Moose hunt

[Canuck]

I am all cranked up as we head out on Sat for our yearly moose hunt. We drive to northern manitoba (about 10 hrs) then put in our freighter canoes ( 1-18 ft and the other a 20footer) both are cedar/cavass and U shaped. We head north on the Nelson River then swing east on a trib. It takes us 9 to 13 hrs with one full portage and any wheres from 10 to 24 beaver dams to pull over. We head in for a week. We have done this for 10 years and only one year we got skunked. I think the preparation for a hunt is as good as the hunt in itself.

Anybody else head out in cedar/canvas canoes for moose?????

[Rigging Guy]

I was lucky to draw a MN Moose Permit.My Father and I went to Brule Lake West of Grand Marais.We also took a canoe for there is no roads in the BWCA.Do you just paddle around to find the Moose?I need some good information for this is a once in a lifetime ticket.I will be heading back up their next week to try again.Any Info you can share with me would be well appreciated.

[Hotspotter]

RiggingGuy:

Feel free to email @ [email protected], and I'll share my experiences from last year's hunt.

Joel

[Surface Tension]

You wont see many moose on Brules shoreline. Its to rocky and not much underwater vegetation. Brule Bay used to have a mining, logging or homestead on its shore. You can find it on a topo map by the creek that runs into brule and the portage to Vernon. This lowland and Vernon makes a nice funnel point. I haven't been there in a while but it was fairly open with a lot of moose sign and sightings by myself. The cones are another good funnel point with vegetation in the channels. Hows your moose calling? Good Luck

[Rigging Guy]

I was actually hunting in Brule bay last weekend .I found a lot of sign by the creek your talking about.I did not go up to Vernon though.Did you see them in the woods or more towards the shoreline.I was told they move mainly at dawn and at dusk.I have been using the primos cow in heat call and also grunting some.The Dnr said they should be in the peek of the rut now.The woods is so thick with underbrush and pine trees that you do not see in far.Its pretty ruff area with all the trees that are down from the wind storm.I will be going back up their next Wednesday.Hopefully the Weather is alot better.Thanks for the info.

[Surface Tension]

North side of the creek is a gradual hill. If you go east you'll run into low land. In between the lake and lowland the moose move through there. You could also walk the Vernon portage and look for trails crossing the portage and maybe get a better vantage point. Let us know how you did.

[Rigging Guy]

Thanks for the tips.I will be sure to check it out.I will be their on Thursday.Hopefully luck will go my way.Thanks again.

[Fisher Dave]

Moose are definately in the rut. I heard a couple calling today and saw lots of tracks while grouse hunting ... they have been moving alot. I'm well south of the BWCA.

Good luck on your hunt ..

[Canuck]

Got back from our moose hunt last nite. We were a day late because my best friend, (my black lab) took very ill on Friday night and died a few hrs later. My hunting partners are dog lovers and know how it hits U so we put off leaving until Sunday. We canoed in on Monday and on Tuesday morning we were just out of camp about 1/2 hr and there was this paddle bull standing on shore. I was able to paddle up to within 40 yds but my partner was blinded by the sun and could not get a shot before the bull took one step and into the bush. We hunted hard until Friday nite and finally at 5 PM we got a bull to respond. We played with him for almost 2 hrs as he would come within about 35 yds then back off several times. We both thought he had a cow with him and he just didn't want a fight but rather protect her from another bull. We were stuck on the shoreline due to the thick bush but the wind was in our favour. Finally he made the mistake and tried to get around and get our wind and then the work started. Oh, yes one shot in the neck downed the 20 point bull. It was dark by the time we had the guts out and we had to quarter him by flashs light then used a pole to get him into the canoe. The ride back to camp was interesting to say the least, about 35 miles in pitch black, we had two cuts in the weeds to find in the lake that were about 8yds each and I was sooooooooo thankful for my new GPS a Garmin Map76S as I had played with the track earlier and all I did was double back. It took us 2 hrs and it normally would take 45 minutes. If U are interested in why we think we finally got this bull here they are.
We check ALL the bays in the lake for any sign, (footprints in the sand) and then we spent time in them. We called very lightly, the commercial calls sound great on the speaker but we found the real guys sounded differently, almost like a raven and very soft. We had dry sticks close by to rub to sound like the horns against the trees then we raked spruce trees and finally smashed dry twigs. Moose are NOT quiet when they are moving in the bush looking or a fight. Don't get me wrong they can be very quiet if they want to but a bull looking for a fight is NOT quiet. We only worked bays that the wind were suitable for and left those with sign for other days with better wind. And lastly DON'T GIVE UP BE PATIENT, remember an animal does not have a watch. This was our 10th year the 4 of us have been going in to that lake and the tally now is 15 moose with only year being skunked.

The trip started the s--ts and we got our moose but the heart is still hurtin and am sure it will for a few weeks/months to come.

Good luck to all U moose hunters. Whitetail is our next trip (archery then rifle).

[CornPirateKiller]

Canuck,
Congrats on the moose. Patience and persistance... two importantant factors in any successful hunt. Well done.

