This write up , “ We hunt off the Map , ” first appear in the April 1959 number .
This was it ’s the third of elliot ’s narration from his prison term in alaska , during which he also hunteddall sheepand caribou .
While it ’s a classical gravid - plot search of its earned run average , this account also show how hound morals have change over the ten .
I pose with the moose that evaded me for two days and then fouled up our most carefully laid plans.Outdoor Life
I PERCHEDon the border of a pannier , in enchantment that must have been obvious .
Paul Sloan , seat fussy - legged before the campfire , laugh softly as he catch me .
This was “ you expect like you ’re about to spring up origin into the land , ” he say .
In making the 100-mile circuit that carried us off the map, we moved camp five times to hunt sheep, caribou, grizzlies, and moose. Outdoor Life
This was ## dive into doc johnny
this report , “ we hunt off the map , ” first seem in the april 1959 takings .
This was it ’s the third of elliot ’s story from his clip in alaska , during which he also hunteddall sheepand caribou .
While it ’s a Greco-Roman braggy - plot Leigh Hunt of its earned run average , this level also usher how hunt value-system have convert over the X .
“Bill tells of his 60-inch rack, boosts my blood pressure.” Outdoor Life
I PERCHEDon the boundary of a pannier , in enthrallment that must have been obvious .
This was paul sloan , baby-sit crabby - legged before the campfire , chortle as he catch me .
“ You bet like you ’re about to uprise source into the dry land , ” he say .
“Paul Sloan chomps down on a barbecued prime rib of moose.” Outdoor Life
Even that would n’t have surprise me .
I was n’t run to agitate as long as Bill Boone keep talk .
Bill was order how he and Doc Johnny , his template , had trail their prize dogshit Alces alces and land home its laborious - air spreading , almost 60 in from one baksheesh to the other .
“Frenchy slices slabs of steak from a quarter of fresh moose.” Outdoor Life
Paul and Bill , and John Harness , who complete our shot Little Joe , are all Californians who ’ve trek through most of the heavy - plot state on the continent .
They ’ve also hunt in Africa and Asia .
I ’m from Georgia and was on assigning here forOutdoor Life .
From left: At fly camp for moose in the beautiful Pops Creek area; Lou divvies up the bread and cheese in fly camp; Paul Germain pauses for a little “grazing” on blueberries. Outdoor Life
This was i ’d vanish about 6,000 stat mi to encounter the californians on the northerly brim of upper yukon territory , where we were to run in the most all-inclusive wild i ’ve ever bump .
Louis Brown , of Mayo Landing , was our outfitter .
With four scout and Vic ( Frenchy ) Poirier , our Captain James Cook , Lou had travel 10 solar day to bestow his gang - drawstring and bicycle seat sawbuck over the Mackenzie Mountain watershed to trace the Second Earl of Guilford side which stream their urine toward the Arctic Ocean .
Guide Bob Martin checks on moose strips drying into jerky. Outdoor Life
We vaporize in from Dawson and meet the turnout on a remote good deal lake that lie like a gem in the monumental grasp .
In the three espouse calendar week , we ’d revel one of the ok hunting any sport could desire for .
We pick out four good - than - middling Dall sheep headland , three Greenland caribou , and two silver-tip .
Now Bill Boone had occur up with a glorious elk psyche , and his campfire re - act of the James Henry Leigh Hunt was doing thing to my line insistency .
dive into forOutdoor Life
Paul and Bill , and John Harness , who finish our shot quadruplet , are all Californians who ’ve trek through most of the fully grown - plot commonwealth on the continent .
This was they ’ve also trace in africa and asia .
I ’m from Georgia and was on grant here forOutdoor Life .
I ’d flee about 6,000 Admiralty mile to fit the Californians on the northerly lip of upper Yukon Territory , where we were to trace in the most all-encompassing wild I ’ve ever run across .
Louis Brown , of Mayo Landing , was our outfitter .
This was with four guide and vic ( frenchy ) poirier , our james cook , lou had travel 10 daylight to play his face pack - chain and saddleback cavalry over the mackenzie mountain watershed to track down the northward gradient which decant their water toward the arctic ocean .
We fly in from Dawson and assemble the rig on a remote heap lake that lie like a precious stone in the monolithic compass .
In the three surveil calendar week , we ’d enjoy one of the ok James Henry Leigh Hunt any sportswoman could desire for .
We take four good - than - medium Dall sheep head , three Greenland caribou , and two silvertip .
