2022 Alberta moose

[bonedogg]

Well after a 5 year wait I decided to pull a bull moose tag in a zone that I was somewhat familiar with. Never seen any great bulls previously but always a few. Snow had fallen and the temps had dropped to minus 25 Celsius at night and i had a couple days to burn with my 12 yr old son.

Off we went …

 

[Oak]

And?

 

[Sask hunter]

Late season would be fun tracking one down

 

[A207X2]

Following.

 

[bonedogg]

We loaded up the 1/2 ton and were on our way Nw a few hours. We had a destination in mind and when we got there we watched a good bull cross the road in front of us ten minutes after legal light but watched him go into the neighbour’s. We drove in to ask for permission but nobody was home. We turned around and did a hike in foot deep snow for a few miles and seen one small bull and a cow / calf pair. Could have shot that bull at 60 yds but decided it was too early and he was too small to end ii there that morning.

 

[bonedogg]

It was great to be into moose and I only had my son for two days, so I felt a bit of a pinch to get it done..

We hunted hard all day and watched a couple of other small bulls that night feed out of our bush so we had high hopes for the following morning.

We stayed in a motel 45 minutes away and A&W was our meal plan. We ate hard, slept hard and life was good.

 

[bonedogg]

When we pulled up the next morning and posted up we didn’t see anything transitioning back to the bedding area as we anticipated. We got in the truck and decided to go check out plan b. My son says, “what if that big guy is back in the same spot dad ?” We roll
Another 200 yds and I’m explaining to him how rare of a chance that would be and he looks over and says, “there he is dad !!””

No way …,,,, unreal, there he lays. But again no permission granted yet. He’s laying 10 yds inside the bush , 200 yds away. We drive in again and this time there is a car….. we walk up and sure enough the lady of the homestead meets us at the door. She is super friendly and we chat. We describe where the bull is and she says, “ sorry fellas , no hunting.” We we’re a tad deflated but knew he was just on the next quarter from where we could kill him . As we turn around she says, “ but I don’t have a problem if you try and push him to where you have permission…””

Thanks you miss, let’s see what we can make happen ….

 

[bonedogg]

I drop my son off near the edge of the bush , about 200yds away from the bedded bull. I drive around and park in the oil and gas lease road and walk in as it parallels the north boundary of the quarter. I’m waiting for sounds of a freight train coming through the dense swamp forest and nothing. Nothing but a songbird chirping. That songbird sound is coming from the direction of my truck , 250 yds away . It’s a familiar tweet and sure enough it’s the boy giving me the I’m over here whistle…

I don’t know what to say but assumed he was gunna follow the bull through. I waive him down and he starts the slow trek towards me. About 50 yds away he starts to talk at normal time and I place my fingers between my lips as to calm him down. At that moment , he spins North and says the bull is right there !!!

I call BS , I’m like there is no way that big racked bull is in that tight black swamp spruce and not making any noise and being that close . No way, he says, “ dad, I’m not joking he was right there ….!!! I said okay, you go back in there to where you think you saw him and I’ll shuffle down as you loop through 80 yds .

He goes 30 steps and I go 30 and I look up and mr moose is giving me the stink eye at 175 yds , maybe . He starts to cross the road and I got a freehand shot as he went in the bush , just one with the .260 Remington. It sounded good to me but I wasn’t sure. We walked up to the point where he crossed the road and there was no blood or hair, I was devastated. We followed his track another 30 yds and there was a red glimmer on the snow. Another 100 and it was evident he was hit and leaking blood out both sides in the snow . We stopped in the sun where he crossed an old line cut and had a snack and our water. I felt confident but these moose are tough critters. I felt good about things but you never know as it’s hunting .

 

[bonedogg]

 

[bonedogg]

 

[bonedogg]

 

[WNC2500]

This is getting good

 

[bonedogg]

We finish up our snacks and lizard time in the sun and set off on his track through the sticks. The bleeding is more prolific and even when amongst other moose tracks it’s always evident which one is his. We continue and he goes another 300 yds and beds down in some nasty stuff. We have bumped him out of his bed but his track is showing he’s three legged at this time as the snow indicates his far side front shoulder isn’t in good shape. I’m down that we bumped him, but it was a great way to teach my son what the sign was telling us.

He crosses a small hay field into a ten acre swamp and no sign of a moose coming out in the snow. We cut that bush like cutting cat tracks and knew he was in there. My son once again set off on the track while I made it to the other side.I was again set up in what I thought was the best spot possible , I anticipated the bull going SW if he came out. I could see my son meandering through the swamp about half way. I could see him looking at the tracks but also ahead. I was thinking it was go time and sure enough out hobbled our bull . 300 yds out, broadside and stopped . I put three in him as fast as I could as I leaned up against a tall poplar. He made it the 60 yds to the fence and barely made it over to the gravel road and stood there for what seemed like eternity.

All I could say was die right there…….. please …..please…….please

He was trying to figure out his next move and I could not shoot with the last bullet I had as he stood bleeding in the crown of the gravel road.

I thought it was going to be a funny picture and kinda smiled to myself when he got the gusto to hop the next fence and saunter into the next bush..

Unreal …… this sucks but he’s right there . At that moment the landowner comes out and meets me on the road. He says, “ did ya get him? I heard all of your shooting.” I explain the scenario as my boy meets me on the road and he says go harvest your animal and let me know if you need any help?I thank him and say I kinda wanted to do this the hard way and show my son how to quarter a moose up and we have a plastic sled that we purchased for this moment and it’s only about 150 yds down a cut line and 75 yds into the thick bush.

 

[bonedogg]

We walk up on the bull and he’s a good bull. His body is massive and he’s a healthy old boy body wise. No scars ,his hide is clean and his antlers are a bush dark complexion. To give y’all some background. I have shot one small bull with my bow many years ago and another 56” wide bull with a rifle in the same southern foothills Alberta zone 6 years ago.

 

[bonedogg]

 

[bonedogg]

This southern zone where the bulls were taken previously is considered as a Shiras species zone under SCI standards and yes, IMO the bulls are a tad smaller body wise down south than the central to northern Canadian Moses designations of Alberta. Most of the province isn’t privy to the chinook winds that blow in sw Alberta and it seems to jive with a slightly smaller moose being able to deal with less snow, less often and a shorter duration. Who knows , just my two cents from the couch.

My son was so jacked to see the bull moose up close. Last year he watched my buddy take a nice antelope and watched me take a small wt with him beside me.

This year my buddy had some points saved up and we helped him with his dream of taking a mature bull elk. We had four days booked in early October for rifle and we were into elk on day one. Some character bulls and a clean 6x6 were put to bed that night.

 

[bonedogg]

 

[bonedogg]

 

[bonedogg]

 

[bonedogg]

My buddy chose the big 6x6 and I don’t blame him, it’s what everyone wants ….. I have a couple so I would have taken the freak bull personally. Maybe next year as I’m up to bat for that same tag with a buddy…..

We will see…

Anyways back to the moose ..