Meet In Kelowna (Pix. Heavy)

[Baljit]

September, 21/2013

Hello Guy’s.

It’s all most end of September and fall /hunting season is already here. I also had next week off from work. When I booked this week off and got approved shortly after that, I informed CK that I am off from September 21 to September 28.

CK went to MN to meet XL, once he is back from there and told me that he have a weekend off and also he request to take a September 23, 24, and 25 off from work. A week later I received a text from him and confirm that his request for the additional three days is approved.Shortly after that both of us start making plans. Both of us decided that we would do some camping, hunting and outdoors activity.

Today when I wake up early in the morning and I notice that it’s very heavy rain outside. As I make my plans with CK for this week, he is going to join me today.

Now its 10:00AM when I am writing this and I received a text from him that he is covered 200 KM already and he is going to here around 11:30AM. I am very excited about his visit to Kelowna again and spend few days with me and my family.

It’s 10:45AM now, and I received another text from CK that he is only 70 KM away from Kelowna. Rain is stopped and sun peeking through the sky. Look like we going to have a great day ahead of us.

Here is CK when he arrived at my place.









Here both of us have a mutton curry (made by me) with rice and roti with cold beer


Plans for the day.
After lunch both of us going to join my hunting friend John, then three of us going to bear hunting this afternoon. I hope all of us going to see movement in the bush.
Around 1:30PM both of us arrived at John’s place. Three of us moved out at a slow, relaxed pace so as to absorb and appreciate the bounty of nature, mountains and evergreen trees.

Evergreen Trees


When we had travelled about 10KM suddenly we spot the deer middle of the road. We can’t shoot this deer because any buck seasons going to be open in 10 days. We can shoot only four point and better.

Young and Foolish Mule Deer


Oh Deer - you don't know how close you are to drooling hunters!


Another 30 min drive took us the spot where we actually going. From here we have to walk up to the mountain. We walk about 1KM then. John took one trail and we took the other trail so we can cover the maximum area.





When we are hiking on the mountain we seen lots of wild mushroom, moose sign and bear claw marks on the tree.

Huge colorful Mushrooms


More Mushrooms...


Deer, Bear and Moose are attracted to the trail by these mushrooms




Here is bear claw marks on the tree


Here is CK saying it looks a big fellow from the height of the marks!


Strange shaped Mushroom






Moose Droppings





On the Trail




Here,when we are hiking on the mountain we spot the moose bed area.






Deer Tracks


A view of Hidden Creek


Around 5:00PM we decide to head back and spend some time zeroing the scope on my Ruger 10/22.

My SAKO 7mm Magnum ready for Bear!


Here is my hunting friend John.


Here when i am zeroing my 10/22.





Here is CK trying my 10/22.


Innovative Plinking Targets!




Here all of you guy's can see cup in the air.








After all of this we just enjoying are self.






We arrived home around 9:00PM. After shower both of us had a long chat with W&S.

Long Chat with Crown Royal and Spicy Crab Meat



Deer sausage and crab biryani.

On the dinner table.

More to come.......

Enjoy
Baljit

[essdee1972]

Wow, man! You guys seemed to have a nice time!

And you seem to be really "shooting" in the second sense - capturing those lovely mushrooms, etc. Enjoy!!!

[xl_target]

CK is sure getting a lot of miles in this year, travelling to see friends.
Baljit, you are making my mouth water. When do I get to come up to Kelowna and try some of those dishes?

You guys look like you are having fun. Decent weather and good companionship.
Are those mushrooms edible?

[brihacharan]

Hi Baljit / CK,
> Best luck to you guys... You have started off well
> CK ... Like your license plate... so very personalized
> Man... those plinking shots are awesome... Wish you guys to have some nice cuts on the table
> Baljit... with your culinary skills I can imagine some mouthwatering 'steaks' happening!!!!
> Way to go guys... Best Luck!
Briha

[ckkalyan]

Day 1 - Sat, 21 Sep

I awoke suddenly with a sense of panic, the bedside clock beside me told me it was 6:30 am on Sat, 21 Sep. I realized that I had somehow overslept and had missed my early start to Kelowna. I jumped out of bed, made myself a coffee and hurriedly packed up some essentials and prepared to leave.