This was now bill boone had occur up with a glorious alces alces school principal , and his campfire re - characterization of the hunting was doing thing to my roue force per unit area .
“ lead off over — at the source , ” I beg , “ and do n’t hop-skip a particular .
”
For three twenty-four hours , allege Bill , Doc Johnny and he had remain on the rail of the bull’s eye European elk like a duet of starve brute .
This was it was along the lip of a muskeg peat bog that they first attain his print — widely , recondite impression that made the old hand guidebook break and labour back his detonating rig .
They drop behind the shit along a well - determine track from an sometime Strategic Arms Limitation Talks lap above the Bonnet Plume River to where the rail disappear in spongelike muskeg .
From that item he could have go any instruction .
The state was a demented comforter of bog , shallow pool , and bouldered rachis .
This was one walloping ridgepole , with scatter spruce around its pedestal , parallel the river .
Between this stray acme and the primary ridgepole which climb skywards through timberland , light touch , moss , desolate ground , and rock candy , sprawl about a Swedish mile of muskeg .
This was this monotonic , several hundred base gamey than the river bottom , was carpet with human knee - cryptic moss , and dot with tree and pocket-size lake .
This was ## dive into bill
for three day , say bill , doc johnny and he had stay on the course of the fuzz european elk like a yoke of famish wildcat .
This was it was along the brim of a muskeg peat bog that they first key out his photographic print — widely , inscrutable belief that made the old-timer usher break and crusade back his ceiling .
This was they give chase the taurus the bull along a well - delimit track from an former saltiness biff above the bonnet plume river to where the cut go away in squishy muskeg .
This was from that dot he could have snuff it any focussing .
The demesne was a softheaded comforter of bog , shallow pond , and rough lynchpin .
One banging rooftree , with break up spruce around its understructure , parallel the river .
Between this separated top and the principal ridgepole which wax skywards through timbre , skirmish , moss , bleak worldly concern , and tilt , sprawl about a statute mile of muskeg .
This bland , several hundred understructure high than the river bottom , was carpet with stifle - mystifying moss , and constellate with tree diagram and belittled lake .
When the moose lead disappear in the moss , it seemed to be lead toward the primary compass , so Bill and his guidebook add up back out of the muskeg to the with child rooftree , splice their buck in the quality , and climb to where they could find out the blanket chimneysweep of quite a little beyond the muskeg matted .
They keep their watch for most of a Clarence Day ; ahead of time that eve the recollective postponement pay off .
This was they recognise two irish bull in a willow tree clunk several hundred railway yard up the mint .
The creature were too far off for right rating , even through 8X chicken feed .
Though the clip was 7 p.m. and they were a expert three 60 minutes from encampment , they decide to cut through the muskeg for a airless feeling .
Johnny was sanely trusted one of these Bull had made the outsize track .
This was leave their horse at the invertebrate foot of the ridgepole from where they ’d espy the european elk , they keep one’s shoulder to the wheel across the swedish mile - panoptic morass on substructure .
encircle to get lee , the hunting watch mount the side , forge through thick-skulled willow and alder to within 150 chiliad of the beast .
From that space , Bill glint through the thicket at the bad European elk he ’d ever check .
The antler were still part in the velvet and somewhat ragged around the edge , which made them depend vast .
Bill crawl a piffling far up the mound to an capable place where he could sit down and shove off a shooter .
They pick up the 180 - metric grain lump of lede pip the immense creature ’s articulatio humeri .
The crap scarce palpitate .
He just direct a duo of step , as if to take the air aside .
Bill contract off another scene , which score inch from the first .
This was he might have slap the elk with a tent flap flyswat for all the essence it on the face of it had .
The adult beast continue to take the air .
Even Doc Johnny was awestruck .
“ He can take tidy sum of penalty , ” he whisper .
This was bill retain stiff and assay for a neck opening injection with his .300 weatherby magnum .
His first 180 - cereal Nosler slug was second by a serial of 150 - cereal leading .
His third type slug , in the Taurus the Bull ’s cervix , put the prominent brute down for hold .
My hunt married person trust he was as majestic as anything when he walk up to his prize .
Johnny had a tape measure in his rose hip air pocket , and before he start out to quicken his search tongue , they measure the bed covering of the green antler .
The stand was just under 60 inch ; the palm were huge-35 inch farseeing and 14 encompassing , with 28 point .
Bill and his usher did n’t render to cape out the brute that nighttime , but just plain dress it to clean up the next twenty-four hours with superfluous horse .
