Moose Call vs Covering Ground

[Cyrus]

I have a draw starting October 1. The area I am hunting is not really known for big bulls. Most of the bulls will be 2-3 year olds guessing on what I have seen in the past. I have been practising my calling and am going to try and target some wetlands sloughs, cut blocks etc. Should I just be sticking with cow calls knowing the big bulls are not around and not wanting to scare the smaller guys away with bull draws? Looking for meat and do not care about rack size. My draw is from the 1st to 14th. How much of that time would you dedicate to calling as opposed to covering ground?

[monasheemountainman]

Cow call to locate, and to get bulls coming in. You can throw in grunts when the bull is in the area but hanging up in the bush. Don't think that there won't be bigger bulls in the area just cuz you haven't seen them.

[Cyrus]

also is calling in morning vs night better or worse?

[Cyrus]

Cow call to locate, and to get bulls coming in. You can throw in grunts when the bull is in the area but hanging up in the bush. Don't think that there won't be bigger bulls in the area just cuz you haven't seen them.

true there is always a chance, just wanting to maximise my chance of seeing a bull of any variety. Would that bull grunt spook off a smaller bull if thrown out there or would he think he is tough and come in?

[LYKTOHUNT]

IMO at that time more time should be given to calling, that time range from my experience is prime rut, and cow calling should work well

[srupp]

Cyrus..
Send pm with ph number I will call.
Great draw. ..easiest hunt in BC. .Oct 1..15..
Cheers
Steven Rupp

[Steelpulse]

Calling lots in areas where you are finding fresh sign. If no fresh sign is move along to where you see fresh rubs tracks and droppings

[srupp]

Lol your over thinking it...lol
Steven

[two-feet]

I like to do a combo. Sitting in one spot all day can be cold and boring, so i will hike for a bit and when i get to a spot with a good vantage i will do a series of cow calls. Listen for a good bit, repeat. If i am moving through loud, thick brush i will call softly now and again so any bulls in the vicinity are not spooked by the noise. Usually i will have a swamp or lake as the destination of my hike and will call there for an hour or two.

This lets me cover ground and see where the sign is, keeps me warm, keeps me from being bored. In a good day i will cover 10+ km this way. Its a nice way to hunt until you kill a monster moose far from the truck.

[two-feet]

And i never bull call, just cow calls for me.

[Sitkaspruce]

Since you have been there before and seem to know the area, go to where you have seen animals before and hunt those areas. Don't look for bulls, look for the ladies and hunt those areas.

I am a sit, listen and watch for the first 30 min of the day hunter: you will be amazed at what you can hear in the quiet of the morning. I then start calling and slowly moving every 30-45 min, covering some ground. I then backtrack my route and see if I dragged in any quiet bulls. Repeat

Good luck in your hunt!!

Cheers

SS

[sapper]

Thanks for this question. I have been having similar thoughts and have a bull moose draw for the same two weeks. 5 years ago we had a tag for the same area but two weeks later. We saw bulls when scouting but not when hunting with tags in hand. Hopefully this year with us being two weeks earlier we'll have better success.

[f350ps]

Listen to Sitka, he nailed it! The only time I will Bull grunt is if I've got more than one Bull going. Good luck! K

[srupp]

Hmmmm another situation a bull grunt might be effective.is if you see a bull with numerous cows he may defend his harem from a interloper"
First 15..30 minutes listen..then muted call.listen 15 minutes...then call as loud as you can.the bull you shoot on Wednesday may have been 20 kms away 3 days previously.
I much prefer to stay in 1 location for each day..the bulls are moving. .2 moving objects may never meet up..give them time..keep calling every 15 minutes....
When answered..cow call back..respond.as he gets closer.more muted response.
2 years ago instant..last year 6 days..2 pm...he was in earshot..responded..if I would have gone else were. .missed.
Ken makes exellent point..be still.and listen.
I have preset calling locations.where voice carries..this also has tampon with Buck Expert cow moose pee..horse urine...
It's not so much where you hunt as how and when.
Good luck hunters
Srupp

[Wild one]

Use both cow and bull calls. When you have a bull that hangs up part way when cow calling add in a bull call. Sometimes adding in some competition will and motivation. It can back fire but at times you have nothing to loose

[f350ps]

Hmmm...lol..you guys are over thinking it, lol... K

[bearvalley]

Hmmm...lol..you guys are over thinking it, lol... K
You nailed it.

[srupp]

Hmmm...lol..you guys are over thinking it, lol... K

Lol....not thinking will keep you in grade 12 for another 3 years..and eating macaroni..unless you plan on road hunting?

