In 2019, my friend, Jeff Swan, and I watched the Pope and Young banquet auction online and Jeff bought a 10-day moose hunt with Big Knife Outfitters. The next day, I messaged Cody Cassidy to see if I could purchase another hunt to travel together and he said there was nothing better than coming with a buddy. Plans were made to come and hunt in the Wilmore Wilderness area in western Alberta in the fall of 2020. When 2020 arrived, Covid shut down the Canadian border and we were unable to hunt that fall.
Big Knife Outfitters pushed all hunts back a year, which allowed us to hunt in 2021. September 14, 2021, we left our homes in Iowa for our moose hunt. After arriving in Hinton, Alberta on the afternoon of the 15th, we met up with Cody, his dad, son, guides Rhett, Matt, and Evan, and two other hunters.
The next morning, we drove to the trailhead and started a 16-mile horseback ride into the wilderness. Cody and his family returned home to attend to some personal business, and he planned to come into camp in a couple of days.
Once we arrived in camp, we started unloading the horses. I had a bout of heartburn, so I went to the kitchen tent to get a drink of water when I was stricken with a chest pain that put me to my knees along with a stream of sweat rolling from my arms and head. Being a firefighter/EMT for 33 years, I knew I was in trouble. I yelled for my friend Jeff who is a Physician’s Assistant. He came into the tent and said, “Oh no, Michael, this isn’t good.” Confirming my thoughts, I was having a heart attack. Guide Rhett had an inReach device and messaged out for rescue. They said they could not respond due to darkness and clouds moving in, making it dangerous for a helicopter rescue. We would have to wait until daylight. Being from the rescue side, no way would I want someone risking three or four lives for mine.
Rhett texted Cody via the inReach to tell him of the situation. Cody tried different avenues to find someone to come to my rescue and finally found Monte Groat, a trapper who knew the area where we had camped. Talk about having God on my side! Cody texted Rhett that help should be to camp around 1:30 a.m. I was loaded into an ATV along with Monte and a crew from Grande Cache Fire/Rescue and started an hour and a half ride out to the trailhead.
Once at the trailhead, ATVs were being loaded and the plan was to drive me until we met the ambulance. I collapsed, a peaceful feeling came over me, and I came to with a firefighter straddling my chest, saying, “Don’t leave us, buddy.” The ambulance arrived, and I was taken to the Hinton Hospital where they confirmed I was having a heart attack.
Hinton Hospital made arrangements to fly me to Edmonton Cardiac Center for treatment, arriving approximately 18 hours after the start of symptoms. After a five-day stay, I was released to fly home and begin rehab. God had other plans for me as my faith in God and many prayers have gotten me to where I am. Cody kept in contact with me throughout the year and kept offering me a trip back whenever I got healthy.
July 2022, my heart function improved somewhat. Jeff and I again planned to return to hunt with Big Knife Outfitters along with friend Danny Fane. Jeff had connected on a nice bull the last day of the 2021 hunt. September came, and my cardiac doctors said they were very concerned about me returning to the mountains to hunt. After medical reasons given to me, my wife and I decided it would be best to cancel my hunt. When I called, Cody said he understood and offered me a prairie moose hunt when a license became available probably in a couple years. I said that would be great. I couldn’t believe how good they were to me.
On September 24th, Cody called. He had a hunter unable to come and hunt, therefore offering me a license if I could make it. My son, Derek, was able to take a vacation to travel along with me, so we left home on September 30th and arrived in camp on October 1st. Meeting again with Cody, Rhett, Evan, and Cody Rowledge was quite an emotional meeting. After all, if it wasn’t for their actions, I would not be here today.
On October 2nd, we started hunting and found a very nice 50"+ bull we hunted for four days but just never close enough for a shot opportunity. Several attempts with some stalks were made and Cody was very conscious with my health situation, but we were outsmarted. Day five found Cody glassing a very nice bull from a distance, and a plan was made. While searching along the river for the bull, my legs were getting tired from lack of oxygen moving from low blood flow, so we took a break. Cody suggested we go over to the next drainage and call while we rested.
“Shooter bull,” were the words Cody Cassidy whispered to me as the bull moose appeared after one quick grunt. As the bull worked his way towards us, grunting nonstop, raking trees, and shaking his head back and forth, I could not dream of a more perfect hunt. As he closed the distance from 70 yards away to an opening, he hung up. Keeping the wind in our faces, we needed to move to the top of the hill for a better view of the clearing. The bull worked his way back the direction he came from. However, Cody worked his magic and got the bull to commit to coming in. At 40 yards, he came into the clearing but was quartering towards us. He worked his way to us, and at 12 yards, he presented me with a shot. My worry of being shook and missing after all that had transpired this past year and my top hunting trip I had ever wanted to go on came down to this moment. The arrow struck its mark, and the bull ran 50 yards and expired.
My emotions were no longer in check as I felt a relief of success, accomplishment of all the hard work put in this past year just to get healthy, beating the odds the doctors had me at, and so blessed to be in this moment and to share it with Cody who truly was as excited for me as if he shot it himself. As I stood there shaking, my thoughts turned to my family as they had been the reason for my recovery to this point. I tried to text my wife, but I was shaking so bad it took a while as this moment wasn’t about me but as a family doing it together as they all have been so supportive.
Cody and I made our way to our bull. Yes, our bull because it had taken a village of people to get me to this moment. Back at camp, everyone was happy for me to complete this part of my journey. I am so thankful for God’s healing hand, my wife Lisa, family, and the many people who have come into my life to help with my progress. Big Knife Outfitters not only treated me to a hunt-of-a-lifetime but helped give me another chance to live a lifetime.