Fisherguy55
Regular
- Location
- SW Ontario
On my fifth year hunting with family and friends I was finally presented the opportunity of taking a bull this September and my first big game animal to boot. I guess I've been a little spoiled only pursuing in wmu17 on fly in outfits, and of five the group has taken four adult moose. I should note that this is our second year at a newly purchased camp of my Uncle's who is running it as a second business. Last year a similar bull was taken less than a kilometre from this guy so we are 2/2.
It played out really quickly about an hour into the afternoon sit on the mouth of the discharging river with lake level about 4' lower than last year, now offering a ton of clear land on the edge for easy quiet travel. I briefly heard a scrub of brush so removed the scope caps and chambered a round. Minute or two later a cow came crashing out onto the bank 30m out and bee lining towards me with him in tow. She turned back into the bush to my immediate left with just a tree between us and when I dropped forward with the rifle up he stopped broadside at 13m. Fell shortly after single shot and a brief sprint very close to shore. Easy packing to the boats for sure.
Used the 185gr browning bonded 300 win but oddly enough recovered under the far hide- double lung hit. Weighed at 117gr for 63% retention but I fully expected it to pass. Due to the small entrance there was no blood trail until we were nearly on top of him and what he had coughed up. We managed to get him in the cooler in a couple hours before dark and an incoming storm.
These two at my watch were moose #3 and #4 of five seen in the four days between open and harvest with #5 feeding barely out of sight of another hunter in the group when my shot rang. The cow had also circled back out to within distance and although we had a second tag I had far too much adrenaline running to safely take her too, we now had plenty to share. I'm incredibly happy with how it went down and the gang to share the food and experience with. Overall a great week with family and friends at Balson Lake
It played out really quickly about an hour into the afternoon sit on the mouth of the discharging river with lake level about 4' lower than last year, now offering a ton of clear land on the edge for easy quiet travel. I briefly heard a scrub of brush so removed the scope caps and chambered a round. Minute or two later a cow came crashing out onto the bank 30m out and bee lining towards me with him in tow. She turned back into the bush to my immediate left with just a tree between us and when I dropped forward with the rifle up he stopped broadside at 13m. Fell shortly after single shot and a brief sprint very close to shore. Easy packing to the boats for sure.
Used the 185gr browning bonded 300 win but oddly enough recovered under the far hide- double lung hit. Weighed at 117gr for 63% retention but I fully expected it to pass. Due to the small entrance there was no blood trail until we were nearly on top of him and what he had coughed up. We managed to get him in the cooler in a couple hours before dark and an incoming storm.
These two at my watch were moose #3 and #4 of five seen in the four days between open and harvest with #5 feeding barely out of sight of another hunter in the group when my shot rang. The cow had also circled back out to within distance and although we had a second tag I had far too much adrenaline running to safely take her too, we now had plenty to share. I'm incredibly happy with how it went down and the gang to share the food and experience with. Overall a great week with family and friends at Balson Lake
