Wayne in BC
New member
What was that?!!!
Your trophy Bull, i said rather darkly. Joe had not yet come to the realisation that he had just flubbed his chance....
Lets go get him!.....
Once again i quietly explained that the racket and sound of his voice had instantly convinced the quarry that somewhere else, a mile or so away, was a good place to be. Moose can be dumb but they are not stupid and can tell the difference instantly between a prospective girlfriend and a "people". Even the sound of many fabrics hunters wear will put them on alert right quick.
That is why i never wore denim jeans when hunting, they are noisy in brush or just walking, zzzip zzip against the brush or grass, stay wet forever, and do not give any flexibility when climbing over logs, or mounting, dismounting a horse.
They do create a nice steambath effect in a tent when wet and hung over the stove tho...
Most experienced stalkers wear wool all over, i did also but often used soft nylon sweats, worn over thermal underwear, which just flattens uselessly under jeans. Quiet, comfy, roomy, dry on you in a short time, windproof, and do not snag. Some of my clients took a bit of time to adjust to the sight of their "steely eyed guide" with sweats, vibram soled hiking boots, and a Stetson
It usually took a few days before they quit fighting wet clammy denims and took the spare sweats i offered and got to hunting....
Back to camp for lunch and a break for my slightly contrite and leg weary hunter, two miles? Eeesshhh!
I saddled the horses after lunch and went in the opposite direction from where we had walked, much to his dismay because he seemed to think we would catch up to "his" Moose with the ponies
Time to explain some more facts of life to him, as they applied to animals....
Rule #1.....your quarry will be spooked and suspicious, making it near impossible to find him and he will "buttonhook" many times to watch and smell his backtrail before settling down. Let him be for a day and he will revert to his normal behavior which you can work with.
Rule#2.....there are more out there! See rule #1 and remember why you were told it.
I had been there many times with hunters, it was early in the game, the conditions were right and i pointed Brandy southeast on an old partly grown in seismic trail, Frosty, with Joe aboard calmly followed. Both horses were veterans of many hunts and knew what was happening, i needed only to correct Brandy if i wished to take a detour or change trails as he remembered as any good horse will, what the route was and could take you through it in a snowstorm in the dark, perfectly.
There was a natural mineral lick, a blue green patch of muck below a hillside seep a mile on.
Joe was excited again when several Muledeer does and a Cow Elk were standing around the lick. As they faded away into the brush, i led us 50 yards further where i tied the horses and we walked through a section of muskeg and willows along the little stream.
I pointed out the "wallow" to Joe, explaining that a Bull Moose used it to attract cows and would paw a shallow depression and urinate in it, then paw some more up onto his belly to get himself all "perfumed" for the girls. They hang nearby and check their wallows often. Those of you that hunt Whitetail Deer know this deal, "rubs" being similiar.
Their was no fresh stink or tracks and we rode for a couple miles to the river flats, seeing two Cow moose and more Elk disappearing ahead of us in the long meadow. 3 oclockish and the saddle was getting to Joe and he wanted to head back, walking for a bit
Uneventful trip back other than Joe whining some about his legs and butt......
Day two we walked back to the area the Bull had been in, as it got light, numerous moose tracks of various sizes showed up, including a big set which was either our quarry or a large Cow, no way to tell in the soft snow, a hopeful sign tho.
Just before we crested a hill, set of big tracks came onto the trail we were on. Pidgeon toed and close together, Joe again perked up, then froze some as i whispered, bear....He had bought a Black bear license and now suddenly it was....can we get him?
I told him, look, i know where that bear is heading, there is a big blueberry patch just above that lower thick timber on the slope of the mountain yonder, pointing to the area 1/2 mile away. But! We would be likely to spook your Moose again if we go through there, Moose is your first choice, right? He agreed and we angled off the trail through some thin timber, walking carefully and slowly to a gentle downslope leading into a n area of low brush and willows with few trees. Stopping so fast as i looked down the hill, Joe bumped into my back and i grabbed his arm hard! He looked at me in surprise and i mouthed/whispered, Moose! Don't move!
The big Bull was standing close by a Cow, both angling away from us and only 50 yards away!, the Cow feeding and himself waving his huge rack back and forth, trying to impress the lady.
