Moose by Boat

riden

riden

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Got back from moose camp yesterday, or almost moose camp. Our camp is 35 km back by quad (usally a 3 hour cruise), we made it 11 km in 6 hours. Mind you, we each had half a lift of lumber on our trailers.

We have had by far the wettest summer in northern AB, since I have lived here. Unbelievably wet and to make matters much worse the beaver dam we have crossed on for years, washed out. Looked like it just washed out last week too. The route we take is easily the dryest route, so I can't imagine what the others will be like.

I am thinking this season should be plan 2. (One asshat in our party forgot the draw and leaves us with only 1 tag anyway)

I have a new boat!!! I have never hunted by boat, but I am thinking setting up a camp on the Peace River and calling from the boat. We can cover a lot of territory, but right there in the middle of the water, no cover at all.

Anybody here ever call from the boat?? Any advice, is it successful? I am wondering if they will come out if a boat is in the water or do they even care?? Maybe we will have to set up in cover, but that seriously hurts visiblity.

Any tips from boat hunters would be appreciated.
 
Get a big canoe and drift down stream at first light. You would be surprised the amount of moose you will see up to their knees in water just looking at you go by. I have used a boat for moose hunting before and it works. Just cruise down the lake and glass the open swampy areas next to shore.
 
If you are on the Peace you will be served well calling from a boat. Keep the binocs handy. It's a great way to hunt moose, especially on the Peace. Do some late night calling then again before first light. Just make sure you have a backwater or something to "park" the boat in. That current can really work against you
 
I always found it best and have river hunted moose by jetboat a fair amount is to head upstream at first light say 6 or 7kms or whatever you can get upstream, moose dont run from boats , there is no natural predators on water if anything theyu are more curious in my experience, have yourself a good shore lunch and snooze during mid day and in afternoon start the drift back to camp, use a ancour to slow you down if the current is bad , a round dish type is great cause it will drag bottom and slow you down, sit back and listen , remember sound travels on water greatly so a loud grunt may be 100 yards down river or a mile but answer it regardless , watch for cows on the river during the rutt, they will lay down on the edge of a river to stop the bull from mating with them if there not ready yet as well , a cow laying in water bellering is a 100% sign a bull is in the willows harassing her , just ask this guy we had to stop him from harrasing a cow on the finley river in northern BC :
moosetow.jpg
 
huntinstuff said:
Just make sure you have a backwater or something to "park" the boat in. That current can really work against you
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I haven't quite solved that problem yet.

I plan to be calling on the Peace around the Keg to the Wolverine River. I just don't know the boundary of the Metis settlement yet, I want to be able to shoot from both sides.

Two years ago we called a bull out on the river (quad hunting), he was on the Metis side. A light/soft call and he was in the river crossing to us. That was cool!! As dusk came all we could see was his wake and nothing else.By the time he got across it was well after legal light and we never saw him again.
 
bone-collector said:
I always found it best and have river hunted moose by jetboat a fair amount is to head upstream at first light say 6 or 7kms or whatever you can get upstream, moose dont run from boats , there is no natural predators on water :
moosetow.jpg
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Common sense was telling me that, but I wasn't really sure. Thanks BC
 
Just found out that my boys and I can hunt two WMU's.

I was drawn for a tag for 528, south of the Metis settlement is 537, open season on bulls!!! And one of the highest success ratio's in the province.

20 min drive by truck, 45 ny boat and I am hunting. I am stoked
 
Do a recce and check your river breaks and any islands.
What I use to do when I guided was drift downstream between the islnads and the shore , calling.
Then I'd fire up the kicker and get upstream again from the other side of the river, and do it all over again, a few at a time.
I'd take about an hour between islands.

If your river is anuthhing like mine, you have some pretty high banks.
The animals will get down to the bank by way of thhee little breaks that will allow easy access for them.
The majority of thee moose we se are somewhere very close to as break on either side.
One of my favorite spots has a sheer bank with a break on the one side and low water with a lowere land on the other.
A moose only has to swim a few yards before it is walking.

I have see dozens of animals every year at this spot, because it is the only decent access from the one bank.
Cat
 
Good bino's , glass from a far. Check for tracks , if you find a nice spot , sit close to shore, and call, pour water into the water(moose taking a leak), use a paddle to create the sound of a moose walking along in the water.
If no joy , move on to a new location. :)
 
riden said:
Just found out that my boys and I can hunt two WMU's.

