canadian moose hunt
#11
The Wheel Rut is generally the best time to hunt moose.This is the period
between the ruts and generally falls around Sept 18 - Oct 1 but like everything else it varies from place to place and is affected by changes in Latitude as well. Last Sept 5 of us had were lucky enough to be drawn for moose under the LEH.
3 of us had been drawn for a group hunt and were allowed a max # of 2 bull moose and the other 2 had individual tags.
We had planned a 14 day hunt and 3 bulls were hanging in the first 24 HRS.The last bull was shot on the day of the 28.
between the ruts and generally falls around Sept 18 - Oct 1 but like everything else it varies from place to place and is affected by changes in Latitude as well. Last Sept 5 of us had were lucky enough to be drawn for moose under the LEH.
3 of us had been drawn for a group hunt and were allowed a max # of 2 bull moose and the other 2 had individual tags.
We had planned a 14 day hunt and 3 bulls were hanging in the first 24 HRS.The last bull was shot on the day of the 28.
#15
Warrior_Joe
Good pick on the week, should work great for your hunt!
Moose hunting is alot like deer hunting and alot not like deer hunting. Did that make sence?[&:] They respond to calling very well during the rut, just like deer. You aim behind the shoulder, just like a deer. And...um...well that's about what you should take from your deer hunting experience and put toward hunting a moose.
They are huge, and not much will spook them when they get into full rut. Say you have got one coming into your call but they hang up and won't come any further. Here is what I do...go for it!Sometimes it works, some times it dosentbut if you don't go after them...well most of the time the storySometimes it works, some times it dosent, Start walking to them and break branches, step in the water if you are hunting in a swamp, grunt like a bull (kind of sounds like wahhh). Guess what I'm saying is that I don't worry too much about making too much noise. Once you hear your first bull coming into your call you will know what I mean. Anyway I walk to them, dosen't matter much if you have thick brush or a clear cut to go through, just don't do alot of side to side motion. They have a hard time telling distance but will catch a side to side motion. I have walked up to several bulls in clear cuts to within 30 yards, just walk straight to them and somtimes I give a little grunt. Sometimes that will make them really really mad though! When they start licking their lips and rubbing their hind legs together.....thats close enough! Its a rush to say the least. Also they will seem closer to you than they really are because of their size, so a rangefinder is a valuable too to have. Here is a great trick that has worked for me. Lets say in the morning you are going to such and such a place to call for moose. The night before go to that exact spot and call and call (cow bawl) for an hour or so. A bull that hears your call will travel that night to that area looking for the cow that made those calls. Then the next morning get there early and start cow calling at first light. I almost always hunt a place in the morning that I hunted the night before and have had very good results in doing this. As with hunting anything, sometimes it works and sometimes it dosen't, but when it works 


The best advise I could give you though is to talk with your outfitter as much as you can, and listen. This is the most important thing you can do, listen. Talk to them and see how they like to hunt, some do it different than others and if you have an idea how your hunt is going to go, the better prepared you will be when you get there.
And as far as getting it home,,,,again talk to the outfitter/guide that you have. They do this for a living and will hopefully do it right.
Good luck and let us know how you do!
Good pick on the week, should work great for your hunt!
Moose hunting is alot like deer hunting and alot not like deer hunting. Did that make sence?[&:] They respond to calling very well during the rut, just like deer. You aim behind the shoulder, just like a deer. And...um...well that's about what you should take from your deer hunting experience and put toward hunting a moose.
They are huge, and not much will spook them when they get into full rut. Say you have got one coming into your call but they hang up and won't come any further. Here is what I do...go for it!Sometimes it works, some times it dosentbut if you don't go after them...well most of the time the storySometimes it works, some times it dosent, Start walking to them and break branches, step in the water if you are hunting in a swamp, grunt like a bull (kind of sounds like wahhh). Guess what I'm saying is that I don't worry too much about making too much noise. Once you hear your first bull coming into your call you will know what I mean. Anyway I walk to them, dosen't matter much if you have thick brush or a clear cut to go through, just don't do alot of side to side motion. They have a hard time telling distance but will catch a side to side motion. I have walked up to several bulls in clear cuts to within 30 yards, just walk straight to them and somtimes I give a little grunt. Sometimes that will make them really really mad though! When they start licking their lips and rubbing their hind legs together.....thats close enough! Its a rush to say the least. Also they will seem closer to you than they really are because of their size, so a rangefinder is a valuable too to have. Here is a great trick that has worked for me. Lets say in the morning you are going to such and such a place to call for moose. The night before go to that exact spot and call and call (cow bawl) for an hour or so. A bull that hears your call will travel that night to that area looking for the cow that made those calls. Then the next morning get there early and start cow calling at first light. I almost always hunt a place in the morning that I hunted the night before and have had very good results in doing this. As with hunting anything, sometimes it works and sometimes it dosen't, but when it works 


The best advise I could give you though is to talk with your outfitter as much as you can, and listen. This is the most important thing you can do, listen. Talk to them and see how they like to hunt, some do it different than others and if you have an idea how your hunt is going to go, the better prepared you will be when you get there.