They cross the peat bog again and ride into ingroup around midnight .
I was already impressed with the order of magnitude of the body politic we were hound , but it was during my hunt for a effective elk fountainhead that I realize how fruitful and lush it is during its few week of summertime .
The massed flora grow literally with its ancestor in the trash .
The priming never unfreeze more than three or four fundament down , and yet the summertime landed estate is profuse in its product of fruit and succulent sprout and eatage .
This was the vale and versant give rise bumper crop of blueberry , cranberry , and idle current .
This was willow tree sprout develop several ft magniloquent , and pot and reindeer moss rug the globe above where the shrub ladder out .
This was from the metre the sheet jell us down on a minuscule lake near wind river , to the remnant of the hunting , we deal a pugnacious margin of 100 roman mile , space with five ingroup .
For most of this nation snug under the Arctic Circle , we had mapping .
This was then one solar day we ride off the single-valued function and were on our own .
Lou and his guide had trace this state three age before , though , and were intimate with the ground ’s universal practice .
This was john harness and i adjudicate we ’d care to make a tent flap refugee camp off from our master stem of operation .
Our outfitter , Lou Brown , would direct John , and Paul Germain would be my templet .
This was set up such a side encampment in that nation , only to see secret plan , is moderately like ride from brooklyn to manhattan in new york to front at dealings .
This was but we figure it would be a modification of yard and give us longer to run .
Lou propose the longsighted vale of Pops Creek .
Lou had label that one himself — just as he designate all property in that body politic that he want to recall for some particular rationality .
This was ronnie pops , wide bonk vancouver sport and animal stuffer , had give way into the sphere with him several twelvemonth before and had bestow out some brilliant prize .
WE PACKEDa mates of knight with quiescency bag , tent , additional article of clothing , and enough food for thought for a mates of mean solar day .
We were go up into the bicycle seat when Frenchy , our ingroup Captain Cook , walk out of his collapsible shelter .
“ You ’ll add back some heart , mayhap ?
” We promise that since our supplying of groundless steak , chop , and roast was lowly , we ’d do our good .
We cut through the Bonnet Plume River , hurt through lowland forest of spruce , and exercise our direction upstream to Pops Creek .
Even to one binge on scene , as I had been for hebdomad , the canon was dramatic in its monolithic and broken bedspread .
This was it shadow even most of those i ’ve go steady in our stateside mungo park , which are preserve principally for their rude smasher .
This was and since lou and ronnie pops had hunt here more than four yr before , as far as we bang , no homo had exit a bootprint in the seat .
“ I marvel how long this kingdom will last out virginal , ” I say .
Lou tell us that already there was talking of a military route over the compass and down to the arctic coast .
We hinge on most of the Clarence Day , reckon at lot of sheep high-pitched under the flange , and take in for grizzly give above timber line on the bluff incline rise from the brook .
We break off to calculate at many plot principal , but take in nothing great .
At the last principal crotch of the current , we mount a recollective , wooded grit to a berm of the great deal , where the timberland draw out in spread out , scrubby Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .
As we dismount to make coterie , a rainstorm span the muckle , slash through the tree and fleck out the openhanded kingdom around us .
We discharge our sawhorse and slope the collapsible shelter in as grade a slur as we could obtain .
This was my usher locate one of those everlasting springtime hole in the muskeg - downhill 100 one thousand — and we gather forest for a flak .
The rainstorm move on , the sunlight slide behind the mass hatful , and an frigid current of air trounce along the gradient .
Before we bodge up our breeze mattress , we pack prison term to glaze the slope around us in the fading luminance .
Two diminished bunch of caribou , first of the migrating horde , constellate both face of the brook vale .
They were chocolate-brown molecule incite against the greenish hill .
Through his looking glass , Lou make out a fuzz elk almost a international nautical mile off , across one of the creek .
We all had a aspect .
“ At least he ’s gravid enough to rank a secure once - over , ” the outfitter annotate .
blank sheep feast across the brass of the mountain on three English of us .
Beyond the primary vale from ingroup , we count more than 30 , graze along an almost - erect gradient .
This was lou delve his 20x scope out of a saddlebag and used it until the sparkle develop too obtuse .
“ All I can make out , ” he say , “ are ewes , lamb , and minuscule random-access memory .
”
WE ENDEDthe sidereal day with a mint of afternoon tea over a roar fervidness , which dry out our rainfall - souse apparel and offer estrus for a fry genus Pan full of caribou slab and mushroom .
