Did i just let a calf walk away?

Slooshark1

Slooshark1

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So yesterday morning, opening day for calf in Ontario, I'm out watching a beautiful grassy meadow while my hunting partners are meandering around in other parts of the countryside. An hour and half later, I spot a moose at 200 yards step out into the meadow. I look through my scope and can only see part of the animal, the rump from behind a small spruce tree. I watched for 3 or for minutes and then it stepped forward and then I saw that it was a cow. A few minutes later, I see a second moose behind it and realize that it's a cow as well. I watch them for a couple of minutes and then they start walking down the meadow toward me. Stopping occasionally to have a snack. I watched them disappear and reappear several times from behind small spruce trees and clumps of alders. Eventually they walked right to me and I studied them through my scope to make sure that one wasn't a calf. I was looking for small nubs on top of the rear one but couldn't see any. They eventually stepped out at about 30 yards beside me and I snapped a couple of photos with my iphone. Then I started to panic looking at the short face of the one that was following in the rear. Their bodies looked almost the same size. They stopped and winded me and I had my crosshairs on it but just couldn't convince myself 100% that it was a calf. I sure as heck didn't want my friends coming over and freaking out if I made a mistake. They both spooked and then disappeared into the tag alders. I was sure they were both cows but when I look back at the photos, I'm starting to doubt myself. What do you guys think? (sorry, I can't get the photos to be horizontal)




 
Yeah even if it was a calf you did the right thing and were cautious. Too many of hunters have let the fever get the best of them. I know I almost shot a young bull once while holding a cow tag, it's ears were hiding the small forked antlers as it approached 20 yards from me at dawn, it wasisn't until it turned its head that I saw the antlers thank God I did not put him down...
 
Yes, I'm sure it would have been tasty if we had a tag. Unfortunately, adult tags are next to impossible in 42. But that's another story.
 
So, here's some info for all the moose hunters out there. A mature cow moose, or, one being more than one year old or so, will have a patch of white hair around her vulva. It's called the "vulva patch", and it is used to differentiate between calf and cow moose. Both of the moose in the photos appear to have the white hair on the vulva, therefore...two cows. A bull moose does not have white hair in that location, and neither does a calf. Alberta F&W has been using this method for years to identify calf or adult cow moose.
 
It is always wrong to shoot unless you are POSITIVE your target is what you want. It is never wrong to not shoot if you are not sure.

I wouldn't have shot in that circumstance because, from those pictures, I'm not certain either one is a legal calf. THAT is enough to hold your fire.
 
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Good Call and thanks for sharing your experience.
I had a draw near Sheridan Lk a number of years ago and passed on what was to later be determined ''Legal Immature Bull moose''.
Came into a clearing and there at 75 yrds was this cow and calf...cow wanders off and the calf being curious just hung where it was feeding.
Had a perfect view of his head and being a flat top with No bony protuberances all I could do was agonize on whether it was legal or not.
Couldnt tell if there was any dangly bits either and being a rookie at Moose Hunting and no matter how hard I tried I just could not grow anything on those bony bits on his head.
We watched each other for a few minutes and finally when Mom called he trotted off.
It wasnt until several days later I ran into a C/O and asked if it would have been legal...''yup'' was what he said.
Even asked another C/O who is an avid Brant Hunter the same same question months later and was given the knod that it would have been legal.

Anyways, it is better to use self control and avoid having to explain your actions later in a court of law.

Thanks Again for your experience and the pics.

Rob
 
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