Rattled in a trophy on Saturrday am!!!

[pumper317]

I was in stand on saturday morning and started a rattling sequence about 8 am. At 8:20 my cousin texted me saying a moose was coming to my rattle (legal text since it wasn't aiding in the kill.) When i got that i turned in his direction of the clear cut and saw moose legs coming through pine trees. After thinking of what this could be I see the legs move through some closer trees, and then a nose... I thought it was going to be a little bull maybe, but as it turns out it was a big guy. At 35 yards, the big bull stepped out from behind the pine tree and stared in my direction. I got my phone out and took a picture, that the low battery signal instantly deleted. He milled around for about 20 minutes giving me a 75 yard shot, phone camera that is... After talking with my cousin he said the intitial clatter of the antlers got the bulls attention as it grazed around him, and the second clash he took off at a dead run in my direction through the clear cut. He was by far the biggest bull i have ever seen, and by MN standards was a trophy. Porobably 45+ inches wide and tall too!

The area i saw him in was in the Cromwell area, where DNR says the moose population is extremely low. I saw a little bull on opening day that i jumped from his bed at 30 feet walking into my stand (still cleaning my pants from that one) and now this big guy. As well as another little bull and 2 cows with calves in the 3 years we have owned the place. I would say the population is fine!

I will try to attach the picture, but haven't had luck with it in the past... So bear with me. It also is on the phone so distance and quality were against me.

First, biggest, and only thing I have ever actually rattled in!!!

[pumper317]

Hope this works... it came in on the lower right of this picture. i so wish it would not have deleted. He was broadside looking at me, and you could see his antlers WAY better! If anyone knows how to zoom and make it more vizible, please try... I can zoom, but it is too fuzzy!

[ozzie]

pretty neat hunting expierence!! I am sure that got the adrenaline pumping!!

[nonteepical]

you'll have to look for his sheds over the winter. just my opinion, but i think the moose are expanding their range a bit, trying to get away from all the wolves in the boundry waters.

[Big-Al]

They would have to go a lot farther south than Cromwell to escape the wolves.

[nonteepical]

i understand that but thats why they are taking up refuge in areas of the state that haven't had many sightings in the past they're searching to get away.IMO

[kkahmann]

Moose wander--its thier nature. Bull like that got nothing to fear from a whole pack of wolves.

[mnbuckhunter]

Sweet- a successful day of "hunting" in my book.

[matchset]

wait wait wait... u were saw this bull moose in Cromwell???

[pumper317]

Yeah matchset, a little outside of town.

[eyeguy 54]

Cool Indeed! Thx for sharing.

[TRZ II]

I hunt in Kettle River and have never seen a moose even close to there, i have asked the locals and no one has ever seen one. They must be moving south along ways! but still alot of wolves in that area too. What direction from Cromwell are you hunting?

[MinnesotaMike]

I saw a moose cross in front of me on 73 just north of Cromwell. I have kin in Floodwood that say the saw some deer hunting last year.

They are around.

Mike

[pumper317]

We hunt north of town about 8 miles. The locals there say they aren't there, but 6 in 3 year is a lot, escpecially when we aren't looking.

There was also TONS of wolf sign, tracks, scat all up and down the trail we walked in on, and the moose just went right over it all... My cousin said he didnt even bat an eye, and they must have gone through the night before.

[gatorhunter]

I've had the same thing happen to me! My son who was 11 at the time, and I were sitting in a tree stand. I did a rattling sequence and waited. After a bit I caught movement to my left. It was a cow moose! We had a good 5 minute visit with her then she wandered off.

A few minutes after she left, I rattled again. Not to be outdone, a young bull moose came to see what was making the noise!

No camera of course!

[Odonata]

Two years ago I saw two cows, a small bull and a large bull in the poweline that crosses I35 just north of the Mahtowa exit. Cromwell has great moose habitat with it's swamps, bogs, tamarack and willow thickets. Sweet pictures of the bull!