broke
12-02-2016, 04:36 PM
First time posting a hunting story/pics, so hopefully it all works (thanks Coach if the pics work – my bad if they don’t).
So, it’s Nov.5th, the last day of my buddies bull moose draw and he hasn’t’ cut his tag yet. I suggest we go into the block I got my bull last year, as I do a lot of pre-season scouting in the area, have a couple trail cams out there, and I called in a bull a couple weeks earlier (I don’t have a draw, so was just out for fun).
We head out at first light. Get to the road deactivation and walk in. The road is in the timber and splits before the block – goes into the same cutblock, but different viewscape. I suggest he goes right (where I got my bull last year) and I go left. Walking in slowly, super windy and still mostly dark. All of sudden I hear some twigs snap in the bush to my right, then some more snap further away – oh, crap, I’ve spooked/jumped something…..wonder what it was. Oh well, maybe I’ll stay put for a bit.
Wait a few minutes and another twig snaps close to me, sweet! Couple minutes later a cow comes to the edge of the timber. She stays just inside, but is <15 yards from me and doesn’t know I’m there. Couple minutes later of watching her and I hear another snap behind her…….sweet another moose…???
I look through my binos and see antlers curving up – looks like the brow tines of a bull. Still thick, but I know there’s antler for sure. Come on baby, come on out. He moves past the cow in the forest and eventually comes out further down. I can’t see the body, but the head is clear and what the heck….it’s a spiker! I’ve hunted moose around PG for 18 years now (grew up in Cranbrook, but now in PG) and this is the first immy bull I’ve ever seen myself!
Now I need a shot. Body is covered; head is out enough to see it, but still lots of branches in the way. Cow is getting nervous and takes a couple steps into the bush. Oh man, please work out, come on, come on. Bull does a 180. If it took a step it would be gone. But it doesn’t. It’s stopped, <20 yards, broadside. BOOM!
Cow runs off. Bull runs into the bush. I know the shot is good. I can kinda see it stop about 50 yards into the forest. Knees wobble, down. Awesome – my first immy! I’m pumped!
My buddy heads my way. I tell him I got a spike bull and he’s super happy for me. We go up to the moose to check him out. This is definitely the weirdest looking bull I have seen. Curved spike on each side. Wicked!
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4626_zpsvslwcwd8.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4626_zpsvslwcwd8.png.html)
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4627_zpshpjfjjth.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4627_zpshpjfjjth.png.html)
So, we gut him and head back to get some supplies. Go to his house to get the 3-wheeler / trailer. Stop by my place and pick up some rope, a pulley and the kids. We head back out for the retrieval. Ride in is fun. Like a wagon ride for the kids – they are loving it. Get to where the moose went into the bush. Tie a rope to it and try the straight pull out to the road. Big Red doesn’t have enough jam. So, tie the pulley to the moose and run the rope through it and back out (making a 2:1 mechanical advantage – thank you mine rescue training), works like a charm. Pop the bull out to the road, buck it in half, into the trailer and back down the road.
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4628_zpsho8lpiqc.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4628_zpsho8lpiqc.png.html)
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4629_zpsdgoxfvax.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4629_zpsdgoxfvax.png.html)
A large puddle that was no match for us on the way in (the picture is deceiving – it was quite large). decided to challenge us on the way out. We slid of the road center, into the soft side and are stuck. Water is thigh deep, we hop off, big red wants to float, buddy back on the trike, I’m pushing the back of the trailer and eventually we are on the other side (this is what creates the memories, right…). Into the back of the truck and head home for lunch.
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4630_zpsnqjwwy8f.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4630_zpsnqjwwy8f.png.html)
So, it’s Nov.5th, the last day of my buddies bull moose draw and he hasn’t’ cut his tag yet. I suggest we go into the block I got my bull last year, as I do a lot of pre-season scouting in the area, have a couple trail cams out there, and I called in a bull a couple weeks earlier (I don’t have a draw, so was just out for fun).
We head out at first light. Get to the road deactivation and walk in. The road is in the timber and splits before the block – goes into the same cutblock, but different viewscape. I suggest he goes right (where I got my bull last year) and I go left. Walking in slowly, super windy and still mostly dark. All of sudden I hear some twigs snap in the bush to my right, then some more snap further away – oh, crap, I’ve spooked/jumped something…..wonder what it was. Oh well, maybe I’ll stay put for a bit.
Wait a few minutes and another twig snaps close to me, sweet! Couple minutes later a cow comes to the edge of the timber. She stays just inside, but is <15 yards from me and doesn’t know I’m there. Couple minutes later of watching her and I hear another snap behind her…….sweet another moose…???
I look through my binos and see antlers curving up – looks like the brow tines of a bull. Still thick, but I know there’s antler for sure. Come on baby, come on out. He moves past the cow in the forest and eventually comes out further down. I can’t see the body, but the head is clear and what the heck….it’s a spiker! I’ve hunted moose around PG for 18 years now (grew up in Cranbrook, but now in PG) and this is the first immy bull I’ve ever seen myself!
Now I need a shot. Body is covered; head is out enough to see it, but still lots of branches in the way. Cow is getting nervous and takes a couple steps into the bush. Oh man, please work out, come on, come on. Bull does a 180. If it took a step it would be gone. But it doesn’t. It’s stopped, <20 yards, broadside. BOOM!
Cow runs off. Bull runs into the bush. I know the shot is good. I can kinda see it stop about 50 yards into the forest. Knees wobble, down. Awesome – my first immy! I’m pumped!
My buddy heads my way. I tell him I got a spike bull and he’s super happy for me. We go up to the moose to check him out. This is definitely the weirdest looking bull I have seen. Curved spike on each side. Wicked!
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4626_zpsvslwcwd8.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4626_zpsvslwcwd8.png.html)
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4627_zpshpjfjjth.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4627_zpshpjfjjth.png.html)
So, we gut him and head back to get some supplies. Go to his house to get the 3-wheeler / trailer. Stop by my place and pick up some rope, a pulley and the kids. We head back out for the retrieval. Ride in is fun. Like a wagon ride for the kids – they are loving it. Get to where the moose went into the bush. Tie a rope to it and try the straight pull out to the road. Big Red doesn’t have enough jam. So, tie the pulley to the moose and run the rope through it and back out (making a 2:1 mechanical advantage – thank you mine rescue training), works like a charm. Pop the bull out to the road, buck it in half, into the trailer and back down the road.
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4628_zpsho8lpiqc.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4628_zpsho8lpiqc.png.html)
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4629_zpsdgoxfvax.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4629_zpsdgoxfvax.png.html)
A large puddle that was no match for us on the way in (the picture is deceiving – it was quite large). decided to challenge us on the way out. We slid of the road center, into the soft side and are stuck. Water is thigh deep, we hop off, big red wants to float, buddy back on the trike, I’m pushing the back of the trailer and eventually we are on the other side (this is what creates the memories, right…). Into the back of the truck and head home for lunch.
http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/broke78/moose/IMG_4630_zpsnqjwwy8f.png (http://s1146.photobucket.com/user/broke78/media/moose/IMG_4630_zpsnqjwwy8f.png.html)