2012 Moose Hunt

[Geo.338]

I thoroughly enjoy reading every post about all HBCer's hunts and enjoy all the photos just as much .It seems that I am not alone .
I would post up about my trips more but I am not very successful at getting photos up for whatever reason despite photobucket and resizing and so on . This has caused me to not bother posting on my hunts .

As a courtesy to all members I will post up on our hunt and hope that a mod or fellow member will post my photos for me . I have always tried to take as many photos as possible on my trips to share with others .

The trip started out on a real downer as in the first 20 km up the dirt road the trailer brake controller started flashing red and after going over every wire on the trailer and pickup we could not rectify it . We limped back to Mackenzie to NAPA . We figured that it was probably internal and we would need to rip the wheels off . No parts at NAPA in Mackenzie . We could not go hunting with no trailer brakes so we headed back to Prince George . We made it to Princess Auto before closing and we bought all new brake magnets and shoes .We got a hotel and started to work on the rig . After pulling the wheels off we found a wire that had started to rub and was shorting out inside the drum. So with all new brakes we would leave in the morning . At about the same time one of our group of three said he was getting sick and did not know if he could continue . The next morning he pulled the pin and headed for home .

With our group of three now down to two we headed north . We had now lost a couple of days on the front end of our trip but we could make it up on the end as we both had extra vacation off of work .

After 10 hours we reached the road to camp . Both bagged from the long drive we pulled over and slept in the truck . It took us the better part of the day to build camp and with a few hours till dark we headed out to look for a moose . With no fresh trace to be seen on our camp road we started to glass the surrounding mountains .

After about 10 minutes we spot a cow about 2 miles away a few minutes later a bull appears beside an island of timber . We can easily see his antlers with the naked eye and know he is a good bull . After a short calling session he starts pushing the cow a bit and appears to start to move in our direction .

With daylight fading and no bull yet we head back to camp to return in the morning . We return before daylight . We call and wait and call and wait some more . We spend the morning there but no bull is to be seen .

After talking to a few hunters that have been in the area for a week and some even longer we hear that is has been really warm and nobody is really seeing anything . We have goat tags and grizzly tags for the neigboring M.U. so we spend a couple days scouting and all the while still looking for a moose .

The weather is starting to get better and temps are dropping . In the night we hear what sounds like rain and wind but as we look outside of our wood heated wall tent we are slightly surprized to see a snow squall . We are excited about the next morning and the prospect of seeing som fresh tracks in the snow .

Well that excitement peterd out as the next day saw us with zero sightings and zero fresh track to be found .

I will split this up into several parts . In the same vein as BigBoar and others on the site .

[Rackmastr]

Cant wait to see more and hear more on this trip...

If you want me to load pics for you, please toss me a PM and I'll be happy to upload to Photobucket for ya.

[Geo.338]

So with only a couple of cow calf sightings in the next few days we realize we just have to keep checking out the spots that we have had success in the past and sooner or later something has to happen for us .

As we get to about the 7 day point in the trip we finally start to see a bit of sign in the form of bull tracks on cow tracks . The next morning before light I sneak into a meadow that has a nice beaver pond and a few small creeks running into it . Basically your classic moose bog .

About 1/2 hour before light I let out my first cow call . A nice long quiet moan and then I wait . I can hear every little sound of the swamp , the gurgling of the creek and the breeze in the trees . And every once in awhile I hear what sounds like it could be a bull moose in the distance . I continue to call periodically for the next 45 minutes . Then I hear it . Is definitely the grunt of a bull and he is getting closer .

It is now fully daylight and across the swamp about 400 yds away a cow slowly emerges from the timber . I let out a quiet moan and right away I hear the bull again . Louder even still , he must be just out of sight in the timber . After what seems like an eternity I see his paddles coming out of the timber . With the cow coming further out into the swamp and seemingly not too concerned or even aware of my presence the bull slowly getting closer but obscured by willows
he offers no shot . So I just hold my position and continue to quietly cow call .

The cow is now in full view on the edge of a dried up beaver pond and I can only see the tops of the bulls rack through the willows . I dare not move as the cow is only about 200 yds away and getting closer and looking in my direction . I know she cannot see me as the sun is starting to poke over the mountain right into her eyes . After what seems like an hour but is only about 5 minutes the bull is grunting continuously and he finally steps over the ridge of willows that is surrounding the dried up pond .

He is still obscured but I just know he is going to give me a chance because the cow is wide open . Finally he does just that however he is standing straight onto me at 200 yds .

I have a rock solid rest on a spruce tree and I am sure I can make the shot . I have used this same tree before .I wait and wait . Finally the bull turns broadside and I am ready .

[burger]

ok i made popcorn....you can continue now

[Geo.338]

Thanks Rackmastr . email and pm sent . pics to go with saga up to now .Working nights tonight you may have to wait !

[Rackmastr]

Here are the pics so far...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00007.jpeg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00040.jpeg

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http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00003.jpeg

[Rackmastr]

And...

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC09958.jpeg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC09989.jpeg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00066.jpeg

[nature girl]

Oh it sounds like it will be a great story.

[Geo.338]

I am smiling as I look around me at the most beautiful scenery imaginable . I am smiling because I know as sure as he stands in front of me that he is mine and I can truly savour this moment just before ......


I place my crosshairs on his vitals as he stands completely broadside . I squeeze and he just stands there .....Like he is not even hit .I know different. I quickly cycle in another round and squeeze again and he flinches this time . He takes a step forward as I cow call again . He stops and I squeeze the last round from my A bolt .338 win. Mag. and watch as he staggers one or two more steps forward and then disappears down into the willows . I feel good as I walk to my hunting buggy to call my partner on the radio .

