ashersdad
Well-known member
My moose hunt has been open for archery during the month of September and then the rifle hunt opened on Oct. 1st. After being gone for 12 days already in September looking for moose, my wife wasn’t too thrilled about another 8 days by herself. So I told her I would take our boys (ages 2 and 4) with me. I figured I would take our camping trailer and make a camping trip out of it.
The boys and I left on Sunday. We made it to Baker City and spent the night there. The next day we made it to Grandma and Grandpas in Utah and spent the night and Tuesday morning getting things ready. I love the fall colors.
I figured we would go over Tuesday night and get camp set up and maybe do some hunting that night. RIGHT!!
We were driving up and were probably 20 miles into the dirt road and my truck breaks down. Transmission problems. DAMN!! Now what? So me and the two little ones start walking up the road trying to get reception on my phone. No luck. Finally some other hunters came by and one of them had reception on his phone. So I called my twin brother who lives 3 hours away and left him a message. So we went back to the trailer and made dinner and waited for Uncle Kelly. Later that night Uncle Kelly showed up and gave us a ride back into town. We got a hotel room for the night.
The next morning I called a tow truck and he came and got me and the boys and we went back up to the truck. So much for hunting opening morning of the rifle hunt. We decided that the tow truck would take the truck and leave me and the boys with the trailer. I had a four-wheeler so I figured we could hunt and my Dad and brother were coming up later in the week so we wouldn’t be stranded without a truck.
The tow guy got the truck loaded and left. By now it was the middle of the afternoon. I fixed lunch and got the boys ready so we could hunt that evening. All of a sudden it dawned on me. I had forgot to get my rifle out from under the seat of my truck. #*@%:BLEEP:
I’m afraid the boys learned a few new words. Oh well at least I had thrown my bow in the trailer so at least we could still hunt. I can legally hunt with my bow during the rifle hunt as long as I wore orange.
So the three of us left on the four-wheeler looking for moose. We made it to the area that I had seen moose in two weeks ago and started slowly up the road. I could see a truck a half mile or so in front of us and watched as they jumped out the truck and started shooting. When we got up to them we saw they had shot a small bull moose. We walked up so my boys could see the moose. We talked with them for awhile. One of them had the same moose tag last year and he said he had seen a lot of moose but no big ones. Seems this unit is not really managed for older class bulls. This confirmed what I had seen also. We congratulated them and moved on. We covered a lot of ground that evening but didn’t see anymore moose.
As we were driving back to camp we came around the corner and there was Grandma and Grandpa. They had heard about our truck breaking down and came up to stay with us for a couple days. I don’t know about the rest of you but, I have such great in-laws. My boys were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa.
The next morning my Father-in-law and I left the boys with Grandma in the trailer and went to look for moose. We got to where I wanted to be at first light and started to look for moose. About mid way up the canyon, we spotted a cow. We continued on and as we rounded the next corner I looked up and saw a bull standing on the side of the willows. I looked through my binoculars and saw that it was the biggest bull I had seen. While not big, I decided to give it a shot. So I left my Father-in-law to watch while I tried to get in bow range through the willows. I entered the willows and I could hear the bull grunting. I looked up and I could see the bull heading my way. I couldn’t believe it. He was coming my way fast. I knelt by a little pine tree and nocked an arrow. I didn’t even have time to get my range finder out. He was coming and it looked like he would pass me at less than 20 yards. As he got about 15 yards out I drew. He was quartering toward me and I aimed for the off side shoulder. I released and watched the arrow hit home. The bull immediately turned around and trotted 10 yards or so and stopped. I didn’t even have time to nock another arrow and he did the wobbly dance and toppled over dead. From the time I shot it couldn’t have been 20 seconds. I couldn’t believe how fast he died.
I know he’s not the biggest bull but I am happy with him.
The boys and I left on Sunday. We made it to Baker City and spent the night there. The next day we made it to Grandma and Grandpas in Utah and spent the night and Tuesday morning getting things ready. I love the fall colors.
I figured we would go over Tuesday night and get camp set up and maybe do some hunting that night. RIGHT!!
We were driving up and were probably 20 miles into the dirt road and my truck breaks down. Transmission problems. DAMN!! Now what? So me and the two little ones start walking up the road trying to get reception on my phone. No luck. Finally some other hunters came by and one of them had reception on his phone. So I called my twin brother who lives 3 hours away and left him a message. So we went back to the trailer and made dinner and waited for Uncle Kelly. Later that night Uncle Kelly showed up and gave us a ride back into town. We got a hotel room for the night.
The next morning I called a tow truck and he came and got me and the boys and we went back up to the truck. So much for hunting opening morning of the rifle hunt. We decided that the tow truck would take the truck and leave me and the boys with the trailer. I had a four-wheeler so I figured we could hunt and my Dad and brother were coming up later in the week so we wouldn’t be stranded without a truck.
The tow guy got the truck loaded and left. By now it was the middle of the afternoon. I fixed lunch and got the boys ready so we could hunt that evening. All of a sudden it dawned on me. I had forgot to get my rifle out from under the seat of my truck. #*@%:BLEEP:
I’m afraid the boys learned a few new words. Oh well at least I had thrown my bow in the trailer so at least we could still hunt. I can legally hunt with my bow during the rifle hunt as long as I wore orange.
So the three of us left on the four-wheeler looking for moose. We made it to the area that I had seen moose in two weeks ago and started slowly up the road. I could see a truck a half mile or so in front of us and watched as they jumped out the truck and started shooting. When we got up to them we saw they had shot a small bull moose. We walked up so my boys could see the moose. We talked with them for awhile. One of them had the same moose tag last year and he said he had seen a lot of moose but no big ones. Seems this unit is not really managed for older class bulls. This confirmed what I had seen also. We congratulated them and moved on. We covered a lot of ground that evening but didn’t see anymore moose.
As we were driving back to camp we came around the corner and there was Grandma and Grandpa. They had heard about our truck breaking down and came up to stay with us for a couple days. I don’t know about the rest of you but, I have such great in-laws. My boys were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa.
The next morning my Father-in-law and I left the boys with Grandma in the trailer and went to look for moose. We got to where I wanted to be at first light and started to look for moose. About mid way up the canyon, we spotted a cow. We continued on and as we rounded the next corner I looked up and saw a bull standing on the side of the willows. I looked through my binoculars and saw that it was the biggest bull I had seen. While not big, I decided to give it a shot. So I left my Father-in-law to watch while I tried to get in bow range through the willows. I entered the willows and I could hear the bull grunting. I looked up and I could see the bull heading my way. I couldn’t believe it. He was coming my way fast. I knelt by a little pine tree and nocked an arrow. I didn’t even have time to get my range finder out. He was coming and it looked like he would pass me at less than 20 yards. As he got about 15 yards out I drew. He was quartering toward me and I aimed for the off side shoulder. I released and watched the arrow hit home. The bull immediately turned around and trotted 10 yards or so and stopped. I didn’t even have time to nock another arrow and he did the wobbly dance and toppled over dead. From the time I shot it couldn’t have been 20 seconds. I couldn’t believe how fast he died.
I know he’s not the biggest bull but I am happy with him.
