StoneChaser
10-06-2011, 10:42 PM
Here is the story of my 2011 moose hunt....a little long winded.
Day 1 (Sat Oct 1)
After setting up camp Friday night, we awoke to primo moose hunting conditions....heavy frost and no wind.
I hunted the full day calling for 1 hour intervals in a bunch of likely looking haunts.....had one bull grunt back across a small pond, but figured he must have been with a cow, as nothing materialzed after a lengthy wait. No moose spotted.
Day 2 (Sun Oct 2)
Woke up to a cloudy morning with a slight breeze...nothing we couldn't handle.
Bid fariwell to the others and spent the second day much the same as the first, cruising as much country as I could in between calling sessions looking for a sign, or better yet a moose.....heard nothing and saw nothing, and most of the sign appeared to be weeks old at best.
Day 3 (Mon Oct 3)
A crisp night with calm conditions...another great start to the day. Hiked into the area where I heard the bull on day one, and called....got a response right away, but he was well below me in a valley and was showing no signs of coming my direction.
Hiked for most of the day, with 4-5 calling sessions......no moose spotted.
Day 4 (Tues Oct 4)
Moral in camp was still high, as we were all thankful just to be out with our bows and not in the daily grind of work.
Good company, a great camp, and beautiful country kept us upbeat, albeit somewhat skeptical of the moose population. Going into day 4 none of us had spotted a moose yet....hmmmmm.
As usual, gone well before daylight and into my location....was going to start the day where I'd heard the bull a few times...had to leave his cow eventually (or have a buddy that needed a girlfriend).
About 1km from my chosen calling destination I heard some crasing ~ 50yds to the north, followed by a grunting bull.
After 20 min of calling, nothing appeared (sounded like 2 moose....guessing I must have spooked a cow and she was being followed by her boyfriend).
Salvaging the prime first hour of daylight, I quickly hiked the rest of the way to my chosen stand site and set up.
With my trusty old cow decoy Trixie Dawn behind me, I let out a few cow calls, and after a few minutes I let out another single call....
Oooowhaahh....off to the west ~ 400 yards up the timbered hillside I heard a grunt, followed by a few more.....suddenly a moose walking down the hillside through the timber.
Below me was a narrow meadow, and I was sitting on the edge of an old deactivated road...above me a steep hillside...the perfect ambush site!
The bull hit the road ~ 250yds away at a quick pace, still grunting away, but heading across the road.
One long cow call had him looking my way, and then it happened....he spotted TRIXIE DAWN.....he covered the 250 yards in very short order as if on a rope, grunting the entire time.
As he hit the top of the final deactivation between him and I (a very deep creek crossing that I'd ranged at 51 yds), he disappeared into the bottom of it.
At this point I made my move and stepped into the open for a shot.
However...the bull zigged at the bottom of the drainage structure, and ended up below me.
A few quick steps and I had a view of him (he was oblivious to my presence still) as he stood in the timber.
One very small moan and I had him coming again, broadside and closing the distance fast.
As I gained composure (let me say at this point, I was about as excited as one could get) I stopped him with a low grunt.
He was broadside, and no need for the range finder.....a bracket between the 20 and 30 yard pin was perfect, and as I released I watched the blur of fletching disappear into the ribs. (100 gr Montec CS gave a complete pass through and lodged 6" into the dirt behind the bull).
The bull trotted forward a few steps and stopped....still unaware of me, so I plunked another arrow about 4 inches from the first for insurance.
At the second shot he bolted and crashed about 70 yards later.
I spent the day getting him out of the bush, and had the 4 quarters hanging when the crew returned to camp just before dark.
Taking an archery bull was my main goal for the season, and ranks up there as one of the most exhilarating experiences in my hunting career!
Not much for headgear, but a heavy bodied young bull that should eat with the best of them.
