The Terrible Choices of Fall, and a “Wild Moose Chase” in B.C.’s North Country …

Welcome to Hunting & Fishing BC, my podcast about fishing, hunting and other wild pursuits in British Columbia and western Canada.

I’m Robert Koopmans and this week I talked to fly-fishing master Brian Chan about the terrible choice outdoors folk face every autumn — do we fish or hunt? It’s a dilemma Brian faces every year now that he has become enamoured by bowhunting for deer, as the fall also provides such excellent stillwater fly-fishing opportunities in B.C.’s lakes. Brian’s choice? Hunt hard during the early September archery season then fish hard after that. Brian provided me with many great tips and suggestions for catching fall rainbows …

 I also chatted with Randy Nelson about his trip to B.C.’s Peace country for moose. He and two friends spent nine days looking for a bull moose in what should have been prime hunting country. As it turns out it was incredibly hard country to get around in, something that led to the unexpected discovery of a young couple who spent two days walking through swamps and bush after their truck got stuck bumper deep in thick mud.

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Randy Nelson has made many trips to B.C.’s far north hunting moose. In late August he and two friends made another trip to country north of Fort St. John in search of moose. This trip turned into a different kind of experience, however, as he and his crew suffered truck troubles, wet weather, and not many moose.

Randy’s hunting trip quickly turned into a day-long rescue mission, something that ultimately created an experience that will remain burned into his memory … He and his friends helped rescue a young couple whose truck became stuck deep and hard in thick mud far off the main road. His crew sprang into action, setting aside their hunting to help these strangers out of a really difficult situation. 

 Their actions were a great example of an ethic we should all aspire to — when the call comes to help someone, answer it. It’s an act that might one day need to be repaid … 

 I apologize for the sound quality upfront. To make sure we could respect social distancing, Randy and I chatted in a Kamloops park that proved to be a busy, noisy environment … 

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 Thanks for listening to this week’s episode. If you want to share a thought, send me an email at [email protected].  I’m Robert Koopmans, thanks again, and we’ll catch you next time.