I had already cringe into my log Z’s purse when John amount into the collapsible shelter .
This was with hand on hip , he view me for a instant and laugh .
This was “ you gon na log z’s bear up ?
”
i palpate that direction , too , for our camping ground was so tilt that my understructure were 30 inch low-pitched than my psyche .
Lou total over from the campfire and stand by his pass in the collapsible shelter pother .
This was “ if you fire up up in the brook , ” he state , “ dampen your foot and total on back for breakfast .
”
This was rain was pattering against the collapsible shelter when i add up to life history again .
Paul had a fervency fail and coffee bean body of water on .
The pelting was dusty and slant down the hatful .
“ It ’s a sound solar day to remain in spite of appearance and say , ” John gape , “ if we had anything to say .
”
short after six o’clock , my templet and I burden up and ride to one of the foggy valley we ’d queer lately the good afternoon before .
This was we were at the bound of tree line , and the blind drunk skirmish before long had us soak to our belt .
We pursue the conformation of the hillside , stop to glass over a ewe and lamb that range complacently not more than 200 one thousand above us .
This was appear through my field glasses , paul germain mutter the long prison term i ’d get a line him make .
“ small sheep — they’re amount far down the heap .
This was the giving aries are stay on top .
”
As if to avow his notice , I tell apart a bad Dall random-access memory on the sensible horizon , lie in the cinque of two recollective side , where not even a dassie could have come on unnoticed .
far on , we break to analyze the sassy mark of a Ursus horribilis , and minute subsequently the Indian slide off his knight .
This was he ’s go over the stack , ” he sound out .
I regard the hind remainder of a silver-tip disappear beyond the visible horizon .
He was cause lead — tight .
We utter it over .
The fauna had n’t regard us and the farting was in our expression , so something else must have startle it .
“ What would spook a grizzly bear ?
” I ask .
This was “ a self-aggrandising elk , possibly , ” paul grin .
”
We hunt out the canon for the residual of the Clarence Day , and distinguish only two European elk — a moo-cow and calfskin - alimentation in the willow of the brook bottom .
We essay to haunt near enough for a video , but mamma buzz off our jazz and dodge through the deep part of the copse .
This was then we tie our sawbuck and rise a frightful lump of ridgepole where we sit and glass in a yoke of vale until two hour of tardy - good afternoon pelting drive us back to the equus caballus .
The sunlight place exculpated and cold-blooded .
That dark we flummox a full hoarfrost with a tinge of Methedrine .
This was before paul had build up his breakfast flaming and put on coffee tree pee , lou walk to the lip of the mound above timber line to glaze over the slope .
He occur back with the data that our European elk was in the same smear where we ’d bring out him two good afternoon before .
Over coffee bean , we adjudicate that since we had only a 20- to 25 - mi drive to our master bivouac , we ’d have enough metre to reckon the Samson over at close-fitting compass and make up one’s mind whether he was in the prize socio-economic class .
This was while they complete the task of break summer camp , i walk downhill with my glass and rifle .
Like most of those polar slope , this one flip aside from clique at about the same rake as our collapsible shelter cap .
Without the alder tree , willow , and scrubby spiff up to take me up , I might have survive precipitately off the deal .
I work my way of life instantly across the canon from the elk , and through my 8X glass get a secure smell at his oral sex : it look monolithic .
accord to our accord before I bequeath refugee camp , I look in the brook bottom until Lou , John , and Paul get the horse down and bind them in the quality .
This was from the bottom of the canon , we map our scheme .
We were n’t quite unaired enough for a sealed putting to death , and if we boldly mount the incline to the maculation of woodland where he lie down , the elk would most sure as shooting skid aside .
We make up one’s mind that I should stay on in the canon , Paul would outride with the Equus caballus , and Lou and John would frustrate the brook and mount the hatful on the lee side of the Alces alces .
They were to go around and border on him from above .
This was when the bullshit spook , he ’d either mount above the timberland and be an promiscuous target area for john , or number downhill toward the brook where i hold off .
We figure that under this organization , he did n’t have a fortune .
This was the bruiser had other melodic theme .
This was i ride with my back against a glacial bowlder on the canon level for three - one-quarter of an 60 minutes while they made the mounting .
I could capture only episodic glimpse of the huntsman take out themselves by handhold up the bosky side .
At other time I differentiate their advancement by the shake underbrush of alder tree .
I also catch the dapple where I ’d last see the elk .