Half an hour later we are on our way down to get my bull . We are shocked to see that a second cow is out in the meadow ...............

[swampdonkey]

Great story so far keep it coming

[Geo.338]

Upon seeing this cow we go into stealth mode where just seconds before we were talking and laughing out loud . I let out a cow call and immediately get an answer .

We conceal ourselves in a small spruce grove about 80yds from where I shot from and continue to call . The bull is grunting louder and louder than I have ever heard before but we still cannot see him ....


After about 20 minutes of this he finally shows himself right at timbers edge . 250 yds from where my bull lays and about the same distance from where we are set up . My partner Joe has a rest on a downed log and he is waiting to get a shot at the vitals....

Finally his moment comes and he squeezes ... The bull swaps ends as he chambers another round and just as the bull is about to melt into the timber he squeezes again and the bull goes down . We are in disbelief at what has just happened .

[Geo.338]

As we high five and dance around like we just won the lotto max we see the bull try to get up but he clearly can't as he is kind of jammed up against a dead downed tree . We hustle out and Joe puts a finishing shot into the base of the skull .

It is official . We have two bulls down on the same morning an hour appart on the same swamp. This is a first in 20 years of hunting moose together .

As we admire this beast . We can only wonder who's is bigger as we have not even seen mine yet .

[ElliotMoose]

Great story, and some beautiful country you guys are into up there. Very "Moosey." You manage to put a grizz on the ground?

Chris

[Rackmastr]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00089.jpeg

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[Rackmastr]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00078.jpeg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00073.jpeg

[Geo.338]

No Grizz. Sorry . We did not give the Grizzly hunting much of a try after the mechanical issues and losing our third man to illness (he is alive and well now ) We really wanted to get some meat so we just concentrated on the moose . Once the snow started to fly we kind of gave up on the goats too .

I have a hard time finding goats when the mountains are all white too !

[Gateholio]

Just bought yourself a lot of work! :)

[Geo.338]

We start to tunnel through the head high willows in the direction of my bull . It only takes a few minutes to find him . We high five some more and take some pictures . As we are dressing my bull a pickup drives by then another .

The second pickup stops . My partner says " They're glassing us " then he says " He's coming out " as he gets closer he says my name .

In a bit of a state of shock . from the willows emerges an old friend whom I have hunted with about 16 years prior .
After handshakes and high fives . I tell him" this is only half the story". " We have another one the same size right over there "

He is with his 72 year old father and they already have their moose hanging up the road about 60 k .

He then says " We are just going to take a short drive up the road to see the scenery and then we are going to come and help you get these two big bulls out of the swamp " .

We are ecstatic . We just finish the dirty part of the job and they are back ready to work . We had giant spool of braided rope which we tied to the bull and then to his truck and almost as quick as you could walk , they yarded the 1st bull to the road . Then the second one . We could not believe our luck !

Gary and his dad Derek P. Two Gentlemen I am proud to know and call my friends , now heroes in our eyes .

[Geo.338]

Gatehouse . You are not kidding ! Even with angels to help us . We had to dig that second bull out of that tree to gut him .

[Geo.338]

Our trip was a huge success and the best part was not that we both got moose . It was meeting new people and old friends . I even met a trapper and his wife who after talking a bit we found out that we are related through marriage as my aunt and his mother were sisters . We struck an instant friendship that will last a lifetime .

I hope everyone enjoyed this and thanks to Rackmastr for posting my pics . I will put some scenery shots up too !

[moose2]

Great looking bulls guys. Talk about a trip coming together all at once. Congratulations on a couple fine bulls.
Mike

[Rackmastr]

Some scenery shots....

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00050.jpeg

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00130.jpeg

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[Rackmastr]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00126.jpeg

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http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00042.jpeg

[Rackmastr]

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00134.jpeg

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[mariathemoose]

Thanks for sharing your wonderful pictures, and congrats on the great looking bulls.

[trigger78]

was the trappers name werner ? very nice moose congrats

[wildman 22]

Great story and hunt, congrats. wicked pics you took.

[The Dude]

I love it when a plan comes together! Congrats on a half ton of great meat!
Very nice write-up as well.
No offence to your awesome bulls, but I really like this pic.



http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a297/Rackmastr/DSC00106.jpeg

[ElectricDyck]

Wow! Exciting double header! Great scenery shot as well, thanks for sharing!

A side note, if you load to photo bucket you don't need to resize, just copy the "direct link" under the picture in photo bucket, click on the picture icon (looks like a tree in a frame) in your hbc post, click "from url", unclick "retrieve remotely" and paste in your direct link, done.

[ydouask]

:) WOW ! Heck of a great story set in beautiful country. Congratulations to both of you.

[Sitkaspruce]

Two sweet bulls!!! Awesome!!!

Thanks for bringing us along.

I miss that country!!!

Cheers

SS

[Opinionated Ol Phart]

Me too!!!..............

[islander7mm]

Simply awesome! This is what makes hunting so incredible, epic trips and memories for life.

[Geo.338]

I love it when a plan comes together! Congrats on a half ton of great meat!
Very nice write-up as well.
No offence to your awesome bulls, but I really like this pic.

None taken and thanks all !

[ianwuzhere]

good pix, gotta love it when things work out well..
good job, congrats!

[44inchStone]

These two bulls look like twins/brothers. Looks like you were a ways up there. Surprised that they are still rutting......mind you everything was a little late this year.
Great job. Bet your happy to be out of the white stuff!!