Northern Ontario Moose Hunt 2011
Oct 20, 2011 16:33:11 GMT -5
Post by smokeeter on Oct 20, 2011 16:33:11 GMT -5
We just got back from our annual moose hunt and this year things were pretty much back to normal ( whatever that is). We had 5 guys in our group and 3 bull tags in our possession. Two trucks and trailers and enough able bodies to do whatever work was necessary.
As usual were headed up 4 days prior to the season opener which allowed us to set up and let things settle down before opening day.
This year I decided to dedicate the first 3 or 4 days to the old guy and try to help him get a bull. We set him up in the optimum location and even built him a ladder stand and platform that is about 16 ft high, and very stable for ease and convenience in climbing for him. The rest of us use hang on stands with screw in steps. I placed my hang on stand on the next tree adjacent to him about 30 ft away.
Opening day had the two of us set up well before daybreak and at about a half hour before first light I started with my first series of calls at 20 min. intervals. The first half hour after daybreak I noticed an unusual black object that turned out to be a bull moose about a hundred yrds to the north of our location. I gestured to my partner but due to his location was unable to see the moose. The young bull started to circle and moved further into the brush making it even more difficult for my partner to spot it. I was catching glimpses of the bull and it meandered for about 20 mins. heading towards our scent stream. My partner still couldn't see or hear the moose and when it entered one small opening about 130 yds away I figured I'd better shoot before we lost the opportunity I shot with my .45 krieger . The bull dropped on the spot , I was using my usual sabotless load of 59 grs of H4198 and my modified 300 gr nosler with the concave base and greased veggie wad.
This year I added a new piece of equipment to our camp and that was my M.R.V. (Moose Retrieving Vehicle) it is an 8 wheel amphibious vehicle , a Mudd Ox. We hooked on to the moose and took it out whole in one piece to the road where we loaded it onto a trailer and brought it back to camp to field dress, skin and quarter.
Due to the unseasonably hot temperatures, high 70's for the first week and the forecast called for the same for the remainder of the week, we decided to take the meat out to a meat locker which was about 70 miles away. Myself and one other member made the 3 hr round trip and rested easy knowing that the meat would be well cared for and we could continue to concentrate on hunting.
The evening of the second day my youngest son got a crack at another bull. It was approx. 60 yds. he was using a 300 win. mag. that I obtained from another member of this board (thanks Bud). We assembled our makeshift catamaran canoes and floated the moose back to camp in the black of night. we got back to camp at around 10 pm. and proceeded to dress skin and quarter the bull. We finished at around 1 am. retired and got up at 7 and elected to take this one to the meat locker as well.
We decided to try for the 3 rd. bull since we were so early into the hunt and had to use up quite a bit of supplies in order to have room for the two moose we already had, and might as well make a holiday of it.
As it turned out , the weather never did improve. although it did get a little cooler, rain and heavy winds arrived and stayed for the remainder of the week. Not very good conditions for hunting. We never did get another opportunity.
This was a record year for the meat locker, she had 59 moose brought in the first week, this was definitely due to the unseasonably hot temperature.
All and all we had a great hunt , and we're already planning for next year.
Now for a few pics.
Camp set up ( just because)
One of the wood stoves
Ladder stand
Rut pit where the first bull was shot
The first bull
The Mudd Ox
Phillips Bull
As usual were headed up 4 days prior to the season opener which allowed us to set up and let things settle down before opening day.
This year I decided to dedicate the first 3 or 4 days to the old guy and try to help him get a bull. We set him up in the optimum location and even built him a ladder stand and platform that is about 16 ft high, and very stable for ease and convenience in climbing for him. The rest of us use hang on stands with screw in steps. I placed my hang on stand on the next tree adjacent to him about 30 ft away.
Opening day had the two of us set up well before daybreak and at about a half hour before first light I started with my first series of calls at 20 min. intervals. The first half hour after daybreak I noticed an unusual black object that turned out to be a bull moose about a hundred yrds to the north of our location. I gestured to my partner but due to his location was unable to see the moose. The young bull started to circle and moved further into the brush making it even more difficult for my partner to spot it. I was catching glimpses of the bull and it meandered for about 20 mins. heading towards our scent stream. My partner still couldn't see or hear the moose and when it entered one small opening about 130 yds away I figured I'd better shoot before we lost the opportunity I shot with my .45 krieger . The bull dropped on the spot , I was using my usual sabotless load of 59 grs of H4198 and my modified 300 gr nosler with the concave base and greased veggie wad.
This year I added a new piece of equipment to our camp and that was my M.R.V. (Moose Retrieving Vehicle) it is an 8 wheel amphibious vehicle , a Mudd Ox. We hooked on to the moose and took it out whole in one piece to the road where we loaded it onto a trailer and brought it back to camp to field dress, skin and quarter.
Due to the unseasonably hot temperatures, high 70's for the first week and the forecast called for the same for the remainder of the week, we decided to take the meat out to a meat locker which was about 70 miles away. Myself and one other member made the 3 hr round trip and rested easy knowing that the meat would be well cared for and we could continue to concentrate on hunting.
The evening of the second day my youngest son got a crack at another bull. It was approx. 60 yds. he was using a 300 win. mag. that I obtained from another member of this board (thanks Bud). We assembled our makeshift catamaran canoes and floated the moose back to camp in the black of night. we got back to camp at around 10 pm. and proceeded to dress skin and quarter the bull. We finished at around 1 am. retired and got up at 7 and elected to take this one to the meat locker as well.
We decided to try for the 3 rd. bull since we were so early into the hunt and had to use up quite a bit of supplies in order to have room for the two moose we already had, and might as well make a holiday of it.
As it turned out , the weather never did improve. although it did get a little cooler, rain and heavy winds arrived and stayed for the remainder of the week. Not very good conditions for hunting. We never did get another opportunity.
This was a record year for the meat locker, she had 59 moose brought in the first week, this was definitely due to the unseasonably hot temperature.
All and all we had a great hunt , and we're already planning for next year.
Now for a few pics.
Camp set up ( just because)
One of the wood stoves
Ladder stand
Rut pit where the first bull was shot
The first bull
The Mudd Ox
Phillips Bull
