2011 ND Moose Hunt: Once in a lifetime tag

[Scoot]

I thought I'd start a thread with some info about my ND moose hunt. As always, I'll be hunting DIY and will be on both public and private land. Most of the moose I'm hearing about are on private land, but most of the land owners are happy to let you hunt them (from what I've heard). I'll be hunting from Sep 2nd to Sep 20th with my bow. The season goes through the month of Sep, but I have a work obligation the last ten or so days of Sep that'll take me out of the country. If I don't manage to get it done in the regular bow season, I'll hunt the late season, but rather than carry a gun like everyone else in that season, I'll continue to bowhunt. My hope is to get it done in the archery season.

Given not a lot of time to hunt and not a lot of great intel coming in about moose, I won't have the luxury of being very picky, which is really the only thing I have working in my favor on this hunt.

After putting a couple hundred miles on my vehicle this past Sat, I quickly discovered here's what I'm up against:

Corn! It's as high as en elephant's eye and as far as a guy could see! It's everywhere out there!!! I'll give more info on the area I'm hunting later on in the thread, but it's been wet and a ton of corn was planted this year.

About two hours into scouting I looked out my window between two areas I wanted to check out and I saw a big dark blob bedded down in the middle of a field. I lifted up the binocs and it appeared to be a bull moose laying in the middle of no where.

I drove closer to it on a dirt rode, then made a stalk up a hill so I could see him well. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera in the truck, so I don't have a pic of it. The funny part is, it wasn't a moose at all- it was a very large, very dead cow! What looked like a horn on the right side of it was actually its leg sticking out. I imagine anyone with color vision or common sense would have been able to tell it wasn't a moose, but I don't have either...

After a day's worth of scouting, I concluded that I have my work cut out for me on this hunt. I also concluced that I am really good at sneaking on dead livestock!

Stay tuned, I'll keep you updated as the hunt progresses! It's about 1 1/2 weeks away from officially kicking off! I'm going to hunt the first four days of the season, so I should know a lot more after those days are over. I'll miss some of Sep 2nd (opening day), as that's my daughter's birthday. However, I'll get part of that day in, then all of Sat-Mon.

[Bear55]

After a day's worth of scouting, I concluded that I have my work cut out for me on this hunt. I also concluced that I am really good at sneaking on dead livestock!

Funny scoot, keep us posted.

[lichen fox]

I don't know how smart the moose are in ND, but here in Northwestern Minnesota, back before global warming killed all the moose, you could easily walk within easy bow range of most of the moose, especially during the rut when they were either pre-occupied with finding a mate or a fight...during the rut, moose will respond readily to calls whether they be a mating call or a challange call...I have also had moose respond to rattling deer antlers in combo with moose grunt calls during the rut...On several occassions while bowhunting deer during the moose rut I had to jump off the trail as I was walking out after dark to avoid being run over by a moose that thought the sounds he heard in front of him was that of a possible mate!! Good luck Scoot...and if you need any pointers about how to make a moose call out of a coffee can and shoe string...just let me know!

[mrklean]

cant wait to see how the season goes for you

[student]

I do love your DIY hunting/fishing trips Scoot. You do a great job of bringing us along.

Lichen, I would love to see how to make a moose call out of a coffee can and shoe string, and I imagine the rest of HSO would too.

[lichen fox]

It's really pretty simple...here's how...get a "tin" three pound coffee can...open the top...dump out the coffee...(if you like to drink coffee, put the coffee grounds in a ziplock bag or tupperwear container),...Go down to your local shoe store and purchase a pair of sneaker shoelaces...you'll want the "flat" laces, not the round ones...try to find flat laces that are about 3/8 of and inch wide and at least 24 inches long...get out your drill and a 1/8 inch drill bit...if you don't have a drill then you'll have to go to the hardware store and pick one out that's in your budget...also be sure to pick up a 1/8 inch drill bit...place the can, (open side down), on your kitchen table or workbench...drill an 1/8 inch hole directly in the center of the bottom of the three pound coffee can...clean up any sharp edges...insert one end of your 3/8 inch wide by 24 inch long shoelace into the hole from the bottom...pick up the three pound coffee can and pull the shoelace through far enough so you can tie a double knot in it so it won't slip back through the eighth inch hole...now, tie another double slip knot at the far end of the shoelace so you don't accidentaly pull it out by mistake...To work your new moose call...simple wet down the shoelace with water...soaking wet!! .... Now, hold the coffee can with one hand on the open end and the side resting against your elbow...take your free hand and pinch the wet shoelace near the coffee can between your thumb and index finger...pull down,(away from the can), while keeping tension on the wet shoelace...short strokes...so it sounds like a moose grunting...ughh...ughh...if you want to make a longer, (challange type), call...simply use a longer stroke...part of the trick is to have the proper moisture in the string...you should be able to figure it out with a little practice...too much moisture you'll just have to squeeze it out as you practice...too little and you'll have to re-wet the shoestring...Hope you all could follow this...Have fun!

[Scoot]

Thanks Lichen- I appreciate the info. I've been working on calling quite a bit and I'm getting pretty decent at it. I can make both bull and cow vocalizations with just my mouth and hands. The coffee can gizmo sounds very cool! Here's what I envisioned when you first mentioned it:

LOL!

