Moose hunting

[marbleeye2]

I realize it is too late for this year and it will likely take several years to get drawn, but a hunting buddy and I are hoping to put in for a moose permit somehwhere in the BWCA. The goal is to get one with a bow. Having never hunted moose before, what is the best way to approach it? Is it a spot and stalk approach? Calling? We'll have plenty of homework to do, but I'm curious if any of you have hunted Bullwinkle before and if so, how you did it.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

[benelli_dude2002]

Not too sure when the season is but up in Ontario on the eastern part of Lake of the woods where we hunt moose I would have to say calling. We had bulls answering as early as Sept 8th and going til the first couple weeks in October. I have seen several moose taken this way. When they are in rut, calling is the most effective way to bring the into bow range. Thats how I got mine back in '96 is we called him in for a 15 yard shot. Tell you what its a real RUSH when you can get them to come in that close. Especially when you have a bow. Buying some videos on moose hunting/calling will help and give you a good idea of what to do and what to expect. This is my bread and butter and I can't wait to get up there and start calling again. Hope this helps! Brian

[marbleeye2]

Thanks for the feedback. It's always been my goal to get one with a bow. Hopefully in the next few years I'll get the chance.

[Dan Thiem]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't everybody that draws a moose tag a first year rookie?

[Swamp Scooter]

I have a guy in Ontario that guides. Great fishing too. They have the largest number of permits in Ontario.

Mn might take a while and then it is your only chance. When applying I suggest doing it with a friend but on two different permit apps. Us eyour wife on your and then at least you will have a better chance of getting one for you or your buddy. You will need all the help you can get to bring it out.

[catchnmall]

Does anyone know where a person can buy a birch bark moose horn. Or any good moose call for that matter?

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[nuts]

catchnmall -

You can just hunt next to Red and that call of his! That thing sounds like a dieing Canada goose!

marbleeye2 -

This was mine and catchnmall's third year putting in for the lottery and we were drawn. So, it might not take as long as you think. But, I guess we did hear at orientation that someone there had been putting in for 10 years.

[Borch]

Dan,

The lifetime hunt started what 8 years ago or so. So anyone drawn before that time is still eligible. But your right. You get one hunt from this point forward unless they change it again.

Borch

[marbleeye2]

Nuts,
A friend of mine got drawn after only his second try, although he also said there were guys who had tried for 10 years. I'm certainly not expecting to be so fortunate.

[warrior#1]

Marbleeye2 I received a tag this year. I only applied for one year. I have been doing a lot of research on these critters. The way that we are going to hunt them is by calling them from a treestand. We are hunting around the clear cuts. We have been scouting for the last two weekends and have found a lot of sign. If you do receive a tag, a name you should look up is Mark Braaten he is from the North shore area. He gives seminars and has videos on how to call moose. He was full of knowledge and didn't mind sharing it with us.

[nuts]

warrior#1:

What were the major tips that he was able to give you? We'll be heading up there to area 25 and could use any tips you're willing to share.

What area are you guys in?

[DuluthGuy]

Make your own Birch call cut a V-Shaped pattern to be a 1.5" circle on one end and 6" on the other with a lenght of 12 inchs.

A dryed deer shoulder scalpala (sp) works great for imitating antlers on brush.

I would try to spot ahead of time (of course stalking if during the season) then go to known area's (site or tracks, etc.) from spotting bays then hit the rivers for calling...

B2

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Jump in! There is plenty of fish for everyone!

[merc]

We had a license in the BWCA in 1989 and got a moose. We applied this year for the first time since then and got a permit again, only on land this time. Sometimes it just pays to be lucky I guess. The once a lifetime license came into effect in 1992 I believe.

[warrior#1]

nuts,
Duluthguy had it right with the calling and the deer shoulder. He said hunt the clear cuts this is where the cows will be. When you find some good clear cuts, ones that were cut in the last five years,look for sign whether it is browse sign, rubs, or scrapes. He also said that hunting out of a tree stand works the best, because it gets you up and you are able to see above the brush. I am in 77. Hope you get one.

[nuts]

warrior#1:
Thanks, and good luck to you too.

[nuts]

GOT ONE!!! 45" spread and man, was he big! Called him in to within 29 yards and when he was coming through the woods, he was grunting at us the whole time!

Wow, what a rush! They look like a truck coming through the woods!

An experience of a lifetime.

[HC Eye Hunter]

Congrats!!!

Let's hear the story and see some pictures of the beast.

HC

[nuts]

The story? It's a short one, but I'll tell the 'extended' version.

We decided we were on a fact finding mission the first day. We had scouted the entire zone a couple of weeks prior to hunting and found a recently grubbed out area. The spot looked good with all the new growth coming up, so I printed out a bunch of topo maps and plugged in GPS coordinates of various side hills, swamps, rivers, lakes, etc. I told catchnmall to eat his Wheaties that morning because we were going to put on some miles looking for good spots to use the climbing stands.

