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10-13-2017, 02:21 PM
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Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3,556
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Wife's first moose.
This year I knew my wife was due for a moose tag, so I put my usual more ambitious hunting plans on hold for the year and decided to just concentrate on hunting around home with her. We got a week off and both grandmas agreed to watch the kids... perfect!
Day 1. Between work and some home renovations this was the first day we'd not been working in 6 weeks, and it was my birthday. I got a good feeling! We hiked down a river bed a few miles. The cover was ridiculously thick, the boulders were pretty poor footing, and the river crossing's were sketchy. We saw 4 deer and a mother grizzly with her cub. After lunch we got the quad fired up, intending to try to find a way into some ridges further up stream. The river had switched channels since last year, the crossing looked deeper "Its too deep" say's wife. I drive in "Its too deep" she repeats, then the quad starts getting pushed downstream, then it really is too deep and I drown the quad. By the time we get it out of the river and started again we are wet up to our chests, I think because it was my birthday she went pretty easy on me considering. We head back home for birthday cake and beers, and to change oil in the quad.
Day 2. We hike upstream, its not as thick. We hunt some old river channels and see 6 deer and a cow moose. We find a few good concentrations of sign and. Wife is getting tired of walking, walking down the river is hard, we've done lots of walking. Tomorrow we will just hang around the good areas we've found and do some calling.
Day 3. We do some calling in the morning, wife gets cold and bored so we decide to do more walking. We walk back into the ridges I've been promising will hold all kinds of moose, they are a long way and we don't see much sign, we climb the ridges, we still don't see much sign. We loop around to the river again and do some calling in the evening. Wife is getting a bit discouraged, "We'll come back in the morning" I say, "There will be a moose here for sure."
Day 4. We come back to our spot, there are fresh tracks but no moose. "We just need some cold weather to get them moving" I say. By noon we have an all out blizzard on our hands, we hunt all day and don't even cut another track. "They have probably holed up until the weather gets better" I say. Tomorrow we will track them, I talk about how great tracking moose is going to be... sure fire, easy as pie, moose tomorrow for sure.
PA110231 by , on Flickr
Day 5. We hunt a different area, we hike a long way before we find two cows traveling together. Since there's nothing better to do we follow them, they take us to a much fresher track which also is obviously a cow. Eventually we abandon that track and do more hiking and eventually find a bull track. The bull track joins up with a cow and takes off through some terrible swamps, then eventually finds some private land and jumps the fence. Its not even noon and we've covered well over 5 kilometers, Wife isn't happy. With moral at an all time low in moose camp we head to a roadside dinner for lunch. After some hot food we head out to do some truck hunting, not a big fan but I know wife has had about enough for today, we have one day of baby sitting left.
PA110228 by , on Flickr
As we're cruising down the road we spot a moose track, its smoking fresh. "You want to follow it?" I ask. I know she doesn't but she decides to anyways. The track is fresh so we go slow, the moose cuts through some little openings and I question the probability of it being a bull, but it never takes a whizz to show me for sure so we keep going. We find a pile of warm dung and I know we're getting close. I crest a little knoll and the bull jumps up out of his bed at about 25 yards and heads to my right. I find an opening and wait for him to cross but he doesn't, I can see some movement behind a spruce tree and I know he's behind it. I motion to my wife to circle to the right, hoping she might push the bull out from behind the tree but that bull was so focused on me that he didn't even see her. Wife is a good shot but she always takes her time, well not this time, she snapped her .270 up and a couple seconds later I heard the shot. The bull comes barreling out from behind the tree, I swing the bead on its shoulder and the old Enfield barks just before he crests another knoll and disappears. After a half hour wait we go over the hill and find our little bull stone dead just a few yards further. Wife is glad its over... "We have a bull down a half kilometer from the road" I say, "We're just getting started."
PA110227 by [url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/153108294@N08/[/url], on Flickr
https://flic.kr/p/Zmz4Nw
__________________
If the good lord didnt want me to ride a four wheeler with no shirt on, then how come my nipples grow back after every wipeout?
Last edited by Bushleague; 10-13-2017 at 02:28 PM.
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10-13-2017, 02:33 PM
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Join Date: May 2007
Location: West Central Alberta
Posts: 6,668
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Great story and great moose. Congrats to you both!
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10-13-2017, 02:37 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: A bit North o' Center...
Posts: 11,116
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Awesome! Enjoyed the writeup and pictures.