By the time I had tanked up with fuel, checked the air pressure on the little Civic’s tires it was 7:53 am. I headed off on BC-91 South, then onto BC-1 East (Trans Canada Highway) without any further delay. The roads were justifiably empty on a Saturday morning; I drove with a heavy foot whenever opportunity presented itself so as to make up for lost time.

I passed through peaceful, sleepy towns on the weekend such as Delta, Abbottsford, Chilliwack, Agassiz and then

Then the vistas opened up, magnificent, blue green mountains flanking the route, seemed to be steaming in the warmth of the early morning sun as the road snaked and climbed steadily. Misty mountains with the Sun reflecting off rocks into my eyes, it was truly something to behold.

Nature’s beauty prompted thoughts of gratitude and a wonderful feeling of well being!
I had to make a conscious effort and hold myself back from admiring the scenery, too much. I knew I had to focus on driving safely and at speed if I was to make it to my destination in good time.

At times the little engine of the Honda was whining at 5,000 rpm trying to hold a speed of 130-150 kmph on the steep, winding mountain roads. It was an exhilarating feeling, a huge adrenalin rush.

Quick change, I think to myself! It starts pouring rain, hammering the windshield in heavy sheets so much so that the wipers struggle to keep up. This lasts for 45 minutes and then suddenly the skies clear up, the sun is out again interspersed with short, minor drizzles. I open the window and smell the earth and greenery.

I drove by streams and creeks and I could see in my mind’s eye a black bear gambolling, fishing amongst the rounded rocks on the bed.

I took a quick 10 minute break at the ‘Chain up’ area at Coquihalla pass at a height of 4,081 ft just before the Great Bear Snow Shed. This is an avalanche prone area and the scenery is astounding.

The Coquihalla Highway passes through some of the most beautiful landscapes in the province. This dramatic change of environment is always exhilarating, as you go from misty coastal cedars and tall firs to bright sunlight on the high rock faces in the space of half an hour.

This highway offers more than magnificent scenery. It joins the Hope-Princeton and Fraser Canyon to make the interior more easily accessible. This helps encourage commercial development and tourism throughout the Province.

First explored by the Hudson's Bay Company, the Coquihalla Pass saw a progression of trappers, hunters, fur traders and, in the late 1850's, prospectors entered the area in search of gold. The Pass later saw the Kettle Valley railway line put through and, after that closed in 1960, two major pipelines and logging operations.

Now, with touring and commercial drivers discovering this fast route through the interior, the area's future has never looked brighter.


From here http://www.th.gov.bc.ca/coquihalla/

Later I got on to BC-97C that took me towards Merritt and Kelowna, where the smooth highway was completely clear of traffic.

Three and a half hours and 385 km later I finally pulled up at Baljit’s house. To my surprise I found Baljit waiting to welcome me in his driveway, camera in hand. We shook hands with wide grins on our faces.

I dragged out my luggage from the Civic and carried it up to the room that Baljit had designated CK’s room. The windows had an impressive view of mountain peaks, looking out over the valley city of Kelowna.

Soon Baljit called out that lunch was ready. I was famished having had nothing but a cup of coffee since waking. A large, chilled, 500 ml can of Heineken Beer to start off, followed by Punjabi style Mutton Curry, Chappati, Vegetable Rice and Salad topped off by Kheer for dessert. The Curry was cooked to perfection and simply delicious. After that hugely appetizing meal I felt like a stuffed python!

More to come...work in progress

Having serious trouble uploading pic...will figure it out in my next edit

[brihacharan]

CK's log ins....
Soon Baljit called out that lunch was ready. I was famished having had nothing but a cup of coffee since waking. A large, chilled, 500 ml can of Heineken Beer to start off, followed by Punjabi style Mutton Curry, Chappati, Vegetable Rice and Salad topped off by Kheer for dessert. The Curry was cooked to perfection and simply delicious. After that hugely appetizing meal I felt like a stuffed python!

Soon Baljit called out that lunch was ready.
Baljit - you better raise your voice - "We can't hear you"
CK ... keep them coming man....
Briha

[airgun_novice]

Looks like a beautiful season up there. Mushrooms look inviting too - hope they are edible. Great pix, baljit. Quite certainly you guys are having smashing fun time.

[ckkalyan]

Thank you gents for your interesting comments...much appreciated

essdee1972, xl_target, brihacharan, airgun_novice

Some of the mushrooms, I would think are edible. I wonder is there a way to check whether a certain type of mushroom is edible or poisonous?

