My husband and I used to be "Do it Yourself" kind of hunters and would go off to different states hunting with a little success, but also with a lot of disappointments involved, especially the part of running into a lot of other hunters and such things, and also not seeing a whole lot of game.

After several years of trying to hunt this way, we came across a place called Findlay Creek Outfitters in SE BC and decided we were going to do the "Guide Thing" and see how it goes.

Since then my husband and I have hunted with Findlay Creek Outfitters several times and have been successful for whatever species we've chosen to hunt, and have brought home all quality trophy animals, all of which we've had mounted by a taxidermist.

We started off with an Elk hunt, in which I took a really nice 6x6 bull, on the second day of my hunt. His name is " Fat Chance " ( Women have to name things that are hanging on there walls! )

My husband went back moose hunting the following fall, and on the second day of his hunt he took a dandy gray colored Shiras Bull Moose.  Of course, his name is " Bullwinkle ."

Two months later, in December, since my husband had such a fun moose hunt, he sent me packing back to the Purcell Mountains on a cougar hunt.  Again, on the second day of the hunt I got myself a nice big 7 foot tom cat, whose name is " Fat Cat."

Having teenage boys, the next fall we took a family vacation, in which my husband went goat hunting out of base camp, and our boys and I did a lot of hiking and especially fishing out of ' Findlay Creek ' ( A view in itself ) and then they got in a couple of days of elk hunting.  This was a wonderful but educational ( since they missed school ) experience for them.  We went home with a nice Billy mountain goat named, of course, " Billy."

This spring, 2002, my husband and I decided to take a quick trip up to do some black bear hunting, and just to vacation, but I wanted a bear because it was "my turn."  We did quite a bit of hiking and shed hunting, where we were right among all the elk, mule deer, white-tail, birds, which was thrilling, just to get that close to nature.  I finally got my black bear whose name is "Emily SP-1."

My husband will be returning to Findlay Creek Outfitters in the fall of 2002 for another elk hunt.  We can't seem to get enough of this adventure place.

Thanks to Mike Christensen of Findlay Creek Outfitters, we've had to put a big vaulted ceiling addition onto our house for all the new members of our family.

We've had so many great hunting experiences with story after story of our own wilderness adventures that are going to stick in our memories forever, and we're just so fortunate that we stumbled across Findlay Creek Outfitters.  In our experiences, we've met a lot of fun wonderful people.  The guides are awesome.  They really know their stuff and really work for you (and make you work at times) to get you your animal, but you can tell they really enjoy what they're doing.  You are totally taken care of and they see to everybody's individual needs, assess your capabilities and give you the hunt and/or vacation of a lifetime.  And the food is wonderful !!!

We really enjoy the horseback wilderness hunts, because it takes you back in time where you're in uncivilized country and you're not running into people, just animals.  The Purcell Mountains are absolutely gorgeous with breathtaking view after view and the abundance of wildlife that you will see and encounter is another "catch."

I would highly recommend Findlay Creek Outfitters Summer Pack Trips as a wonderful family vacation in the summertime for your family to experience horseback riding, fishing, camping in the remote wilderness, in cabins, photography and wildlife viewing.

Otherwise, for the hunting people (men and women), I wouldn't recommend hunting here, I'd say you just HAVE TO DO IT to understand a % of what I'm trying to say.

So, call Mike Christensen of Findlay Creek Outfitters for a good time and/or the hunt of a lifetime.

-- Gus and Renee Roberts, Minnesota   

Mike

Wanted to drop you both a line with the pictures. I'm a little disappointed in them but... My time spent in B.C. with Findlay Creek Outfitters was immensely enjoyable to say the least. While the object, of course, was to shoot an elk, the elk shooting will be down from the top on the list of my memories of this trip.

When I look back on the hunt and the pictures I took, a few of the things I remember are:
Constantly walking sideways, how good the water from the steams tasted, following Barney and his bad case of the winds, looking down on the trees, marveling at where the horses can take you, the constant attention to packing and unpacking the animals, the temperature changes in the airstream up and down the sideforks, the damn rocks and more rocks, the patience you and your crew have in answering hundreds of questions about everything that's done, bear protection, Mike's hunting and bagging of the infamous "Frying Pan Pack Rat", Trout mating in the river, Brother falling off his horse on the trail out, rocks and more rocks, lunch on the lookout rock at Clear Creek and the view up and down the Findlay, the silver ribbon waterfall, the dumb spike bull, how glad I was to get off the horse, the incredible fresh smells of the country, McCabe... what ca I say about McCabe other than as the picture shows he had the biggest elk call at Findlay Creek, how damn tired and sore I was, my poor feet, my poor ankles, the drive out from Minnesota and back and so many more things, that I get to keep with me forever.

A trip like this is more about experiencing than it is about hunting. I have absolutely no doubt that when I return there will be a new list of adventures and experiences to add to the 2001 variety. My only demand is you reserve ol' McCabe for me again because contrary to what you say me and McCabe had a kinship going. In closing I really want to say that I never felt like a client out there, rather I felt like I was a part of the hunt. In my opinion you are doing a lot of things right.

Thanks,  Jay