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10-13-2017, 02:39 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Location
Posts: 4,961
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Persistence strikes again. Tracking moose in the fresh snow. Life's good! Congrats to the misses
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10-13-2017, 03:14 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: onoway, Ab
Posts: 6,956
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Sounds like a great time to me. Should be good eating.
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10-13-2017, 04:22 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1,920
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very nice thanks for sharing
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10-13-2017, 04:26 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: Manitoba
Posts: 1,529
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Right on!
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10-13-2017, 05:07 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Oz
Posts: 2,117
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Congrats to both of you.
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10-13-2017, 08:44 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Calgary
Posts: 1,387
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Congrats to the both of you.
Think your wife will every want to hunt moose again...
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10-13-2017, 08:58 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Strathmore
Posts: 5,573
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Great write-up & pics. Congrats!!
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10-14-2017, 07:30 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,507
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👍🏻👍🏻
Big congrats to you both
__________________
Life's too short to sweat the small stuff.
Aim Small = Miss Small
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10-14-2017, 08:28 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: At the end of the Thirsty Beaver Trail, Pinsky lake, Alberta.
Posts: 24,502
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Thanks for the story and pics....awesome and congrats!
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Be careful when you follow the masses, sometimes the "M" is silent...
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10-14-2017, 09:38 AM
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: AlbertaSask
Posts: 4,179
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Thanks for taking the time to post up your hunting story as well as the pretty nice pictures...good job to the both of you...and the grandmas for helping out...Awesome week!
Zip
__________________
"Never be ashamed of scars it just simply means that you were stronger than what tried to hurt you"
"Good judgement comes from experience, and experience...well,That comes from poor Judgement"
"KEEP SMILING"
Zip
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10-14-2017, 11:27 AM
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Banned
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Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Innisfail
Posts: 2,022
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Nice!
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10-14-2017, 12:01 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,011
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Right on!! I really enjoyed the way you wrote that story. You are from the bush league indeed!
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You can not live a positive life with a negative mind.
If there world is warming why is there so many new snowflakes?
If we are all equal why are you demanding special treatment?
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10-15-2017, 07:58 PM
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Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3,556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by husky7mm
Right on!! I really enjoyed the way you wrote that story. You are from the bush league indeed!
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Lol, you're probably just saying that because of my spelling.
__________________
If the good lord didnt want me to ride a four wheeler with no shirt on, then how come my nipples grow back after every wipeout?
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10-15-2017, 08:15 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Grande Prairie
Posts: 97
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Great story and pics!
Love to see someone besides me still hunting with a good old 303. Awesome!
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10-15-2017, 08:20 PM
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Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3,556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wildwoods
Persistence strikes again. Tracking moose in the fresh snow. Life's good! Congrats to the misses
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Yeah, life is good when you've got fresh snow and a moose tag. I can never quite decide if I like tracking more than still hunting, but tracking is for sure my favorite way to hunt moose. For one its got a personal feel to it, I'm not just matching wits with moose in general but I'm trying to out smart a particular moose. For another it feels like I'm playing the game by the forest's rules. With the exception of the rifle which only usually gets you about 30-50 yards in the bush your going after game much the same as any other predator, just following the track till it ends. And I absolutely love that pins and needles feeling I get when a hot track starts to weave around looking for a bed, and I know the bugger is probably within 100 yards.
The down side is that the moose gets to die where he wants, which usually leaves you with a tough haul out.
__________________
If the good lord didnt want me to ride a four wheeler with no shirt on, then how come my nipples grow back after every wipeout?
Last edited by Bushleague; 10-15-2017 at 08:27 PM.
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10-15-2017, 08:50 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Aug 2016
Posts: 1,338
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Thanks for the read and congrats
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10-15-2017, 08:51 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Half Moon Lake ( North )
Posts: 1,454
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Congrats, should be good eating .
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10-16-2017, 11:35 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 220
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congrats!nice moose.im curious if both shots hit the moose...lol
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10-16-2017, 02:17 PM
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 1,422
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Well done to you both.
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10-16-2017, 07:45 PM
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Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3,556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mediumrare
congrats!nice moose.im curious if both shots hit the moose...lol
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Both shots hit the moose, in hind site my shot was not necessary, but given the circumstance I felt it was best to ere on the side of caution. Wife's bullet hit behind the near shoulder and the broke the offside leg, my bullet clipped the rear of the near shoulder. It didn't exit but was not recovered.
