AKaDougie
FNG
With a cow moose draw tag burning a hole in my pocket I travel 15 miles back into camp by myself and will be there for two days before my hunting partner arrives. Over the years we have always seen cows in this area and was hoping to fil the freezer back up with yummy moose. My cow tag was prior to general harvest season of bull moose and the plan was to stay into general harvest season just in case (or to get a bull for my hunting partner).
The next few days I observed 2 legal bulls on the mountain side above camp (no cows). My hunting partner arrives at camp and we quickly relocated bulls. Later that night around the fire pit, enjoying the warmth of fire and crown, we saw the bigger bull 1200 yards away above camp. The bull started just standing very still pointing into this saddle like a bird dog. Thinking that was strange we kept looking, however, the six sheep a ways above the moose didn’t pay any mind. We started to watch a grizzly come out of the saddle walking toward the bull. We could see sheep up high, this grizzly traversing the middle, and the bull moose lower on the mountain side. The bull laid down behind some alders and just watched the grizzly. Once the grizzly past overhead about 100 yards from the moose he got up, moved around the alder and just watched the grizzly walk around the mountain side. Very cool to watch the grizzly and moose within the same field of view threw the spotting scope. The next morning we could not find that same bull so we figured he high tailed it out of the area and went over the saddle into the next valley.
It is now the last day of the burning cow tag within my pocket. After hunting for seven days one would have thought that a cow moose would have been seen, but that is hunting sometimes. It is once again coming to that special time of warmth toward the end of the day. Bam! I pick a moose about 1800 yards out on the same mountain side above camp and it has horns. But wait is this a legal bull? Tomorrow is opening day. After watching him I notice he is starting to rub his velvet off, the first antler of trip not in full velvet. We begin to watch this bull thrash the brush for a while. We determine the bull is legal and we want to watch him until dark to get idea of where he is going for tomorrow morning. I hear my buddy say “Griz!”, I look up from the spotting scope to see a big old fat grizzly and her big cub traversing the mountain side, basically the exact same path as the one a few nights prior. The bears go around the mountain over to where the bull is and vanish. Just before dark I spot the bull this time coming down the mountain heading for the creek bottom. The bull crosses the creek bottom about 800 yards from our fire and heads off into the unknown.
At first light we are up and heading up the drainage we last seen the bull, we are camped at a y in two creeks. About 60 yards out from camp I decided to take a long look up the other drainage with the binos. To my shock a yell out I got him located! He was about a mile away from camp, now on the opposite side of the valley on the other mountain side. We go back to camp and drop some gear, this has now turned into a stock. The stock was easy enough walking at the edge of the creek bottom heading up to him. We came to a 200 yard stretch where the moose was looking at the creek, we stopped and looked at him 800 yards or so away now. After a few minutes he stands, turns, faces to look at the mountain side, and we continue. Picking out a spot on the creek bluff to come out of the bottom took us threw the dreaded alders. Once on top of the bluff we locate our target 200 yards away (yes sir on the dot) according to rangefinder with angle comp. The bull is about 500 feet above us, o Yeah did I mention the only day we had real rain was this day (fun). I get setup and ready for the shot and just like magic the moose stands up and presents to us his right broadside. The shot aims true and that big boy just stands there looking around a little dazed. Round number two rings out, again hits target, this time the bull is hurting. We watch (seems like minutes, probably seconds), I get afraid he will run off up the mountain side (having lost moose in the past) I pump round number three into him. After round three the bull crumbles and rolls downhill for one complete rotation.
The last 100 yards walking up to the bull was through some thick alders, rain and alder brush busting is so much fun. Walking up to him we discover alders stopped his roll and all four legs our underneath his body. Not the most ideal setup for processing, we have to take our time and be careful. We have to start processing the harvest from the backstrap down, in the rain, on a mountain side, in the alders. We start to realize the time from the darkening of light and quickly secure our game bags under some alders away from the carcass. Taking the first of four load outs back to camp. Tired, wet and sore the warmth of fire and crown never felt so good.
The next morning the rain was spotty, thank goodness. We prepare for the load outs and continued our adventure. During the final load out the sun was setting behind the distant mountain side and a truly epic picture to finalize our adventure was taken.
Top 5 Gear list
Excellence:
Loppers (to cut a trail through the thick alders), black beard fire starter, Kuiu strong fleece (don’t hate! the only thing Kuiu makes great is clothing), Zeiss Victory SF 10x42 Binoculars and Leki Trekking poles.
Fail:
EXO K3 4800 (my top stay snapped during the last load out with antlers. Customer service is awesome and already sent me a replacement stay. I plan on going over this more in a Stone Glacier, EXO, Kifaru pack review), aluminum stakes, Crispi Briksdal SF boots (they destroyed my dorsal ligament in my right foot after a 10 mile hike), not bringing enough 550 cord, not having a better spotting scope.
