moose hunt stories

[corman]

OK, its way to quiet here lately so I am gonna start telling stories. Besides, its snowing and I'm bored and I have time to kill. Hopefully it will liven things up here a bit.

[corman]

So here goes my first one.

I was 15, just got my licence. I mean just. My B-day is Sept 30 and we left for moose hunting around the 15th of Oct that year. It was to be my first moose hunt and let me tell you I was excited to say the least. I had past my test and I can't remeber why now but for some reason I hadn't got the paper work back so I could actualy buy a licence. So Dad was freaking out running around like a chicken with his head cut off doing his best to make sure I had it before we left. Well finaly 2 days before we left I got it. Life was good. We had a bull and a cow tag. Mom Dad and my sister drove together, Grandpa nad Grandma, my great uncle and aunt drove together and we met 2 others up there. Elk Lake, Eagle lake Lodge was our destination.

Grandpa had missed a nice bull the prvious year and they saw plenty of sign in that area. So that area was to be our starting point. After a day of hunting/scouting we gathered at the end of the day to compare notes and decided that this is where we should be concentrating our hunt.

The next day we struck off again and after lunch Gramps decided he would take me to his secret spot for the afternoon. For some reason on that trip he couldn't get enough of me. He really took me under his wing and wanted me to be with him. He sat me in a spot and gave me stern instructions not to meove. If I shot anything I ws to stay there and not mve till he arrived. These big woods could swallow me up pretty fast he said. He went up over a ridge about 300 yds away. I could see him and he could see me. All apart of his master plan.

About an hour into our sit a helacopter flew over and I could see gramps take off his hat and get real low to the ground. I'm snickering to myself thinking the silly old fool is trying to hide from this thing. I looked away and next thing ya know I hear K-BANG. What the hell are ya doing shooting at a chopper for?? lol. BANG< BANG, GANG and on and on. I can see him, I can see where he is pointing his gun, but I see no moose. I so desperatly wanted to look through my scope to see if I could see anything but I knew if I did, and he caught me my arse would be up around my shoulders. (not to mention its a stupid thing to begin with) Well after world war 3 ended I hear him yelling for my to get my but over there. So I amble over as fast as I could thinking the ole bugger is hurt or something by the sound of him.

When I got there he ws so out of breath from excitement he could barely talk and I thought he was going to have a heart attack. He puts his hand on my shoulder ( I can still feal it to this day) and says shoot that moose. I look over and laying at the edge of the tree line was a cow trying her best to get up. He said take carefull aim and take her in the side of the head. I said no way, this is your moose, you do it. He told me he was out of ammo. So i did it. Man, after that you would think I did it all myself he was so happy for me. I was just as happy for him as it was his first. I said gramps, hpw can you be out I only heard 8 shots and I knew he had 2 clips (thats all he ever carried, 2 clips and one for the chamber) He just looked at me and smiled, then took the last round out. Well that ole son of a gun, he did that on purpose. Grandpa wasn't much on huggin and lovin but he as much as told me he loved me he was proud of me and he cared about me all in one without so much as saying so right then and there. From then on when ever he told that storry he always told people I helped him shoot it and if it wasn't for me she might have got away. Thats pretty darn cool if ya ask me.
After we went over and looked her over, only then did he tell me about the calf he shot aswell. What a day! One of my top 3 hunts for sure.

I miss ya Gramps.

[corman]

Well, tags got sparce after that year and it was a while before we were able to go again. My uncle and I decided to go to our deer cam a couple times without any success. So we decided to apply fo the far north and head to 12. Ignace/Atikokan area. My uncle had been there years ago. They used to go up the English river and usualy had good success. So plans were made, a lodge was found and tage applied for. We got a bull tag that year...woo hoo.

