Downwind
10-20-2012, 09:05 AM
Well my moose hunting trip had a few highs and lows and they all concentrated themselves within a 24 hour period. So we finally drew a group moose draw for the area we normally hunt and it was great being up there and really not seeing any hunters. It was kind of weird. Things were fairly uneventful for the few days. A few black bears, some does and some cows and calves.
The real excitement didn't start until Wednesday. That morning one of my hunting partners had called in a couple moose across a lake but he had no way to get over there so he passed on taking one. That afternoon I went out with him to try to find a way to get to the backside of the lake. On our way down the road I spotted a moose way off in a cutblock. We could see another road just below the cutblock. We made our way down to it and hiked in to see if we could identify it. I came up over the ridge and there was the moose standing broadside. A quick look with the binos shows it to be a cow. Too bad but it was fun getting close.
We never did find the backside of the lake but it was a good afternoon.
On the way back we found out that my dad and brother, in the other truck, had got a flat so the next morning they were going to head into town to get it looked after. So Thursday morning comes along and me and my other hunting partner are heading out to go back to the lake he saw the bulls at the day before and see if we could get them to come around. On the way to the spot we parked my truck and quadded in I hear the distinctive hiss of a flat! Son of a B!*ch. I coast to the bottom of the hill I was on and get out to change up the tire.
I get the tire changed and head into town to get my flat looked at and my partner heads out to a different spot for the morning hunt. As I'm driving out I spot my dad and brother pulled over to the side of the road. This would really only mean one of two things. They either got another flat or they shot something. Sure enough they had a good sized 4X3 mulie down. Finally a little better luck! I help them get it loaded up and head back to camp with them and we get it hung up on the meat poll. Now I was originally supposed to be going for two weeks but with starting a new job cut it to one week so I only had a few days left to hunt before I had to head back down to the island. So they took my tire for me and I hiked out from camp to a little lake that I had seen on the mapbook. I really didn't want to be driving too much without a second spare (next year I'll have at least two).
Heading out of camp, with GPS in hand, I cut up a game trail and try to make my way to the back end of this lake. As I made my way towards the lake I find a decent size opening that looks like it has been used as a lick quite a bit. Now I have never tried calling before but my other partner does it a lot and has put on a few courses so I figure what the hell and give it a shot. After about an hour and a half I decide to move on and as I move I notice something staring at me. Binos up and its a good size cow at about 50 yards. We stare each other down for a while and then she moves on and I notice the calf now that was just off to the side of her.
So after several hours, from the start of my hike, I make it to far end of this little lake. The edge of the lake is just pounded with moose tracks and it short enough that I can see the whole length of it. I make my way to middle of the lake and decide to try some more calling from there.
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp221/Zanelike/DSCN0487.jpg
The real excitement didn't start until Wednesday. That morning one of my hunting partners had called in a couple moose across a lake but he had no way to get over there so he passed on taking one. That afternoon I went out with him to try to find a way to get to the backside of the lake. On our way down the road I spotted a moose way off in a cutblock. We could see another road just below the cutblock. We made our way down to it and hiked in to see if we could identify it. I came up over the ridge and there was the moose standing broadside. A quick look with the binos shows it to be a cow. Too bad but it was fun getting close.
We never did find the backside of the lake but it was a good afternoon.
On the way back we found out that my dad and brother, in the other truck, had got a flat so the next morning they were going to head into town to get it looked after. So Thursday morning comes along and me and my other hunting partner are heading out to go back to the lake he saw the bulls at the day before and see if we could get them to come around. On the way to the spot we parked my truck and quadded in I hear the distinctive hiss of a flat! Son of a B!*ch. I coast to the bottom of the hill I was on and get out to change up the tire.
I get the tire changed and head into town to get my flat looked at and my partner heads out to a different spot for the morning hunt. As I'm driving out I spot my dad and brother pulled over to the side of the road. This would really only mean one of two things. They either got another flat or they shot something. Sure enough they had a good sized 4X3 mulie down. Finally a little better luck! I help them get it loaded up and head back to camp with them and we get it hung up on the meat poll. Now I was originally supposed to be going for two weeks but with starting a new job cut it to one week so I only had a few days left to hunt before I had to head back down to the island. So they took my tire for me and I hiked out from camp to a little lake that I had seen on the mapbook. I really didn't want to be driving too much without a second spare (next year I'll have at least two).
Heading out of camp, with GPS in hand, I cut up a game trail and try to make my way to the back end of this lake. As I made my way towards the lake I find a decent size opening that looks like it has been used as a lick quite a bit. Now I have never tried calling before but my other partner does it a lot and has put on a few courses so I figure what the hell and give it a shot. After about an hour and a half I decide to move on and as I move I notice something staring at me. Binos up and its a good size cow at about 50 yards. We stare each other down for a while and then she moves on and I notice the calf now that was just off to the side of her.
So after several hours, from the start of my hike, I make it to far end of this little lake. The edge of the lake is just pounded with moose tracks and it short enough that I can see the whole length of it. I make my way to middle of the lake and decide to try some more calling from there.
http://i414.photobucket.com/albums/pp221/Zanelike/DSCN0487.jpg