Chasing a Moose in the Northern Saskatchewan Forest

Shablabar

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Jun 16, 2017
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Saskatchewan
Hi all,

So I'm a new hunter and will be heading out this fall for the first time (other than pass shooting snow geese here and there in the spring, but I don't count that!).

My plan was to put in for elk, muleys, and moose in order to move up into the priority pool for the next few years, while getting some time on the ground this fall with an OTC whitetail tag.

Well… lady luck had other plans for me! I hit both my Moose and Elk tags for this fall. My first thought was "woo-hoo!", and my second thought, shortly thereafter, was "oh crap, how am I gonna pull this off?"

In terms of gear, etc., I think I'm pretty ready to go. I do a lot of hiking and backcountry camping so overnights and treks through the bush are nothing new to me, and my kit is pretty dialled in, except I will be picking up a backpack that can handle heavier loads than the ultralight backpacking type I currently have. I also run and work out and fitness-wise I don't have too many concerns.

My biggest problem is, I don't know how to find and shoot a moose (or an elk for that matter, but I'll put those in the other board)! I think you'll agree that's a pretty important thing to know how to do :confused:

I've been hitting the topographic maps and scouting with boot leather since I was notified of my successful draw, as well as reading everything I can find and watching every youtube video even remotely related to the subject.

Based on my reading here is my tentative plan:

1. Head out as often as I can in the lead up to the season to scout out trails and likely spots that I have identified on the map.

2. Make note of spots where sign can be found, paying particular attention to browse and transitional areas by lakes and streams, where cows in particular can be found (so I am told) in the rut (my tag is either-sex and is for Oct 1-15, with a "second chance" season from November 1-15).

3. Head up a few days before the season starts to get some last minute scouting done and pinpoint where I want to be on the opener.

4. Set up by a high-likelihood spot, previously identified, and call for bulls, staying in one spot for a day or two before crossing it off and moving on to the next spot. Maybe mix in a bit of still hunting in the dawn/dusk hours?

Here is some pertinent information:

1. The area is heavily forested and nasty with a capital "N". The boreal forest in this region is thick and the understory is nightmarish, so any real walking will probably need to be confined to trails. In the area by my wife's family's cabin (where I will be staying), there are lots of ATV trails crisscrossing to isolated lakes and rivers, which I plan on using to get from spot to spot.

2. I don't have a quad or anything like that so Mr Moose, should he be so kind as to present a shot opportunity that I can land, will need to be taken out with man-power. My brother-in-law and father have foolishly volunteered to assist with this task. Because of the thickness of the bush here, I am probably going to have to pass on any shot that is more than 100m or so from the trial.

3. Because of the relatively flat terrain and thick timber, spot-and-stalk is pretty much off the table. I have a pair of 8x42 diamondbacks which I plan to use from where I am set up to glass up and down the trails, or just into the bush, or maybe across and around lakes and streams.

I know you fine folks have a lot of accumulated wisdom so any helpful tips you can offer me will be hugely appreciated. What are your thoughts? Truth be told I am a bit intimidated by the task ahead!
 
Wow, great intro and lucky can you be! First off on moose find some water /swamps and don't be aposed to a shot over 100 meters. Moose a big animals and a lot of work to take apart. Watch some videos on calling, you may be hunting in the rut! Best of luck.
 
Thanks for the tips, Sneakypete! Been definitely watching my fill of calling videos on YouTube.

How long would you recommend calling from the same spot before moving to another? A morning, a couple of days? I'm looking to get as much of an edge as I can!
 
The best moose caller I ever saw would call from a knob or hill (cow call) for about an hour late late evening. In the morning you glass from that knob and slowly pick out bulls that came in through the night. I never had much luck doing that but I guess the takeaway is that these things can take time....
Grunting and raking are more immediate in my experience, more like elk calling. If it were me I'd find the absolute closest spot to the cabin that I thought was moosy and glass and call and glass some more, even if your only opening is a trail, road, or lakeshore. I would not cross a place off the list if I got no response. Just keep at it.
 