We were quite delighted when Baljit was able to capture the target cup in mid air, I had huge fun shooting at the cans and making them fly with the .22 Ruger

I have always wanted a 'vanity' licence plate for the longest time, so when I discovered that it was possible in BC, I jumped at the chance.

[Baljit]

essdee1972, xl_target, brihacharan, airgun_novice.Thank you very much guy's for your comment.


XL, you can come over any time you want,and try dishes made by me. I am sure, I am going to make you hungry again when you going to see more pictures.


Baljit

[Vikram]

Baljit and Kalyan,

Fantastic stuff,guys! Nice report and even better photos.

As someone said above, going after a bear seems almost secondary. Being with friends, having a great time and eating good food comes on top. I would be just happy to sit at the table and decimate that biryani and mutton curry .


Kalyan, how did you manage to get that licence plate on your car? Wanted to ask you earlier too.

Baljit, you and your friend John both look like tree trunks in that camo gear. How big is your bud, BTW? I know you are a big fella.

Keep them coming guys. Thank you for sharing this with us.

Best-
Vikram

[ckkalyan]

Day 1 - Sat, 21 Sep (cont'd...)


We had picked up John, Baljit’s hunting partner and passed lovely lakes and beautiful forests on the way. It took us an hour and half to get to the Bear Lake hunting area.

We were almost at the trails when we got our first lucky spotting of a young Mule Deer standing right in the dirt road, gazing at us curiously. He carried an immature set of horns, just two points. He seemed quite unafraid and curious about the intruders into his territory. Even when John slowly got out the truck, rifle in had, he moved away skittishly but only a short distance. He continued his examination of us humans, a little longer and suddenly decided that he had enough and took off like a shot into the bushes by the road.

All of us discussed this unique experience and the unfairness of the season that would not allow us to shoot till we reached the hunting trail. We did spot a few rabbit and grouse by the tracks but the .22 Ruger was not zeroed in for shooting.

We parked at the beginning of the trail, got out our tools and supplies in backpacks, the hunters had their rifles of choice. John’s rifle was a well used Browning 30.06, he told us later that he had taken a 200 foot tumble down a slope while hunting, which explained the large chunk of wood missing out of the stock. Baljit had his favourite SAKO 7mm Magnum.

We set off on a steep gradient heading up the trail, keeping as quiet as possible, talking when required in whispers. We stopped frequently to admire the profusion of multicoloured mushrooms, their sizes ranging from tiny to monstrous. We kept our eyes and ears open for any indications of animal presence. We spotted so many signs of Moose droppings; we concluded that this trail was a definite favourite for Moose. The season at this time did not allow us to hunt either Moose or Deer. The only animal that we could hunt was Bear.

We saw bear sign in the form of claw marks on a tree by the trail. From the height of the claw marks the bear must have been a whopper. We could see that the sign was old by the absence of weeping sap around the marks. Earlier we had even spotted bear poop on the trail which seemed quite fresh, from last evening, before the rain during the night. The trail was still moist and we could make out well defined tracks of deer. The whole experience of stalking was exciting.

About 30 minutes up the trail we came to a fork where John peeled off heading up the mountain on his own, while Baljit and I took the other steeply, curving trail in another direction. It was 3 pm by now, the light on the trail was considerably lower than in the open, the Sun had to filter its way through the trees. We agreed to meet at the same spot in 3 hours, at 6 pm.

We experienced the sights and sounds, the feeling of peace and of being one with nature in the forest. We came to expect the rustling of the leaves of the grey poplar in the breeze as part of the normal sounds of the forest.

We found lots of tracks but no made no sightings. Once we did hear the sounds of a large creature making its way through the bush, sharps sounds of snapping branches underfoot. At points the trail was choked with broken branches and overgrown brush, making quiet movement impossible. We made our way through these obstacles as best as we could.

We hiked and climbed for several hours and then decided to make our way back to the meeting point. Once there, Baljit raised John on the small two way radio to let him know that we were waiting for him. John soon joined us and we started off towards the truck.

On reaching the vehicle and realizing that there was still enough light, Baljit decided to zero the new scope that he had mounted on his Ruger .22 We espied a small clearing where people had camped in the past, made preparations and set up a target sheet on a tree.