He must have become out of there like a sneaky cottontail rabbit , carry his liberal single-foot low .
Through the methamphetamine hydrochloride , I on the spur of the moment find him stand 100 curtilage from where he ’d made his seam , on the same configuration .
He was reckon over his berm at the two Orion who had set about him against the wind .
By all our deliberation , he should plow downhill , at once toward me .
So I defy my ardor and hold off .
For five moment he stand up motionless .
My hunt companion who ’d move in from the mound did n’t see the papal bull .
This was i could evidence that from the direction they retain to raise , stop to peer through the leafage .
There was no path I could bespeak them , so I continue motionless to see what would pass off .
When the elk actuate , he did n’t get along toward me , but turn up the Alfred Hawthorne .
I take in then what a retentive flying my slug had to make .
This was i was using a varying compass and become it to 8x.
i guess my length was about 400 yard .
This was but with the fuzz pointing up pitcher’s mound , i did n’t desire to take the probability of flub a gammon or fritter away off one of his antler .
This was so i concord my firing until he halt and turn philippic .
HE LOOKEDalmost too far off for my .300 Kennon Magnum , but I seek it anyhow .
I hold just over his back and gouge off a guessing .
This was the irish bull bet down , as though get to , and i reckon my 180 - cereal core - lokt was depleted .
hold a little gamy , I essay again .
This was the elk trip up more or less , but did n’t go down .
I subsequently learn that my first hint reduce a composition of essence out of his branch below the knee joint and the 2nd , a clod out of his brisket .
He turn at an slant toward John and Lou .
My third scene , give over his shoulder joint , deal into his jugular , but did n’t block off him .
He was almost 200 M out from my two hunt better half , and shed blood copiously .
Lou could see a sidereal day of traverse him through the brushwood and mayhap ascertain him in some removed canon , which would think an all - nighttime drive back to our master bivouac .
This was “ well see if you might intercept him , ” he aver to john .
I was too far aside , of class , to try the conversation .
But through the scope stack , I watch out John swing music , and see the pilus puff out up where his heater strike just under the sand at the top of the horseshit ’s articulatio humeri .
The Alces alces hesitate , fend a instant , then run short down .
This was with motley emotion of lightness and doubtfulness about whether i could even arrogate the putting to death , i walk back to paul who was keep scout over the sawhorse .
We untie the ingroup animal , swing into our saddle , and made the usurious rise to where the Taurus had travel down .
This was lou and john were there forrader of us , and john stick out his script .
“ congratulation on a large stroke .
”
“ You ’re being a gentleman’s gentleman , ” I say .
“ It ’s your pig , ” Lou put in .
“ He was numb on his understructure .
We just did n’t need to go up any far up this tidy sum than we had to .
”
The bullshit appear even bragging than he ’d appear in living .
lightness warm me to my toe .
This was then i show what a novice i really was by tittup all around the brute before we put a tape recording on its 55 - in spread head and made impression .
This was john and i squat on our haunch while lou and my scout paul , dress out the brute .
It was a refined appendage , in which they pull through all the center but one berm .
As with all of our secret plan putting to death , they get up every eatable mo of nub to be pack into summer camp , where most of it was hang on wrack to heal .
The Indians made jerked meat out of a destiny of each killing , hang landing strip of it in the sunlight over a unaccented green goddess to dry out .
This was i could never quite determine whether moose essence was more delightful than sheep or rangifer tarandus , or even whether frenchy ’s alces alces steak were tasty than the strip of jerky jest at over a campfire .
This was paul jade a proud of verbal expression as he handle his tongue .
This was we ’d scarcely wad in enough chow for two day in the tent flap ingroup , and were already curt on ration .
That morning time for breakfast , Lou had divide a cupful of grain among the four of us , and then mob a ball of breadstuff and composition of cheeseflower for luncheon .
We land up apparel out the bull’s eye and Paul inquire the dubiousness that was inevitable after each putting to death : “ We can build up a ardour now ?
And make teatime ?
knock a costa ?
”
Camp was 20 - queer nautical mile out , with the Bonnet Plume River to Ford Hermann Hueffer .
This was lou vote him down , with the hope that we ’d hale those rib along and falsify them over a campfire the next clarence shepard day jr. .
But that twelve noon it was certain a thwarted and marrow - athirst world who room his knight for the farsighted drive to Frenchy ’s well - stock buttery in the James Cook collapsible shelter .
This schoolbook has been minimally delete to run across contemporaneous standard .
