Author Topic: Moose Time!  (Read 1520 times)

BigBears

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 185
Moose Time!
« on: September 27, 2013, 06:36:03 PM »
Its that magical time of year again when my FAVORITE animal gets a little dumb and excitable. Kicked it off last night with my wife & oldest son. We called a bull in that came in crashing and grunting with every step. He came right up to 30 yards but the bush was way too thick for a shot. Had another one grunting behind us for a while too. This morning I had the big guy I posted the picture of gruntin hard but from the wrong side of the fence and he wouldnt come across. Just got settled in and put out my first call for tnite. The wind is blowin hard, hopefully it backs off as it gets cooler. Fingers crossed.

walleyes

  • Guest
Re: Moose Time!
« Reply #1 on: September 27, 2013, 06:54:42 PM »
Good luck BB..

BigBears

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 185
Re: Moose Time!
« Reply #2 on: September 29, 2013, 11:48:42 AM »
Man I love this stuff! Weve had steady action for 3 days now. Last night we started hearin the cows...which is always a problem right about now lol. Between last night and this morning we heard 4 different cows with bulls with them holed up in the thick stuff, nothin a guy can do in that situation. SOMETIMES you can grunt at him and get him to come for a fight but I find generally they just take off.

Same thing every year, Sept 29-Oct 1 roughly we run into this, then like somebody flips a switch theyre back cruisin again. Still tons of fun to get out and hear em. Weve got a brand new hunter comin out tnite for her first hunt ever, lookin forward to it :)

BigBears

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 185
Re: Moose Time!
« Reply #3 on: October 04, 2013, 06:19:34 PM »
Boy sometimes if it wernt for bad luck we would have no luck at all lol.

We have been calling bulls in every day and getting busted every time. Sometimes at as much as 100 yards sometimes as little as 8. This is getting frustrating!! Every single bull has either hooked around and got downwind of us or come in headfirst too close to the shooter. Ive never seen such a string of bad luck in my life!

Heres a question for you other Moose guys: When your set up and really to start calling and the wolves start howling +\- 400 yds from you what do you do? Ive always pulled out and moved, last night due to a late start it wasnt an option so we stuck it out. To my shock & amazment we got an answer....and get this...from between us & the wolves! He was pretty quiet but grunting nontheless. He came a little closer but wouldnt commit, I suspect he may have had a cow as there was lots of crashing (no cow calls though).

Sitting here with my hunter calling in the 40 km/h winds now. Talk about a tough rut so far. The Moose are cooperating and the weather has been perfect, the best Moose weather a guy could ask for. Now if I can just shake this funk.....

walleyes

  • Guest
Re: Moose Time!
« Reply #4 on: October 04, 2013, 07:35:19 PM »
I've never let the wolves bother me.. Wolves are wolves,, this time of the year I don't think a bull moose in rut is to overly concerned with a couple wolves,, he's ready to take on trees for a piece if that's what it takes.

Now as far as being winded,, a couple years ago I stumbled on those smoke sticks,, you know the ones, some say mare in heat others are called something different. What ever,, I tell you something,, I haven't left home with out them for three years now.. Two moose in the last 3 years came in down wind and came out with no regard.. Smoke stick or just brave ?? I don't know but for what they are worth and they a trouble free,, I  swear by them..

BigBears

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 185
Re: Moose Time!
« Reply #5 on: October 04, 2013, 08:13:00 PM »
You know I tried them once a few years ago. We burned one that night while we were calling & heard nothing. The next morning we walked through where we called the night before and found smokin bull tracks. 2 cow calls and in he came. Didnt get him but he was there. Did the sticks have anything to do with it? I dunno for sure but they didnt hurt.

BigBears

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 185
Re: Moose Time!
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2013, 06:25:01 PM »
What a string of bad luck. Hunters are all gone so I headed out hunting for myself tnite with a buddy. Got set up early (3:45) at a juicy intersection between 2 lines. First set went out at 4. At 4:38 I get an answer. From downwind. Of course. Hes only a couple hundred yards. Not much a guy can do, we moved up the line to the east a bit hoping he might not get us. He grunts and grunts and comes to 50 yds. Pokes his head out on the line and stands there for 3 or 4 minutes. Nice bull, 45ish. Lifts his head, gets a nose full of us and trots off to the east. Dammit. So I head back to my spot, set my bow down and put out another set. My buddy motions that he wants to talk to me so I leave my bow and sneak over to him. Had to cross the South line to get there. He asks how big he was, 30 second bs session and I sneak back to my spot. As Im crossing the south line I look down and theres a 20" bull standing broadside at 48 yards. Had my rangefinder, not my bow. He saunters off and after my little hissy fit / meltdown we left (no sense in staying, what are the chances of callin in 3 bulls in the same place). We marched a mile and now wer at another cool spot