I drew a cow tag this year in a unit that I've spent a lot of time hunting other things (and always saw moose in there). I had to work the first 4 days of the season, so I was a little bummed about that. I got up to my unit on the afternoon of the 4th day, and the first area I went into looked good, but as I was working through a marshy bottom, I look up on a hillside and notice guys in hunter orange watching the same area I am walking through. Feeling a bit dejected about that, I backed out. As I was making my way back to my truck, I noticed another guy in hunter orange parked near my truck and glassing the same area... At this point I am feeling like this is an OTC rifle hunt LOL. I stopped and talked to the guy near my truck, turns out this is his 2nd moose tag, and he had taken a really nice bull 12 years ago in this same bottom.
I spent the next day checking several other areas, and didnt see much other than a couple of fresh carcasses from other successful hunts.
I went back to the back of the same bottom I was in the first day. Coming in from a trail that was a bout a mile and half hike in. First morning at this new spot and I spotted a moose. From 500-600 yards away, it definitely looked like a cow! I took off after her and made my way down to a good spot for a shot. I popped out of the willows at 200 yards or so, and the moose is there in front of me. As I pull up my binos for a better look, I notice very small forked antlers.. Not a cow, but a year and half old little bull. It was cool to watch him feed until he finally made it back into cover.
That evening I set up to glass in a similar spot, and saw the same little bull again, but no other moose. The next morning, I hiked back into the same bottom just before sunrise. As the sun rose that morning, it was a beautiful sunrise.
As daylight broke, I started seeing moose. First, the young bull from the day before. Then a 2 year old bull popped out. Then, further down the valley, a pretty big bull walked out of the bottom and worked up the side of a hill. A second bull came out and followed that big bull.
4 bulls in this basin, I felt like it was just a matter of time before a cow popped up. I watched the big bull for a while through the binos, and noticed he was fixated on a clump of timber. He bird dogged around, and threw his head back smelling the air. I marked the clump of timber on OnX, pulled back and took off to loop around and come down on that spot. It took 30-45 minutes, and a lot of navigating really bad deadfall. As I dropped down to the spot, I actually spooked the big bull a bit. He didnt totally blow out, but he knew I was there and not sure what I was. I snuck down a little further, and BAM, the cow is standing there broadside, 140 yards away, totally keyed in on the bull!
I got my rifle up and on the shooting sticks, took a deep breath and centered the crosshairs. BOOM. Through the scope, I saw her instantly hunch up. She took a couple of steps forward as I racked a second round into the chamber. She took one more step and fell over. Walking up to her was an amazing feeling. Such giant animals!
I spent the next day checking several other areas, and didnt see much other than a couple of fresh carcasses from other successful hunts.
I went back to the back of the same bottom I was in the first day. Coming in from a trail that was a bout a mile and half hike in. First morning at this new spot and I spotted a moose. From 500-600 yards away, it definitely looked like a cow! I took off after her and made my way down to a good spot for a shot. I popped out of the willows at 200 yards or so, and the moose is there in front of me. As I pull up my binos for a better look, I notice very small forked antlers.. Not a cow, but a year and half old little bull. It was cool to watch him feed until he finally made it back into cover.
That evening I set up to glass in a similar spot, and saw the same little bull again, but no other moose. The next morning, I hiked back into the same bottom just before sunrise. As the sun rose that morning, it was a beautiful sunrise.
As daylight broke, I started seeing moose. First, the young bull from the day before. Then a 2 year old bull popped out. Then, further down the valley, a pretty big bull walked out of the bottom and worked up the side of a hill. A second bull came out and followed that big bull.
4 bulls in this basin, I felt like it was just a matter of time before a cow popped up. I watched the big bull for a while through the binos, and noticed he was fixated on a clump of timber. He bird dogged around, and threw his head back smelling the air. I marked the clump of timber on OnX, pulled back and took off to loop around and come down on that spot. It took 30-45 minutes, and a lot of navigating really bad deadfall. As I dropped down to the spot, I actually spooked the big bull a bit. He didnt totally blow out, but he knew I was there and not sure what I was. I snuck down a little further, and BAM, the cow is standing there broadside, 140 yards away, totally keyed in on the bull!
I got my rifle up and on the shooting sticks, took a deep breath and centered the crosshairs. BOOM. Through the scope, I saw her instantly hunch up. She took a couple of steps forward as I racked a second round into the chamber. She took one more step and fell over. Walking up to her was an amazing feeling. Such giant animals!
