Mikey Rafiki
08-23-2023, 10:49 AM
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPP9ZAKr4ccYGZ2-rHxy0fZmZ0NZGcEPdz-Pge_I’ve been away from the forum for quite some time, but have been wanting to come back and contribute, knowing how beneficial this site has been to both newbie and season hunters alike.
In 2022 we were successful in drawing 2 moose tags in the Kootenay after what felt like a lifetime of applying as a group with my dad and brother. This was even sweeter after having spent 10 days the previous fall paddling around the Yukon on my first ever moose hunt, without seeing a single 4-legged creature.
We set aside 10 days in September, set up the new wall tent, and set out scouting, driving, hiking, and calling. About halfway through that time we finally had some minor success, sneaking up on a very young bull moose that was hiding behind a cow. As I engaged in a stare down with the cow, the young bull slid into the thick stuff never to be seen again. A few more days of covering ground and calling yielded no other results, and we felt perhaps we were a little early for the rut. On our last day, as a parting glimmer of hope, we saw another young bull hanging out with a cow next to the road in pitch black on our way to another location. It was an hour before first light, and they got into the thick un-huntable bush quickly, but we felt this could be a sign that they were starting to seek each other’s company.
Feeling disgruntled but slightly optimistic, I headed back to work for a few days and did my best google scouting work to see if there were any good spots to access and hunt where we saw the last bull. It looked like there was an old logging road on the hillside above, so I drove out there before first light on my next day off. The road was quite grown in, so I parked my truck and started wading through the wet cedars and alders from the rain the night before. I reached the end of the road and was absolutely soaked, so I decided rather than hiking further on the wet steep natural slope while weighted down with wet clothes, I would just stop a call for a while. After my first cow call, I was utterly shocked to hear what sounded like a bull moose grunting about 70 yards below me. Even more shocking was the fact it was closing distance quicker than I could find a good spot to hide. The bull came up and then across the slope below me at 30 yards. I spotted an opening along its path and drew my bow. The bull stopped just before the opening, then hopped across it, and kept walking. While at full draw I attempted to make a few more cow sounds, which seemed to keep his attention walking back and forth just out of range and sight. I was getting a little too excited and my arms were getting a little tired, so I went to let my draw down and my bow jumped a bit and my arrow fell off the knock (brand new bow with more aggressive letdown). My mind spiraled, but I tried to compose myself and got my arrow knocked again. I turned my body and cupped my hands away from the bull and called lightly to sound like the cow was moving away. The bull then started to walk up and towards me heading to another shooting lanes so I drew my bow and he stopped uphill at 35 yards slightly quartering away. This was the opportunity to send an arrow that landed with a great smack. The bull starting walking away slowly as I knocked another arrow and tried to keep cow calling. About 10 seconds later the bull sounded like he was having a really tough time and there was some crashing and rolling. This was the moment I realized the hit was good and I could take a few deep breaths.
https://i.ibb.co/sVSYXz9/image-4.jpg
https://ibb.co/NyhBGb2
https://ibb.co/NyhBGb2
The bull dropped about 10 yards from where he was hit, and it was over quickly. I drove back to camp to leave a note (no cell service), then spent the next couple hours opening up the road enough for my quad to get within 60 yards of the moose, and quartering and packing it over wet deadfalls to the end of the road. My group finally arrive to help when I had finally brought the last load to my quad. At least they were there to reduce the number of trips back and forth to my truck. I brought the moose home to my cooler and got some well-deserved sleep.
2 days later I was at work on Monday and got a call from my dad asking if I could help pack out another moose. He suggested it might be smaller than the one I got. Still very stiff and sore, I let my moose hunting boss know the seriousness of the situation, and I left town to help him out about an hour drive to his truck. I walked down the trail and found my group, then found my dad’s bull and gave him a few choice words about his “small” bull. He relayed the story of walking down the same trail we had encountered the first bull and cow, he then scraped a tree, then seeing this big bull snort and walk across the trail in front of him. He was lucky to get a quick shot in with his crossbow, and similarly his bull only went about 25 yards. We were able to cut a trail in enough to drag the quarters out with a quad, as I had no interest in putting any of that animal on my already sore back. A bull of a lifetime for him, and we couldn’t be happier!
https://i.ibb.co/sCCWGsH/image-1.jpg
In 2022 we were successful in drawing 2 moose tags in the Kootenay after what felt like a lifetime of applying as a group with my dad and brother. This was even sweeter after having spent 10 days the previous fall paddling around the Yukon on my first ever moose hunt, without seeing a single 4-legged creature.
