Moose 25

[BearFoot]

Next few days, seeing sub-legals, visits by Ermundo, small bulls, military aircraft playing overhead, like most days. Hot & sunny. Owl buddy comes by daily for inspection.

After a hard storm night, woke to high overcast skies. See the same bulls each day, Ermundo is cute, but in every ones stuff, knocking over coffee, jumping about inside the tent. We discuss our options. Time to relocate camp.

 

[BearFoot]

Late afternoon and camp is set up in high country, because the young ones are chimps that need space to chimp about, while we scope the slopes below.
Evening bull in heavy cover. Watched this guy until to dark to see.


This guy easily has the width. Early morning the Kid spots the bull.

He packs up and bombs after it. He has to crash brush, cross creeks, a beaver pond, then gain a ridge, just for a look. From my perch, I watch the bull leave the area, he walks across a wide drainage, and disappears into thick timber. The bull eludes him. I've no idea where the Kid is. Things get very slow.
daylight coming on.

I know he's down below slapping brush with a scapula, calling. Sometimes the bulls, even cows show up, and for me once, a bear.
An hour or so goes by and I spot a cow moose. Searching the area, I find an antler in the brush. Better than a mile and a half away. The big bull appears. He is high on the slopes, I grab my gear and go. Hiking the back side of high ridges, I get over to where I believe the bull may be. Coming over the ridge, I enter a large valley bowl. He's here somewhere. Glassing and changing positions, I found him. 450 yards out. I'm not a practiced long range shooter. The closer I get the better. I found the bull is bedded. Antlers like great white goal posts, facing up hill. I hunched, crawled, stayed behind trees to avoid detection. Managed to get 300 yards behind a small wall of spruce trees. With the bull facing my direction, I slowly slipped off backpack, setup tripod and placed it just outside the edge of the spruce. After all was in place, I eased behind my scope and took this picture. We judge antler width assuming the eyes are 10" wide. This has been verified numerous times. This bull is a no brainer.



Spun the scope sideways for a 300 win mag rest, and just relaxed my breathing. Bedded bull moose. Aim center left of front shoulder. He was chill, unaware of me. When I was calm and steady, the shot was perfect. This magnificent bull laid over. One and done!

 

[JV842]

Late afternoon and camp is set up in high country, because the young ones are chimps that need space to chimp about, while we scope the slopes below.
Evening bull in heavy cover. Watched this guy until to dark to see.

View attachment 389436View attachment 389437
This guy easily has the width. Early morning the Kid spots the bull.
View attachment 389438
He packs up and bombs after it. He has to crash brush, cross creeks, a beaver pond, then gain a ridge, just for a look. From my perch, I watch the bull leave the area, he walks across a wide drainage, and disappears into thick timber. The bull eludes him. I've no idea where the Kid is. Things get very slow.
daylight coming on.
View attachment 389439
I know he's down below slapping brush with a scapula, calling. Sometimes the bulls, even cows show up, and for me once, a bear.
An hour or so goes by and I spot a cow moose. Searching the area, I find an antler in the brush. Better than a mile and a half away. The big bull appears. He is high on the slopes, I grab my gear and go. Hiking the back side of high ridges, I get over to where I believe the bull may be. Coming over the ridge, I enter a large valley bowl. He's here somewhere. Glassing and changing positions, I found him. 450 yards out. I'm not a practiced long range shooter. The closer I get the better. I found the bull is bedded. Antlers like great white goal posts, facing up hill. I hunched, crawled, stayed behind trees to avoid detection. Managed to get 300 yards behind a small wall of spruce trees. With the bull facing my direction, I slowly slipped off backpack, setup tripod and placed it just outside the edge of the spruce. After all was in place, I eased behind my scope and took this picture. We judge antler width assuming the eyes are 10" wide. This has been verified numerous times. This bull is a no brainer.

View attachment 389440

Spun the scope sideways for a 300 win mag rest, and just relaxed my breathing. Bedded bull moose. Aim center left of front shoulder. He was chill, unaware of me. When I was calm and steady, the shot was perfect. This magnificent bull laid over. One and done!

Continue!!! I’m at the hospital with a ROUGH ASS SHIFT under the belt n 3hrs yet to go….this is about the only thing keeping me awake rt now

 

[BearFoot]

"Sometimes in hunting it's just about putting yourself in a position to be successful and accepting the gifts when God chooses to give them."

My shot position.

My Big Bull just beyond the yellow below.

One shot and done.
I'm just sitting there, mentally expressing thanks and gratitude. This was one of the most perfect setups, I've ever encountered. Truly a gift.
I did not know at the time, but the Kid had been chasing this moose, the whole time. He lost sight of the bull, but spotted me ducking & weaving on the hillside. Knew something was up. At the shot, he hiked on up to my position.