Sadly enough, once a complete rifle looney, I`ve not even looked at my rifles since returning home from my August sheep hunt.....this archery thing is becoming an obsession!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/StoneChaser/2011Hunting034.jpg
Day 1 (Sat Oct 1)
After setting up camp Friday night, we awoke to primo moose hunting conditions....heavy frost and no wind.
I hunted the full day calling for 1 hour intervals in a bunch of likely looking haunts.....had one bull grunt back across a small pond, but figured he must have been with a cow, as nothing materialzed after a lengthy wait. No moose spotted.
Day 2 (Sun Oct 2)
Woke up to a cloudy morning with a slight breeze...nothing we couldn't handle.
Bid fariwell to the others and spent the second day much the same as the first, cruising as much country as I could in between calling sessions looking for a sign, or better yet a moose.....heard nothing and saw nothing, and most of the sign appeared to be weeks old at best.
Day 3 (Mon Oct 3)
A crisp night with calm conditions...another great start to the day. Hiked into the area where I heard the bull on day one, and called....got a response right away, but he was well below me in a valley and was showing no signs of coming my direction.
Hiked for most of the day, with 4-5 calling sessions......no moose spotted.
Day 4 (Tues Oct 4)
Moral in camp was still high, as we were all thankful just to be out with our bows and not in the daily grind of work.
Good company, a great camp, and beautiful country kept us upbeat, albeit somewhat skeptical of the moose population. Going into day 4 none of us had spotted a moose yet....hmmmmm.
As usual, gone well before daylight and into my location....was going to start the day where I'd heard the bull a few times...had to leave his cow eventually (or have a buddy that needed a girlfriend).
About 1km from my chosen calling destination I heard some crasing ~ 50yds to the north, followed by a grunting bull.
After 20 min of calling, nothing appeared (sounded like 2 moose....guessing I must have spooked a cow and she was being followed by her boyfriend).
Salvaging the prime first hour of daylight, I quickly hiked the rest of the way to my chosen stand site and set up.
With my trusty old cow decoy Trixie Dawn behind me, I let out a few cow calls, and after a few minutes I let out another single call....
Oooowhaahh....off to the west ~ 400 yards up the timbered hillside I heard a grunt, followed by a few more.....suddenly a moose walking down the hillside through the timber.
Below me was a narrow meadow, and I was sitting on the edge of an old deactivated road...above me a steep hillside...the perfect ambush site!
The bull hit the road ~ 250yds away at a quick pace, still grunting away, but heading across the road.
One long cow call had him looking my way, and then it happened....he spotted TRIXIE DAWN.....he covered the 250 yards in very short order as if on a rope, grunting the entire time.
As he hit the top of the final deactivation between him and I (a very deep creek crossing that I'd ranged at 51 yds), he disappeared into the bottom of it.
At this point I made my move and stepped into the open for a shot.
However...the bull zigged at the bottom of the drainage structure, and ended up below me.
A few quick steps and I had a view of him (he was oblivious to my presence still) as he stood in the timber.
One very small moan and I had him coming again, broadside and closing the distance fast.
As I gained composure (let me say at this point, I was about as excited as one could get) I stopped him with a low grunt.
He was broadside, and no need for the range finder.....a bracket between the 20 and 30 yard pin was perfect, and as I released I watched the blur of fletching disappear into the ribs. (100 gr Montec CS gave a complete pass through and lodged 6" into the dirt behind the bull).
The bull trotted forward a few steps and stopped....still unaware of me, so I plunked another arrow about 4 inches from the first for insurance.
At the second shot he bolted and crashed about 70 yards later.
I spent the day getting him out of the bush, and had the 4 quarters hanging when the crew returned to camp just before dark.
Taking an archery bull was my main goal for the season, and ranks up there as one of the most exhilarating experiences in my hunting career!
Not much for headgear, but a heavy bodied young bull that should eat with the best of them.
Sadly enough, once a complete rifle looney, I`ve not even looked at my rifles since returning home from my August sheep hunt.....this archery thing is becoming an obsession!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y284/StoneChaser/2011Hunting034.jpg