Moose Hunting Fare..
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Pete F. will be joining us on our CB hunt again this year along with his oldest son Brad. Brad just finished a 2 year teaching endeavor in Gjoa Haven. Looks like I'll have plenty of Camp Attendant assistants..!!
Pete just emailed me this photo...I'm assuming that he took this yesterday because it's still daylight in Alberta
right now.
![Plant Natural environment Street light Wood Organism]()
He probably took it just to sharpen up his field dressing skills before joining us in the Highlands. LOL
I'm going to let him know that our menu is short of a steak dinner...!!! He might get the hint...??!!
Pete just emailed me this photo...I'm assuming that he took this yesterday because it's still daylight in Alberta
right now.
He probably took it just to sharpen up his field dressing skills before joining us in the Highlands. LOL
I'm going to let him know that our menu is short of a steak dinner...!!! He might get the hint...??!!
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1,158 Posts
Just arrived home from Hunters' Mountain. BEST HUNT EVER...!!
Five sightings the first day and 2 tags filled. The third tag filled yesterday morning at 8.15 AM. Two bulls and one cow. Had 3 teams (18 people ) for the week. Wet and windy weather but everyone had a great time.
Gary, what a difference with that little camp stove...it didn't heat up the whole cabin but there was always a place to go to warm up...We'll never be without it...
Everyone took tons of photos. I told all the hunters to transfer them to SD cards so that I can easily load them up to a file on my desktop. Can't wait to get them all...
Five sightings the first day and 2 tags filled. The third tag filled yesterday morning at 8.15 AM. Two bulls and one cow. Had 3 teams (18 people ) for the week. Wet and windy weather but everyone had a great time.
Gary, what a difference with that little camp stove...it didn't heat up the whole cabin but there was always a place to go to warm up...We'll never be without it...
Everyone took tons of photos. I told all the hunters to transfer them to SD cards so that I can easily load them up to a file on my desktop. Can't wait to get them all...
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1,158 Posts
Kevin, Owen did pay us a visit Sunday afternoon but we had just arrived and needed to set up our cabin tent as fast as we could. Didn't have much time to socialize. We were hoping that we would see him again during the week but it wasn't a very good week for travelling...wind and heavy rain.
It didn't take long to get a fire going after Christien set up the stove:
![Wood Gas Flooring Ceiling T-shirt]()
Man, did that heat ever feel good...!!
![Wood Heat Gas Tints and shades Fire]()
![Sky Tarpaulin Tent Ecoregion Plant]()
This is what it looked like from out 'backdoor' for most of the first 3 days of the hunt.
![Wheel Tire Automotive parking light Vehicle Car]()
Not the best weather for people but GREAT WEATHER FOR MOOSE..!!!
It didn't take long to get a fire going after Christien set up the stove:
Man, did that heat ever feel good...!!
This is what it looked like from out 'backdoor' for most of the first 3 days of the hunt.
Not the best weather for people but GREAT WEATHER FOR MOOSE..!!!
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1,158 Posts
Pete is sure getting lots of field dressing experience ( not like he needs it..!). First he gets an elk before travelling to NS to help us with our 3 moose harvests and then within a few days of his return to Alberta he nabs this moose in his backyard...Must be nice...!!!
![Wood Art Sculpture Event Table]()
Pete helping with our third moose....
![Plant Hat Grass Recreation Tree]()
The support team was all in my butcher room on Sat. We spent the better part of the day butchering our halves of the 3 moose. I'm still in the process of packaging, labelling and freezing. The meat is our only remuneration for our guiding service and with five of us we don't normally end up with very much meat. But taking 3 moose makes a big difference. The whole process of organizing moose hunts is a fun time but having the extra meat is icing on the cake.
Pete helping with our third moose....
The support team was all in my butcher room on Sat. We spent the better part of the day butchering our halves of the 3 moose. I'm still in the process of packaging, labelling and freezing. The meat is our only remuneration for our guiding service and with five of us we don't normally end up with very much meat. But taking 3 moose makes a big difference. The whole process of organizing moose hunts is a fun time but having the extra meat is icing on the cake.
