Help for the Newb for his first Moose Hunt
- Thread starter Critter81
- Start date
The 1st bull I shot, I called him in to about 25 feet. Problem was there was a thick grove of spruces that completely obscured him. I could hear him breathe but had no shot.
We just played it cool, stayed quiet, prayed he did not charge out of the brush, and waited for a shot. If he had come out it would have been point blank shooting...Yikes!
The bulls curiousity and breeding instinct finally got the better of him and he circled downwind and finally presented a 100 yd broadside shot. That took 15 minutes of nail-biting tension to get to that point, but it was worth it! Very soft calling at the right times and good cover scents saved our bacon that day.
When we shot him, the bull took an 8x68s 220 grain gameking and a .280 rem 150grain slug right in the lungs and just stood there on stiffened legs. I plonked him a 2nd time through the spine with my magnum, and it was 4 feet up in the rhubarb! The two plumes of steam rising from the bullet holes in the mooses chest was really neat...I will never forget that. I agree with the others, keep shooting until you know that they are dead. I know of a few guys that have flattened moose only to have them jump up and run. The ones that did get that moose, either found that they creased the spine or whacked a bullet off the skull or an antler.
We just played it cool, stayed quiet, prayed he did not charge out of the brush, and waited for a shot. If he had come out it would have been point blank shooting...Yikes!
The bulls curiousity and breeding instinct finally got the better of him and he circled downwind and finally presented a 100 yd broadside shot. That took 15 minutes of nail-biting tension to get to that point, but it was worth it! Very soft calling at the right times and good cover scents saved our bacon that day.
When we shot him, the bull took an 8x68s 220 grain gameking and a .280 rem 150grain slug right in the lungs and just stood there on stiffened legs. I plonked him a 2nd time through the spine with my magnum, and it was 4 feet up in the rhubarb! The two plumes of steam rising from the bullet holes in the mooses chest was really neat...I will never forget that. I agree with the others, keep shooting until you know that they are dead. I know of a few guys that have flattened moose only to have them jump up and run. The ones that did get that moose, either found that they creased the spine or whacked a bullet off the skull or an antler.
I was up checking out the clear cuts and looking for sign in the area where I'll be hunting this fall.
I couldn't seem to meet up with Bullwinkle other then the dead cow that proabably met with a vehicle just to off the road in the south bound lane of highway 11.
I was pretty impressed with the tracks that I saw and the ones within the last 24 hours that I would stumble across. I think I might of picked out a few good areas. Found some nice high spots with good field of view in the clear cuts with fresh poplar coming up and water at the far end. Good sign in the area too. Just curious how much area a Moose will cover in the course of a day and do they tend to travel in the same circles and around the same times daily?
In the Kirkland/Elk Lake/Matachewan Area does any one know what the deer population is like?
I'm obviously new to this whole tracking thing but kinda picked some stuff up from when I was in BC as a Teenager.
I found some trackes looked like two deer tracks following close behind and just off the flank of a nice set of moose tracks, just curious if that would be a Cow leading twin calves or if it would of been a pair of deer following behind the moose.
I should of snaged some more photo's while up there. I'm about 99% sure that I saw a Courgar on our way outta the bush. The two other guys insisted it was a wolf/fox or possibly a minx ... but this looked like a good 200lb cat.
We only caught the front shoulders back as it took off into the bush but it was a real yellowy tan colour. Long tail with short hair on it, but when it went down into the brush is crouched down really low like I've watched a house cat do.
The guys I was with insisted that there weren't cougars in the area. I was stalked by one once before while in BC, not the most comforting feeling when you find the tracks the next morning that are larger then your hands.
any sound off that guys from the area could toss in would be great and just general knowledge.
I couldn't seem to meet up with Bullwinkle other then the dead cow that proabably met with a vehicle just to off the road in the south bound lane of highway 11.
I was pretty impressed with the tracks that I saw and the ones within the last 24 hours that I would stumble across. I think I might of picked out a few good areas. Found some nice high spots with good field of view in the clear cuts with fresh poplar coming up and water at the far end. Good sign in the area too. Just curious how much area a Moose will cover in the course of a day and do they tend to travel in the same circles and around the same times daily?
In the Kirkland/Elk Lake/Matachewan Area does any one know what the deer population is like?
I'm obviously new to this whole tracking thing but kinda picked some stuff up from when I was in BC as a Teenager.
I found some trackes looked like two deer tracks following close behind and just off the flank of a nice set of moose tracks, just curious if that would be a Cow leading twin calves or if it would of been a pair of deer following behind the moose.
I should of snaged some more photo's while up there. I'm about 99% sure that I saw a Courgar on our way outta the bush. The two other guys insisted it was a wolf/fox or possibly a minx ... but this looked like a good 200lb cat.
We only caught the front shoulders back as it took off into the bush but it was a real yellowy tan colour. Long tail with short hair on it, but when it went down into the brush is crouched down really low like I've watched a house cat do.
The guys I was with insisted that there weren't cougars in the area. I was stalked by one once before while in BC, not the most comforting feeling when you find the tracks the next morning that are larger then your hands.
any sound off that guys from the area could toss in would be great and just general knowledge.
