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My 2010 Moose Hunt

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Surface Tension Grand Master

Surface Tension

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Hunt of a lifetime.

That is what my partner, Jr, and I would sort of jokingly say when we taking a midday break from hunting to wet a line in the nearby trout lake, or when making a sling shot for all the grouse we'd been seeing. Then my partner developed Atrial fibrillation 3 days into the hunt that resulted in a helicopter ride from Grand Maris Hospital to Duluth.

I figured the Hunt of a Lifetime was over or at least it didn't matter anymore. 5 days later my partner and I were headed back up the Gunflint Trail with a dr's. OK. Jr had to stay back as he already missed a week of school.

Our area we had pre scouted was full of moose in Sept which had our hopes high.

After hunting the area for 6 days with out any fresh sign we gave up hope on that spot and headed to another area we had scouted. That area was a fresh clear cut.

4:30 PM we had setup on a small bump that gave us a vantage point over looking the cut and its edge.

I started the cow calling with some bull grunts once in a while. At 6:30 PM we heard our first twig snap of the 2010 Moose Hunt that could only be a moose. About 200 yards out and coming closer, breaking branches the entire way. The anticipation ran high. Then a roar like we've never heard before. It was loud and piercing, we could feel the re-verb as the sound waves hit our chests. WOW! More snapping branches, we followed his movement as he got closer and then more roars. Could not see him as there was a small rise between us but he was close. Shooting hours came to a close and we had to back our way out of there without being seen.

I had wished Jr could have been with us.

6: AM the next morning guess where we sat. 10 minutes before shooting hours I started the the first cow call.

I'd repeat another every 20 minutes or so. 7:30 AM the howl of a lone wolf pierced the silent cold morning air then the whole pack lite up. 8:AM and we started to wonder if that bull would be showing up and that maybe the wolves weren't helping. I cow called and was answered by 4 grunts. Not the roar we had heard the night before it was urgh, urgh, urgh, urgh. Then 5 minutes of silence, no snapping of branches, nothing. I thought maybe he was with a cow and then thought maybe we should close the distance because of him hanging up on us the night before. Then I got a glimpse of him 250 yards out. I was chilled at that time and then seeing him had me shaking. I sat down and tried to control it. My partner and I hunted side by side the whole hunt. I tell him to move from in back of me to my side. He hadn't seen the moose yet. I slowly stand, looking and listening. I see him again but he is a long ways off. More cow calls. The moose is getting closer at 100 yards and coming in head on. Finally my partner gets to see the moose and he starts shaking. Rifles shouldered as we're standing in the open frozen still. Ready and waiting for the moose to come in and turn. Time crawls as the moose snatches a young sapling along his way with grunts now and then. 8:30 AM, 40 yards now, two shots, moose down, high fives, and hoots.

We came to the moose and stood in awe. Magnificent, in his prime, MN don't get much bigger if any.

full-831-2222-moosehunt2.jpg

We field dress him, my partner needed to get into Grand Maris for a blood test.

I started the skinning without him. By the time he got back I had one side quartered, trimmed, in game bags, and started on the other side skinning. Together we made quick work of the quartering. 1/4 mile from the road, I packed out the meat while Lonnie finished taking the back straps and trim meat off. Last trip out was the head and antlers. that was the heaviest load but the sweatiest load for sure.

Back at moose camp with all the work done and daylight to spare I built a fire, cracked a beer, and pulled up a chair.

We noted to each other that it was a hunt of a lifetime, this time we weren't joking.

Another photo from camp.

52 1/2" spread.

full-831-2223-moosehunt3.jpg

The cold night cooled the meat down nicely. Next morning we took our time as we broke camp and packed the meat into large coolers.

We had planned on cutting and wrapping the meat ourselves as we usually do all our deer.

Bears Den in Twig does a fine job and vacuum packs the meat, at a good price I might add. So

it was a no brainier to have them do it. Plus we didn't have to worry about keeping that large a quantity of meat cold.

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