Around about the 15 we leave and 24 hrs later we arrive in Atikokan, Perch Lake Lodge. We got there around 4 so we decided to go for a drive after we unloaded. I grabed the 20 gauge, dad and roger there rifles. Well we aren't real sure where the boundries areso this is a learning drive aswell. Well wouldn't ya know about 45 min into our drive mr. bullwinkle steps out and stands in the middle of the rd. WOW! been here an hour and there is one already. And he is a bute, about a 45 inch rack. Roger stope the truck up where he went in the bush and Dad and I go tearing after him. Me with my trusty 20 gauge,,,duhhhh. Well I think he was through that bush and across that lake before we could say holly Shizit. Not real sure what we were thinking chasing him but hey, the adrenaline was flowing I tell ya.
Well it was a good thing we didn't get him because we realized after we were about 1 km out of our area. On our way home I looked out in a huge marsh and saw a black spot out there. So my uncle humored me and stoped. I took the binos out and walked across the rd. Sure enough, there stood another bull, This one was a smaller one but still. less than 3 hrs into our hut we had seen 2 bulls, not to shabby.

Next morning found us up waaaay to early. With the time change and being that far west the sun doesn't rise quit as early as back home. That day we saw a few deer, learned our areas boundries and what not. Man we where staying way to far away from ur hunting area. We had to travel about 75 km just to get to our zone.

The next am saw us up bright and early again to get to our area. while driving various logging rds and scouting I happened to look to my left and strated shouting moose, moose moose. Right in the ditch in a creek were a cow and 2 bulls. A big one and a medium sized one. I believe that if we hadn't stopped they would have benn a fight for that cow. So Roger stops the truck up a bit and Dad and I sneak back. They must have heard us as the cow was gone and the bigger of the 2 bulls was just heading in to the bush, and I mean he was big. Probably a 55 inncer with real wide paddles. He was a dandy. When the smaller one saw us he started to take off so Dad and I started shooting at him. Well I am using a borrowed rifle with see through mounts. Not what I was used to. My scope is fogged and in the excitement I don't think to drop my head to use the open sights. I put the gun down after my first shot to clean it while Dad is on his third round. We are pertty close and should have no excuse for missing other than it is a very steep incline and we need to compinsate for it. This is something I struggle wit every year. When shooting up hill or down hill where I should be shooting. Anyway, I get 1 more shot off. We know we have hit it as he staggeres.

Roger is on the scene now wondering after 5 shots why the bull isn't on the ground. ( us to)
Dad and I take up the blood trail. I stay near tracks and blood, dad carries on in and hears crashing and yells that it is heading for the water. Roger sees something that he thinks is the moose and positions himself for a shot and before you know it there it is swimming across the pond.

I don't know this as I am in the bush and can't see much. Next thing I know I hear bang, bang. bang. I hit the dirt cos I didn't know who was shooting or what was going on. Then I hear Roger yell he got him on the other shore. So Dad and i go out to the shore and Roger walks around through all the crap and 15 min later we hear Bang. Bull down boys!

So when Roger saw the bull swimming across he waited till he got out on the other side. As soon as he did he looked back and he let him have it. He went down but dragged himself up in the bush where Roger finished him off. I ranged it later at around 350 yds he nailed himat with a 270.

Now the work begain. What a job. That was about 9 am and by the time we got back to camp it was after supper. Block and tackleed him to the shore, put him in the boat over to the roadway. Block and tackled him and the boat back up the embankment. Then to get him in the truck was another task.

So all and all another good year. 2 moose hunts and 2 moose I have taken part in. Someday I will get one on my own.

Thats it for now, I'll write more later.

[corman]

Have you ever been so close but so far? Man, I have more times than i care to admit. One year I had this knarly ole bull come out at about 200 yds. He had the craziest rack I ever did see. Watching him through the scope I figured he was a real old boy. He came in knocking on trees like crazy. I mean you could hear him forever away. I had no clue what it was at the time. Sounded like somebody taking a baseball bat to trees to me. He wouldn't come out of the poplars to give me a shot though. Just stood there looking for that cow he heard. Finally he turned and started walking back giving me one small opportunity to shoot. Well I missed and off he went. After when we all gathered to look for him and sign of a hit we figured out there was actually 2 moose there. After I fired I saw what I thougt was him running about 75 yds in behind me. Roger was on the track of the one I shot at and Dad and I went to where I last saw the moose. I'll be darned if they weren't going is seperate directions. We didn't get one that year but we learned a lot. Main thing I learned is I shouldn't have shot, if I had had patiance, I am sure he would have come around behind me and came out even closer. Also, I probably should have given a little bull grunt when he was standing there looking around.

