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09-23-2021, 10:13 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 5,161
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Thunder Bull Down!!
This season was to be a bow zone combo: whitetails early, moose during the rut. Having seen moose on the property 4 years in a row I was somewhat confident that it would happen. Thing is, every 3blade moose hunt is a clufster duck: been charged twice, almost drowned, almost froze, stuck in the mud, wolves circling the tent, vehicle mishaps etc etc etc.
5 big mature bucks showed up in August so I was completely focused on a PR whitetail. Shot a doe on the first day, meat in the freezer, now I can be picky. Passed fawns and forkies for three weeks with only rare far off glimpses of the big guys - even when you do everything right, they just know what’s up. Last couple sits were very slow and nothing interesting on trail cams.
Yesterday I decided to switch it up, went in and moved my ground blind to a pinch point that had plenty of tracks, put out some scent wicks, and settled in to call. At the 15&45 min marks I did a series of grunts, at the 30 and hour marks I cow called. 7 pm I heard thunder in the distance, started packing up, something stopped me mid step told me to wait. I no sooner sat back down than a cow, calf and bull trotted 2 FEET past my blind - I would have met them head on had I opened the door - dang it stop! let out a loud UGHHHH! and the bull turned back. Draw30aimreleaseTHUMP the lighted nock disappears right where I was looking. He bolts, I scramble to get out of the blind, round the corner just in time to see him drop 80 yards away - HELL YEAH!! FIRST BULL MOOSE!!! Well 5 seconds later it starts raining and flashing so I duck back in the blind. The storm closes in, thunder shaking the ground, hail, blinding flashes, whatever, I’m happily calling family to let em know. It’ll blow over right? It does in a few minutes. So I get out in the field to tag and take pictures, only to be greeted by the second, much bigger storm on the horizon and closing fast. Ohhhh crap. I don’t wanna do this in an open field. Call the landowner, in minutes he graciously brings out the bobcat and drops the moose nuts guts and all into the truck box. Start driving home and hit the second worst storm I’ve ever been in...torrential rain, nonstop lightning and hail, 4x4 and 60 km/h on the henday. Thought the hail was gonna come through the windshield. Got home and looked at the drowned, very large critter in the box. Well I can tie it to a tree and drop it, but everything is soaked and muddy - just do it where it’s at. FWIW, cutting up a moose is not any easier in the box of a truck - I do not recommend. But it’s better than no moose. Plenty of help from my poor mom, laughing, swearing, blood and moose puke later (gutless method - he over pressured - head off the tailgate so no meat damage but what a smell), 3:30 am he’s on the makeshift meat pole, it’s 3 degrees and windy, and I’m done. What a day.
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“Nothing is more persistent than a liberal with a dumb idea” - Ebrand
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09-23-2021, 10:54 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Strathcona County
Posts: 2,170
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Awesome story! Congrats
Great tips there as well. Experience speaks volumes.
That was a heck of a storm. I caught some great slo mo lightning video east of Ardrossan. Then the hail came thundering down.
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09-23-2021, 11:06 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Near Edmonton
Posts: 15,043
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Great story, thanks for sharing and congratulations on your first Moose.
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09-23-2021, 11:09 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: At the end of the Thirsty Beaver Trail, Pinsky lake, Alberta.
Posts: 24,581
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I am sure you got a few looks making your way back to edmonton....awesome bull!!!!
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Be careful when you follow the masses, sometimes the "M" is silent... 
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09-23-2021, 11:10 AM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Location
Posts: 4,961
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awesome stuff 3Blade. Congrats!
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09-23-2021, 11:11 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,516
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Thunder bull
Congrats on your moose. Enjoy those steaks and burger this winter.
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09-23-2021, 11:34 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Stony Plain
Posts: 1,144
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Hard earned
Well done.
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09-23-2021, 11:51 AM
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Join Date: Dec 2020
Posts: 90
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Good for you! That's the perfect sized critter to make some fine table fare. Enjoy!
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09-23-2021, 12:09 PM
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 8,303
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Congrats! All of that hard work will make the meat that much tastier!
BW
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09-23-2021, 12:18 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2021
Location: Strathmore
Posts: 1,390
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Congrats ! way to slug er out.
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09-23-2021, 12:31 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: GP AB
Posts: 16,233
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Good job, great story! Congrats. I imagine doing that in the box of a truck would have been awful. I got a bull about that size 3 seasons ago. All I could see was the back of his head so that's where he got it. And then he dropped right in a big pile of dead wood. Couldn't roll him, move him, just stuck right in there. What a bloody nightmare. So, a truck box sounds just about as bad.
__________________
'Once the monkeys learn they can vote themselves a banana, they'll never climb another tree.'. Robert Heinlein
'You can accomplish a lot more with a kind word and a gun, than with a kind word alone.' Al Capone
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09-23-2021, 12:41 PM
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Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Blackfalds
Posts: 6,945
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congrats! i hope its my turn next thursday, just without the rain and puke
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Trudeau and Biden sit to pee
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09-23-2021, 01:02 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: A bit North o' Center...
Posts: 11,149
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That is so awesome. What a story! One that you'll remember for a lifetime.
Congratulations on the bull!
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09-23-2021, 01:57 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 81
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Congrats! Nice little pygmy Moose.
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09-23-2021, 02:05 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 5,701
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Congrats
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09-23-2021, 04:11 PM
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Join Date: Jul 2021
Posts: 157
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good eats congrats 
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09-23-2021, 04:35 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 7,493
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Congrats
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09-23-2021, 04:38 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: My House
Posts: 13,458
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Duja gruuvy
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09-23-2021, 09:06 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: Strathmore
Posts: 5,619
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Great pic & write up. Thanks for sharing. Well done!
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09-23-2021, 09:57 PM
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Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 874
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Well done! And a great read. Thx for sharing.
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09-23-2021, 10:30 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Calgary
Posts: 695
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Terrific read. Great hunt. Congrats
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09-23-2021, 10:51 PM
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Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Edmonton
Posts: 6,496
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That's a great hunting story. Well done.
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You matter. Unless you multiply yourself by the speed of light squared... ...then you energy.
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09-24-2021, 03:06 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2008
Posts: 8,372
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Beauty Critter bud!!!!!! Congrats!!!!
Rrrrrrrooooooaaaaaassssttttss!!!
__________________
"How vain it is to sit down to write when you have not stood up to live.”
-HDT
"A vote is like a rifle; its usefulness depends on the character of the user." T. Roosevelt
"I don't always troll, only on days that end in Y."
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09-25-2021, 07:00 AM
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Join Date: Sep 2020
Posts: 43
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Love a great story, congrats!
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