greeted by my 5 dogs. We bring in minimal luggage and personal effects and call it a night soon after decompressing from the trip. Thursday me and dad go to put meat and everything in the freezers. Shit...my meat freezer shit the bed and the chest freezer I was going to put the hide and skull in was dead. We make a flying run to Lowe's for a new freezer. I had a dead fridge in my kitchen and a newer used fridge in my dining room. We swap out the fridges and dad insists we put the new fridge in my dining room since my garage breaker has been popping like once a week. We rest for a while and start brining in my meat and putting it in the new freezer. Everything is done and packed and dad is doing laundry. We wind down for the evening and then head to bed. Friday morning dad does more laundry and I get the dogs squared away. We pick my son up at 1 for lunch. Dad hasn't seen him in a couple of years. We go to lunch and drop him back off at home after. Then me and dad head to Colorado Springs to his hotel room. He leaves at like 8 am Saturday and needed to be to the airport by 6 am, so he got a room instead of leaving my house at 4 am. Me and dad say our goodbyes and I head home. I get home and am missing my dad. I put some laundry in and am chatting with dad and my mom on messenger for the evening. I miss dad even more. We have become the best of friends since I've been back from Iraq having a combat tour in common, since he's a Viet Nam vet. He texts me through the day Saturday and he finally makes it home.
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WNC2500
Well-known member
@JohnCushman Those times with our dad's cannot be taken for granted. I am headed down to SC to hunt tonight and tomorrow with my dad. He gets just as excited as I do about time in the woods, and harvesting game together. My dad was the one that taught me how to shoot a gun, and was the first one to ever take me hunting. They are blessings for sure!!
Elkmagnet
Well-known member
You did good John. Thanks for taking the time to write the story.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
I'm hoping the rest of the group chimes in and adds more pics and stuff
MThuntr
Well-known member
This is among the top of all time great hunts and stories in the 22 year history of Hunt Talk. Great job to all. Congratulations, John. Hope you and your Dad have more of these days together in the near future. Thanks to everyone who helped and @brymoore for making it possible that John's dream moose hunt could come to reality.
passinthru
Active member
Congratulations John for a well deserved experience!
This is what should be playing on a continuous loop in all households.(Tiny dancers included )
Excellent people Involved all around.
This is what should be playing on a continuous loop in all households.(Tiny dancers included )
Excellent people Involved all around.
NEWHunter
Well-known member
Congrats! Unforgettable experience all around. Is it just me or is the best part of this story the time spent with Dad.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
Made some moose meatloaf. I got beef fat added for a 90/10 mix. I needed a little binder, but overall it was yummy. Since I have so much burger I'm going to make some sausages. I got 10 pounds of fatty pork from the market, so first up is maple breakfast sausage.....
Hilljackoutlaw
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jan 15, 2019
- Messages
- 6,603
This thread makes me nit care about my dismal season so far. Just awesome thanks for sharing it all cush! And thanks to all the HT rock stars helping make it happen. You guys are above and beyond.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
Since I filled out the butcher sheet wrong, I ended up with about 100 pounds of burger lol I've had tacos, meatloaf, and burger with tortellini and sauce. I fed ex'd some meat back home to my parents. Dad shared some burger with coworkers and got a more than positive review. Dad made a roast and my mom, who was very apprehensive to try it, loved it. I've given some burger to a few friends, all with a positive review. I've bought some fatty pork to make various sausages with since I have so much burger. First up is maple breakfast. The next will be Italian. I also have kits for chorizo and regular breakfast and brats. I'm rationing out the back strap chops and roasts and the couple packs of actual steaks I got.
LousyResident
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- Joined
- Sep 19, 2016
- Messages
- 3,104
FYI for reference. I just made 10lbs of Italian Sausage with the MeatEater recipe from their Complete Guide: Big Game and it is really good.
MThuntr
Well-known member
can't go wrong with brats!
I'm going to try this when I grind more
JohnCushman
Well-known member
looks amazing!!