Understand why folks won't post photos.or reluctant to ask for help...when some tactic works..is successful..ask your self why ?
Or didn't work..like cow calling sept 1...everything takes thinking..even hunting. .
Hmmm when you spook a bull moose.why? SIGHT..? Or sound? Or smell? Requires some thought.i wasn't raised to speak moose..
Seen a video of guy calling a bull moose..during the rut..cow calling.the bull was smashing tree limbs in anticipation.the tell dude started raking a tree simulating a bull moose activity..the real bull insanity stopped all Comotion" and realized this cow moses us grew horns off he went..you think what fly to use at any particular time of day and season..where bighorn will bed..so it's over thinking to consider where when to call..and why...
Anything you have that's positive..or educational?
Wow..
We recently had a post boar or sow..black bear..didnt matter right or wrong..but why..reasons you felt it was a sow..or boar.if you feel a .243 is proper grizzly medicine..fine..but why...educate..inform..help..
Not..you put some thought into it..after x years of learning..experiencing what does doesn't work..ya..over thinking it..priceless..
I guess better than what we're you thinking...nothing...lol
Srupp

[Cyrus]

Appreciate all the replies. The area I have a draw doesn't have an abundance of moose let alone bulls. It's not like places up north but it's close to home. I have a birch bark call made and hoping to put it to use. My zone in reg 5 didn't burn and hoping some animals wondered in.

[srupp]

Appreciate all the replies. The area I have a draw doesn't have an abundance of moose let alone bulls. It's not like places up north but it's close to home. I have a birch bark call made and hoping to put it to use. My zone in reg 5 didn't burn and hoping some animals wondered in.

You will do fine..get out and give it a try..luckiest guys are often the ones that work the hardest.yes I would wish you luck..but there ARE areas that historically hold bulls year after year for a reason.often clients would ask what are we doing next ? Tomorrow ? Why?
Saying I dunno" just doesn't cut it..not with lawyer , doctor or any knowledgable hunter..nor with the outfitter..
We have a very knowledgable black tail, moose guide.he now charges $ for that information, knowledgable..his thoughts are on computer.." how to hunt"
Last week Big Lew offered his sage advice o bird hunting..based on over 40 years of field experience...rake it in write it down..
Offer is still there for phone chat on cariboo moose hunt...your call literally..
Education comes slowly. .but beats whatever is in second place..next time anything happens..doctor appointment, tile installation at $70 hrs. You seriously want to tell them don't over think it..lmao"
How bad do you want a bull moose..? Worth a bit of effort? Some map work ? Some research? Some local info?
If Steve Dana was to sit down and talk mulies, Steve was to talk black tails, or T bone on black tails. .or Greg Blackburn on sheep, or Doug Mc Mann on cougars, or lynx..would I avail myself of those opportunities..hell ya.
You have many knowledgable folks who have stepped forward with decades of experience lessening your learning curve somewhat..
Straight shooting.
Srupp

[f350ps]

Lol your over thinking it...lol
Steven
Ok, I'm confused here, you say he's over thinking it but when I say it I'm stuck in grade 12 for 3 more years??? Hmmmm...... K

[Darksith]

I have a draw starting October 1. The area I am hunting is not really known for big bulls. Most of the bulls will be 2-3 year olds guessing on what I have seen in the past. I have been practising my calling and am going to try and target some wetlands sloughs, cut blocks etc. Should I just be sticking with cow calls knowing the big bulls are not around and not wanting to scare the smaller guys away with bull draws? Looking for meat and do not care about rack size. My draw is from the 1st to 14th. How much of that time would you dedicate to calling as opposed to covering ground?
I start every morning in the moose rut at the spot I want to be at before light. As light is breaking cow call twice then wait about 20 minutes and repeat. If nothing responds in the first hour I relocate...sometimes it doesn't have to be far, sometimes there isn't anywhere to relocate so in that case I stay put and call all morning until about 1030. Usually a bull will grunt after the call in the rut, be real quiet and listen, they can be pretty far away. After about Oct 7 I would start to cover more ground than sit in a spot in the morning, as the rut will be getting slower and they will be looking for food and cover

If you are walking through bush, don't be afraid to let out the odd bull grunt, pretend you are a moose rather than trying to be super quiet when its impossible sometimes is the right strategy.

[Codes44]

During the rut, cow call works best. Post rut- November most the bulls are breaking off into bachelor groups and I find bull call works best late season. This all depends what region of B.C you hunt and how far North you are (weather change differences), if you're lucky enough to have a season that is during the rut late sept. and oct. (region 3 and 8 Okanagan is Nov 1st start....they are usually done rut by then) then cow and bull call along with rubbing brush may work. I've read also it really depends on the size of bull you are able to shoot...spike/fork vs mature bull they seem to be triggered by different things at times. Good Luck!!

[Rob Chipman]

I'm no expert, but I start with cow calls and realize that it can take a while for them to come in. Best time was calling a bunch in the evening, going back to camp in the dark thinking it was a bust, then hearing strong grunts in the morning - I like to think the evening's work called that boy in and had him looking.