And as far as getting it home,,,,again talk to the outfitter/guide that you have. They do this for a living and will hopefully do it right.
Good luck and let us know how you do!
#16
Thread Starter
Spike
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From:
Thanks for the info Bearguy and everyone. I have a few months to prepare and will read all i can. I hope to go to the hunting area this summer to take a look at the land. I am very excited and if any moose hunters want to give some tips, it would be appreciated. I havent seen to much info on canada moose hunting techniques. Alaska must be moose heaven.
#17
Warrior.
If you are going to the area this summer to look at the area, don't bother too much looking for the bulls. You want to find the cows and calfs. Chances are that if they are not pushed out of the area this is where you will find the bulls come the rut. Bull Moose are not like deer and move from a bedding area to a feeding area in a pattern. The bulls will graze through one area into another taking somewhere around a week to make a round of their area. Which is a good tip for hunting them too, if you see really fresh moose tracks in a area deffinately hunt there. If they look a day or two old, I don't spend too much time there. But if the tracks look old, like a week or so I will hunt this area for a few days hoping to intercept them when they are making their rounds.
Try to watch as many different videos on moosin' and read as much as you can, and apply what you have learned on your hunt.
Is your hunt guided/or semi guided/or on your own? How many other people will be in camp moose hunting while you are there? Is this a drive-in or boat-in, or fly-in hunt? Ask your outfitter to send you some maps before you go, and have them outline any fresh cuts (if there are any in the area you are going to be hunting) hopefully there are some cuts around the area you will be hunting that are a couple years old or so. After a good cut is around a couple of years old the red willow will start to crop out which is a favorite food for the moose. Look on the maps for areas around swamps and any access that the moose might be using to travel to and from cut areas to swamps, or to other swamps. Find spots like these, and you will find moose.
Again good luck on your hunt.
If you are going to the area this summer to look at the area, don't bother too much looking for the bulls. You want to find the cows and calfs. Chances are that if they are not pushed out of the area this is where you will find the bulls come the rut. Bull Moose are not like deer and move from a bedding area to a feeding area in a pattern. The bulls will graze through one area into another taking somewhere around a week to make a round of their area. Which is a good tip for hunting them too, if you see really fresh moose tracks in a area deffinately hunt there. If they look a day or two old, I don't spend too much time there. But if the tracks look old, like a week or so I will hunt this area for a few days hoping to intercept them when they are making their rounds.
Try to watch as many different videos on moosin' and read as much as you can, and apply what you have learned on your hunt.
Is your hunt guided/or semi guided/or on your own? How many other people will be in camp moose hunting while you are there? Is this a drive-in or boat-in, or fly-in hunt? Ask your outfitter to send you some maps before you go, and have them outline any fresh cuts (if there are any in the area you are going to be hunting) hopefully there are some cuts around the area you will be hunting that are a couple years old or so. After a good cut is around a couple of years old the red willow will start to crop out which is a favorite food for the moose. Look on the maps for areas around swamps and any access that the moose might be using to travel to and from cut areas to swamps, or to other swamps. Find spots like these, and you will find moose.
Again good luck on your hunt.
#18
WJ, your right not alot of vids etc on moose hunting but I have seen a couple from BC that were alright and give you 2 different looks at terrain using the same basic technique. Carlton's Calling Trophy Moose is a perdominant mountain/cut film and the second is Larry D Jones Quest for Moose were he spends the bulk hunt water areas. Both are bow hunting but the same rules and techniques apply, they are decent in terms of calling aspect (If you do get it, don't listen or pay any real attention to Wayne Carlton when he uses/talks about his call, it is flat out aweful...lol). SIR mailorder in Winnipeg, MB use to have a decent selection of Canadian moose hunting info, so they be worth a check:
As too hunting them well gather as much info about the area you'll be hunting but no matter where you hunt like bearguy said Water and Willows are what you look for. I am sure the outfitter will put you in moose territory so just look at sign and interpret. The call is the great equalizer as you don't have to find them persay like a deer but rather find the area and then call them to you. If they are on it is not unlikely for a bull to travel several miles to find a bellaring cow, so get setup where you'll have the best opportunity and start calling. I call really all day if the wind will allow, I have had moose come in literally anytime if she's on they are coming. Some can take some time, some appear fast and some will hang up so just keep on them. If you know where they hung up, then you can mix it up by taking a large stick raking on trees, bull and cow calls, if by water pour water out of a cup/can to simulate a moose urinating, heck even take your hand with an open palm and in a slow up in down motion on the edge of a willow or similar brush to create a visual of a bull sizing up or rubbing. I am not sure if the outfitter