Moose calling.

[350 Mag]

Went on a short hunt yesterday.

Morning was perfect.

Fog on the lake. Dead still. But no calling. Only excitement was seeing a cow and calf on the trip in on road.

Sun came out so by 10 I decided the morning hunt was done.


That evening I tried to give my old "lake" a chance. I had shot 4 bulls along the East shore of the lake in past years, but then it went dead for moose...the cuts grew up too high and wolves took the rest.

So I was on West side of lake in canoe.

About hour before legal time was up I heard the sweet sound of brush popping....then after I called he grunted.

I couldn't get to shore because there was bog along shoreline...and of course the Moose stayed back out of sight about 80 yards.....and then he "hung up"


So I seen a beaver house close by so paddled over as I thought the extra height would give me a clearer shot.

As I sat on house and kept calling it was obvious he had gone silent...

So I kept calling.

30 minutes went by.

Then grunting 500 yards south of me....then tree raking....there was another bull....and this one came out into the water.

He came down the shoreline 200 yards.

I could see his paddles.....shot a crude distant video.

There was tall grass between me and him so I decided to paddle over.

Well I must have made too much noise when I slipped back in the canoe....so he hit the shoreline?.....and hung up as well.

So I kept calling.

Then I got the original bull to the north (who had probably heard bull #2) talking again.

He eventually came into 75 yards again....but would not approach the shoreline...and eventually it was a standoff with 5 minutes left of legal light....

So rather that spook him out of the area I paddled away.



Coincidentally this is the at least the 3rd time(there may have been more) in my hunting career I had more than 1 bull show up.

It's a great experience....and one should never quit calling just because you screw up or the Bull hangs up.

If they are in Rut and there isnt a Cow close by they will charge in from great distances.

Sucks because they both got "educated" and in my experience will be call shy for 36-48 hours. Hoping they are still receptive in a.m but doubtful.

Love calling Moose in the rut!

 

[Muskyhunter1]

Yup I love calling moose too. What a rush.

I once had a bull hang up on me and out of frustration he actually roared at me. I never heard that before or ever since. I had cow called him for a couple days and he would answer but just not come it. I finally challenged him with a bull call and it apparently drove him crazy.

Have fun and good luck.

 

[MuleyStalker]

I just came back from a moose hunt in northern BC. We were on a lake from 11 - 27 Sep. We called in numerous bulls, and I ended up shooting a 50" bull, and my partner shot a 51" bull. We never cow called at all....we used bull grunts and raking to get them to respond. We did have instances where they would hang up....we then used a shed antler, or a paddle blade, to give a visual appearance to the moose. It worked like a charm!! As soon as they see what they think is another moose, out they come. I used a cow call once, to stop my partners bull because he looked like he was going to leave after we had called him into the open. He stopped to look at/for this cow that just talked to him, and Boom! Just a suggestion...if he hangs up, try a grunt or two, and a flash of a paddle/fake antler, or a shed antler...it could make the difference for you.
MS

 

[isc21]

Great story!!

 

[350 Mag]

Northern B.C .....dream hunt there.

I worked up by Wonowon (mile 101) Alaskan Highway and we were there in Fall one year....man did we see Moose on the way to work....

 

[Suka]

Thanks 350Mag! There's 2 hunts I just simply LOVE. First is calling season moose, by FAR!

(second is antelope but keep in mind I was raised where the antelope roam)

Truly, my only regret about moving to SK is the draw system, (which sucks dead dog ####), and also offers NO calling season moose. (we hear shots 12 mo of the year, but that's another issue that make no mistake, will eventually be addressed, despite what those doing the shooting may think, but I digress, .....)

Thanks for posting!

 

[350 Mag]

I usually use alot of different sounds

Raking, snapping brush, walking in water, urinating,cow calls and grunts.

Cow calls to get bulls interested...

When they come in...if their aggressive and rake trees I mimic them and mix in cow calls.

I focus on cow calls as the main feature....

 

[350 Mag]

Thanks 350Mag! There's 2 hunts I just simply LOVE. First is calling season moose, by FAR!

(second is antelope but keep in mind I was raised where the antelope roam)

Truly, my only regret about moving to SK is the draw system, (which sucks dead dog ####), and also offers NO calling season moose. (we hear shots 12 mo of the year, but that's another issue that make no mistake, will eventually be addressed, despite what those doing the shooting may think, but I digress, .....)

Thanks for posting!

You can call in Reg.Rifle and Archery.

Archery season is beginning of rut.

Reg. Rifle can be productive some of the best action I have had has been as late as oct.18.

