First Post: Moose Hunting tips 7-03

[remps]

Hey everyone,

been lurking on and off for almost two years but haven't posted anything because I didn't really know anything about hunting as I was just getting into it thus not being any help to any questions anyone else had. But before I get into too much I believe a first post joke is what I'm supposed to do right?


Two men went bear hunting. While one stayed int he cabin, the other went out looking for a bear. He soon found a huge bear, shot at it but only wounded it. The enraged bear charged toward him. He dropped his rifle and started running for the cabin as fast as he could. He ran pretty fast but the bear was just a little faster and gained on him with every step. Just as he reached the open cabin door, he tripped and fell flat. Too close behind him to stop, the bear tripped over him and went rolling into the cabin. The man jumped up, closed the cabin door and yelled to his friend inside, "You skin this one while I go get another!"


Continuing on... now that I have my first real season under my belt and my first moose LEH I figured I should admit I really don't have a clue about trying to figure out where to find these guys come September. I live in Mcbride and have done some scouting around and have checked out some areas that some people have told me about but haven't seen much of any previous sign from other years. I have looked through tons of articles about where they rut and such and several post on here about moose but just can't narrow things down.

I have read that in mountainous terrain the bulls go up high to get away from the bugs as their antlers grow but then when the rut comes where do they head? Do stay on the lower area of that mountain area? Or would they tend to come all the way out to the flats around Fraser river? I know there aren't a lot of fresher logged areas in this area so should I stick to older timbers beside creeks with older cut blocks near by... Just at a loss on this whole things :???:

In my experience of bass fishing, never try a new lure without someone showing you how to use it... same is ringing true with trying to figure out this moose hunting...


Any tips or help would be great! PS Also willing to do some hiking and that stuff so if need to trek somewhere that isn't a problem.


Now for some pics of my first successful year hunting from 2013

My first bear... by myself, nervous as heck and completely missed the first shot but luckily found him again 20 minutes later chilling out and managed to bag him
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx329/rempster/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/969601_10151645391630342_1410673443_n.jpg (http://s768.photobucket.com/user/rempster/media/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/969601_10151645391630342_1410673443_n.jpg.html)

Opening day of Anterless Whitetail I went out for a look and saw this girl walking along the edge of the field. Army crawled to cut her off so I was close enough to get her with my iron sighted .303
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx329/rempster/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/903118_10151910714820342_1577005552_o.jpg (http://s768.photobucket.com/user/rempster/media/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/903118_10151910714820342_1577005552_o.jpg.html)

Last weekend I could hunt of the season. Saw a bunch of does on the other side of a fence which I thought were the local muley herd but turned out I was wrong. Saw this guy sniffing around them all but none of the does wanted any of his action. Something spooked them and they all took off to the tree except one doe and this guy. Ended up they decided to come walking my way. The doe say me and was all confused and walked to within 30 yards of me while the buck had no clue of what was going on and still didn't when I got him. That buck could have followed any of the other 10 does that took off but stayed with the one that led him straight to me :grin:
http://i768.photobucket.com/albums/xx329/rempster/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/1456562_10152018245790342_1231112017_n.jpg (http://s768.photobucket.com/user/rempster/media/Facebook/Mobile%20Uploads/1456562_10152018245790342_1231112017_n.jpg.html)


Well I hope that makes up for my lack of posting. Had a blast last year, already bagged to massive blackies this spring and look forward to a fall hunt of adventure and a lot of learning

[monasheemountainman]

Good season bud

[kilometers]

Don't have much to offer for that zone But thanks for posting.
Nice bear too

[Steelpulse]

The only experience ii have with thatt area is drivng along the highway but moose hunting from what I could see from the area would be head to the river Bottoms where there are streams and creeks and swampy back areas with thick grass and super think brush hunt around there during the rut and wwhere you are finding fresh sign, looking for rubs, crap, tracks, hairs, etc, and get on youtube and learn how to call moosee it's really easy, can buy a call anywhere. Candian tire 20 bucks, birch bark call, or just use your hands

Another way might be glassing cuts and just driving the roads until you see one but I prefer the calling and still hunting

[HarryToolips]

The only experience ii have with thatt area is drivng along the highway but moose hunting from what I could see from the area would be head to the river Bottoms where there are streams and creeks and swampy back areas with thick grass and super think brush hunt around there during the rut and wwhere you are finding fresh sign, looking for rubs, crap, tracks, hairs, etc, and get on youtube and learn how to call moosee it's really easy, can buy a call anywhere. Candian tire 20 bucks, birch bark call, or just use your hands

Another way might be glassing cuts and just driving the roads until you see one but I prefer the calling and still hunting

THis guy, from my limited knowledge, has got it bang on for moose advice...and hey, congrats on the big game you've bagged..I own the same .303 love it..