Once he was grunting for a cow I used both cow and bull calls. I wanted to make him think he had to compete a little bit. Luckily I had a shed close by. Stuck it out from behind a tree. I've done that before and I'm pretty certain that if you can get the bull to think you're another bull (i.e., put the idea in his head by letting him see something like an antler) you get a lot more latitude in terms of making shitty calls or bad moves. I might be wrong, but the times I've been able to do that I've either gotten really close to them or had them come really close. If I compare that too the times when they've decided to bolt I'm pretty sure that getting them to decide you're a moose is really advantageous.

I know some people say a big bull grunt will scare a smaller bull away but I'm not such a good caller that I can tell what a big bull versus a small bull sounds like, let alone make those sounds myself.

Anyway, if you've got a good area with sign I'd call morning and evening and be patient.

[Jimbob]

I just moved to BC and have not hunted moose here but grew up hunting moose in Ontario and have called in many many bulls. From my experience and knowledge I say Srupp knows what he is talking about. Here are my rules for moose hunting

1. Where ever you called from the night before then be there well before light the next morning. Bulls will travel long distance and sometimes slowly to get where they have heard a cow. I have numerous night time trail cam pics of bulls that showed hours later to the spot I was calling from. Also we have killed bulls and called in many the next morning after a previous sunset calling session in the exact area.

2. Start a calling session with soft quiet calls, after 15 mins then amp up the calls. An hour later I am calling as loud as I can. I am staying put till at least 10:00 am waiting for any bull to show up. Bulls will sneak in as well so hunt like you are on stand for whitetails, no standing up and moving around. I love when they come in grunting but they will sneak in on you as well.

3. Use buck expert mare in heat scent. It works, I have many trail cam pics to prove it. If you're brave put some on you. Actually I always put some on my boots to leave a trail. Soak a sock or some material and hang it from a branch, also tear up the ground and pour some scent in there.

4. Learn to do a cow in heat call, not just a cow bawl. This is a game changer for calling moose. Cow bawl works and will bring in bulls but cow in heat call works WAYYY better and can really get the bull fired up.

5. Do not be afraid to be aggressive. Sit back and be patient first but if the situation calls for it then be aggressive. Remember it is not natural for a bull to come all the way to the cow, the cow will also head towards the bull. Sometimes the bull is grunting and coming in but then he gets nervous because you (the cow) is not headed towards him. He does not want to step out into the opening, he is waiting for you to make a move. Know the wind and start making your way to the bull, staying out of the open of course ( I will still cow call when heading towards the bull). I have been very successful by knowing the terrain and making my way towards a grunting bull, its natural and it makes him more comfortable. However, before I go after a hung up bull I will give a few soft bull grunts in the opposite direction and I will also lightly rake some brush. Nothing crazy just a little that makes the bull think he might lose his chance if he doesn't get his butt in gear. I have never scared a small bull away doing this.

6. If he is with a cow then you need to be super aggressive and grunt and smash trees and go after him. Don't run through the bush and scare them but once he is responding to your cow calls he is telling you to come join his party, no bull will leave the sure thing and come find you. So once he thinks another cow is around then I will start grunting and raking trees and going towards him. Hopefully he challenges you then it will be fun. Many times I here the cow call as well and that's how I know she is with him.

My advice to guys that want to be good at calling is do it every year. Even if you don't have a tag then get out there and do it. I have only shot one bull with my bow but I have called in bulls every year since I was 15. Each year I learn a bit more and understand what the moose are going to do. In the picture below My Dad, my son and I were putting up a tree stand for the upcoming hunt. It was archery season in ON but of course we had no tag. We were in the marsh the night before and were calling. We called in a small bull, heard a few other grunts and had a wolf pack howling a few miles away. We went back the next morning before sunrise and gave some calls. No answers. 30 minutes later we still had no answer so we decided to get to work, 15 mins later mid work I stopped and gave a call and heard this guy grunt. My Dad hid in some pines in the marsh and my son and I went 50 yards away and into a more exposed spot. I cow called and this bruiser made his way along the marsh edge grunting and smashing every tree in his path. Then he stopped, he didn't want to come in the open. A few bull grunts and he started moving again. He emerged into the marsh and found every willow he could and tore it up on his way over to us. At one point he was only 12 yds from my Dad. I actually got a tad nervous because my son (8 yrs old) and I were pretty exposed and had no gun. I had to try and scare the bull away after a few pictures. Once he committed to coming he didn't want to leave. It was a great morning and great practice.

Good luck.

https://i.imgur.com/LW6eNsl.jpg

[Jimbob]

http://www.cabelas.ca/product/9690/rack-man-wood-moose-antler

Rob Chipman knows his stuff, I guess he posted when I was typing. I use one of these paddles for raking and visual like Rob said.