Caribou_lou
02-16-2010, 04:07 PM
Figure I better post this before all the talk about grizzlies starts. Not the biggest moose but makes for some damn good eats.
Couldn't get out for the first day of the archery season because I had to work. So my mind was elsewhere that day. going over what I needed for the moose hunt. Was done work, loaded up my truck and was going to head out that night but wasn't going to have enough time to hunt the evening so I decided to sleep in my bed one more night. I was up at the crack of 5:15 and was heading out by 5:30. I couldn't have asked for a better morning. It was -8 and no wind. I had a place in my that always has bulls. Parked my truck at the bottom of the road and started hoofing it. Stopped for a moment to scan the road for any vehicle tracks. it was low light but looked like I was first in. I hiked for 10 more minutes and stopped for a listen. I heard a bull grunting already. I rushed to get into position to call further up the road in a clearing. Walk around the corner to see a truck parked where I was going to call. I knew whos truck it was so I turned around and headed back to my truck. I didn't try to call the bull because I was certain they had it coming in and I would hate if someone did that to me. So I ran back down the raod, jumped in my truck and was on route 10 kms down the road to spot number 2. only to find out someone is parked at that road also. Damn, I only had two spots planned for that morning. I was waisting this good morning and had no clue where to go now. I jumped back in my truck and started driving with no idea where I was going to go. Decided to walk up a road into an area that I have never hunted, I knew where it went but never really pegged it as a great moose spot. Grabbed my bow and started to giver. Came to a Y in the road and took the one that headed away from the creek. This is strating to look a bit better I thought. Walked to the edge of a cutblock and called. No answer. walked 10 more mins to a nice spot over looking another cut and listened. Heard nothing saw nothing. Tried some cow calls and no one answered me. Decided to keep walking. Went about 200 yards up the road and was within 30yards of a bull. He jumped up and started running. I couldn't see him but knew it was a bull because he was grunting as he ran. I let out a loud grunt and he stopped and was coming in. I couldn't believe he was coming back. I crouched on the road as he came in. He came fast. I could see a paddle. he stopped and scanned, So i grunted softly. He kept coming so I drew back thinking he was going ot step right out. But he held up at 30 yards behind some small pines. I could see his legs and some of his rack. I let my draw down. and continued grunting. I then grabbed my moose call and hit a tree. He began to walk again. I drew back. He stepped out at 13 yards. I waited for him to take one more step forward and snuck one in behind his front leg. I heard the arrow hit and he bolted, I let out a few grunts. and I heard him stop. then I could hear him walking again. It was a quartering shot and I was a bit worried it missed his lungs so I left him for a good 30 mins before I went in. Long 30 minutes that was. took a walk further up the road to see where two bulls had been fighting. This explains why he came to the grunt so fast. Decided I left him long enough and started tracking him. There was alot of blood, not hard to follow in the frost. I found where he was bedded when I first jumped him. wasn't much further when I found the spot where he stopped to look back. I then looked up to see my bull 20 yards ahead. That is a good feeling when you recover an animal that has moved out of sight. I let out a celebritary yell and went to check him out. I could see where my arrow came out. It was back but still caught one lung. He went about 60 yards. but died very fast. I snapped off some pics, gutted him and then went and recovered my arrow. went back to where I shot from and ranged it at 11 yards. What a hunt, guess you get lucky sometimes. He's not the biggest, but It's a good feeling when you fill the freezer. Thanks for reading and good luck in the grizzly draws.
http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af161/Caribou04/Hunting/Family1446.jpg
You can see the exit hole just past the top of my bow. It came out right on the diaphram. maybe lost 2 ounces of meat. thats what I love most about taking them with the bow, No shell shock or meat loss.
Couldn't get out for the first day of the archery season because I had to work. So my mind was elsewhere that day. going over what I needed for the moose hunt. Was done work, loaded up my truck and was going to head out that night but wasn't going to have enough time to hunt the evening so I decided to sleep in my bed one more night. I was up at the crack of 5:15 and was heading out by 5:30. I couldn't have asked for a better morning. It was -8 and no wind. I had a place in my that always has bulls. Parked my truck at the bottom of the road and started hoofing it. Stopped for a moment to scan the road for any vehicle tracks. it was low light but looked like I was first in. I hiked for 10 more minutes and stopped for a listen. I heard a bull grunting already. I rushed to get into position to call further up the road in a clearing. Walk around the corner to see a truck parked where I was going to call. I knew whos truck it was so I turned around and headed back to my truck. I didn't try to call the bull because I was certain they had it coming in and I would hate if someone did that to me. So I ran back down the raod, jumped in my truck and was on route 10 kms down the road to spot number 2. only to find out someone is parked at that road also. Damn, I only had two spots planned for that morning. I was waisting this good morning and had no clue where to go now. I jumped back in my truck and started driving with no idea where I was going to go. Decided to walk up a road into an area that I have never hunted, I knew where it went but never really pegged it as a great moose spot. Grabbed my bow and started to giver. Came to a Y in the road and took the one that headed away from the creek. This is strating to look a bit better I thought. Walked to the edge of a cutblock and called. No answer. walked 10 more mins to a nice spot over looking another cut and listened. Heard nothing saw nothing. Tried some cow calls and no one answered me. Decided to keep walking. Went about 200 yards up the road and was within 30yards of a bull. He jumped up and started running. I couldn't see him but knew it was a bull because he was grunting as he ran. I let out a loud grunt and he stopped and was coming in. I couldn't believe he was coming back. I crouched on the road as he came in. He came fast. I could see a paddle. he stopped and scanned, So i grunted softly. He kept coming so I drew back thinking he was going ot step right out. But he held up at 30 yards behind some small pines. I could see his legs and some of his rack. I let my draw down. and continued grunting. I then grabbed my moose call and hit a tree. He began to walk again. I drew back. He stepped out at 13 yards. I waited for him to take one more step forward and snuck one in behind his front leg. I heard the arrow hit and he bolted, I let out a few grunts. and I heard him stop. then I could hear him walking again. It was a quartering shot and I was a bit worried it missed his lungs so I left him for a good 30 mins before I went in. Long 30 minutes that was. took a walk further up the road to see where two bulls had been fighting. This explains why he came to the grunt so fast. Decided I left him long enough and started tracking him. There was alot of blood, not hard to follow in the frost. I found where he was bedded when I first jumped him. wasn't much further when I found the spot where he stopped to look back. I then looked up to see my bull 20 yards ahead. That is a good feeling when you recover an animal that has moved out of sight. I let out a celebritary yell and went to check him out. I could see where my arrow came out. It was back but still caught one lung. He went about 60 yards. but died very fast. I snapped off some pics, gutted him and then went and recovered my arrow. went back to where I shot from and ranged it at 11 yards. What a hunt, guess you get lucky sometimes. He's not the biggest, but It's a good feeling when you fill the freezer. Thanks for reading and good luck in the grizzly draws.
http://i1004.photobucket.com/albums/af161/Caribou04/Hunting/Family1446.jpg
You can see the exit hole just past the top of my bow. It came out right on the diaphram. maybe lost 2 ounces of meat. thats what I love most about taking them with the bow, No shell shock or meat loss.