We set aside 10 days in September, set up the new wall tent, and set out scouting, driving, hiking, and calling. About halfway through that time we finally had some minor success, sneaking up on a very young bull moose that was hiding behind a cow. As I engaged in a stare down with the cow, the young bull slid into the thick stuff never to be seen again. A few more days of covering ground and calling yielded no other results, and we felt perhaps we were a little early for the rut. On our last day, as a parting glimmer of hope, we saw another young bull hanging out with a cow next to the road in pitch black on our way to another location. It was an hour before first light, and they got into the thick un-huntable bush quickly, but we felt this could be a sign that they were starting to seek each other’s company.
Feeling disgruntled but slightly optimistic, I headed back to work for a few days and did my best google scouting work to see if there were any good spots to access and hunt where we saw the last bull. It looked like there was an old logging road on the hillside above, so I drove out there before first light on my next day off. The road was quite grown in, so I parked my truck and started wading through the wet cedars and alders from the rain the night before. I reached the end of the road and was absolutely soaked, so I decided rather than hiking further on the wet steep natural slope while weighted down with wet clothes, I would just stop a call for a while. After my first cow call, I was utterly shocked to hear what sounded like a bull moose grunting about 70 yards below me. Even more shocking was the fact it was closing distance quicker than I could find a good spot to hide. The bull came up and then across the slope below me at 30 yards. I spotted an opening along its path and drew my bow. The bull stopped just before the opening, then hopped across it, and kept walking. While at full draw I attempted to make a few more cow sounds, which seemed to keep his attention walking back and forth just out of range and sight. I was getting a little too excited and my arms were getting a little tired, so I went to let my draw down and my bow jumped a bit and my arrow fell off the knock (brand new bow with more aggressive letdown). My mind spiraled, but I tried to compose myself and got my arrow knocked again. I turned my body and cupped my hands away from the bull and called lightly to sound like the cow was moving away. The bull then started to walk up and towards me heading to another shooting lanes so I drew my bow and he stopped uphill at 35 yards slightly quartering away. This was the opportunity to send an arrow that landed with a great smack. The bull starting walking away slowly as I knocked another arrow and tried to keep cow calling. About 10 seconds later the bull sounded like he was having a really tough time and there was some crashing and rolling. This was the moment I realized the hit was good and I could take a few deep breaths.
https://i.ibb.co/sVSYXz9/image-4.jpg
https://ibb.co/NyhBGb2
https://ibb.co/NyhBGb2
The bull dropped about 10 yards from where he was hit, and it was over quickly. I drove back to camp to leave a note (no cell service), then spent the next couple hours opening up the road enough for my quad to get within 60 yards of the moose, and quartering and packing it over wet deadfalls to the end of the road. My group finally arrive to help when I had finally brought the last load to my quad. At least they were there to reduce the number of trips back and forth to my truck. I brought the moose home to my cooler and got some well-deserved sleep.
2 days later I was at work on Monday and got a call from my dad asking if I could help pack out another moose. He suggested it might be smaller than the one I got. Still very stiff and sore, I let my moose hunting boss know the seriousness of the situation, and I left town to help him out about an hour drive to his truck. I walked down the trail and found my group, then found my dad’s bull and gave him a few choice words about his “small” bull. He relayed the story of walking down the same trail we had encountered the first bull and cow, he then scraped a tree, then seeing this big bull snort and walk across the trail in front of him. He was lucky to get a quick shot in with his crossbow, and similarly his bull only went about 25 yards. We were able to cut a trail in enough to drag the quarters out with a quad, as I had no interest in putting any of that animal on my already sore back. A bull of a lifetime for him, and we couldn’t be happier!
https://i.ibb.co/sCCWGsH/image-1.jpg