The next few days I observed 2 legal bulls on the mountain side above camp (no cows). My hunting partner arrives at camp and we quickly relocated bulls. Later that night around the fire pit, enjoying the warmth of fire and crown, we saw the bigger bull 1200 yards away above camp. The bull started just standing very still pointing into this saddle like a bird dog. Thinking that was strange we kept looking, however, the six sheep a ways above the moose didn’t pay any mind. We started to watch a grizzly come out of the saddle walking toward the bull. We could see sheep up high, this grizzly traversing the middle, and the bull moose lower on the mountain side. The bull laid down behind some alders and just watched the grizzly. Once the grizzly past overhead about 100 yards from the moose he got up, moved around the alder and just watched the grizzly walk around the mountain side. Very cool to watch the grizzly and moose within the same field of view threw the spotting scope. The next morning we could not find that same bull so we figured he high tailed it out of the area and went over the saddle into the next valley.
It is now the last day of the burning cow tag within my pocket. After hunting for seven days one would have thought that a cow moose would have been seen, but that is hunting sometimes. It is once again coming to that special time of warmth toward the end of the day. Bam! I pick a moose about 1800 yards out on the same mountain side above camp and it has horns. But wait is this a legal bull? Tomorrow is opening day. After watching him I notice he is starting to rub his velvet off, the first antler of trip not in full velvet. We begin to watch this bull thrash the brush for a while. We determine the bull is legal and we want to watch him until dark to get idea of where he is going for tomorrow morning. I hear my buddy say “Griz!”, I look up from the spotting scope to see a big old fat grizzly and her big cub traversing the mountain side, basically the exact same path as the one a few nights prior. The bears go around the mountain over to where the bull is and vanish. Just before dark I spot the bull this time coming down the mountain heading for the creek bottom. The bull crosses the creek bottom about 800 yards from our fire and heads off into the unknown.
At first light we are up and heading up the drainage we last seen the bull, we are camped at a y in two creeks. About 60 yards out from camp I decided to take a long look up the other drainage with the binos. To my shock a yell out I got him located! He was about a mile away from camp, now on the opposite side of the valley on the other mountain side. We go back to camp and drop some gear, this has now turned into a stock. The stock was easy enough walking at the edge of the creek bottom heading up to him. We came to a 200 yard stretch where the moose was looking at the creek, we stopped and looked at him 800 yards or so away now. After a few minutes he stands, turns, faces to look at the mountain side, and we continue. Picking out a spot on the creek bluff to come out of the bottom took us threw the dreaded alders. Once on top of the bluff we locate our target 200 yards away (yes sir on the dot) according to rangefinder with angle comp. The bull is about 500 feet above us, o Yeah did I mention the only day we had real rain was this day (fun). I get setup and ready for the shot and just like magic the moose stands up and presents to us his right broadside. The shot aims true and that big boy just stands there looking around a little dazed. Round number two rings out, again hits target, this time the bull is hurting. We watch (seems like minutes, probably seconds), I get afraid he will run off up the mountain side (having lost moose in the past) I pump round number three into him. After round three the bull crumbles and rolls downhill for one complete rotation.
The last 100 yards walking up to the bull was through some thick alders, rain and alder brush busting is so much fun. Walking up to him we discover alders stopped his roll and all four legs our underneath his body. Not the most ideal setup for processing, we have to take our time and be careful. We have to start processing the harvest from the backstrap down, in the rain, on a mountain side, in the alders. We start to realize the time from the darkening of light and quickly secure our game bags under some alders away from the carcass. Taking the first of four load outs back to camp. Tired, wet and sore the warmth of fire and crown never felt so good.
The next morning the rain was spotty, thank goodness. We prepare for the load outs and continued our adventure. During the final load out the sun was setting behind the distant mountain side and a truly epic picture to finalize our adventure was taken.
Top 5 Gear list
Excellence:
Loppers (to cut a trail through the thick alders), black beard fire starter, Kuiu strong fleece (don’t hate! the only thing Kuiu makes great is clothing), Zeiss Victory SF 10x42 Binoculars and Leki Trekking poles.
Fail:
EXO K3 4800 (my top stay snapped during the last load out with antlers. Customer service is awesome and already sent me a replacement stay. I plan on going over this more in a Stone Glacier, EXO, Kifaru pack review), aluminum stakes, Crispi Briksdal SF boots (they destroyed my dorsal ligament in my right foot after a 10 mile hike), not bringing enough 550 cord, not having a better spotting scope.