The first morning, we waited until about 5 minutes before we could shoot and started walking. My Dad and another member of our group went one way and me and catchnmall went to the first of what we thought were many coordinates we'd visit that day. The wind was out of the West, so we went to the Eastern most spot and agreed we'd just meander from spot to spot with the wind in our face so we wouldn't get busted.

We setup next to the swampy part of a lake. Catchnmall was 15 yards or so to my right as I said I'd go down a little further so I could see around a small point that jutted to the lake. I blew the cow call three times, waited 15 minutes and called twice more. It was then that I looked at my hunting buddy and noticed his eyes were the size of baseballs motioning to me that he heard something.

Then, it started. Whraa...Whraa...he grunted as he came up wind through woods. Whraa...then a twig snapped, small trees in the woods started moving. Whraa... I saw the twitch of an ear 7 feet in the air and then I seen his nose sticking out of the woods. The bull looked to his right and turned the enormous rack on his head with him. He grunted again, looking for the cow that was calling to him. He then turned to his left and looked right at me.

At this point he was 35 yards or so from me and even closer to catchnmall. My heart was pounding so hard I could feel my pulse in my neck. I tried to remain still and wait for him to take two more steps out of the woods so I could get a shot. He didn't. He just stood there and stared at me with both of his ears pointed in my direction. Although I tried to breath in my coat so he wouldn't see my breath in the frosty air, I know he seen it and he knew something was wrong.

He turned away and skirted the edge of the woods walking away from us. I pulled up my gun, but didn't have a shot. Catchnmall, although closer to it than me, had an even worse angle. I pulled the gun down and with his tail pointed at me; he turned his head and looked behind him right at me again. I froze in the half crouched, half standing position I was in for what seemed like forever.

My heart started to sink as I thought we'd never get a shot and as soon as I thought that, he took the two steps out of the woods I needed to get a shot. He was 50 yards or so away from me and standing broadside. I pulled up my gun, put the crosshairs just behind his shoulder and fired. It hit exactly where it was supposed to, but he didn't jump like other deer do. In fact he didn't move. He just turned and started walking to the woods so I sent another one at him, but that one hit high and he crashed through the woods and then it was silent.

After a few handshakes and high fives, we went looking for him and found him about 100 yards from where he was shot. This was our third year applying for the tag and 20 minutes into the hunt it was all over.

Here he is with me:

Here he is with catchnmall:

Here's the whole group:

Absolutely amazing!

[This message has been edited by nuts (edited 10-07-2004).]

[This message has been edited by nuts (edited 10-07-2004).]

[This message has been edited by nuts (edited 10-07-2004).]

[catchnmall]

I will second everything Nuts said. What an excellent experience, and what a rush it was watching that big of an animal coming through the woods. He did everything that the videos said they the moose would.

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Been There, Done That...
......What's Next

[benelli_dude2002]

Congrats on the moose! I got one last year in Ontario but it had 40 inch but yeah it's still a rush. Heading to Ontario again this weekend for moose and deer( its the rifle opener) But once again Congrats on your fine bull and those are some nice pics you posted. Happy hunting! Brian

[bigbucks]

Congrats on the moose guys. I should have said that yesterday when I read the post. Very nice pics too.

[merc]

Great pics guys. We also got our moose opening day near Rollins in zone 28. Ours was a 44". They sure are big animals. This was our second one but the first was just a little critter compared to this one. Hope everyone has a succesful season, it isn't over yet. Good luck!!!

[Borch]

Congrats guys!

Great story on your hunt.

Borch

[benelli_dude2002]

Well we did it! Ontario rifle season opened this past weekend for moose and deer. There was 11 hunters and the first island we pushed, a total of 6 moose came out and we saw a another cow and aa calf right where we were going to post the standers. 2 bulls, 2 cows and 2 calves is what came out and only one moose we let walk and it was one of the cows. Thats right 5 moose we had on the ground so all the tags were filled and the hunters were happy. They were shot at around 10 AM, 30 mile boat ride and all the meat was hung by dark but we had to work at it. And those of you who have hunted moose before know what its like to haul out a moose. The biggest bull was about a 3 foot spread and the other bull was a last years calf with a fork rack maybe 2 foot wide is all. Yours truly had 4 moose come out by me and I downed 3 of them( the 2 bulls and a cow) all were within 40 yards and the one cow I let walk ran by me at less than 10 yards away. One bull I shot dropped in his tracks and actually flipped over backwards, the bigger bull I shot twice but I didnt really need to but I did anyways and the cow I dropped in her tracks too. I was shooting a 300 WSM 180 gr. My dad and one other guy shot the calves. The next day a 7 pt buck and a forkhorn buck and nice doe were also taken. So far we are having a good season. But today is turkey day in canada so we are gonna kick back and pig out. Happy Hunting Brian

[Longline]

Hey Nuts
Where were you hunting? My father-in-law just called this morning and said they got a 55 inch this morning. Soon as I get pictures I will post them. They were up in the Superior National Forest.