 

[Fisherguy55]

Opener this year I had a bull come in to some calls, albeit out on the other side of my peninsula, I raked a nearby dead tree twice slowly and he went quiet after two more grunts. By the time I got through to the right side he was back in the timber and would not return. Im telling myself its because he was young and I don't suck at calling. Absolutely SFA rest of the week, couple bears spotted by the guys and wolf tracks all over the beaches. One bear was only arms reach from my cousin.

 

[350 Mag]

Opener this year I had a bull come in to some calls, albeit out on the other side of my peninsula, I raked a nearby dead tree twice slowly and he went quiet after two more grunts. By the time I got through to the right side he was back in the timber and would not return. Im telling myself its because he was young and I don't suck at calling. Absolutely SFA rest of the week, couple bears spotted by the guys and wolf tracks all over the beaches. One bear was only arms reach from my cousin.

Don't sweat it ..

Moose hang up all the time.... especially if they have been called before.

It's like public land Elk vs un-harrassed private land Elk.

2 totally different animals....

I find Moose that have been called and are wary will almost always slip in silently and smell ...not necessarily looking for human scent but IF a cow is in heat they will be able to smell her 80-100 yards through bush easily if there is wind...or they will sneak in and if they smell human...they just leave....had this happen lots.

 

[Suka]

Opener this year I had a bull come in to some calls, albeit out on the other side of my peninsula, I raked a nearby dead tree twice slowly and he went quiet after two more grunts. By the time I got through to the right side he was back in the timber and would not return. Im telling myself its because he was young and I don't suck at calling. Absolutely SFA rest of the week, couple bears spotted by the guys and wolf tracks all over the beaches. One bear was only arms reach from my cousin.

My experience, they'll come in, then go away; expect it. Response is to go at Least a half mile away and do cow calls while going back to your spot. BTW, those montana moose decoys? They're GOLD, as is cow urine.

Old boreal saying, it a leaf falls the eagle will see it, the bear will smell it, and the moose will hear it. MPO, pay heed.

 

[Fisherguy55]

I guess I should have mentioned I was with a group of 5 at a fly in fishing outpost, that due to Covid was not inhabited all summer as it was the previous 30+ years. We jokingly chalked it up to the moose practicing social distancing

 

[John Y Cannuck]

This one goes back a very long ways to one of my very first moose hunts.

We had one guy in camp who could mimic a moose so well it was intimidating. I was afraid to try it, I thought I'd scare every moose in the territory if I did.

Well, it was a very unproductive hunt that year, we were stuck with calf tags, and hadn't seen a damned thing. So, me sitting in a ground blind of sorts on the edge of a marsh well out of earshot of the other guys I determined to give it a shot.

The marsh was surrounded by a dense wall of black spruce, and steep ridges on either side, it was about 500 yards across.

I cupped my hands, and made an attempt at a grunt.

Instantly, there was a crash! A three year old bull busted out in the open not 100 yards away on my side of the marsh and headed straight for me.

Uh oh! No tag, no place to run, skinny black spruce totally un-climbable. I'd had a bad experience with a cow moose just the previous year after shooting a calf.

So, the moose now at 20 yards, I step into the open, yell, and make sure he sees me.

He stops, and stares at me.

Turns broadside and looks at me some more. (rub it in wtf!)

Then he ambles off slowly across the swamp.

The further out he gets, the braver I get. At 100 yards I try calling again. Instantly he stops and turns broadside.

I stopped him twice more before he vanished on the far shore, and I became a calling convert for life.

Why we hunt? Stuff like this!

 

[350 Mag]

This past week I left one of my secret weapons I used to use and yes you have to be careful.

Antlers...

When a rutted up Bull moose sees antlers sometimes he will enter an almost trance like state.

I used these in the past in Archery seasons and closet Bull I shot was 10 ft on the ground and the largest.48".

Another I got using antlers in archery was at 10 yards.

Sometimes I will tie them in a poplar just so they are visible....and carry a spool of heavy Dacron fishing line and spool out 20 yards of line....and tie to the tree with antlers and sway back and forth...

Remember....when a "mature" Bull approaches a Cow call he is expecting a challenge ....and sometimes will grow suspicious IF he doesn't hear or see another Bull.

I am convinced that 90% of the time when a cow is calling it's because she is being harassed by an immature Bull and wants a different Bull(Woman..lol).

Anyways IF a Bull hangs up to cow calls only (which sometimes they will do) and has grunted lots or smashed trees/raked you have to mimic a Bull and that will usually get the party started again.

Going out Wedsday for 10 day hunt....pumped!