Another year we didn't draw a tag but we went anyway. I wouldn't do it again, but we are glad we did that year. I don't think we have ever learned so much as we did that particular year. Coincedently, it was the year we have seen the most moose aswell. Go figure. That year Dad and I came upon a spot where bulls had been fighting. I stayed there while he wnet on in. Did some soft cow calls and wouldn'y ya know the bulls where just inside the bush. Well they went at it again for me. They clashed hornes for over 30 min. Untill my uncle came walking down the hill and they winded him and finaly took off. What a treat. That next day we saw a bull and 4 cows all together. What are the chances that none of them would have a calf. Well pretty good apparently cos they didn't.

Another ear my uncle found an area absolutly crazy with sign. We went in to set up for the afternoon. At around 2pm I called. I couldn't believe my luck when about 1 min after I called I got a responce. I radioed my uncle to tell him to come a little closer to me. Shortly after he did he too could hear the grunting. As he got closer he was grunting constantly. I was behind a big rock at the edge of a fresh cut logging rd. They had yet to pick up the logs from the side of the rd. and they were piled paralel to the rd about 8-10 feet high. This bull came in walking paralel to those logs. I knew he was close as I could hear him walking and grunting. Finaly I got a glimpse of antler. Then some more and some more, but thats about all i could see. i couldn't see him because he was behind all those logs. I looked ahead at the path he was going and saw a break in the logs. As soon as he hit that break I would get him. When i figured he was within about 3 or 4 steps of hitting that clearing I got out of my crouched position to take a rest on the rock. Well, unknown to me he could see over those logs and he must have caught the movement. All of a sudden those antlers went from paralel to the rd to looking at me straight on. My only shot was a straight on head shot and in hind sight maybe I should have taken it. After all, he ws only 43 yds away. He didn't give me much time to ponder it either before he bolted outta there like a bat outta hell. He was a bute, probably about a 50" rack, nice high rack too. Boy would I love to have that opportunity back.

Some of the boys back home nicknamed me PETA after that one...lol. Ah well, thems the breaks. I hate taking risky shots and I know I didn't have a great shot so i passed it. In hind sight maybe I shouldn't have but hey, I have always said. I would rather not shot and not get one, than shoot and wound one we don't find.

[missmod88]

wow!!!!!

[corman]

I have lots more but I was hopping others would come forth and tell some of there Bush follies, or successes. What about that giver feller, I just know he has a ton of them. I'd love to sit down with a couple pints and pick his brain.

[missmod88]

corman said:

What about that giver feller, I just know he has a ton of them. I'd love to sit down with a couple pints and pick his brain.

I did that,, it only took me half a pint ;D LOL!!

naw, he's a good ol boy, and he knows his stuff

[corman]

too funny

[corman]

In 2004 We went with the trusted 3, My Uncle, Dad and I. Ma, my ex and the kids tagged along that year also. With 3 hunting it was hard covering much area. We went for the 2nd/3rd wk of Nov that year. I had just had my hip replaced in Aug and I needed a little extra time to heal, so we waited longer. Well we get to the other side of Thunder BAy and does it start to snow. I mean it is comming down like you wouldn't believe. My uncle is already thinking its a bad idea to go this late due to weather concerns. Now he fears we'll be snowed in all week. Well that as about it for the snow for the week. Got about 8 inches in a hurry and that was it. Great for seeing tracks but when it warmed up, it was gone in 2 days.

