just in from my 2008 LEH moose draw here in the Cariboo..I onely had one day to scout so GPSW'D all the rds swamps willow marshes and found a good camp spot..
I went in alone two days early and when I got to my designated camp spot it was empty..bonus.. however the last residents were successfull hunters as evidenced of the moose scraps...
I set up the 27 foot fiberglass Citation tent..lol..got everything set up, set the alarm for 5 am YAAAAWN..and got ready for two days of deer hunting getting ready fo moose opening..
This went on for 5 days..Tim came out for a couple hours for the first couple days but work prevented him from taking too much time off...self employed..
I never seen a cow or bull untill Oct 4th...each day I spent from before dawn till after dark calling and putting out cow in heat...I DID FIND a TURKEY BOX CALL..in the CARIBOO???lol
Susan came out to bring fresh grub and on my way back to camp spotted my first cow moose...Susan stayed for tea and left about 8 pm she came back within 15 minutes to tell me there was a bull and cow moose on the rd @ EXACTLY 9 kilometer....The next day I seen one bull just flying across a open field no chance and 3 cows in a smal secluded swamp I am CERTAIN there was a bull there but he was already surrounded by three lovely ladies..later that day that bull at 9kilometer got shot..
So on the 6th I headed out early to go to a swamp JACKPINE from this site had mentioned..I arived before daylight and at first light there was a MOOSE..so I grabbed the rifle an hiked over to the area I found the moose..he..she..whatever "IT' had errr EQUIPMENT..and a bell but no horns..???what the??my permit said "antlered"
so back to the quad..I sat down an made another call and imediatly heard what sounded like a METAL thumping of heavy machinery..well there was some logging 5 kilometers away so I just thought that was the sound I heard it a couple more times over the next 10 minutes..hmm it seemed to be getting closer..
I gave another sext momma cow call and this time it was the unmistakable call of a bull moose so off the quad and loaded the new rifle..and called again.. this went on for 28 minutes untill the bull ran out into the cut block off the end of the willow swamp and the christmas tree re-plant and the mature stand of fir..he came in 20 yards into the cut block and stopped I called again and he started a fast walk towards me.."mwukkk mmmmwuuukk.." came his reply to my calls.at first he was 600 yards away and he kept coming closer and closer..louder and louder..and SUDDENLY here comes a SECOND bull from off to the right...at 320 yards he starts to turn towards the other bull so I figure now is the right time..and squeeze off my shot..NOTHING he just STOPS so I hit him again..225 grain...nothing..so the third shot in the ear does the trick..and down he goes..I think my .270 coulda done that..
My quad couldnt pull the moose..hmmm 2500 pound winch...
so I got my pickup and notched a stump on the uphill side of the rd with my chain saw...then circled the stump with a welded chain...to a snatch block...then a couple lengths of rope... and then I just backed down the rd and the moose was pulled up onto the rd.
After cleaning and halving front and back I used my boat loader to pull the moose halves up the quad ramp..then repositioning the ropes onto the back of the ramp I raised the ramp and slid the halves into the box..
THAT IS HOW to load a moose by yourself..
I met my first EAST INDIAN hunting party..now THAT was an experience..
For only having 19 LEH moose permits..there were 100 hunting individuals....and also the assinine amount of "first nation" hunters shooting everything that moved..and also several shots well past dark...11 pm...
All equipment worked flawlessly..less than impressed with the new smokepoles performance..ATV trailer etc etc
The moose were holed up and once the frost hit the calling worked as it always does..the area I shot this bull was a natural ampatheater..'bowel" and the sound carries a long way..Im pretty certain the bull I harvested came in from many Kilometers away..he wasnt a big racked beast as he had a 1" broken stump on the one side and the other side carried 7 countable points but he IS a antlerred bull and doing this mostly solo after the sheep fiasco helped rekindle my confidence and some self esteem..at least my calling moose is STILL there..
Photos to follow..
sincerely submitted by
SRUPP