will be along while you hunt but you may ask him for a moose shoulder blade this works great for rubbing, the above technique or even a visual to a bull hung up just a bit in rhubarb. The white gleam is a perfect match to what you'll see on a real bull as he appears out of thick cover. If they go silent then make sure to direct your calls so the bull does not want to circle you, meaning don't call straight at him or where he once was shift the calls outward to simulate a cow or bull leaving/changing directions. Moose rely very heavily on their nose and ears, their eye sight is not the best though. It is quite normal for a bull to get quieter or sound softer as he closes the distance to you, I just say this so you don't think he's walking on you and you go aggressive when it isn't really required. This leads right into calling, one must try to keep your emotions in check when they are coming don't change what your doing unless he gives you a reason to and certainly don't pick up the volume better to remain constant or close to on cow calls and some vary on bulls IMO/E. During or real close to peak I prefer cow calling, prior bull grunting is my preference and post cow. I will vary if needed but basically if he is coming I just keep on with status quo..again don't change unless he tells you to. My cow call is a nasal sound errrroooooahhh..huh sound I start of with a 4 second then wait listen and go 6-8 and then back to a another 6, I may wait 1-5mins between the call change. After this if no response I keep quiet for 15-30mins and start over. Many find a pinching of the nose to help get the nasal sound produced. The bull is basically an OOWAah sound, sometimes singles and sometimes stacked just depends. Again a wait between the call session and off we go again. I also change the direction I send the call in, cuz you never know where he is in terms to your spot. I also only use my voicebox and birchbark megaphone call. You can use a tin can with a wet string and their are some calls on the market but really with some practice they shouldn't pose a huge problem for yeah. The vids I mentioned do show different calls(ie: soup can/birchbark/Bull/Cow) and how to make them so they maybe helpful in this manner.
Getting them out, well we use quads if possible and skid em out but I have quartered and boned on the spot as well, either way a big animal and task but worth the effort. Sharp knives are a must (yes knives as you will find a moose hide to be a lot tougher than a deer and will dull your blades quickly)! If you don't have means to skid then you should plan for a quarter, I have used a chainsaw cleaned with veggie oil instead of chain oil but prefer a cordless recp saw. The other option is a meat cutters hand saw, if you buy the smaller fold downs like gerber, etc make then be sure to pack replacement blades. Also the mesh game bags would be advised, they ensure your meat is protect but still breath to allow cooling.
Hope it helps in some way and wish you the best of luck! We were drawn last year in Saskatchewan and took our 2 bulls by way of call in 2 1/2 days of hunting(not real big but wonderful hunt and eats). With any luck the other 2 in our group will get drawn this year, they are an enjoyable animal to pursue during the rut fo sho!
[link]http://www.sirmailorder.ca[/link]
Getting them out, well we use quads if possible and skid em out but I have quartered and boned on the spot as well, either way a big animal and task but worth the effort. Sharp knives are a must (yes knives as you will find a moose hide to be a lot tougher than a deer and will dull your blades quickly)! If you don't have means to skid then you should plan for a quarter, I have used a chainsaw cleaned with veggie oil instead of chain oil but prefer a cordless recp saw. The other option is a meat cutters hand saw, if you buy the smaller fold downs like gerber, etc make then be sure to pack replacement blades. Also the mesh game bags would be advised, they ensure your meat is protect but still breath to allow cooling.
Hope it helps in some way and wish you the best of luck! We were drawn last year in Saskatchewan and took our 2 bulls by way of call in 2 1/2 days of hunting(not real big but wonderful hunt and eats). With any luck the other 2 in our group will get drawn this year, they are an enjoyable animal to pursue during the rut fo sho!
#19
Thread Starter
Spike
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
From:
It is a semi guided hunt. we are 10 miles from the base camp and will enter by boat. There is a logging road through the land. There are about 20, 5 mile sections, along a 18 mile lake, between both sides. myself and my friend will be hunting on a 5 mile section. There is one week of hunting before we hunt so we will not be the first to hunt the region we have assigned. There will be fresh cuts on our section and ponds. He said he puts out mineral licks. The guide is sending us topo map of our section.
What is the best cow call to buy?
I really appreciate the imput from everyone.
What is the best cow call to buy?
I really appreciate the imput from everyone.
#20
Joe, I truly find the birchbark call and my voice to be the best. A made birchbark call will run you like 10-15 bucks canadian most. Being 100% frank it is not real hard to mimic a moose either bull grunts or cow calling, remember you have all summer to learn and practice. The cow call if I were to describe the sound is like a domestic beef cow but nasally and instead of a mmm an errr sound to begin with. The can and shoe string method is also easy but lacks some IMO. I suggest you try to find a calling moose vid or tape, the other option is try typing in Moose calls into a search engine....you should finds some wav file examples on the net. Once you hear some you'll see what I/we mean.


