Moose Hunting

[Cobb73]

My father and I just applied for zone 74. It lies along the Gunflint trail. Does anybody have any experience hunting in this area? I was also wondering if there are any good lodging places in that area for the first part of October.

Also any suggestions of tactics for taking a moose would be greatly appreciated. I have plenty of experience hunting just not minnesota moose. Now all we need is to get drawn in the lottery.

[Sorgy]

Cobb,

If you are lucky enough to get drawn DO YOUR HOMEWORK.

There are some nice maps in the DNR site that you can locate clearcuts. If you are lucky you will find some newer clearcuts that don't show on the mapping that are several years old.

Spend the time and money to drive the forest roads and check out multiple clearcuts incase you have competition.

Scouting - get into possible clearcuts well before sunrise and listen on the calm mornings for cow calls and bull grunts in the weeks leading up to the season. You can then spend the afternoons fishing/napping. Moose do not leave tracks as easily as deer. If conditions are dry you may not see any moose tracks in an area. The best time to view moose activity is very early and very late in the day.

Good Luck to all in the lottery and follow up hunt

Steve

[Cobb73]

I have one more question for everybody if you don't mind. Are moose spotted more in clear cut areas or around lake shores and streams?

Thanks for the help.

[Nightcrawler]

CoBB73

I have hunted Canada only for moose, shallow weedy rivers if the moose are feeding there will be weeds floting on the water.

used a boat for travel, sat up and called.

shot 3 moose this way , 2 with bow ,1 with gun and passed up

3 small bulls one year in 20 min. opening day on a 15 day hunt.

ended up taking a bull calf the last day with the gun.

i cow call only, bring a book, call 10 min., read 15 min, call....if you hear a bull he"s coming. made my own call from birtch bark. ???

[big drift]

Cobb,

Some suggestions for ya. First get a bunch of maps, aerial photos, topographical, DNR and Park Service maps if relevant. We ordered a combo overlay aerial map showing toppo line from an outfit in Duluth. Around a 100 bucks laminated very nice set up and made to what we wanted.

Break up your zone into areas you want to target, then scout the heck out of them.

As to your question where to hunt moose, hunt the sign, droppings, prints, bedding areas, trimmed browse. Talk to the locals and campers where they may have seen them.

Early on scouting in August and September they were on the rivers and shorelines in our zone. Right before season opened the weather dropped and the moose dropped back into the woods.

I called fairly agressively with bull grunts and cow calls on a home made birch bark bull horn. The moose would respond but after a day and a half would not come out where I had a chance at him. I changed gears and went straight to a cow call. And out he came.

We were set up on a meadow marsh drainage like area, off of a river and between two large bedding areas.

Also contact the local wildlife manager for the DNR and the local forestry folks for updated and current clear cut infomation. Google Earth is also excellant for getting a lay of the land and focusing on areas. Talk to the area CO and see what they have to say as well as Deputies ya may meet in the area while scouting.

Furthermore do a search for the MN DNR and Fond Du Lac moose harvest reports. These not only give you harvest rates but areas to focus your search. Remember in Minnesota bulls travel to cows, if you locate a cow calf area mark it and remember it.

Always equip yourself correctly you would be surprised what you will need to get out of the woods.

Anyway hope this helps, good luck.