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1,158 Posts
Looking forward to it Owen.
Pete, we can thank Christien for our much improved set up.
Over the next coming years the boys will likely keep adding sections to this cabin tent until we end up with one large galley along with an adequate dining area.
Our cooking surfaces is another improvement that Christien is responsible for:...TWO large Cabelas triple burners: one with the grill and one without. Man cooking is a breeze with all that cooking surface...
This was our Chinese dinner...three double chafing dishes on one stove...! Egg foo young ( on the first grill), Stir fry along with Meat and Broccoli, Lemon Chicken, Pork Fried Rice, and 100 moose Won tons.
The LED lights that we now use don't work well to make the color of the food stand out. I think that we were 19 for this meal...and there was left overs LOL...
That's chef 'Eric' with me from 3 years ago. His nephew Wayne ( that was his companion that year) was picked this year. A lot of stuff to recount when I get started...
![Jacket Cooking Event City Motor vehicle]()
Pete, we can thank Christien for our much improved set up.
Over the next coming years the boys will likely keep adding sections to this cabin tent until we end up with one large galley along with an adequate dining area.
Our cooking surfaces is another improvement that Christien is responsible for:...TWO large Cabelas triple burners: one with the grill and one without. Man cooking is a breeze with all that cooking surface...
This was our Chinese dinner...three double chafing dishes on one stove...! Egg foo young ( on the first grill), Stir fry along with Meat and Broccoli, Lemon Chicken, Pork Fried Rice, and 100 moose Won tons.
The LED lights that we now use don't work well to make the color of the food stand out. I think that we were 19 for this meal...and there was left overs LOL...
That's chef 'Eric' with me from 3 years ago. His nephew Wayne ( that was his companion that year) was picked this year. A lot of stuff to recount when I get started...
Kevin I did stop over, and yes i was up there for the hurricane Lots of rain and wind. But as I suspected the moose were moving after the storm. The cows fed big time after storm and the bulls were in tow.
That is another story week 1. I helped some friends tag out.
Fast forward to week 2.
I had my clients come in on Saturday. I did my usual class of moose anatomy on Sunday and told them about setup.
Monday morning hunt. Up at 5am and coffee on. Only spotted a cow out in the bog. We thought cow cause it never looked in our direction of calling and nothing following it.
Monday afternoon hunt. There at 3pm calling and area all setup. We started calling and waited 20-25 mins of listening⁰ after calling for 5 mins. My reason for that is to listen and hopefully catch one in area and bring them in with calling.
So companion hunter wanted a cigarette so he went down where i parked the bike. He did this after the first and second hour of calling.
So he went at 530 his went for his 2nd smoke and i was looking in the bog and seen a moose. The licensee was looking through his binoculars. I grabbed his shoulders and guided him to the moose. He said it was a bull.
I looked through mine and said it is a bull and a big one. The licensee then signaled the companion hunter to look at moose. Companion hunter gave thumbs up.
I watched the moose slowly walk, first away from us, but then gradually turned towards us. Then he turned big time to us. It seemed like an hour for him to cross that bog.
I told the hunters that the bull should be here in 30 mins so we are gonna set up in our secondary shooting position. The shot goes from 270 m down to 160 m. So i set them up and brief them on where it will come from.
I tell them to be patient. The longer they wait, the calmer they will become. No moose mania then.
Also, the longer they wait, the further it comes from cover and it increases the chances of a better hit. Secondly, it also gives more time to get a second and third shot off if necessary. And finally less work to move it from heavy cover.
So we wait, what seemed to be an eternity. 30 mins nothing, 45 mins nodda, 60 mins and still nothing.
I worry that either that bull ran into a hot cow and is not leaving her or it is trying to circle back around us
I have a plan for that as well. The licensee will stay in secondary position as that is the most likely area it would come out. The companion hunter will go back to originally setup position and I would watch behind him towards the bike.