Also, sorry to hear of your loss. I feel your pain. Last week I had two best friends, now I have one. My little gopher-killing mouser, a dachsund/terrier cross that followed me everywhere developed diabetes at 8 years old and went blind and deaf. Had to put her down and it was tough. Glad I had my hunting buddy lab to cry on his shoulder.

[Grabs]

Rigginguy, I was up in Grand Marais last weekend. We have an annual grouse trip each year and it has kind of turned into a moose scouting trip too. We stay at the Bally Creek Cabins but we spread out and cover a lot of land. We headed up the Gunflit last weekend to S. Brule Lake Road near the Lima Grade. We came across a trail with a ton of moose sign and sure enough we ran into a HUGE bull,..easily 60" class at 20 yards. I don't have exact GPS coordinates of the trail we were on but I could potentially put you in the area. I'm pretty confident you could still find that bull in the general area this weekend (this is the last weekend of the hunt right?). If you want more details we can try and hook up so that I could potentially get you on the right trail.

E-mail me of feel free to call me too.
[email protected]
952-937-7488

[benelli_dude2002]

Oct. 4th this past weekend I bagged a nice bull on Lake of the woods. My dad and I were ready to give up and he wanted to try one more spot before we headed in. there was sign everywhere we went and it was getting close to noon. we did get to this spot and right away my dad siad he heard a bull raking his antlers but i didnt. We then heard a cow call and we thought the bull might want to get to the cow so we tried to intercept it. We walked in the woods about 20 yard and he was close but just out of sight. Dad raked a paddle from the boat to sound like another bull on the tree close to him and the bull grunted once and Dad told me that he was coming. He asked if i was ready and i was, just then the moose came into view but I could only see part of it. I waited til it came into full view and dad raked the paddle on the tree once more and then he stepped out. I told dad i was going to take him. At 40 yards i knew i couldnt miss and I let the 300 WSM make noise. He ran and I shot one more time and he stopped but I couldnt see him that good so I walked up a few steps and then I heard him fall with a heck of a crash. He was dead on the first shot but I gave him one more anyways. So it fell about 60 yards from the boat and we figured we had all day we took our time. We had it loaded in the boat ( qaurtered of course ) in less than 2 hours and if you know what its like hauling out a moose you have your work cut out for you. I cant bring meat back yet so we just kept the hind qaurters and cut the loins out and gave the rest away to some local native friends in the Morson area. It was a weekend well spend and with a few good duck shoots in there and time with just Dad and I. Getting the moose was plus I didnt care if we got one cuz I can always go up being its only 40 miles away. But i have fun no matter what. Hope you have a safe and good hunting season. Brian

[Rigging Guy]

Sounds like things went well for you guys.The area I am hunting surrounds Brule Lake area and to the west.This all BWCA so there is no roads to go by.I am stuck to heavy brush and Lake shore.I will be calling for sure.I will try using less force when blowing the call.Sounds like that might be a key role into bagging that monster Moose.It will be tricky getting a Moose into the Canoe even after it is quartered up.It seems like a lot of work,but I bet if I get one It wont even faze me to go thru the extra effort.Well I leave tommorrow so I better get to packing.Thanks again for the valuable info.Hopefully it makes my trip successful.

[CANOPY SAM]

These are all really interesting stories. I've always wanted to hunt a bull moose. Maybe when my oldest boy is ready he and I will apply for a tag.

Canuck. Congratulations on a successful hunt! I'm curious though about a couple things. First you mentioned that you bagged a "20 point bull". Aren't antlers usually rated based on the outside spread in inches, not by the number of tines? And secondly, I'm trying to figure out how you can travel 35 miles in a canoe in 45 minutes? You'd be really up on plane at that rate! Even 35 miles in two hours is flying. Are you running square back canoes with motors? Just curious - I'd love to do this someday.

[Canuck]

Yes, moose generally are scored that way but we are alittle off the wall some times and count the points, (one side had 11 and the other 9) I would only guess the spread at 40" and will measure when I am back in Manitoba (presently visiting the grandson in BC).

On the canoe thing, yes,we run motors on our canoes, well they are canoes but then they aren't really canoes, (confused yet). They are freighter canoes, cedar canvas (one is 18' and the other is 20') and are the wide sterns and we run 15 horse motors, we are lazy and actually it is too far back in the bush to even think of paddling. Because they are so light when they are empty one can really fly in them. When we are out huntin we carry the bare basics in the event we have to load a moose, and alot easier on the gas consumption.

[Rigging Guy]

Well the trip was fun but no Bull Moose.I seen a big Cow.I would guese it to weigh around 1200lbs.Just a guese.It was really big.My Dad and I must of put on fifty miles on our canoe.We paddled around for four days.It seemed like forever to get anywhere in that thing.If I was able to get a Moose tag in MN I would not choose the Boundry Waters Area.I would find a area that has some swamps and more level terrain.We seen plenty of tracks and wallows.I think their was to many leaf lookers out camping and boring around in their canoes last weekend.So I think they must of pushed the Moose back farther into the heavy brush.We tried hard to find a bull but no luck was on our side.Oh yah before I forget I let the big Cow live to deliver another Bull for another lucky hunter.Good luck everyone who tries to bag a moose and thanks for the good info it did help us out.