My 2010 Moose Hunt

[BRULEDRIFTER]

Hunt of a lifetime, NO DOUBT! Congrats to you both! Nice work!

[BD110]

Great post Frank!!!

I'm lucky to have been heading to the cabin on Saturday while you and Lonnie were at the Bears Den. It was great to get the story first hand and listen to the pure excitement in your voices. That is truly a great looking mount.

Glad to see Lonnie doing so well and look forward to seeing more of the two of you in the coming hard water season!!!

Thanks to ripstick for the call letting me know that you guys were back in town as well.

[Surface Tension]

Thanks guys

After applying for years and not getting a tag I was surprised to get one.

The rack will have two homes, not that I didn't offer to buy it off him.

Although his wife was all for the idea.

We're thinking of repo done so the separation anxiety isn't so bad when it goes to visit.

[panhead]

Congrats on the moose, enjoyed the great story. I was on the gunflint trail during the first 10 days of the hunt.A group from the citiies camped in the site next to me.They hunted zone 72.Same zone as you? They did get a younger bull. 800lb range they guessed.They brought it back to the campground after gutting it. Cut it up there. I lucked out as they gave me 2 steaks.Another couple that I have met on the trail for the last four years treated me to a grouse dinner. They also were from the twin city area. So me, being from se.wi.,not a hunter lucked out with some great eats. I did what I could,gave them some walleye fillets.Seems like every year I meet some really good folks on the gunflint in the fall. Camped 28 days this year. The weather made it possible.

[lungdeflator]

Whoa! Awesome! Thats a great moose for anywhere let alone MN!

[bmc]

AWESOME bull Frank! My dad, brother, me, and a friend of my dad's are gonna start applying for a MN moose tag.

Thanks for sharing your story and I'm glad your buddy is doing better.

Brian

[Scum Frog]

Good to see you made it home safe panhead. I was one of the moose hunters camping next too you.

[Redlantern]

Joint custody of the rack. Never thought about it before. Who gets it for Holidays?

Congrats and thanks for writing about the hunt. Sounds like a blast.

[DonBo]

Great bull Frank. Congrats!

[TonkaBass]

Thats just awesome! Congrats on the Minnesota Moose!

[chaffmj]

Wowzer nice Moose. I hadn't been on the forum for quite awhile so this made for a nice return and in my opinion it couldn't have happened to a nicer couple of guys.

It is too bad jr had to go back to school.

Nice job Frank and Lonnie and thanks for the post.

Chaff

[Shack]

That is one heck-of-a-MOOOSE! Great to see that you guys got the moose instead of the moose getting you . You guys sure must know how to mimic being the female Pamela Anderson in the moose word.

Great story ST and awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing.

[analyzer]

yeah, but did you catch any fish?

[TylerS]

Just an idea, but do you and your buddy have a local watering hole you frequent? Or do you guys own a cabin together or anything? Might be an idea for a home for the rack. Some place where either one can go and say "Yup, me and my buddy got that big boy." If you don't have a spot, maybe it's time to invest in some hunting land! Build a big shack with ample space above the fire place for the "Mack Daddy Moose." Keep space on the walls for future memories, too.

Might be a good compromise. Anyway, just a thought

[Surface Tension]

Thanks again.

Sort of felt weird that we were actually hunting moose after all those years of applying for a permit(zone 76).

So keep applying because you never know, next year could be your time.

Yes we caught a few fish. During our scouting we'd fish and goof off and could not help run into moose.

Its been that way for the last 30+ years I've been going up to that specific area.

Figured a little shore fishing during moose season wouldn't totally take us out of the game and we had ours rifles along but didn't take long to realize we better get serious since the moose weren't there. We usually to do a combo Fall Fish and Grouse trip every year, well be back again next Fall.

So the move to another spot.

One thing you'll note in the pic is there are still leaves in this clear cut. On top the hills they are still green.

Young tender new growth is food but I think there is more to that. The leaves that is, we know that sap returns to the roots in Fall and raises again in Spring. I think the leaves are telling me the sap was still there and the moose like that.

Maybe I'm thinking too much.

They say that you don't have to an expert to call in a bull but didn't say how bad you have to be so scare one off.

My calling started out sketchy to embarrassing during practice and I was alone too but in time I improved.

First morning of our hunt I was a little shy as my son and buddy were there. I was OK and a whole lot better then my buddy. He must have been to embarresed to practice, needless to say I did all the calling.

That meant he didn't have to carry the extra bulk of a birch bark call.

My call was a small orange safety cone with the bottom cut off. Wasn't sure about that but as time went on I preferred that over birch bark by far. I got pretty darn good with my calling. No more intrepidation , I called with confidence. Since MN Moose Hunt is once in a lifetime I'll never be able to call MN moose on a hunt again. I thought it was sort of a wasted skill but then again I can call Loons pretty good and can't hunt them either. So I have something else to call at fishing camp.

Boy a hunting cabin to house the moose antlers would be great! Since we both literally walk out our front doors and into the woods to hunt a cabin isn't in the cards.

Local watering hole is out since its very rare either of us are at the bars.

I think we'll start out at a monthly intervals then see what happens over the years.

[harvey lee]

Awesome story and hunt Frank. I have to believe that may have been the best trip that you and Lonnie have taken short of the medical issues.

Tell Lonnie congrtas also.