As we head back to the original setup unbeknownst to us, the licensee hears the weird wheezing noise, (dominate bull grunt breathing). We didnt hear it but we took our time to get setup.
The companion hunter puts his gun in my Bog Pod rest, I go down the mound to watch the last area that the bull may come out of. The companion hunter whispers to me, he is coming out in that far corner. I sneak back and peak over the hill and watch this big rack poke out of the trees.
This whole time the licensee is trying to get our attention by waving his hat. He then remembered what I told him about slow motion of moose and no fast movements. He then sat there motionless watching the bull. I look through my binos and i wonder if licensee sees the moose cause no reaction. The caller is going this whole time to cover our noise.
Just as I peak over the hill the caller dies out. The moose stops dead in its tracks.
I plan for this. I grab my bugle call and I start bellowing my cow call. The moose looks in my direction but doesn't move an inch. I grunted and thrashed trees so the bull does the same but doesn't move. I couldn't see it so i keep it up. I called what seemed like forever and the moose too a few steps.
The companion hunter was told to wait for the licensee to shoot and then let it have it.
I go up the mound and see that the moose did come out a bit more but still hung up in some trees. We could see this massive rack in the trees.
I go back into action and call, grunt, thrash and call some more. Finally the bull moves towards me to our right and gives the licensee a broad side slightly quartered shot. They both see the moose licking his lips which is a sign that he is uneasy. The moose quarters to start to turn away. He rings off a round. The companion hunter lets one rip. I hear 2 more shots then I make my way back up the hill. I still see the moose standing there and tell him to fire again. He tells me that he is almost out of bullets. He fires his last round. I tell him to take his gun out of the Bog Pod. I place my rifle in and we can't see the moose.
The companion hunter then tells me that he needs a smoke and goes for a walk.
I take my rifle and go to licensee and he told me he got him. He tells me of last spot where he seen it last so we approach the area. He asks me is that him I said yes. I could see its rack moving in trees. It is alive and told him to give it to him. He fires 2 rounds. We approach and the moose is still trying to stand up. The licensee finishes it off with my 7mm rem mag and it drops in its tracks. I tell him that is why we don't shoot .308 and 30-06 anymore. The companion hunter is back to see the big guy go down and screams in excitement.
I told them this is a monster and we will need help. We go back to camp to get some supplies amd trailer and i go to the neighbors, which I meet every year, and tell them we got a monster and need help. They are quick to help out.
15 mins later we are at he moose took 3 bikes to get moose out behind the hill in a position to load on their trailer. 2 bikes to winch it on.
They were amazed, the moose was still dragging after loading.
Here are some pics.
![Hunting Leg Human body Wood Tree]()
![Light Automotive lighting Hood Road surface Asphalt]()
![Flash photography Tree Wood Smile Landscape]()
![Plant Natural material Branch Wood Organism]()
![Hunting Wood Plant Tree Natural material]()
![Head Eye Plant Tree Natural material]()
![Hunting Vertebrate Plant Mammal Organism]()
That is another story week 1. I helped some friends tag out.
Fast forward to week 2.
I had my clients come in on Saturday. I did my usual class of moose anatomy on Sunday and told them about setup.
Monday morning hunt. Up at 5am and coffee on. Only spotted a cow out in the bog. We thought cow cause it never looked in our direction of calling and nothing following it.
Monday afternoon hunt. There at 3pm calling and area all setup. We started calling and waited 20-25 mins of listening⁰ after calling for 5 mins. My reason for that is to listen and hopefully catch one in area and bring them in with calling.
So companion hunter wanted a cigarette so he went down where i parked the bike. He did this after the first and second hour of calling.
So he went at 530 his went for his 2nd smoke and i was looking in the bog and seen a moose. The licensee was looking through his binoculars. I grabbed his shoulders and guided him to the moose. He said it was a bull.