Well for the first 2 days we seen lots of tracks of where they were anyway. After that it warmed up substanialy. I mean for mid Nov. it was unseasonably warm. Being so cold the prvious weeks though hd the rds and what not still froze. Making seeing tracks extremly difficult. It was that year we learned how to look for signs in other ways. Browse lines, and food soarces played a big role in our scouting and day to day hunts.

Most people don't hunt this time of year, so I'll tell ya. YOu really have to change your hunting habbits. The moose are in a transition period where they are moving from low to highland, and changing there food soarces. So finding them can be quite difficult. We had a hard time finding them that year. Well Dad finally finds a spot that looks good, a little stream showed evidence of many moose comming there for a sip. For some un-known reason I hunted there the next day. Day, 2 of our 7 day hunt. I saw more fresh sighn there in the am. When we went for lunch and a little drive I came back in to find fresh sign that wasn't there that am. I was mad. Tried calling to no avail, or so i thought.

The next morning we got in there bright and early, me with my back pack, a book and lunch. I was gonna sit there from dusk till dawn. It took me about 45 min to sneak the 250 yds to the spot i wanted to sit. I get snuggled in and do 1 soft cow call. No responce. Look around and see a "stump moose" down below me. hmmmm. I havn't been there 10 min yet. Pull up the binos. CRAP! That ain't no stump, its a moose, and its a bull moose. Standing there looking at me about 300 yds away and down in a gut. I call and he turns to walk away. and he keeps walking. He is headed to a spot across a huge cut that will take him across another logging rd about 1000 yds away. I get on the radio, tell dad and uncle. Dad starts booking it out, Roger gets to the truck, flys by Dad cos his radio would not transmit for some reason. I am trying in vane to call this thing back. and it hits me. I heard a call that sounds just awefull and is suposed to imitate a cow that is in heat but is being bothered by a sub bull. So what the heck, as loud as i can i giver a whirl. Well HOLF if he doesn't stop. And at this point he is about 750 yds away getting ready to go up the hill towards the next rd. So I do it again, he turns and looks at me. And by this time he is so small i have to look through my scope to see him do this. then a cple bull grunts from that pesky lil bull she wants nothing to do with and PRESTO here he came, and on the run. Radio, he's comming back. I go out in the middle of the cut to try closing the distance and when he was about 300 yds away i could hear him grunting with every step. Comes up over the hill, wait, waaaait, wait till he is in the middle. ANd he stopes about 125 yds broad side KAAAABOOOOM! he shudders, yessss, he takes a few steps and when i went to pull the trigger again, nothing. WTF! Gun jammed.

My gun has never jammed before or since. What happened was a bur on the lip of the shell had been flattened by the ejector and it jammed. I knew this bur was there to, but paid it no attention. So there i am, wounded bull no gun and he goes down. fewwww. Call uncle, tell him whats up where i am and what to do. Well he doesn't listen to what i tell him and come barreling down in the truck, walks down beloww the ridge. Bull gets up, runs between us and is gone. grrrrrrrrrrrrr. We tracked that bugger for 3 hrs. Lots of blood, no blood, lots of blood no blood, bedded. Never found him. I was absolutly sick. I was so streesed out that by the end of the week my neck was so sore i could barly moove and in fact when i got home i had to go to the doc to get a shot in my neck to relax the muscles.

Well there is more to the story I'll write later, It ha taken me forever to get this far...lol man I am long winded.

[corman]

So it warmed up and the moose just were not on the move. Imagine yourself wearing a winter jacket in June. Well thats what it would have been like for them. We didn't see another moose all week. They just were not in there typical spots. On the last day of the hunt, we are tired and wore down. Normaly we leave on the fri. But we decided to stay and hunt the fri instead. In the final hrs of the hunt we decided to go back to ole faithfull. I knew there was more than just him in there by the sighn we saw. it had been 4 days since the incident and I was hopping/dreaming mre like it, that the moose would have settled down and would be back in there. While tracking this moose we saw evidence that a bigger bull was in the area.

