Author Topic: Moose rut fun (Read 11938 times)

Sooner · « **Reply #20 on:** October 02, 2017, 09:56:58 AM »

3 days of super windy conditions, another 20 + km's on the boots. Pretty hard to call in that wind but great for walking and not being heard. It was a quiet weekend of spoting moose.

Sooner · « **Reply #21 on:** October 02, 2017, 09:03:22 PM »

Snuck out of work and went back out at noon as reports were SNOW was on the ground. Seen a cow feeding, had a cow on cam 10 mins prior to us checking the cam today, had what looks to be the same bull we passed on walk by my camera 1 hour after we checked it in yesterdays rain. Thats huntin.

But snow tells all and we seen a bunch of tracks where as yesterday I would have said the moose had moved on. Too bad the snow will be long gone real soon. No more sneaking out of work until maybe Thursday so fingers crossed we will start crossing paths and not following them while the rut lingers on

Walleyes · « **Reply #22 on:** October 03, 2017, 05:20:14 AM »

Keep at em sooner.

Sooner · « **Reply #23 on:** October 08, 2017, 02:31:41 PM »

Seems like we are always following lol. One of these trips we will cross paths with one of the bigger boys. Darn Wind has been brutal but at least it knocked all the leaves off. Back tomorrow.

Newest bigger one we never knew was walking the area.

sonny · « **Reply #24 on:** October 08, 2017, 08:50:28 PM »

Keep after em' sooner.

Walleyes · « **Reply #25 on:** October 09, 2017, 01:31:06 PM »

It's getting time to think about waiting for snow and looking at a spot and stock, not saying to stop calling but it's getting thin. The big boys are long cowed up, they have stopped their summer feeding routines long ago and are focussed on breeding. They will stop traveling as much and hunker down some. Go slow, look for water or near it and listen and watch, call some but not aggressively move often try and find an active bull.

Best of luck sooner you guys will get em.

Sooner · « **Reply #26 on:** October 10, 2017, 06:56:20 PM »

I agree Walleyes. After this weekend, the fresh sign is still out there, the leaves are down(awesome to spot black spots now), still showing themselves on the cam but when we walked up on 2 small bulls play fighting behind a beaver pond(They were beside a cow and her calf). They didn't care about my grunts. Trotted off. I think the rut is pretty much done. Maybe a big boy will still come to a call thinking he missed one.

Good thing was we sat down for 2 hrs and watched the trail that goes by the trail cam. Had a cow balling over the hill. So the ones not bred may keep the boys looking for a bit.

Supposed to snow tomorrow so if it does, will sneak out Thursday and see what we can see. Nov snow and a rifle will be the equalizer

OL_JR · « **Reply #27 on:** October 10, 2017, 09:04:46 PM »

Good luck Sooner still time yet. It's all about the hunt. When you're looking for something big it can be a little hard on the guts sometimes.
Had a long awaited moose tag last year and ended up settling on a younger bull near the end of November. Could have shot one about the same size in bow season at a little under 40 yards but held off. One part of me regrets not closing in bow season but in the end it worked out awesome, hunting for that moose was a blast and glad it lasted it long as it did.

Sooner · « **Reply #28 on:** October 11, 2017, 10:46:05 AM »

It's what I tell the boy, we passed on a nice bull for a chance to get on a BIG one. That's a choice you make and sometimes it bites you. But we still have 6 weeks to fill a freezer and close a tag on his first Moose. This area has many bulls so if he can't do it with a bow, thats ok, we have had so many fun hunts already grunting to moose and seeing moose up close that he will never forget this season. And this dad is getting aprox 15 to 20 km's a week(some trips more) on the boots so the exercise is a nice by product.

I am not too worried he won't fill the tag, just what size he ends up saying yup, that one lol. As all hunters do, as the season ticks away, time left forces you to re consider whats a shooter

LeverAction · « **Reply #29 on:** October 11, 2017, 02:49:39 PM »

Good for you Sooner, rarely does a person get to hold off for the bull he would like. And for your boy to have that with his first moose! You will be remembered around many of his grand kids hunting fires, and that truly is how we get to live for ever. Hope the moose gods are good to you.

greylynx · « **Reply #30 on:** October 11, 2017, 07:04:51 PM »

Sooner:

I have always looked at November as moose season.

Those colder days with more quiet animals can be quite beneficial. More relaxing.

This is just my opinion.