IMO if you've got a wounded moose on the run and you're not 100% certain theres a bullet in the boiler room, some more lead is never uncalled for.
__________________
If the good lord didnt want me to ride a four wheeler with no shirt on, then how come my nipples grow back after every wipeout?
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10-16-2017, 09:42 PM
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Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Coaldale
Posts: 110
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Great first moose. Congrats.
My brother gave me some good advice on my first moose hunt...once you pull the trigger once, keep shooting until it falls over
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10-16-2017, 10:11 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 1,827
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Congratulations to the miss and you both. Awesome write up to.
Ha. I could hear the non satisfaction at her point as it gets challenging at times, I'm going threw a bit of this with the Elk thing as my friends came easy and the one I'm after has put the disappointments in front of me on every trip out.
The word force stands out, in your folks harvest as well as others.
It's strange how things either play out or some times not.
Good thing you kept the harvest going as its a struggle at times. The walking, weather, should we be here or over there.
Did we do this right, is this a good area, are we ready, and all the other stuff. LOL.
I always tell my self I'm not going to walk that far this year, then I find out that I put more miles on my boots then the years before.
I'm probably walking further then I ever have. Ha.
Good on the both of you for staying the course, it doesn't come easy, the grind takes its toll, but all of us need to take away from your story.
Finding drive when its at its lowest, putting in that last stitched effort when there is none, and excepting that it's either going to work out or not.
You folks make me proud, all of us since you give it your all,,, that's what counts my friends.
So what did the miss say when you told her the work begins. LOL.
Don
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10-16-2017, 11:59 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Edmonton/Calmar
Posts: 653
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Congrats
Quote:
Originally Posted by Don_Parsons
Congratulations to the miss and you both. Awesome write up to.
Ha. I could hear the non satisfaction at her point as it gets challenging at times, I'm going threw a bit of this with the Elk thing as my friends came easy and the one I'm after has put the disappointments in front of me on every trip out.
The word force stands out, in your folks harvest as well as others.
It's strange how things either play out or some times not.
Good thing you kept the harvest going as its a struggle at times. The walking, weather, should we be here or over there.
Did we do this right, is this a good area, are we ready, and all the other stuff. LOL.
I always tell my self I'm not going to walk that far this year, then I find out that I put more miles on my boots then the years before.
I'm probably walking further then I ever have. Ha.
Good on the both of you for staying the course, it doesn't come easy, the grind takes its toll, but all of us need to take away from your story.
Finding drive when its at its lowest, putting in that last stitched effort when there is none, and excepting that it's either going to work out or not.
You folks make me proud, all of us since you give it your all,,, that's what counts my friends.
So what did the miss say when you told her the work begins. LOL.
Don
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x2
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10-17-2017, 07:55 AM
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Join Date: May 2014
Posts: 3,556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Pike fisher
Great first moose. Congrats.
My brother gave me some good advice on my first moose hunt...once you pull the trigger once, keep shooting until it falls over
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Yeah, my own experience/ opinions on putting a moose down are as follows.
A moose with a bullet in the lungs will generally die without going more than 40 yards. If a moose lets me I'll take a few shots, if I feel good about those shots I just get out of his line of sight and let him relax. I find a relaxed moose dies faster than one being pumped full of bullets.
If a moose is near a swamp or river I try to break his shoulders as well as get the lungs.
If a moose drops like a sack of bricks on the first shot you probably didn't hit the boiler room and he is probably going to get back up, get a couple bullets in the boiler room before you approach him, or he starts running.
If you don't know for sure you got him in the lungs keep shooting.
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If the good lord didnt want me to ride a four wheeler with no shirt on, then how come my nipples grow back after every wipeout?
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10-17-2017, 08:02 AM
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Olds, Sundre area Alberta
Posts: 2,134
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Congrats on your wife's bull moose. Thanks for posting your pictures and story.
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Horizon Parent Society (Helping kids with disabilities)
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10-19-2017, 05:17 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2017
Posts: 220
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bushleague
Both shots hit the moose, in hind site my shot was not necessary, but given the circumstance I felt it was best to ere on the side of caution. Wife's bullet hit behind the near shoulder and the broke the offside leg, my bullet clipped the rear of the near shoulder. It didn't exit but was not recovered.
IMO if you've got a wounded moose on the run and you're not 100% certain theres a bullet in the boiler room, some more lead is never uncalled for.
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i am of the same opinion...better to be sure than chase an animal all day and possibly lose it.great story i enjoyed reading it!
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