Time to get to work!
Moose is WORK!

 

[JV842]

"Sometimes in hunting it's just about putting yourself in a position to be successful and accepting the gifts when God chooses to give them."

My shot position.
View attachment 389441
My Big Bull just beyond the yellow below.
View attachment 389442
One shot and done.
I'm just sitting there, mentally expressing thanks and gratitude. This was one of the most perfect setups, I've ever encountered. Truly a gift.
I did not know at the time, but the Kid had been chasing this moose, the whole time. He lost sight of the bull, but spotted me ducking & weaving on the hillside. Knew something was up. At the shot, he hiked on up to my position.
View attachment 389443
Time to get to work!
Moose is WORK!

Thanks!! Just left the hospital n ready for another call on the ambulance.
I look forward to this post every year. I take my 2 grandsons on as much adventures as I can n we have a blast but urs is definitely next level!! Hell of a good grandfather n man.

 

[BearFoot]

An amazing day!



Time to weigh this monster...

1,554 lbs of big bull moose.

After eviscerating the bull,
Time to release the skinning minions!

As a grandfather, I proudly watched my boys practice the craft of meat care. Knuckle Noggins for sure, but skills are attained.

 

[npaden]

Wow. Another who loves seeing this post every year. Congrats on a great bull.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Congrats ! How the heck did you get the truck out of that hole?

 

[elkhuntinfool78]

Great thread as always. Congrats on a great bull and more memories made!!

 

[JCS]

Thanks for the stories. Great adventure

 

[fulldraw]

Congrats on a great bull and thanks for taking us along.

 

[tystash]

Great hunt and a great story!

 

[kansasdad]

The logistics required for just getting there are extensive, so missing a spatula or similar item seems inevitable. Adapt and overcome!

Congratulations to the crew….perhaps there will be a lot more to the story …..and a big thanks for telling the story without the lingering questions of disaster like last years report.

 

[Dan O]

WOW what an incredible hunt. Like many others I look forward to this hunt every year. I'm curious how wide was that bull?

 

[BearFoot]

Congrats ! How the heck did you get the truck out of that hole?

Winch and 4x drive with rear steer.

 

[BearFoot]

WOW what an incredible hunt. Like many others I look forward to this hunt every year. I'm curious how wide was that bull?

66"

 

[BearFoot]

Following morning, I spot a very big bull with two cows. A good ways off, and they are moving.


Kid runs to the tent, gears up and bombs over the hillside, into the brush. Hours later, he returns to camp, eluded by moose once again. He dubbed the moose "Sherman" a tank of a bull.

Lunch

Sasquatch peering into the back of our tent.

and a lot more of this...

 

[BearFoot]

We have slow days and action packed days. Another morning a bull shows on the horizon, soon accompanied by a young fork. While we are not sure about the big guy, that fork is a legal bull! Watched until bedded in the brush.

Early afternoon, Couple of the boys hiked over and blew the fork into the trees. The bigger moose stayed on the hillside and late afternoon was joined by a new bull.


Boys decided bull was to close to call and evening coming on, far from camp.

 

[BearFoot]

A new day, slow morning, two cows. Chow

We cut and dragged up some timber to construct meat poles. I had to get my moose off the buggy to make room for another.

Somewhere while working the truck, Kid snaps an axle. Now three wheel drive.
We process some of the moose. Bone out neck meat and the rib. Vac pack and into the freezer. Run the generator all night, meat is good and cold.



Getting my moose handled makes room for another.

 

[BearFoot]

Two cows all day. Really slow. Sun came out and things warmed up quite a bit.
Daily activities, RC truck fun!

Chopping fire wood. It was really warm.

This little guy showed up, snatching meat trim from yesterdays processing.

As the evening chill was coming on, we glassed the hillsides.
The kid had bull scraped and cow called over the side of the hill, an hour earlier. Close to last light of the evening, I spotted a white flash down in the trees. "I got something!". Dialing in our scopes, it was Sherman the tank, on the move. This bull was coming out of the trees straight toward us. Kid geared up and bombed off the hillside. Through creek, beaver pond, and heavy brush. I had the I-phone on the scope where the boys and I could all see the action. Sherman was raking brush and coming, covering a half mile quickly.
Found the kid in the brush raking his scapula, beating it hard. He had to do this as there is no sneaking in this scenario. Sherman, away to the right, listening and raking back. Shots rang out. The boys and I watched as the bull laid over. 8:30 pm, its dark by nine. I highly discourage shooting moose in the evening, having been there, done that more than a few times, but this was truly a gift handed to us.