In early morning the wind comes down the slopes and it was in our face, good!
I whispered again to Joe...slowly and quietly man, use this tree here and take him in the boiler room, two thirds up the chest. Joe was vibrating and shivering, i thought there would be a problem for sure! Yep he reached to his belt with gloves on and tried to remove ammo from his pouch while i tried not growl at him for not having ammo in his magazine! I did not allow carrying one in the chamber for obvious reasons but the mag needed to be stocked!
I was feeling fatalistic as Joe, shaking, took off his gloves and "clinked" a couple rounds into the mag.
Both Moose looked our way and stood unmoving as Joe finished loading and not even trying to be quiet, RACKED a round into the chamber and stumbled two steps forward.
The moose never moved, sometimes they do that and it takes a bit for them to digest the info, lacking our scent and maybe not seeing us very well, plus rutting season.....
I never really saw Joe aim, one moment he was leaned into the tree, rifle barrel waving around, the next instant the muzzle blast and the Bull falling in a heap! As it turned out, hit high in the neck, dead center and dead! Joe jacked another round when i told him to and i had my sights on the Moose, just in case, when there was another blast from Joe's rifle and snow erupted 6 ft to the left of the Bull! I had seen the hair fly on the Bulls neck, his posture indicated game over anyway so took Joe's rifle from him, saying, good shot! its DEAD!
Joe sat in down in the snow shaking but after a bit we went down and he admired his trophy, it was a heck of an animal for sure. No client of mine had ever gotten one this size, although i had guided hunters to maybe 40+ Moose kills over the years.
The next several hours were taken up with field dressing, quartering an estimated 1100 lbs of Moose, and getting the horses to haul it back to camp. We were tired that night but Joe was spiked with success, he wanted to go Bear hunting now.........
Continued......... you aint had hardly NO fun yet
Here is a better look at a record book Moose, fuzzy faced me and fuzzy pic but i am glad to have it, lost a bunch of others.
[attachment 40436 trophy.jpg]
Your trophy Bull, i said rather darkly. Joe had not yet come to the realisation that he had just flubbed his chance....
Lets go get him!.....
Once again i quietly explained that the racket and sound of his voice had instantly convinced the quarry that somewhere else, a mile or so away, was a good place to be. Moose can be dumb but they are not stupid and can tell the difference instantly between a prospective girlfriend and a "people". Even the sound of many fabrics hunters wear will put them on alert right quick.
That is why i never wore denim jeans when hunting, they are noisy in brush or just walking, zzzip zzip against the brush or grass, stay wet forever, and do not give any flexibility when climbing over logs, or mounting, dismounting a horse.
They do create a nice steambath effect in a tent when wet and hung over the stove tho...
Most experienced stalkers wear wool all over, i did also but often used soft nylon sweats, worn over thermal underwear, which just flattens uselessly under jeans. Quiet, comfy, roomy, dry on you in a short time, windproof, and do not snag. Some of my clients took a bit of time to adjust to the sight of their "steely eyed guide" with sweats, vibram soled hiking boots, and a Stetson
It usually took a few days before they quit fighting wet clammy denims and took the spare sweats i offered and got to hunting....Back to camp for lunch and a break for my slightly contrite and leg weary hunter, two miles? Eeesshhh!
I saddled the horses after lunch and went in the opposite direction from where we had walked, much to his dismay because he seemed to think we would catch up to "his" Moose with the ponies
Time to explain some more facts of life to him, as they applied to animals....
Rule #1.....your quarry will be spooked and suspicious, making it near impossible to find him and he will "buttonhook" many times to watch and smell his backtrail before settling down. Let him be for a day and he will revert to his normal behavior which you can work with.
Rule#2.....there are more out there! See rule #1 and remember why you were told it.
I had been there many times with hunters, it was early in the game, the conditions were right and i pointed Brandy southeast on an old partly grown in seismic trail, Frosty, with Joe aboard calmly followed. Both horses were veterans of many hunts and knew what was happening, i needed only to correct Brandy if i wished to take a detour or change trails as he remembered as any good horse will, what the route was and could take you through it in a snowstorm in the dark, perfectly.