I sat in my spot and called. It cooled back down that day and the ponds were making ice again. I called a bit, with not much hope of anything happening. It was the 3rd week of Nov. afterall. Well I am listening to the "ice going in the little lake out in front of me" Little did I know it wasn't ice at all. It was the young bull croaking and gulping. DUHHHHH! Looking back I know it now but i was so down in the dumps i just didn't believe it, even when it got louder. I finally said to myself, maybe i should stand up. So i do, I look to my left scan, nothing, pan to my right slowly, nothing. THen when I turned back to the left, HOLLY HELL! there he stood, loooking straight at me at exactly 100 yds. I ranged it after.

So there I stand, gun leaning against a stump, there he stands, staring at me. No way, no how am i going to be able to reach down, pick up the gun, shoulder it and fire without him bolting....no way. So slowly i start to giver a go. Got it in my hand, now in both hands, slowly shoulder it, he's still there, safety off, scope him in, and he has yet to move, hold my breath, KAAABOOOOOM. I wish i had had a video camara to capture it because he reared up on his back legs and went arse over teakettle. Thump, not another move. OMG! I couldn't believe it. I start walking over to him and in the process I hear Dad on the radio. Corey, Corey, Corey was that you Corey. trembling, shaking voice i tell him Yeah Dad, it was me...welllll??? I shot one Dad, is he down, yup. Go put another one in him to be sure, don't you let him get away this time Corey. Tryingh Dad, but I gotta keep walking and get over there. I got there just as he took his last breath, Kaabooooom. I put one in him anyway just to make the ole man happy. Then I hear YAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Looked at my watch, we had a half hr of light left. Shot him in the last hr of the hunt.

Well that was cool but not the best part. I remember thinking, gee, he is about the same size as the other one I wounded, but he had no visiable wound. Because it was dark when we got back we hung him quick then started packing for the 22 hr drive home.

We hung him up and skinned him out at my Uncles. It was only then that we noticed the hole in his ribs. Yup, it was the same bull. A complete pass threw shot that broke a rib on the other side. 4 days later, out he came again. We couldn't believe it. We had always read and heard that moose have whats called "a black hole" that a bullet can pass through and not hit any vidals. Well believe me when I tell you, it is true.

If you study a moose anatomy you will notice the heart is protected by the big front shoulder. Unlike a deer where you should aim behind the front shoulder, I believe with moose you should be gunning FOR the front shoulder. Bust that and he won't go far, and you will probably hit the heart.

[Wapiti]

The Moose with two hearts!

One of my first memories of moose hunting was way up along the Woman River, many, many years ago. The first few years of moose hunting I was too young to get my license, so I was, like my older brother before me, Camp Slave.lol I got to wash dishes, gather wood, keep the fire going, dry clothes, and so on, for the them while they were away hunting. I loved every minute of it. This was before quads or even trikes so we had to truck it in as far as we could up a crude trail and then pack up the boats and canoes for the final leg to where we would strike camp. Anyway, my Father and Uncle decided to stay at the beginning of the river and paddle in and meet up with us in two days. Nearing the end of second day at camp I see my Father and Uncle in the canoe and they call out "We shot a nice bull this morning!" I was so excited that I did not want them to do anything else until they told me every detail on how, where,what, when, had happened! After I extracted every detail about how they got the moose, my father says " And you know what else? You will not believe it but," and he reaches into a sack and pulls out TWO HEARTS!!! Well.....I could not believe my eyes! I went on and on all night about how my friends will never believe that my Dad shot a moose with two hearts!

Next morning we break camp and went up river to get the bull out. We finally round the last bend to where they said they hung up the meat, of course to my astonishment there were eight quarters hanging! It still took me a few minutes to realize they had shot two moose! I still get ribbed about it to this day for being so gullable! But what can you expect from a kid who's only eight years old.
By the way, I didn't tell any of my friends about it what they did to me until I was in my late teens.