Baljit zeroed the scope with John calling out hits through his binoculars. Once this was done we all had great fun shooting at cans and cups. It was still a great day that we had in spite of the fact that we did not get to spot any bear. A few Heineken’s chugged down and we felt much better.

It was dark by now - we decided that we still had some time to detour around the roads leading up to Jack Pine Lake in hope of seeing some game frozen in the headlight. This area brought back memories of my first visit to Kelowna way back in Aug 2011. Links to the report here

http://indiansforguns.com/viewtopic.php ... an#p147447

On the way back, Baljit and John conversed about work at their lumber mill. I was a little tired after the hectic drive and lack of sleep on Friday night. I dozed off intermittently on the comfortable back seat of Baljit’s F-150 truck. After dropping off John, we reached home about 9 pm.

We quickly freshened up and got on with the serious business of lowering the level in the bottle of Crown Royal. Dinner was Deer Sausage and Crab Biryani – yummy! All that activity had made us hungry and we ate and drank with gusto.

Too soon it was time to retire and look forward to another day, Sunday.

[Baljit]

September, 22/2013

The next day we woke up after a much needed rest, had a leisurely breakfast and made plans for the day. The simple plans for Sunday were that we were going to relax and just chill.

Around 10:00AM, I received a phone call from my uncle who lives in Winfield about 40KM from my place. He asked us what I was up to. I told him that good friend of mine is visiting me and we are just relaxing, then my uncle said why don’t you come over so we can meet your friend?I talk with CK and decided that we are going to visit him in the afternoon.

Around 2:30PM, both of us left for Winfield, we took the back roads through scenic country rather than the highway. The landscape and lakes that we passed by on the drive to Winfield were simply stunning.We arrived there around 3:00PM.

On our way to Winfield.




When we arrived there we were welcomed by my uncle’s huge dog that came wagging his tail and playfully jumped around us. CK was surprised when he seen the dog. He said wolf-like. On checking with my uncle later he said that his dog Veeru was indeed an Alaskan Malamute with some wolf bred into him.

Here is my uncle's Alaskan Malamute - Veeru.


My aunt with Veeru.


Here I am with him.


CK is thrilled with the huge but friendly Veeru.


Shortly after that my uncle gives us cold beer to drink also he have a plan for the dinner at his place but I told him that we had other plans in mind for dinner.
My uncle has 10 acres of Apple farm in Winfield and he wants us to pick some apples for CK so he can take those apples back to Richmond with him.

Mack apples.




CK in the Orchard.






Here is CK with his box of apples.


CK walking around the farm.








A view from the farm.


Here is when we are on the way back to my place. We stopped for a few min on the Hwy. so CK took some pictures.






Behind CK you can see Lake Okanagan it is 80KM long




Here I am.




We arrived back home around 6:00PM from Winfield. Shortly after that my wife Paramjit starts making salads for us, because the plans for the dinner is chicken kebabs on the BBQ.

Chicken Kebabs in the making!!




Ready for the grill.


Salad!!


This is my BBQ.


Here I am grilling Spicy Italian Sausages.





In the next few pictures I am assembling Moroccan Chicken Kebab Sticks!!




Kebabs are ready to eat!!










At the dinner table.




After dinner CK and I both go through all the pictures, select, edit and resize, so we can post good pictures for all of you guy's.We both working on the pictures and having a long chat till 1:00AM

More to come....

Baljit

[conty1]

Does seem you guys had a good time.

But wait.. am I missing something?

Where is the day 2 hunt??

Cheers,
Amit

[brihacharan]

Looks like Baljit & CK are having a time of their life.... very happy for it....back home here we sit back and wish we too could do something like this here

Baljit - You are killing us softly with those yummy sausages, mushrooms, venison all decked out nicely spiced & grilled

Waiting to hear more - BTW - are you guys out there to hunt or ...............
Briha

[TwoRivers]

Some of the mushrooms, I would think are edible. I wonder is there a way to check whether a certain type of mushroom is edible or poisonous?

The red one, with white spots, is highly poisonous. No way to check, no there is, feed them first to your wife's cat.

You just have to learn to recognize the edible ones; or just eat a tiny bite the first time if you want to experiment and don't want to be bothered reading a book. Some edible and poisonous ones are pretty close in appearance.