: ‘killed : a ‘poautiful ram with . one. long’ shor. He ~ had” surprised the: ram-on the — -open South Slope of Flatiron _ Mountain, a mile‘and ahalf*. By” Henry | E. “Prante " “Qur horses fairly steam— ved -with.» sweat: as-.. they “ climbed’. the: steep . slope “to‘Juniper Ridge. Breaking *--and* would “I like to ride with him to. scout for sheep in the Ashnola River water- _ shed in the Okanagan Moun-. eo through the knee-deep tins and perhaps take 2 from our camp. The beast | {™. crust’. .of spring ” snow, . few pictures of sheep...» made tracks for the creck "9g Gypsy, my saddle mare, ~ Being self. employed, bottom. Dick piled off his # - snorted nervously when she. operating a boat. repair -horse threw himself prone (% = Game to cross a ireshbear . business in Vancouver, to. the’ ground and: fired, B.C.) T° made time avail- abie.. Ken Bostock, Pat’s friend of Princeton, B.C., had come aiong for the His” butler ‘hit the ram ‘in’ the back of the head and killed him instantly. Too, I had hunted and ‘track but she. followed Pat _Wright’s big. Appaloosa gelding and final ly scramb- led out of the timber. onto = the grassy” windswept Tide. talked with Richard Dimick ridge.” That afternoon in our of Canyondam,> California, Pat halted and. stepped lean-to_ camp on Flatiron -who told me that his state ‘down, Turning to Ken Mountain I couldn't resist protects its few bands of. probing some... more.-- native sheep. ‘“‘You can’t hunt them there,’’ he said, -:. British Columbia is the only place with open -sea~ sons,’ Then I met Ole Hanson, ~*~ Bostock and myselfhe said: P “anytime now, and we ~Couldn’t you just. spare should’ see your California Old Gypsy for the ten day ‘bighorns. They like to S¢4Son in September?’ | graze in the windshade of 4sked. this ridge. Keep your eyes ‘Probably,’ he replied, creek. bottoms. mer 1]. gathered ~ further information. I checked with the B.C. Fish and Wildlife ~ Branch, and then with every sheep ‘hunter I knew. 1 _ tically refused to eat his supper. This was strange behav- ior for Ole, he usually displayed a "healthy appe- + bunch clean into Washing- ton State. Get. your gear and come along.’’ Hedrop- ped his horse’s reinstothe ground and sneaked ahead, showed almost white in’ contrast to the chocolate _ brown of his hide. I’llnever get -him, I. thought, he’ll . be long. gone. before I.can T wiped my eyes for the Checked the Boone and tite. et into shooti Pee aae s shooting range; umpteenth time to see the Crockett records. too and “I don’t know what the ee is nearly a eile away sheep but. the icy winds found not one sheep from . trouble is,’’? © Ole said,. Waye our California bighorn “something must be wrong ranges entered. But I also Feverishly I searched . _ With my rifle.’ my pockets for a copy of eaused them to water con-_ tinuously. How'd Pat see with the Wildlife Braach. told’ me that: perhaps. 4 maximum... number. of | seventy-five’ legal heads . may be hunted there. . By. legal heads he meant =: that rams must have three-. _*ve shot the one I’m Jook- ing for.’ “Last-minute jobs Then the 196? season’ came-along. _.I. hurried through all my last-minute late-brown and fully curled ram; their.leader. it. seem eds 1: ‘counted quickly” eighteen, “Wow!?? Ken whispered: hoarselv, “‘What’a selec- another. solid- rest for the rifle and held the cross _ Wires on the: ram’s -ear: like’ the illustration show- ed. I compared the two. “tion of rams, Too bad the quarter curl or. larger oo season _isn t open: fee ~ just, horns to be taken bur that Tush-jobs, closed ihe shop yer.” had seemed immaterial} at: gar : hundred: fifty odd. miles to “‘the Ashnola again, It was. . dark on my. arrival, Pat and his party had. already Smoking of fish and game. ig an art. . Smokehouses, once used primarily for preservation of meat, ‘have’ first. Surely, 1. ‘thought, . Pil recognize a- trophy ram. when T see-him. os : Then came my first real Some of the younger and lighter colored rams push- - ed their way. forward through . the bunch ‘to: get. cious flavour added to “foods by” the. smokehouse can “never: be. duplicated. Fishermen