Best wishes.

Sooner · « **Reply #31 on:** October 11, 2017, 08:08:09 PM »

Quote from: greylynx on October 11, 2017, 07:04:51 PM

Sooner:

I have always looked at November as moose season.

Those colder days with more quiet animals can be quite beneficial. More relaxing.

This is just my opinion.

Best wishes.

Thanks and I agree, this tag has been a awesome experience for the kid(and me). A month of carrying a bow around learning the fun and challenge that brings( we never hunted with a bow before). Trail cam pics to keep the excitement up. A nice bull at 6 yrds on the first walk about in Sept. Smaller bulls seen. The excitement of a big boy talking back and coming, thrashing trees along the way. Plus all the other grunting moose experiences we had. Then Nov comes, spot and stalk begins but with a rifle. Add some snow and game on to a whole new experience. Big, medium or small rack, whatever he harvests, it will be a season he will never forget. And his dad beside him all the way teaching as we go along. Just like my dad did. Icing on the cake would be if my dad would come for a walk and he harvests one but he is 81 and not sure he could walk the trails like he used to. But he will be there for the hanging of the meat in his garage and will share in any harvest. Does it get any better? Nope.

Sooner · « **Reply #32 on:** October 16, 2017, 03:17:02 PM »

So another weekend, still seeing tracks and moose. The WT does were everywhere Saturday from the fields to the bush we hunt. All had 2 fawns so that's good. Sunday we seen a small bull feeding behind a pond. Tried to get around and in front of him, come down a trail to the pond and he is coming up, he trots off and we try to see him but he disappeared. We go out and wide to another trail in the direction he was going and while we were about to sneak up to a ridge above the pond he was at, i took one last look to the old well site clearing and see another bull. Staring us down at about 300 yrds. Black head and horns lol. You know hunting, if we would have been able to watch this first bull for a minute more or stopped to pee, we would have been delayed enough that when we were still in the bush covered trail, we could have seen the second bull first and watched where he was going. But alas, the gods are still having some fun with us

.

Then to add salt to the wound, we check the camera and what we think was the same bull we passed on weeks ago cruise up the line behind my Trail cam. Thanksgiving Monday at 6:50 pm. Guess where we had planned to sit until dark that day but at 1 pm the kid did a test pull/aim on a rabbit and the release loop broke so we went home for the day. Check camera yesterday and see mr moose(pic) walked right where we would have been hiding that night.

Kid is getting discouraged but we are finding out this is normal territory for archery. Still have 1 month and 2 weeks to fill a tag. Fun Fun. His size choice is dropping too lol.

One question, 2 weekends in a row we have heard a cow moose bawling. Tried to catch up to her yesterday. With the main rut over, would you say she is bawling looking for a mate or being bugged by a young horny bull that don't know its done?

Walleyes · « **Reply #33 on:** October 16, 2017, 06:29:59 PM »

Nice update sooner, isn't that just hunting hey, shoulda, woulda, coulda lol. You guys are having a heck of a season of hunting that's for sure.

About the cow, it's really hard to say why she is calling and regardless of what some people say I don't think anyone really knows for sure. Moose are vocal animals and use vocals to communicate who are we to say what they are trying to say. Either one of your statements could be true. On numerous occasions over the years I've had cows talk to me, if cows only called when they are agrivated by a small bull like everyone says they are then why talk to another cow for no apparent reason other than to just talk. Last fall in mid Nov I had one talking to me like crazy, some of the weirdest goofiest sounds you have ever heard come out of an animal, she was talking to me plain and simple. This fall the bull my son called and shot there was no sound on the bush it was quiet, when he called a few minutes later a cow called back to him why,, just to talk is all. So who knows why they call for sure, it's for many reasons. I've talked with many a cow over the years. Like I said anyone that thinks they know for sure, is full of shit, cause I have yet to figure it out and I've been at it for over 35 years now and have heard them talk in many different situations.

LeverAction · « **Reply #34 on:** October 16, 2017, 06:32:33 PM »

Do you think it's a pissed off bawl or a come get me one? I think it would be she's being harassed by a young bull, but being the middle of October might still be a chance. Young cow confused maybe? Thanks for bring us along again on your adventure and hunt.