I looked through mine and said it is a bull and a big one. The licensee then signaled the companion hunter to look at moose. Companion hunter gave thumbs up.
I watched the moose slowly walk, first away from us, but then gradually turned towards us. Then he turned big time to us. It seemed like an hour for him to cross that bog.
I told the hunters that the bull should be here in 30 mins so we are gonna set up in our secondary shooting position. The shot goes from 270 m down to 160 m. So i set them up and brief them on where it will come from.
I tell them to be patient. The longer they wait, the calmer they will become. No moose mania then.
Also, the longer they wait, the further it comes from cover and it increases the chances of a better hit. Secondly, it also gives more time to get a second and third shot off if necessary. And finally less work to move it from heavy cover.
So we wait, what seemed to be an eternity. 30 mins nothing, 45 mins nodda, 60 mins and still nothing.
I worry that either that bull ran into a hot cow and is not leaving her or it is trying to circle back around us
I have a plan for that as well. The licensee will stay in secondary position as that is the most likely area it would come out. The companion hunter will go back to originally setup position and I would watch behind him towards the bike.
As we head back to the original setup unbeknownst to us, the licensee hears the weird wheezing noise, (dominate bull grunt breathing). We didnt hear it but we took our time to get setup.
The companion hunter puts his gun in my Bog Pod rest, I go down the mound to watch the last area that the bull may come out of. The companion hunter whispers to me, he is coming out in that far corner. I sneak back and peak over the hill and watch this big rack poke out of the trees.
This whole time the licensee is trying to get our attention by waving his hat. He then remembered what I told him about slow motion of moose and no fast movements. He then sat there motionless watching the bull. I look through my binos and i wonder if licensee sees the moose cause no reaction. The caller is going this whole time to cover our noise.
Just as I peak over the hill the caller dies out. The moose stops dead in its tracks.
I plan for this. I grab my bugle call and I start bellowing my cow call. The moose looks in my direction but doesn't move an inch. I grunted and thrashed trees so the bull does the same but doesn't move. I couldn't see it so i keep it up. I called what seemed like forever and the moose too a few steps.
The companion hunter was told to wait for the licensee to shoot and then let it have it.
I go up the mound and see that the moose did come out a bit more but still hung up in some trees. We could see this massive rack in the trees.
I go back into action and call, grunt, thrash and call some more. Finally the bull moves towards me to our right and gives the licensee a broad side slightly quartered shot. They both see the moose licking his lips which is a sign that he is uneasy. The moose quarters to start to turn away. He rings off a round. The companion hunter lets one rip. I hear 2 more shots then I make my way back up the hill. I still see the moose standing there and tell him to fire again. He tells me that he is almost out of bullets. He fires his last round. I tell him to take his gun out of the Bog Pod. I place my rifle in and we can't see the moose.
The companion hunter then tells me that he needs a smoke and goes for a walk.
I take my rifle and go to licensee and he told me he got him. He tells me of last spot where he seen it last so we approach the area. He asks me is that him I said yes. I could see its rack moving in trees. It is alive and told him to give it to him. He fires 2 rounds. We approach and the moose is still trying to stand up. The licensee finishes it off with my 7mm rem mag and it drops in its tracks. I tell him that is why we don't shoot .308 and 30-06 anymore. The companion hunter is back to see the big guy go down and screams in excitement.
I told them this is a monster and we will need help. We go back to camp to get some supplies amd trailer and i go to the neighbors, which I meet every year, and tell them we got a monster and need help. They are quick to help out.
15 mins later we are at he moose took 3 bikes to get moose out behind the hill in a position to load on their trailer. 2 bikes to winch it on.
They were amazed, the moose was still dragging after loading.
Here are some pics.
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That thing should be mounted over a fireplace somewhere what a great animal.
Joined
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1,158 Posts
Man, if ever we have a client that's looking for a trophy moose, we'll need to recruit you Owen. What a monster..!! Enjoyed your account of the hunt. It must have been a thrill for you to work that moose the way you did. Congrats to you and your sports.
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