and hunters in- terested in smoking their catches. will find the fol- ~--lowing--: directions helpful: Good fresh fish game. should be used. Any hardwood may be used for smoking, alder,’ maple, cherry,, apple, or dry corn cobs are all good. Do not use softwood or conifers. . Cottonwood gives an — off flavor. To test wood, burn right into the middle of the best sheep country. On the “third day of the hunt’I” found a handsome ram. He lead five smaller brothers single-file through an old ~-burn. It was such-a simple, such a perfect situation. The rams trotted past me at a hundred paces, 1 took careful aim and unhooked ly. Only two heavy horned © ‘rams stood their ground . _near the leader as if-to stare us down, , to the saddle explaining that Old Gypsy would. be ‘waiting for me at the camp , but that Harry. (the horse) could carry me and my Bear much betrer. aa . With the dawn still below -the -horizon I slipped into my boots and: ‘saddled the horse. Harry was most. the round from my 30/06, reluctant to leave his alfal- Swinging the. rifle with the fa. hay; he might have . ram my bullet hit the dry, remembered the previous upturned root of a Pond- ~ season and the steep trail ‘erosa pine. ° ~ to the sheep range. ‘Later that night’ when - “Trold of my misfortune Pat Great haste - I snapped a few pictures in great haste, then the sheep...poured “down the * slope into the timbered canyon below. “Well! What'd. you-.say to that? Pat asked, oe "any good pictures?”’ “Don’t really know yet,’ Tl. answered, “they kind ‘of : surprised me.” a ‘Well, don’t taxe it too It was nearly ten am, when I reached the camp. hard: ‘partner, they kind of . just smiled. “Keep on All my. riding muscles - conrainer when brining. surprised a. few other tryin’ old partner,’ he. uTged fa re A note on “After building smoke , oT “ sy. isn’t so ‘co t t eXx- 2 en people besides you. “To Sal 7¥ PSY © corice be house and securing fresh plained that Pat. and my paxvtners-to-be. would hunt. the Joe Lake area for a couple of days but‘... We'll “juck you might just catch . he back. Make yourself at up with that sneaky ram. home.’’ I moved on up. He didn’t even run faster, 1 badn’t seen any rams ?”? when you fired, huh? on the open slope grazed ‘It's the truth, thought, a: dozen ewes and: lambs, oid ‘that she couldn't ride . you around for a few more seasons. With some: real good tryin’ and a deal of eatch fem’. unawares’ like _ trying. to kiss a duck’ S cheek without gettin’. fea- thers in your mouth. Pat operates a ranch and guiding outfit near Prince- “ton, B.C, and since he'd previously | squired . many prominent sportsmen and game or fish, these recip- es should ..produce. some delicious eating. It. would _ be well to remember that smoked .foods should be kept.. under- refrigeration. Kippered steelhead’ or salmon; Halve fish length- wise along the backbone ‘te fire for 7 to 13 hours. Temperature — should be around 80 degrees. When a good film-has formed on skin surface, hot smoke or barbecue for two hours, gradually raising tempera- ture to 189 degrees with heavy smoke. This partial- ly cooks fish. Pheasant and ducks: 1/2 gallon water, I cup salt, 1/2 cup sugar and 1/4 ounce pepper. Soak bird in pickle about one hour per pound. Remove and dry at room temperature until skin has wore ONES ee “ | ’ fa dry appearance. Smoke for about one hour per pound. Remove from smokehouse and bake at 20) degrees for 15 min- utes per pound, Venison, bear (ham, shoulders and icins): 1/2 gallon of water, Z cups salt, I tsp. ground cloves and 1 cup cider. Other spices and vinegars may be added. Bring brine to boil and boil meat for five minutes Drop and tun is the feature of this Jeep camper. The camper body, which can per pound. Remove and let be installed on any Jeep Universal unit, quickly detaches from the go-anywhere open’? grinning as usual, “but formerly of Copenhagen, "Then, -as° if. sur rised: n’t you: forget, come enmark, who now lives in. - Bo ae he pointed to a pris of. September and thehunters, Vancouver and is a friend te ed oft The, Dig look pasture sage. fifty yards these here rams’ll prob- of Pat Wrights’. Ole had about, His massive horns . downhill. “There they are, ably be twenty miles away. hunted the Californians for jooked: oreat. The voune . see ‘em?”’ Maybe even ‘across the “a number of seasons. One yams peelage showed up Ken. and! ‘dismounted border in Washington night he came back to our well his sickle horns lef * hurriedly. a State. a camp -in a state of exhaus- n9 doubt about his tender ; “Take -it- easy,” Pat . Further information tion.. He nearly fell_off.his -ae: He couldn’t have been. - whispered, “go slow. or Tatar during ther cue Dorse, then heplantedhim- ore than three years old, - you WY spook the whole Later, during that sum- self by the fire and prac- The big ram's | forehead ful: “be. sure, my tape showed thirty-two while the-other was slight-. how~ much or how anything in this wind, I learned that only a precious “What’s wrong with it?’’. the Game © Regulations. pondered, then Ken poked 1500 to 2000 heads of this Alec probed gently with Feeling silly and foolish. me in the ribs from be. . Species ‘exist in the world sympathy in his voice. .1 unfolded it before me‘on hind and pointed his finger today and that the Ashnola ‘I think it shoots too the ground. I found what I< too. watershed with its rarer low,’”” Ole replied, “‘and was looking for - the il- ; ,. imate four hundre ea too high, and too much lustration of a le al-sized ned thom me sheep pop- population is one of the to the right and to the ram. 6 They stood still for just ~Detter and more important left.” . ey Sto a ranges for the species. ve ae The ram had resumed a moment and then milled 5.072 Spalding, a biologist That's’ good, Alec | his feeding, he was slowly about their. dark. choco- , replied dryly, ! “you might-. moving about. I found some produce .a greater. trophy — - forme but until then this: ‘regulation-size California bighorn” is my greatest ve treasure ever, California bighorns on British Columbia’s Okanagan Mountains. This shot. was: taken -in the’ spring on this ~-flock’s winter range. During hunting-season the rams usually leave the ewes and lambs to try and survive in the thick cover of old burned-over areas and the many Bedo Hobbs photo. * I debaed with myself, _ But of course, he has to be big ‘enough, 1. thoughr, his horntips. reach at least two inches ahead of my vertical scope wire. ~ I moved the sights for a heart shot and- squeezed, Just asthe recoil set in, I *saw> him: crumble and fail, My rifle had done its part well. My trophy was beauti- no record-breaxer to one horn to be just over -inches’ long ly. broomed off at thirty- “one inches. Both bases are © fourteen. and a quarter inches in’ .circumference. Somehow it doesn’t. matter little these horns may dry and: shrink over the years, they'll - never make the book anyhow.-and that’s © still alright with me, Perhaps other season will Here's how to smoke game stand at room temperature for one hour. Smoke about: and “more. than . the. shooting. accuracy of. “likely: successful - is. drilling practice ‘butts + practice. shooting “positions. Archery habits eed gun. - Preparation is. the word for archers before the bow. .arrow..deer season. It “involves much establishing . opens.:. their equipment. The. serious, and Most cher « long : before the season’s opening. - Once he’s vincéd “his arrows’ are flying true, he begins the second half of his prepara- tion, which consists. of under simulated field conditions. He'll walk a wooded course, firing at faced targets from varying distances.. He’il make use of. a moving deer target if one is available. He’ll release | arrows from kneeling. and. crouched “He'll shoor through brush: or. small openings. - Perhaps walk through .a field, re- leasing arrows. at clumps of sod or grass. When he’s through, he’ li be ready: for..just about - any field situation that’s likely. to-confront © --him’: -during the. season. . He ' prepares himself so meti- culously.. for. one “reason: He knows he can’t afford to miss the first shot The gun ‘hunter, be he -regard. His firearm is not - “hunter will tell you,:hitting — second chance. ‘bird hunters do you. know.: game can do is sight in his rifle. he’ ll. _ targets in the field. “HUNTERS? SUPPLEMENT. cond SEPTEMBER 10,51 rifleman or “shoigun shoot- ~~" er, enjoys a feeling of - grearer .confidence in. this further by. ‘Crows Or “starlings “targets. He: may.;.find not the expert he th che wase: as limited’as the archer’s in accuracy..and. distance, ‘As ‘any experienced deer a. deer with. the first shot is nor the cinch it appears: *.'t0: bes Too. many: variable. cone. factors are involved, and. in many cases there! s no CUSTOM-M RIFLESCOPES *Mount Built- Int Savings neve possible for the - serious hunter’ 7°, and shooter who © teduires that 0°" “extra margin of: “DEPENDABILITY The same is true with = a- scattergun.. How. many: whe are capable of bring-.-: ing -down every. grouse -: or pheasant .they -shoot ‘ar? Had they put in a little practice before the sedson they. would have increased their chances for success. The least. adeer. hunter ‘Most see to. this ~ basic: requirement; but: thar’s as far as it goes, A little . practice on a moving deer target will pay dividends when the action: Many. sporting clubs this. type of facility. Ifnone is available, ‘try’. random... shots at safe and suitable : ‘In: any .case, don’t “make the mistake of being overly confident.- Borrow. a- bit-of.- - the archer’s philosophy.’: bvapoRaTe® _ MILKS “Another ‘quality product Pal trom the’ Fraser Valley Milk ooo .. Producers Association on thousands of high powere | in. the fast two: years. ‘position scope farther safe, full eye relief > tube aa “beefed up” with integral mount- ing rail and side ri one.. He had left abi oe -a better glimpse at» us hunt. Of course’ Pat. had - ean horse for. me Ged | been ©“ replaced: by deep ‘then they backed offquick- -packed my gear andmyself 45 a tree. A note was pinned - freezers., However, ‘deli- suggestions and and. .@ piece and smell smoke. _ Do not use. an aluminum © women incuding it wnen but how does he know all The heatwaves sorely and cut into chunks. Soak Ellzaet is 2 wok ‘ang mese things. tried my vision bur 1 .in following brine mixture 3 " trustworthy guide. I also Beside gathering prac- searched on. Suddenly a for one to two hours: One- knew he'd probably be too tical sheep hunting exper- young, buckskin colored alf gallon water, 20 ounces busy during hunting season jence I also met other ram. bolted from a patch salt. Make sure fish ave to take me out. Then he dedicated hunters. The of golden shivering aspen well under s surface of brine. truly surprised me when following day I watched a big brown ram ran after {STONE and dry fish for an he called at my home in when Dick Nickell of him; when the young ram “Smoke. lightly and par. Port Coquitiam, saying he Wenatchee, Washington, stopped the big ane bumped tially dry over a medium vehicle, and makes camping in the wilderness a citich, Universal model now sports 2 V6 engine, fout wheel drive, bucket seats afd a teputation cf being able tc climb Mouftains like a goat. The red fox can attain speeds of 3) miles an hour, 1 1/4. hours per pound.” Here’s sortie plain talk from Winchester _ that could help you do better this season Let's assume a couple of things. One, you have 4 good shotgun. Two, you're pretty good a OK. that leaves us with the ammunition. The Mark 5 collar. it is a band of polyethylene that moment you pull the trigger everything depends protects the pellets, keeping them round. It also upon what co mes out ofthe muzzle. » How far will itao and whet happens to it on the way? Your shells must i have the power io get the cellets to _ahd get thern there in an effective pattern. with sufficient wham! to bring down your target the target... WINCHESTER (CANADA) Cobourg « On‘:ro tusing it. And that s where we can help you. Our Super-X © = and X-Pert all brass head shot shells feature the =~ g helps keep the pellets in a dense, af- | fective pattern that flies straight and true to the target. The improvement in performance is little short of sen- sational. Talk to your Winchester dealer about it. He'll tell you.