A rookies moose story

[Fella]

In the spirit of all the great stories that have been posted lately I decided to participate and tell a story about a trip 2 years ago. This one may not be as exciting as some of the great elk and moose stories that have been posted here but as it pertains to a relative rookies experiences it may be helpful for some of the newer guys who are finding it tough to learn how to hunt.

For some context, my best friend and I started hunting late, I think I was 25 when I started, no previous experience with firearms or hunting and the same for my buddy. We just decided to take up hunting one night while bsing around a fire and we’ve basically learned all on our own without any serious mentorship.

Anyways, this story is about the LEH moose hunt a group of us got drawn for. 4 of us put in for November any bull and we were lucky enough to get drawn in a region that one of the guys in our group had hunted once before and we were lucky in that another buddy and his brothers had been drawn for the same unit but for the October hunt. They connected on a dandy bull and shared the general location with us, and with some helpful late season moose tips from Srupp we were ready to go. The week before the trip we found out that 2 guys wouldn’t be able to make it so it was just me and my buddy going.

Gotta change the kids diaper, to be continued!

[Fella]

We arrived at our camp site a bit late in the day and after setting up took a drive up to the area our buddy had told us about. It was significantly higher up in elevation than where we camped and the snow was quite deep. It made it easy to find moose tracks plus the accompanying wolf sign. We didn’t see any animals that evening but were treated to an amazing calm cold and clear sunset



The next morning we had a hell of a time waking up for some reason. It was well past first light and we dawdled with breakfast, choosing to enjoy our coffee overlooking the lake we were camped next to. We finally hit the road up a different FSR we had wanted to check out at around 9-9:30. We stopped and checked out a couple benches that looked promising, mid elevation and full of deer and moose sign. We went for a slow hike to get the lay of the land but nothing was moving except the ravens so we made our way up to the top of the mountain.

[Fella]

We stopped in a small shallow logged out valley for a snack and to glass the opposite slope. My buddy was fiddling with his binos in the truck so I stepped out to stretchy and to glass. The first thing I saw on the opposite side was a big black mass sticking out from behind some bushes, I thought I saw it move so I looked again. MOOSE!! And a bull at that! The first bull moose I had ever seen with my own 2 eyes! I quickly motioned for Alex to get out of the truck and get ready. Our problem now was...how to get to him? We ranged him at 600 yards but he was across a wide open cut block that was full of swampy holes (more on this later). I had heard that there was a “second rut” at around this time of year, so despite never having done so I let rip with a cow call. A pathetic horrid cow call, I was sure the bull was going to turn tail and run but he must have been desperate for some action so to my surprise he made a beeline towards us...followed by a second bull! We were authorized to shoot 2 bulls so this was turning out to be fantastic.

We watched the bulls come towards us, every time they stopped I’d let go with another cow moan and they’d keep coming. It was like they were on a string and we were gently pulling them closer. When the first bull got to within 200 yards I lined up on him but he stopped behind a screen of willows and I didn’t have a shot. We had a few tense minutes as he stood and considered his route through the open cut. I gave another moan and he turned 90 degrees to his left and walked parallel to us and disappeared behind a grove of trees. My heart sank, he was gone. I waited a few minutes and gave another desperate call and waited. Suddenly to my right a flock of birds burst out of a stand of trees and I heard branches crashing!

just then hard to my right about 20 yards away I see antlers swaying and moving my direction. I pivot, raise my rifle and wait. He burst out of the trees 10 yards away, I aimed behind his shoulder and launched a round from my .30-06! All hell broke loose, he galloped into the block,blood pouring out of the hole, then he stumbled and fell into the snow, stone dead. Meanwhile my buddy took off to the other side of the trees that my bull had come out of, cut off the other bull and dropped him at 70 yards with a shot from his granddads Ruger #1! 2 bulls down before noon!

[Fella]

We gave each other a hand shake, then turned to the task at hand. My bull had slid on the icy snow into a big water filled hole in the ground.


Buddies bull was nicer and died on level ground

[pg83]

Awesome job! Thanks for sharing Fella!

[M.Dean]

Ain't noth'in to moose hunt'in, eh!!! Now that has to be one of the best moose hunts I've heard of! And good for you to try calling, that turned your trip from a moose sighting to a moose meat pack'in trip, believe me! From the sounds of it they weren't to far from the truck? Unlike most ones I've got over the years! After this story, I doubt you'd have trouble finding guys to go moose hunting with you for sure! Congrats!

[Fella]

Ain't noth'in to moose hunt'in, eh!!! Now that has to be one of the best moose hunts I've heard of! And good for you to try calling, that turned your trip from a moose sighting to a moose meat pack'in trip, believe me! From the sounds of it they weren't to far from the truck? Unlike most ones I've got over the years! After this story, I doubt you'd have trouble finding guys to go moose hunting with you for sure! Congrats!

The first one dropped 50 yards from the truck however he slid into that hole so we had a bit of a time getting him out. Ended up using a block and tackle to pull him part way out then used the gutless method. The second one was a piece of cake.

[srupp]

Don't you love it when a plan comes together? Well it does pay dividends to practice calling moose to get reasonable..truth is when in rut pretty much any attempt at cow calling works.
Your hitting the benches was brilliant..moose travel along long lakes...and come down to round lakes..2 exellent table fare moose
Congrads
Steven

[Bustercluck]

Great story guys.

I remember our first moose. It was pretty big and we had no idea of what we were doing. We thought it was going to be just like a deer. We gut him, drug him out whole and loaded him into the back of the truck. Brought him back to camp, built an a-frame and strung him up to skin him. We shot him first thing in the morning and spent all day cleaning and skinning. The butcher had a little freak out when he saw I cut the back legs off and he had nowhere to hang it.

[ElectricDyck]

Moose double header! Get out the butcher paper