The next trip we would have all day sat and Sunday morning and there would be 4 of us. We took 2 trucks and packed the coolers and headed North on Friday around noon. This was also the tail end of the hunts that were taking place in the Northern Zones. We were hopeful to see more hookings and rut sign, but everything seemed to be a little behind.
Trip 5 – Sept. 27, 28, 29 – Junior, Marty, Don, Shawn
Fri – 3 moose seen
Junior/Marty - Drove out to xxx and north of Fxxx Mt. Logging operation close to mile x marker. See Cow & 2 calves.
Shawn/Don – short drive down Kxxx Rd no moose seen, few tracks in Rd
Sat – 10 moose seen
Shawn/Don
Saw bull on main rd about 1 mile north of Kxxx Rd (~35”) in the dark driving in.
Don’s Spot – glassed at first light, 2 cows in cut off Bridge Out rd, 2 cows (separate) in top cut across valley. Shawn walked in to check trail cam across the access point. 1 good bull and a few cows on cam. Also doe and skip seem to be living up there. 1 good moose rub/hooking in the alders crossing the stream at the access spot. Moved cam about 50yds. Talked to couple locals, he has been seeing a pretty good bull in the top cut across the valley.
Dxxx – Checked end of Rd cam, few pics of a small bull. Checked cam on hill, had pics of a big bull and a basket 8pt buck, pulled cam out of there. Checked Game Trail cam, decent amount of moose pics still, one spike is a regular. Walked down winter rd near the split, some sign, found one hooking, not great…could still hunt this area. Drove down rd to right before the split, very little sign. Walked deer hunt winter rd near hxxx, very little sign. Need to walk grown in rd after hxxx before hunt.
Gravel Pit – Drove rd above gravel pit, one hooking up near where the bog is on the left. Could potentially sit overlooking the bog. The cut above the bog is nasty but could be watched.
Moose Highway – checked cam, a few daytime pics, pic of small bull w cow. Switched out cam and changed angle…hopefully get some better pics in there. Did not make the walk to the cut SW around the hill. Drove up newly excavated rd, no moose tracks in mud, cuts too grown up, remember this spot if we draw a tag in the future as they will cut up there soon.
Kxxx Rd – Drove up Rd, Junior took left spur, we went to end. Some feeding sign but nothing great.
Junior/Marty
Hxxx - Drove in towards pond. Turned back at right hand rd. after pond. Saw moose (unknown) on beginning of that rd. Saw a cow moving right to left approx. halfway between that right hand rd. and 1st winter rd. Medium bull seen crossing left to right 100yds before 1st winter rd. Had palm antler, spread unknown.
Hxxx - After light (approx 7am) spotted moose in cut on Wxxx. Did not get spotting scope on to determine. Another moose came into cut shortly after that, confirmed 40" or better with spotting scope at 700-800yds. Slim palm with good point lenghts and front fighter antler also. Watched this bull for 25-30mins feeding. He moved to top of cut into woodline.
Dxxx – Upper cuts Took walk into cut just east of Dxxx. No fresh sign or any sign of recent feeding in this area.
Sxxx - Drove all roads that we hunted in Nov 2012. Some light track in rd. Area has grown in quite a bit in 7yrs. Cut where cow was shot 2012 looked ok for moose. Dead end rd. to right that ends at bog had fresh cut, some track around there.
Wxxx. - Drove to end spur where cut is. some decent smaller cut area there. Some track sign in most of the cut areas on Wxxx rd.
Sunday – 7 moose seen
Shawn/Don
Hxxx Rd – Drove upper spur, not much sign. Glassed cuts on Wxxx. Saw 2 moose (1 definitely a cow other not sure) in the new cut at the end of WxxxRd they were in the lower right side looking at the cut.
Wxxx – Few tracks in rd near the old cuts. The new cut is potentially an opening morning spot.
Access Rd – Drove the left spur, nothing to note. Should drive the remainder of the road up to the spurs before the hunt.
Area farther up Main rd - no new cutting in there…LOOKS REALLY GOOD FOR DEER HUNTING!
Junior/Marty
(MO rd. - 2 Moose seen in cut right next to the 2nd pwr line crossing. Approx 250-300yds from rd. one definetly cow, other prob cow, no visible antler through binocs. 3 Moose seen in cut on N side of Axxx. Lg cow with a calf and smaller cow feeding at approx 730am. Used spotting scope to watch about 10-15mins at approx 500-600yds.
Before the hunt – Pull cams, check access to cut on Bridge Out Rd, drive remainder of access Rd (maybe), Drive MO Rd and find sitting/calling areas, Walk to cut between Moose Hwy and Bridge on Left after Mile xx Rd, walk grown in rd after hxxx, check Don/junior cow cut and new cut on bog side, drive Hxxx rd one more time (time permitting), walk the grass rd at end of CxxxRd. Behind gravel pit, go to right at T, new cut out beyond the end of the road…on Apple maps, not OnX. Right immediately after bridge out on main rd, new cuts out there not on OnX.
Stand/call sites
Moose Highway (W Wind)
Wxxx (N or E wind)
Bridge Out Rd cut (N or W wind)
Don’s Spot cuts (N or W wind)
Bog above gravel pit (N/E/W wind)
End of WxxxRd (?)
Cut SW of moose hwy (N/E if accessed from bridge on L after Mile xx Rd)
Jr/Don cow cut or new cut on bog side (N or E?)
MO rd sites
Still Hunt/call sites
Dxxx lots of options around Game Trail, strips, winter roads etc
End of Cxxx Rd – grass rd
Moose Hwy to Bridge on L after Mi xx Rd