Thanks again- can't wait for the season to start and my search for a moose to get cranked up.

[sticknstring]

Can you take a cow in ND or is it bulls only? I'll be tuned in for updates for sure!

[Scoot]

It depends on the tag, but my tag is for any moose. I'll hold off on taking a cow until the last weekend I can hunt. Also, I won't shoot a cow with a calf. However, give me a cow that is flying solo on the last weekend of my hunt and she'd better look out!

[lichen fox]

Scoot, that's just the way you make them...other than having a can on both ends...you just need one 3 pound coffee can as the moose that talk back to you don't need a can and string to reply...

[Wanderer]

you just need one 3 pound coffee can as the moose that talk back to you don't need a can and string to reply...

Yeah, that made me laugh...

Good luck Scoot. I hope you fare well.

[Scoot]

Can't sleep...

I spoke with a local in the area I'm going to focus on and his suggestion was to get a set of stilts and become proficient at shooting my bow from them! His report was consistent with what I saw when I was out there- corn, corn, corn. He's helped a number of others with moose tags and according to him, this year will be exceptionally tough to locate bulls before the corn comes off. To make matters worse, the corn may come off very late this year- much of it will be taken after the late season in Nov. I have every intention of working hard to try fill my tag, but all signs point to this being a dang tough hunt.

[Bear55]

Attack the corn!!!

[Wanderer]

Hopefully it's not planted high density. That's tough!

On the other hand, you can play the corn game with your ears if it's not too windy. If a bull is in there walking about and browsing it should be easy to locate him by sound or better yet by sight with a good vantage point.

Some find it easy to sneak up on deer in the corn. A moose has GOT to be easier!

I'm pullin' for ya!

[bigbucks]

I think most of us are envisioning a moose speaking into a coffee can... Heck Bullwinkle could do it... Too funny!

[Scoot]

Some find it easy to sneak up on deer in the corn. A moose has GOT to be easier!

Thanks Wanderer- I appreciate the well wishes!

Virtually all the corn around this area is planted in 22" rows- "high density" as you put it. Very, very tough to hunt in. Plus, with moose numbers as low as they are, there's no way I could just go out in any old field hoping there's a moose in it- needle in a haystack. I'll need to locate a moose first, then hunt it. I can't use the typical whitetail thinking of find good cover and a good spot and figure out where they're at in it. Plus, it's flat as heck- no good vantage points to be had, unless I rent a helicopter!

All that negativity being said... I'm going to do my best to shoot a moose! I've got kid duties on Fri morning, but will be out for the rest of the day after that. I'll get 3 1/2 days in starting around noon on Fri. I'll report back after that.

[Sorgy]

Scoot,

In our MN moose hunt we had the best luck scouting from 4 Am till like 8 AM. Any time after sunrise the moose were heading to the cover of the swamps (spruce). On those calm mornings you could hear a cow call for quite a ways on a clear cut and the bull grunts carried even further. But our hunt did not start until the rut was kicking in.

The last few mornings of our scouting we split up and each headed to different clear cuts to look and listen for signs of moose. It was way more productive than the scouting a couple of guys did durring the day.

I would look for any kind of thick bedding cover/wet swampy areas with access to food sources(corn???????).

Good Luck

Steve

[Scoot]

Excellent tip- thanks Sorgy.

[Sorgy]

Scoot,

See my edit to my post.

[Scoot]

A quick update to my moose hunt- I won't be hunting today or tomorrow afterall. Long story, but I've had stuff come up that will take priority over my moose hunt. I should get out on Sun and Mon though. The good news is that I'll be stock-piling some time off so that I can get out more in a couple weeks, when the bulls are moving more and more receptive to calling. I'll bring the camera and be sure to get an update out early next week.

Have a great Labor Day weekend!!!

[Archerysniper]

Good Luck Scoot stick a big one, try and not waste time sneaking up on bloated dead cattle again.

[Scoot]

... try and not waste time sneaking up on bloated dead cattle again.

Thanks Sniper- that's an excellent tip! I'll do my best to follow your advice!!!

[Outdoor Authority]

Talk to the duck hunters. When we are out there we burn throught two tanks of gas sometimes trying to follow the birds and we see lots of critters and usually four or more moose in a weeks time. Good luck to you.

[Scoot]

I put in 15 hours yesterday and six today- the tally is: 498 ducks, 311 geese (ok, I admit the waterfowl numbers are guesses), 19 dogs, four cats, two racoons, and one skunk. Zero moose- nada, zip, zero.

Very, very tough sledding. Because the moose density is so low, this hunting involves a lot of windshield time. This is totally foreign to me and definitley not how I'm accustomed to hunting. I have a really tough time sitting in a truck and calling it hunting. I really want to get my feet on the ground and cover some country. However, I have yet to locate a moose, so there's no point in hoofing it anywhere because the odds a moose being in the area I'm walking is so low. Frustrating hunting so far...

The bulls will start to roam a lot more soon, I'm told. With all of the corn, they're virtually impossible to locate until they start to walk and wander, in search of love. That should kick in by about next weekend or so (I hope).

[mrklean]

Good luck hopefully you start seeing something