Bare Bones Moose Hunt

Canadian Bush Wacker

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What would take with you for a 6 day trip by boat, (very, long boat ride)weight and space is a big concern. I have done fly-ins, and kind of spoiled that way, we fly in a whole camp and camp kitchen, but that was for fishing not hunting moose. Four guys, taking one 14 ft alum boat, one 12ft porta boat, and pulling one 16 ft canoe.

What would be on your must have equipment/food list?
 
If you're planning a very long boat ride, the first thing I would suggest to take with you - besides survival, hunting and camping equipment - is twice as much fuel as you think you need for the boat(s).
Same for batteries (GPS, radio, lights, etc.).
 
For a camp, use a lean to type, not a regular tent. They used to be common and a preferred means of cold weather camping. The regular canvas lean to tent was made with ends. The modern fibre glass type sheets with the grommets in them wil do great. a 10 x 12 size should be good for two people.
Take a good supply of light rope , use a ridge pole across the front, up about six feet, then tuck the ends around.
Your fire, for cooking and heat, at least for drying clothes, is made in front of the lean to, so the heat reflects in. Sleep with your feet in the low end.
For your fire, very important to have a brow log, between the fire and the lean to. Use a green tree, or a heavily waterlogged log. at least 8 inches across, if you can get one. This allows for using a frying pan, with your hands sheltered behind the log.
Use a green pole above teh fire to hang cooking pails and pots on.
Take some raw potatoes and onions, bacon, whatever. If you are good at cooking over an open fire, you can make most anything you want, like pan cakes, stews, bannock, etc, etc.
 
an excess of food and a good lighter as well as several packs of matches in water tight containers. a good pack or portable cooler to bring the food in and carry moose out :)
 
We do about a 15 mile boat ride to our moose spot.

For accomodations we just bring some big plain cheap tarps. We cut down trees around us to make a structure and staple gun the tarps on to make the shelter. We also use the tarps to make stretchers to pack out the quarters if the kill is far from water.

Bring lots of gas for the boats, we don't bring double. But we bring whatever is required to run back home in reserve. We just dump it in the trucks when we get back if we didn't need it. Bring extra pull cords if they're outboards and small tool kit (don't ask me how I know this is important).

Bring something that will give you the local marine forecast. We have a marine radio that gets us the local coast gaurd. If it is big water, it can get ugly fast in the wind for small boats.

"portable cooler to bring the food in and carry moose out "

That would be one hell of a big cooler ;)
 
From what you describe its going to be crowded............may I suggest 3 gallons of BBQ sauce and 25 pounds of onions as your going to have to eat what you kill right there on the spot.
Not going to be packing a moose home!
 
Not sure exactly where you will be hunting in MB, but you know all to well that in early season we can see some hard frosts. If you are going to use the lean-to shelter, make sure you have the best sleeping bag in your group. The guy with the coldest bag is the one stoking the fire 4 times a night. Also, I'd bring something along to get you up off the ground.

As for cooking I'd bring a large heavy griddle and cast dutch oven. The griddle is self explanatory but the dutch oven is a true multi tasker. You can fry in it, deep fry in it, make a stew or roast in it, and you can even bake in it. I'd also figure something out for some kind of table. You should have at least one.

Not sure what you're bringing for in case of emergency. We used sat phones but in the last few years we have had very poor success with getting a signal. Last year we switched to a SPOT device. $150 plus an annual subscription. Cheap insurance is the way we looked at it. http://findmespot.ca/en/index.php?cid=1100

I'm sure I'll think of more later.
 
If your going to be where there are alot of BUGS you better have a fully enclosed tent...and if your going Moose hunting in Northern Manitoba you could run into Sandflys. Your hunt will be OVER before it starts if your in an open tent with Sandflys in the area....or you can bring a gallon of Muskoil.
 
I hunted caribou in labrador that way and the post advising you to take twice the fuel you think you need is spot on, 4 guys in a 14 aluminum is asking for trouble ( at least 3 guys and a dead boo turned into trouble for us ) when the wind comes up, bring the lifejackets and what saved us was having a means to get a fire going quick 15 miles from shelter and a kettle to heat water in with tea and some grub.
Lean to sounds like a great plan and there is certainly some good tips on this one
 
Bring a spare outboard, even if it is a small one. Sounds like you don't have the room for that though. I guess you could always tow the larger boat with the smaller one. As an owner of a property on an island, I know that outboards go down at the worst possible time, although not very often. I just did a fall trip for deer by boat and we had one 14' aluminum boat rammed full of gear for a week. And we weren't camping - we were in a cottage and there were only 2 of us!

If one of your party doesn't have at least basic first aid, think about sending someone. He will learn what first aid gear he needs to bring.
 
Thank you for the ideas, It's 2 men in the 14 ft and 2 in the 12ft, with life jackects, the canoe is for some extra gear, and packing meat out de-boned, will have to be done in trips, Oh well, The trip is about 24 miles by boat and some falls and dams to cross about 6 in total, so that's why I want to pack light and small equipment. And yes, I have my first aid and so does another one.

And I always double up on a$$wipe, for good reason! Run low on that when ya get Beaver Fever!! Not nice!
 
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