Horseshoe Creek Outfitters

HUNTER PROFILE 2006

PETER PARAGON & MATTHEW CARPENTER
NY NC

The 2006 Season has been rounded up and we now have time for reflection. In doing so we take time to appreciate the many clients we’ve had the opportunity to host and get to know. We often say it is so different to hear from clients about their homes, cities and states in comparison to visiting the US as many Canadians do in a tourist capacity. We’ve gotten to know your local issues and politics and families. Though the US culture is much different than Canadian there is a common thread. We cherish our families and friends and relish any extended time we get to spend with them. In October 2006 we got to meet two such friends who traveled all the way from NY to BC in order to have an adventure together. Turns out we’re all the better for it!

Peter Paragon met his friend Matthew Carpenter over 20 years ago. Matthew had traveled from North Carolina to the Adirondacks in NY with his wife Fran to spend the summer months. Peter has a home ½ mile up the road and began to visit on a regular basis. One summer night Matt got the bright idea to go Elk hunting. Peter was agreeable and said he’d look into it. In fall of ’94 they booked an Elk hunt in CO. They still talk today about the mule the outfitter had named ‘Fran’. As a result of that hunt they have been hunting each and every year together and sometimes two. The two were coming home from CO in 2005 when Peter asked Matt if he had any thoughts on 2006. Not for lack of words, he replied that he wanted to hunt Moose in British Columbia. Peter would look into it.

Peter called us to get some information and researched at least a dozen outfitters but called back to book their 10 day hunt for October 27 – November 6, 2006. This hunt allows clients to hunt the last few days of the Elk/Moose season as well as the first week of the Whitetail/Muledeer season. Ray’s main concern was Matt’s age, but Peter assured him that Matt was a very young 89. For Horseshoe Creek, this hunt slot had begun as a fun hunt with friends, and has since become one of our most popular hunts! Peter and Sharon communicated with email primarily and Sharon was quite surprised to hear that Peter and Matt wanted to drive up! She kept repeating ‘Do you know how far that is?’. Peter had initially looked into booking flights, but Matt thought that was crazy. He said ‘ Do you know how beautiful that ride will be?’ Peter couldn’t really argue with an 89 year old guy, so they packed their bags and drove! After logging over 50,000 miles in hunting trips what was another 6000?

Four days of driving through WI, MT, AB and BC brought Peter and Matt to Fort St. John where they were to meet up with Ray the morning prior to the hunt. They were in

Fort St. John the afternoon before so decided to use Sharon’s directions to the ranch and see what they could see. They had traveled 3000 miles through good weather, roads and even cell phone reception, but alas had really not seen any wildlife. This is a common complaint with tourists driving expecting to see an abundance of wildlife. Sharon is from the Yukon where you hardly ever see game along the highway and her response is always the same ‘ Do you realize how much bush is beyond that little strip of highway? Why would they need to come there?’ When we moved to the Peace from the Yukon we were very excited to see the great numbers of game. Peter and Matt would see game as they dropped down into the Peace River valley heading west out of Fort St. John. We are fortunate to live here in the ‘Serengeti of the North’ where we have the largest concentration of ungulates in North America! Peter and Matt’s excitement ‘was maxed out’ as they saw the great numbers of ungulates the closer they got to the ranch.

Peter and Matthew met up with Ray the next morning and came once again on the road to the ranch for their hunt to begin. Each had Moose/Elk/Whitetail and Muledeer tags. We don’t encourage Bbear tags on this hunt though the season is open, as the bears are generally denned up by this time. The pair saw several animals each day and on day four while hunting with guide Clint Andros on crown land many miles away from the ranch Peter was able to harvest a Moose ….and an Elk in the same area! It was quite a day of skinning! There was quite a bit of excitement around camp that this opportunity could actually happen! Matt did very well hunting and clients and guides alike were amazed at his youthful demeanor. Ray can throw it back as well as Matt could dish out his teasing of others and Ray maintains that having someone like Matt around with his positive optimism can only improve the atmosphere of the whole camp. One day Matt did manage to get the rest of camp in an uproar over his lost glasses. Accusations abound. Ray came in the door first thing in the morning to a great uproar, only to indicate to Matt ‘you old fart, they’re on top of your head!’ Much laughter and relief. Matt was to get his turn at the deer as he had weathered some disappointment at not being able to get into position on several legal bulls. Matt harvested a Muledeer and Whitetail, pulling off an incredible 327 yard shot with his 340 caliber Weathering Mag on the Whitetail. The deer was the largest in all of his years of hunting. He also got a very nice 4X4 Mulie at 120 yards. Peter had a very successful hunt that all clients dream of – he tagged out!! As you can see from the pictures there were no sad faces.

Matt and Peter have hunted together many times and collected many memories in the process. Peter asks ‘How does one measure success? Is it what you harvest or a picture you place in an album, or is it the memories and friendships that you gain along the way?’

Both Matt and Peter gave Horseshoe Creek Outfitters high marks for accommodations, experienced guides and awesome food – a great amount of awesome food! Matt went so far as to hide desserts. As a result of a great hunting trip, Peter and Matt have booked again for 2007, this time for a mid October Moose hunt in our mountain country. Peter shocked Sharon again as she expected this would be a hunt hard to top and taking into account Matt’s age she surely did not expect them to re-book. Her response was ‘ That is the most optimistic 89 year old we’ll ever have the pleasure to meet!’ Peter says he’s not sure how many trips Matt has left in him, but we’re sure wherever Peter and Matt are together, they’re having a great time living as ‘The Odd Couple’. Hat’s off to them! We can only hope for good weather and an opportunity for Matt to harvest a Western Canadian Moose of his dreams. Because we all know this next trip, WILL BE ALL ABOUT MATT!