Testimonials From Our Hunters.

 

A bit of Nostalgia and an experience 3 generations in the making.

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“I can remember my very first “experience” that had anything to do with hunting. My father, who had been hunting obviously for years before I existed, had shot a Columbia Blacktail and had made a makeshift skinning tripod in the backyard of our very urban property in Southeast BC. I bet I wasn’t much more than 4 or 5 years old. I can still remember my mom yelling at my dad to get me away from there as I was too young to see such things. My dad ignored her and that was that I was hooked.

A few years later my parents loaded us up and we set off for a grand adventure to the interior of British Columbia to a 20 acre parcel of land located in the South Cariboo region. My brother and I were handed an old break action .177 pellet rifle and told “I don’t want to see you until dinner” (More or less). Every chance I had I was finishing my chores and shooting stuff, honing my shooting skills. Cans, bottles, squirrels, birds, and once even our ole red rooster (which I never told my parents about). We eventually bought a bigger property and the ,177 was replaced with a .22 LR and the gophers were no longer safe. If the chores were done, gophers were in season.

Those days of running wildly and shooting almost anything that moved are long gone but not forgotten. I was able to get my hunting license through a high school program and took my first Mule deer at 17 with a 30-06 my dad had purchased the year I was born.

Flash forward I got married had a couple kids and began hunting with the first one when she was 2 almost 3. We would sit in a tree stand watching whitetails in the field and that was about it. But that was enough to get her hooked and since then we have had some wild hunting adventures together. We’ve taken a few nice mountain goats, some nice 6 point Bull elk and a 6 foot black bear together. When she moved away about 4 years ago I knew she was on to bigger and better things. Following in my foot steps as a meat cutter. In 2025 my daughter invited me to go Canada Moose hunting in Swan Hills Alberta near where she was living with M&N Outfitters. She and her fiancé made all the arrangements with Chris Graham (and his family) the mind behind it all and the next thing I knew I was on my way to hunt Bull moose in the rut on my first guided hunt of my life.

I was fortunate enough to stay with my daughter and her fiancé in Whitecourt and travelled each morning to get to the hunting grounds well before daybreak with my guide Nick who was Chris’ son. Even though the thought of wall tents and fire cooked meals was amazing I was able to spend the time with my kid.

Our first couple days Nick had us out scouting and we cut several sets of big bull tracks in and around the area. It was evident that Chris and the boys were very knowledgeable about the area. Every turn there were tracks and we spent long hours calling the swamps, trudging the back woods and checking for a big one. Lunches were bag lunches prepared by Crystal (Chris’ wife) and were nothing short of excellent. I was never wanting for more and Nick was even able to prepare coffee for us roadside on a small camp stove while a tire was being changed. (Which Chris had the flat repaired overnight and after hours, this man is truly a magician)

On day 3 (afternoon) we were returning to an area we had seen a large set of tracks earlier in the day and we cut a set of fresh bull tracks that had not been there earlier. Nick made the plan to set up on a crest of a hill in an old cut block a couple hours before dark and begin calling. Nick began calling after setting for a ½ an hour and within about 10 minutes we received a low guttural response. It was far away and with every call it got closer. It was very clear that Nick was a master at calling and had done his homework making sure he had his pitch and timing right; as with every cow call he made, that bull came closer raking bushes and grunting his way toward us.

Nick had set us up with several options so no matter which angle the bull came, we would be presented 

with a shot from our vantage point without having to move. After 45 minutes of calling what could only be described as a “huge Bull” stepped into full view broadside for us with a cow moose in tow. Nick gave a quick grunt and the bull stopped for us perfectly in the shooting lane. A short squeeze and the sharp report of the rifle against my shoulder and I anchored the bull with a shot to the lungs, and a second one was offered moments later after a quick call again from Nick to get the bull to stop. The bull traveled a bit further and was recovered in a thick area of aspens. As we walked in on it, it was apparent this was not just a big bull but one of a lifetime. A quick measurement of it and its rack measured 53 3\8”. After the hugs, handshakes and photos Nick and Chris arranged for the transport of the bull back to Chris’ for cooling and processing and Nick made short work of the cleaning. In a short time the bull was cleaned, loaded and hanging/cooling nicely in M&N’s cooler. Chris had his staff butcher and vacuum seal the entire moose for me, and I was able to transport it home on my own even though Chris would have arranged that for me too.

I have to say that in all my 40+ years of hunting and walking the backwoods that this was one of if not the most amazing and enjoyable experiences of my life. With Chris helping my daughter and son in-law navigate everything for me to get there, the tags, the prep and care of my moose, the meat and the transport of the cape to the taxidermist and the experience in general. This is truly something that I will never forget. My dad would be proud and I am glad my daughter was there to share this with me. I will be back to hunt with M&N again in what can only be described as a world class experience.”

Dean Oliver, Family, Friend, Hunter.