Sooner · « **Reply #35 on:** October 17, 2017, 09:36:44 AM »

It was a long drawn out call like I try to do in the rut but it had what I call some irritated points to it. Both times she was on the move and moving at a steady pace. Neither time did we hear an accompanying grunt to say a bull was with her. Close enough both times that we should have heard a bull. Seeing there are bulls still in the area, I would guess they would go see what she wants.

Women, who can figure them out

Sooner · « **Reply #36 on:** October 23, 2017, 10:48:17 AM »

So what a weekend. Nothing down but moose action. 5 hours, 10 k on the boots Saturday morning. 7 moose, 6 bulls. 4 little guys, one 30 incher to 28 yrds but he was feeding up a hill to us and smelt us and trotted off. This time we seen him first and the wind was perfect, hid in the scrub as he slowly came to us

. We followed him down this grown in line and when we hit the next hill, we seen he had picked up a friend a 1/2 km up, a much bigger bull. We followed them but never seen either. Saturday night was a bday party for a friend and while at party my 19 yr old is conflicted, go to another party/back yard fire with his friends and have some wobbly pop but that will kill our morning hunt or hunt. He goes partying. So i get the morning to do some much needed fall re organizing in the yard etc.

Around 2pm I'm done so I say lets head out and take the Argo for a rip and clear all these fallen logs from last weeks big wind. So off we go. When we are on the neighbors property clearing cut lines, we come over a rise and kid says MOOSE. We stop and see a cow trot off down the line. And kids says he seen a nice bull with her run off into the trees. So we park and walk. 200 yrds later we see the cow tooled off to the opposite side of the line. And we spot Mr Bull. A absolute tank of a 50 incher, maybe more. 200 yrds out and just looking at us. Too far for an arrow, too thick/noisy to try and sneak up. So we do the Mexican stand off for 10 mins. I try a soft cow call, nothing. I hold up 2 big sticks to make believe I'm a bull, rake trees while grunting nothing. So he finally winds us and walks off. We walk over to the next line and he has already crossed and is walking away. Can't see him but hear the odd branch break. Go back, jump in the argo and get a line ahead of him and walk down. Nothing. Must be bedded down. So we go back to the Argo and finish clearing trails right at dark. A very good weekend and was nice for the kids dedication to see one of the big guys, not sure if I have him on cam. He has such a even rack with big shovels and points galore. Rifle season in 8 days, that should even the chances

And to show the kids the hunting gods do mess with ya, the pic shown is on Thursday. Last hour of the day by my trail cam. I had a chance to take that afternoon off to hunt. We most likely would have been sitting on the cut line above the cam that night as we like to sit there the last hour of the day if nothing is going on elsewhere. 2 bulls in the pic, one shooter. When we checked the cam on Saturday morning and I told my kid the date and time, his face dropped as that day, when I said I can sneak out from work, are we going? he said lets wait till Saturday, we will have more time. hahahahaha.

Fun Fun

Walleyes · « **Reply #37 on:** October 23, 2017, 04:21:07 PM »

Right on sooner, I'm really enjoying your reports this year sooner. Can't wait to hear about the kill.

Thx for keeping us up to date.

LeverAction · « **Reply #38 on:** October 25, 2017, 06:15:07 PM »

Young man is leaning a lot in his first moose tour. Good on em.

Sooner · « **Reply #39 on:** October 26, 2017, 04:27:02 PM »

Snuck out for the morning hunt as it looks like the weekend is a bust until Sunday afternoon. Seen a bull right away, smaller one. Surprised the heck out of it lol. Went to a farther out beaver pond and spotted a 50 incher at the back side, a solid 300 + yrds away. I would almost bet it was the same big boy we seen on Sunday night. 45 min Mexican stand off begins. Wind hard in our face, pretty sure we seen him first when we came out of a wooded trail and stayed behind cover. He just stood there, looked back a few times behind him. No way to sneak up, just to open and noisy so we wait him out. 50/50 chance he could walk our way and within 20 yrds of us. But he turned to walk away so I(dressed in black) move out in the open with the fake wood moose paddles up high. He see's me and turns to look. I do a soft cow call, then a grunt but he don't care. 5 mins later he keeps walking away.

We make a bee line up and around the hill behind him but he is ahead of us and the bush is so darn loud. Now he is walking towards the acreage owner we have permission on but he don't want us near his house and we can start seeing it in the distance so we bid Mr Big adieu and sneak out in hopes we don't push him out of the area we have permission on.

Archery Fun Fun, back Sunday afternoon but it's time for a rifle lol.