[Moose63]

When calling, be patient,, give the bull time (hours) to get to you....

[butcher]

I hunted moose there quite a bit and found them up high even during the rut and post rut with quite a lot of snow on the ground. Glassing thick brush in slides in some of those big valleys always seemed to pay off. Especially after the leaves were off.

[604redneck]

My buddy had it last year hunted the river via boat hoping to spot one there to no avail.
called in places with no luck spotted 1 bull while walking a road wasn't big enough. This same person has been guiding 15 years and had meat already hence not shooting the small bull he figured he was a bit later than he should have been. He said he only saw one other hunter in 5 days hunting. I'll ask him for more info.

[Jagermeister]

Pretty successful season for first attempt I would say. Seems to me that you should be dispensing advice and not the other way around.

"I have read that in mountainous terrain the bulls go up high to get away from the bugs as their antlers grow but then when the rut comes where do they head? Do stay on the lower area of that mountain area? Or would they tend to come all the way out to the flats around Fraser river? I know there aren't a lot of fresher logged areas in this area so should I stick to older timbers beside creeks with older cut blocks near by... Just at a loss on this whole things ".
It will be weather dependent on where the moose go when it comes to the rut. In a mountainous region, if it's hot, the bull moose never seem to be in that much hurry to hustle down to cows even if they are in estrus. They can get the jump if the cow is in estrus the 2nd or 3rd time around if she had missed being bred in the first estrus. If there are some young bulls around, they get the pleasure.
On calling. It is a game of patience. You just cannot grunt out a call or two and expect bullwinkle to come charging out with fire in his eyes and his pole a smokin'. You call like that and you are not likely going to find a moose at all.
I tried those tin can calls and quite frankly I never scored with one of those, although others have claimed great success. I learned to use my hands and mouth, or more specifically my diaphragm to call moose. It takes some practice but it is not as hard as some think. Learn to do a cow and bull call. The cow call is much more effective but bulls just might take their time before sashaying over to have a gander. However, you can hurry their pace by giving a bull grunt so they think there is some competition.
If you notice, bullwinkle has ears about as sensitive to sound as a radio observatory listening to the stars. Therefore, keep this in mind while you are sitting waiting for the bull to respond to your sonic love gestures. It you are shifting, farting or whatever other sounds humans can make, chances are bullwinkle can hear. Bullwinkles nose is just about as big and sensitive as his ears, so keep the odors to a minimum. Like no smoking or for that matter, no cigarette smoke or bacon fat smoke on your jeans.
A word about bacon odors. Remember earlier this year about a thread one of our members wrote about his grizzly hunt. He said that the bear showed up for breakfast as he could smell the bacon frying. So remember this when you're sitting on the stump waiting for bullwinkle, narly the grizz might show instead.
The way I like to call. I make cow calls in on direction only. A call is made every two or 3 minute interval. Long and plaintive, like, "Hey big boy, I'm looking for yooouuuu. Come and git it." That kind of call. Do this for 15 to 20 minutes and then wait. Wait a few minutes and listen. Nothing, give a bull grunt in the opposite direction and then listen. It nothing happens, quietly wait for 15 minutes and repeat the process. If you have done it three times and nothing happens, it ain't going to happen this time. Comeback in the evening and do it again. Then again the next morning. I should also mention. When you come to your "spot" and you have hunkered your ass down, wait at least 10 to 15 minutes before you start calling. While you are doing this, keep your ears open and listen to the sounds of the forest happenings around you. They heard you come in and will remain quiet until they are satisfied they are okay with your presence. And that damm squirrel that seems to be telling every critter your there, ignore him. Everyone knows he is just a loud mouth and eventually will shut up.
And that's my 2¢ worth.

[remps]

Haha naw I still don't have too much of a clue on what I'm doing. The deer were both a heck of a lot of time sitting in a field. No clue where to go to find them if I go anywhere else (which I would like to get around to knowing eventually).

Thanks for the tips so far! Everything adds to my pot of knowledge on how to find and hunt these guys. I have been watching lots of youtube videos and read and reread several threads about calling but won't know if I'm doing anything right til the season starts. I do know they are around, saw one last year hunting for deer and a pretty good size one the other day beside the highway, just need to pin em down when the season opens.

What times should I be out hunting for them? Before light to 11:30ish and then back out again around 3-4?

And was thinking about this recently, how long before light should I start calling... 30minutes to get their attention while they are still moving about quite a bit?

[kilometers]

I don't like walkin in well it's still dark. You risk scaring an animal that you can't even see yet.
My dad has spooked moose outta the meadow doin this. Those moose are probly still runing.