There was a natural mineral lick, a blue green patch of muck below a hillside seep a mile on.
Joe was excited again when several Muledeer does and a Cow Elk were standing around the lick. As they faded away into the brush, i led us 50 yards further where i tied the horses and we walked through a section of muskeg and willows along the little stream.
I pointed out the "wallow" to Joe, explaining that a Bull Moose used it to attract cows and would paw a shallow depression and urinate in it, then paw some more up onto his belly to get himself all "perfumed" for the girls. They hang nearby and check their wallows often. Those of you that hunt Whitetail Deer know this deal, "rubs" being similiar.
Their was no fresh stink or tracks and we rode for a couple miles to the river flats, seeing two Cow moose and more Elk disappearing ahead of us in the long meadow. 3 oclockish and the saddle was getting to Joe and he wanted to head back, walking for a bit
Uneventful trip back other than Joe whining some about his legs and butt......
Day two we walked back to the area the Bull had been in, as it got light, numerous moose tracks of various sizes showed up, including a big set which was either our quarry or a large Cow, no way to tell in the soft snow, a hopeful sign tho.
Just before we crested a hill, set of big tracks came onto the trail we were on. Pidgeon toed and close together, Joe again perked up, then froze some as i whispered, bear....He had bought a Black bear license and now suddenly it was....can we get him?
I told him, look, i know where that bear is heading, there is a big blueberry patch just above that lower thick timber on the slope of the mountain yonder, pointing to the area 1/2 mile away. But! We would be likely to spook your Moose again if we go through there, Moose is your first choice, right? He agreed and we angled off the trail through some thin timber, walking carefully and slowly to a gentle downslope leading into a n area of low brush and willows with few trees. Stopping so fast as i looked down the hill, Joe bumped into my back and i grabbed his arm hard! He looked at me in surprise and i mouthed/whispered, Moose! Don't move!
The big Bull was standing close by a Cow, both angling away from us and only 50 yards away!, the Cow feeding and himself waving his huge rack back and forth, trying to impress the lady.
In early morning the wind comes down the slopes and it was in our face, good!
I whispered again to Joe...slowly and quietly man, use this tree here and take him in the boiler room, two thirds up the chest. Joe was vibrating and shivering, i thought there would be a problem for sure! Yep he reached to his belt with gloves on and tried to remove ammo from his pouch while i tried not growl at him for not having ammo in his magazine! I did not allow carrying one in the chamber for obvious reasons but the mag needed to be stocked!
I was feeling fatalistic as Joe, shaking, took off his gloves and "clinked" a couple rounds into the mag.
Both Moose looked our way and stood unmoving as Joe finished loading and not even trying to be quiet, RACKED a round into the chamber and stumbled two steps forward.
The moose never moved, sometimes they do that and it takes a bit for them to digest the info, lacking our scent and maybe not seeing us very well, plus rutting season.....
I never really saw Joe aim, one moment he was leaned into the tree, rifle barrel waving around, the next instant the muzzle blast and the Bull falling in a heap! As it turned out, hit high in the neck, dead center and dead! Joe jacked another round when i told him to and i had my sights on the Moose, just in case, when there was another blast from Joe's rifle and snow erupted 6 ft to the left of the Bull! I had seen the hair fly on the Bulls neck, his posture indicated game over anyway so took Joe's rifle from him, saying, good shot! its DEAD!
Joe sat in down in the snow shaking but after a bit we went down and he admired his trophy, it was a heck of an animal for sure. No client of mine had ever gotten one this size, although i had guided hunters to maybe 40+ Moose kills over the years.
The next several hours were taken up with field dressing, quartering an estimated 1100 lbs of Moose, and getting the horses to haul it back to camp. We were tired that night but Joe was spiked with success, he wanted to go Bear hunting now.........
Continued......... you aint had hardly NO fun yet
Here is a better look at a record book Moose, fuzzy faced me and fuzzy pic but i am glad to have it, lost a bunch of others.
[attachment 40436 trophy.jpg]
Hey.....that'd get my adrenaline flowing too. Look out Yogi.....here we come ! Can't wait for the rest.