I was drawn for a tag for 528, south of the Metis settlement is 537, open season on bulls!!! And one of the highest success ratio's in the province.

20 min drive by truck, 45 ny boat and I am hunting. I am stoked
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I know the area. There is some dark water (deep pools) and perhaps you can anchor in one of those and call. Funny how the Peace flows, lots of current and then some "dead" areas. That river has taken lots of good men down tho. An outfitter from my area, Jordy McAuley does a lot of river hunting on the Peace. He might be able to give you a few pointers for the Peace. His dad was a helluva guy (Murd). Died in a plane crash a little over 45 years ago. Great guide.
 
I have a wide 16 ft lund with a 90, I am pretty comfortable on the boat. Truth be said, I have had the boat no where else but the Peace. You do have to be careful though, it is a tricky river.

Appreciate all the help guys.
 
A fine how d'ya do.

No mention of the extremely alert (yet can't see far away:p )and good looking navigator to his immediate left when we are floating down the river.

Down right rude if you ask me.
 
Our party hunts by boat or canoe every year. What BoneCollector mentioned earlier is very true, moose don't have any predators in the water so their first instinct is not to run.

On several occasions we have seen animals on shore and turned the boat in their direction. As long as you don't change the sound of your motor (keep it at the same speed) and have the right wind, moose will let you come right to shore before running off.

Also, we tend to hunt the shoreline that the wind is coming from. If the wind is out of the east, we hunt the east shoreline. Our theory has been moose will hug the shoreline as any predator coming from the bush they'll be downwind of them and they can bail out quick to the water if need be. This has worked well for us in the past.
 
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Mumptia said:
A fine how d'ya do.

No mention of the extremely alert (yet can't see far away:p )and good looking navigator to his immediate left when we are floating down the river.

Down right rude if you ask me.
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I don't know him.

And if I did, I would never admit it.
 
Took my moose by boat last year and guided for moose by boat. a tip:

Shoot off the bow. not only with keep the boat pointed towards the anmial, minimizing your outline, it is the most stable place on the boat to shoot from. less rocking.

moose float, hunting from a boat is a great way to get them. don;t forget your rope and comealong to get them on shore.
 
I have a 19'gruman freighter canoe with a 6hp outboard.I'd be very happy with a young bull-any suggestions on what rivers or lakes to hunt in northern BC in an ''any bull'' area for late september/early october[hopefully the rut]I'm not into river running or rapids and stuff,and hope to camp beside the river/lake[not into packing moose quarters any great distance,either]
 
re la crete

I take it your in La Crete or Ft Vermin. Launch by Tomkins landing and float to Vermin, you will see good numbers and lots of Bears. I worked off the river for 5 years and can tell you theres a good amount of deadheads and flats, plenty of cows on the islands right now, trying to keep away from the bugs. If you live at B H Hills, why not wander over to Wadlin and call, unless that takes you out of your zone. Good Luck.
 
JHC-II said:
I take it your in La Crete or Ft Vermin. Launch by Tomkins landing and float to Vermin, you will see good numbers and lots of Bears. I worked off the river for 5 years and can tell you theres a good amount of deadheads and flats, plenty of cows on the islands right now, trying to keep away from the bugs. If you live at B H Hills, why not wander over to Wadlin and call, unless that takes you out of your zone. Good Luck.
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I plan to launch at Thompkins, but I will go upriver, the opposite direction from what you suggest. Upriver from Thompkins is my WMU, Thompkins is the northen most border, downriver and I am out of my WMU. More moose upriver than downriver ayway.


I am 20 min from Thompkins and 1 and 1/2 hrs from Wadlin. Lot more opportunities after work at Thompkins. Plus you can cover a lot more territory on the river than on a lake.
 
dw said:
Are you still pissed he made you cut up that stinky carcass:D
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I was never pissed about that. I am a big hearted guy, a true humanitarian. I have a great deal of sympathy for retarded people. They can't help the things they do.

But outside of borrowing his tools, drinking his rye, and watching him compete in the Special Olympics, I don't have much to do with Mumptia.
 
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