Moose have excellent hearing so sitting in one location and calling is a good strategy.
It may take days before a bull shows up to calling.
Most newbies make too much noise, and are not patient enough.

https://www.alaskaremote.com/my-3-day-strategy-for-moose-hunting-success

Big bulls typically try to loop around downwind to catch the scent of the caller.
So try to call with a lake or big meadow downwind of your calling location.
That way you have an open shot when the bull loops downwind to try to scent your calling position.

A big bull may weigh over 1,000 pounds.
 
Great tips and thanks for the link, AlaskaHunter! Good idea with putting the lake downwind, as well. Definitely wouldn't have thought of that…

So if you were me would you stake out a moosey-looking spot downwind of a lake and call there a couple of days? How long would you go before moving on? Three days?

Also: would you call evening and look morning (I like that idea—gives the moose time to approach while I'm sleeping), or call both?

How far apart would you space the calls? I am nervous about overcalling—you folks aren't the first to warn me about that! Maybe every half-hour?

Thanks for the help folks! Keep it coming, I'm furiously taking notes :D
 
Great tips and thanks for the link, AlaskaHunter! Good idea with putting the lake downwind, as well. Definitely wouldn't have thought of that…

So if you were me would you stake out a moosey-looking spot downwind of a lake and call there a couple of days? How long would you go before moving on? Three days?

Also: would you call evening and look morning (I like that idea—gives the moose time to approach while I'm sleeping), or call both?

How far apart would you space the calls? I am nervous about overcalling—you folks aren't the first to warn me about that! Maybe every half-hour?

Thanks for the help folks! Keep it coming, I'm furiously taking notes :D

I like to have 3 different spots to hunt from in a 10-day hunt.
I use google earth to find 3 different hills with lakes or meadows downwind from different directions.
If I have a south wind I go to hill A with a lake downwind from me, if the wind shifts from the north,
I move to hill B with a meadow downwind from me.

I canoe in to be as quiet as possible, then take about 30 minutes slowly walking and mimic browsing of willows
before sunrise to get to my calling hill. I usually sit for 30 minutes and listen and glass. Then I rake brush if it is
early in the rut, or soft cow call if it is during the rut. Then I glass and listen for an hour and repeat with a louder
broadcast cow call. Then I glass and listen for an hour. If there is a bull within a mile, he knows my location and it
may take him many hours to get to me. Last fall I shot my bull at 10am.
I'm usually quiet if it is warm and mid-day, starting to call as the shadows lengthen in the evening at 1 hour intervals.
Just like most big game hunting, glassing also is important...look for any small white patch that seems out of place
and often it is part of a bull's antler.

I also always take in a tarp. If it starts raining, I stretch the tarp overhead using hook screws and parachute cord.
Hunting all day in the rain is more pleasant sitting under a tarp canopy.
Also the tarp helps keep the meat clean while butchering.

I highly recommend the DVD series "Moose Madness"
https://moosemadnessproductions.com/product/gouthros-moose-madness-series-on-moose-hunting-calling/
(Also available thru Cabelas)
The DVD thoroughly covers finer aspects of calling, setups, and shot placement.

Most moose hunters are not patient enough...I like to hunt from the same spot for at least 2 days unless the wind shifts.
Pre-dawn to dark so take a tarp and chair and be as comfortable as possible.

My calling locations are within a mile of tent base camp so I also broadcast call at 2am,then go back to sleep,
as I think that helps draw bulls towards my hunting location.
If my calling location is farther from base camp, I spike camp there for a couple nights.
Sometimes a bull shows up at camp before dawn, and he will be near camp at dawn.
 
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What zones were you drawn for? As you said it will be tough in the bush. The only moose I have ever shot is a farmland bull and haven't got a elk yet. I'll be trying regular season elk again this year. I would try to get a quad. That way you only have to carry quarters to the trail or you could do like everyone else find a way in with the quad and pull it out whole

Btw I am a sask guy too
 
Damn those are awesome tips, thank you!! I have a couple of spots tentatively marked out but I will go back to the map with this advice in mind.

Hey Sask Hunter—good to see a fellow stubble-jumper on here! I've been drawn zone 64 for either-sex moose and Greenwater Lake Provincial Park for antlerless elk.

I have been asking around about a quad for the exact reason you say—means I only need to carry to the trail. So far no joy, though…
 
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