TL;DR
Get emergency and outdoor gear delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Outdoor Life has republished “Stinky Creek,” a hunting story first published in its December 1954 issue. The account follows two couples on a five-day horseback pack trip in Alberta that began with unruly horses and difficult packing, before the hunters reached country where they encountered grizzly bears, moose and mountain goats. The supplied excerpt ends early, so the full sequence and outcome are not available here.
Outdoor Life republished “Stinky Creek,” a first-person account of a five-day horseback pack trip in Alberta that began with unruly horses and a sprawling load of supplies, then led two couples into country where they encountered grizzly bears, moose and mountain goats. The original story appeared in the magazine’s December 1954 issue; the account supplied for this article is incomplete and does not establish the full hunt’s outcome.
The account’s narrator, his wife Ethie, and friends Mac and Ede McCormick set out from Redlands, California, for a guided hunt in Alberta. They had arranged the trip with Bert Dalglish of Hazelmere, who offered a chance to hunt the three kinds of big game, while warning that he could not promise trophies. The narrator says the group wanted a fair chance at the animals, not a guaranteed prize.
The party drove north through Banff, Jasper and Edmonton to Grande Prairie, then continued to Dalglish’s ranch. The outfitter had prepared tents, stoves, food, bedrolls and other gear for a 28-horse pack trip. Four guides were assigned to the group. One, Leo, told the narrator they would “Pack five days. Stinky Creek, hunt,” outlining a long approach before hunting began.
The hunters left the ranch on August 28 and camped in a grove of aspen. The next morning, the guides struggled to saddle and load horses that, the narrator writes, had not been saddled for a year. Some animals broke halters or pulled against trees; Dalglish resorted to blindfolding and hog-tying. By about noon, the loaded string was moving toward the Wapiti River. The excerpt stops during Dalglish’s warning that there may be trouble, before describing the rest of the journey or specific animal encounters.
The Cost of Reaching Hunting Country
The story records a style of guided big-game hunting built around a lengthy horseback approach, with hunters and guides carrying camp, food and equipment by pack animal. Its opening makes clear that the hunt depended on logistics and horsemanship as much as on marksmanship: the group spent days traveling and loading supplies before reaching its intended hunting area.
For readers, the contrast between the trip’s disorderly start and its reported encounters with grizzly bears, moose and mountain goats is the central appeal. The account also shows how the hunters prepared and what they expected from an outfitter: Dalglish offered opportunity, not a guaranteed trophy. Those details matter when reading an older hunting narrative, because they distinguish the promised chance from the results actually documented in the available excerpt.
The article is a historical account, not a current report on Alberta wildlife, hunting regulations or present-day outfitting practices. It should not be taken as evidence of current animal populations or rules. Its immediate news value is the magazine’s republication of a period story, with the limits of the reproduced material kept in view.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
From Redlands to Stinky Creek
The narrator describes the four hunters as having different levels of experience. Mac and Ede were familiar with horses, while Ethie had less saddle experience. The group practiced rifle shooting before leaving California, and Ede prepared by setting up small goat silhouettes in her garden. The narrator recounts Ethie being thrown by a horse during an effort to get accustomed to riding; that episode is part of his first-person account, rather than independently verified reporting.
Dalglish met the group in Grande Prairie and described himself as the cook, saying that meals were important to a successful hunt. The party first stayed at his ranch, where his wife Jean prepared meals, before setting out with the guides. The story identifies Leo and Steve among the guides and describes preparations involving tents, stoves, canned food, flour, potatoes and other provisions for the journey.
Outdoor Life identifies “Stinky Creek” as a story from its December 1954 issue. The current page lists its publication time as October 17, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. EDT. The source material includes only the opening portion of the account, so details beyond the first day of packing cannot be reconstructed from it.
““Think I can put you up to grizzly, moose, and plenty of goat. After that, you take it. Can’t guarantee trophies, but most of my clients come out satisfied.””
— Bert Dalglish, as quoted in the story
The Missing Hunt Narrative
The available source excerpt ends as the pack string reaches a flat beside the Wapiti River, with Dalglish beginning to warn that the group may have trouble. It does not provide the remainder of the journey, what that warning referred to, or how the hunters encountered the reported grizzly bears, moose and mountain goats. The title’s claim that the worst hunt became the best of the narrator’s life is not enough to establish the precise events or results.
The excerpt also does not say whether any animal was killed, whether anyone was injured, or how the group completed the trip. Those points should remain open unless confirmed by the full article. The accounts of horse behavior and the expedition are presented through the narrator’s recollections and are not independently corroborated in the supplied material.
Read the Complete Account
The next step for readers seeking the full sequence is to consult Outdoor Life’s complete republication of “Stinky Creek” or its original December 1954 issue. The portion provided here establishes the trip’s plan and difficult departure, but not the events that followed or the final outcome.
Until the complete text is available, the confirmed development is limited to the republication and the opening details of the Alberta expedition. No further hunt milestones, contemporary updates or additional statements are included in the supplied source material.
Key Questions
What happened in the Outdoor Life story?
“Stinky Creek” recounts a five-day horseback pack trip in Alberta by two couples and their guides. The journey began with difficulties loading horses and assembling a large camp, and the story’s description says it eventually brought the hunters to grizzly bears, moose and mountain goats.
When was “Stinky Creek” first published?
Outdoor Life identifies it as a story from its December 1954 issue. The magazine page lists the republication date as October 17, 2026.
Who went on the hunt?
The party included the narrator, his wife Ethie, friends Mac and Ede McCormick, outfitter Bert Dalglish and four guides. Leo and Steve are named in the supplied excerpt.
Did the hunters bring home trophies?
The supplied excerpt does not say. Dalglish told the hunters he could not guarantee trophies, and the text provided ends before describing the hunt’s results.
What remains unknown from the excerpt?
The excerpt does not explain the trouble Dalglish anticipated near the Wapiti River, detail the animal encounters, or report whether anyone was injured or an animal was taken. The full article is needed to answer those questions.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
