new moose hunter needs advise

[frank church guy]

i am new to the forum, get to go on my first moose hunt ever this fall in alaska. i am verey independent, what ever that means. i am asking about calling or different tacktics (sorry for the spelling). i get the glassing etc., i love working bull elk even when they are not hot....refer elknut....so i am asking how to work a bull moose...kind like elknut explains working bull elk....any i suggestions

 

[mooster]

watch you tube videos. also there's some good DVD's. Google Wayne Kubat. Alex Gouthro. Louis Cusack

 

[PNWGATOR]

I’m learning too. Take a look at Wayne Kubat’s “three day strategy for moose calling success” write up on his site alaskaremote

 

[NorthCountryAB]

Dont over think it. Moose arent difficult to call. And every cow seems to sound a bit different, much like elk bugles.
Everyone gets very hung up on cow calls, which does bring bulls in. But dont forget about raking trees/willows and bull grunts.

 

[Kobuk]

Here is another great article to read. I haven't bugeled elk, but pretty much like every species you hunt, it takes a lot of trial and error because every animal and every scenario is different. Good luck

 

[frank church guy]

Just want throw a thanks out to you all who responded. I will take the time to watch the videos. I do love to read, so articles or books held highly. This is my once in lifetime hunt to this point in life (i turn 51 here soon ). I am beyond excited about being offered the opportunity to go do this hunt. It seems all bulls and bucks love that raking!

 

[VernAK]

FCG,
As above mentioned; don't over think it and don't over do it. Don't wander around and stink up the countryside. Watch your wind. Bulls don't like to respond well in warmer weather. Call from a vantage point. When one is responding, separate caller from shooter to try to draw the bull past the shooter. I usually cow call mostly until the bull is getting closer, then i hide behind brush or spruce tree and scrape or shake the brush while grunting.
Every year we seem to have a bull respond to camp noise to check us out.

At 51 you can easily do it. Keep the packs small. We make our meat bags about 40 pounds. The cape is the big load as last one I weighed was 82 pounds. Breaking down that bull is rough on the back.

My number of moose hunt trips about equals your age and Lord willing, I'll be back on Geezer Ridge in September.

 

[frank church guy]

FCG,
As above mentioned; don't over think it and don't over do it. Don't wander around and stink up the countryside. Watch your wind. Bulls don't like to respond well in warmer weather. Call from a vantage point. When one is responding, separate caller from shooter to try to draw the bull past the shooter. I usually cow call mostly until the bull is getting closer, then i hide behind brush or spruce tree and scrape or shake the brush while grunting.
Every year we seem to have a bull respond to camp noise to check us out.

At 51 you can easily do it. Keep the packs small. We make our meat bags about 40 pounds. The cape is the big load as last one I weighed was 82 pounds. Breaking down that bull is rough on the back.

My number of moose hunt trips about equals your age and Lord willing, I'll be back on Geezer Ridge in September.

 

[frank church guy]

FCG,
As above mentioned; don't over think it and don't over do it. Don't wander around and stink up the countryside. Watch your wind. Bulls don't like to respond well in warmer weather. Call from a vantage point. When one is responding, separate caller from shooter to try to draw the bull past the shooter. I usually cow call mostly until the bull is getting closer, then i hide behind brush or spruce tree and scrape or shake the brush while grunting.
Every year we seem to have a bull respond to camp noise to check us out.

At 51 you can easily do it. Keep the packs small. We make our meat bags about 40 pounds. The cape is the big load as last one I weighed was 82 pounds. Breaking down that bull is rough on the back.

My number of moose hunt trips about equals your age and Lord willing, I'll be back on Geezer Ridge in September.

Love it. The only reason I mention age is This might be my only chance to get hunt like this, Age, finances, its an issue. Age hunting, no issue. I pack elk on my back out the frank. I appologize. I meant the chance to get to hunt in alaska. it is financial

 

[The_reaper_33]

If it’s pre-rut it’s more challenging for the big bulls to commit. They are very cautious I’ve had them circle me down wind and take off or they’ll wait till night to fully commit to my cow calls they will out smart you if your solo. I find bull grunting and raking draws them in better than cow calls pre-rut. When the ruts on cow call and snap dried up sticks that cracks with a nice echo gets there attention… I personally cow call every 15-20 minutes in the evenings and slowly make them closer together as later it gets then bill grunt and rake just before the last half hour of shooting light some moose will sneak in close without a peep and the last half hour bull grunt/rake will get them to commit and come in, has worked for me a few times. And I hit the same spot for days if the area has lots of sign it’s a matter of time before one will commit.

 

[AKDoc]

Good for you FC Guy...you are going to have an adventure!

So many good and helpful people here...already lots of valuable suggestions offered. It might be helpful for you to share the dates of your hunt and the GMU (no exact locations please). Those data variables will help you get even more specific suggestions because topography does vary a lot up here as can the hunting tactics.

Regardless, I want to underscore one of Vern's suggestions..."don't stink the place up". Do your very best to fight the urge to hike all over the place, especially the first few days. Moose have a really long nose for an adaptive reason...their sense of smell is amazing.

 

[VernAK]

Good for you FC Guy...you are going to have an adventure!

So many good and helpful people here...already lots of valuable suggestions offered. It might be helpful for you to share the dates of your hunt and the GMU (no exact locations please). Those data variables will help you get even more specific suggestions because topography does vary a lot up here as can the hunting tactics.

Regardless, I want to underscore one of Vern's suggestions..."don't stink the place up". Do your very best to fight the urge to hike all over the place, especially the first few days. Moose have a really long nose for an adaptive reason...their sense of smell is amazing.

And their sense of hearing is phenomenal. They have big ears and those big sounding boards on their heads help also. On a still day, I've watched bulls come to my call from 1.5 miles.

 

[frank church guy]

Thank you all for the responses. I am above and beyond excited. The folks I am fortunate to go with keeping sending me pictures of past hunts. I don't how much sleep I will get in the next seven months. I tend to get real excited about things.

It does makes total sense. Scent, scent, scent ....... and more scent. It seems all prey and predators scent is key. I just want the opportunity to work a bull like I do with elk. I don't want to have along distance shot. I want to be close when they are aggressive. I am going to keep viewing the videos and reading. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

 

[frank church guy]

And their sense of hearing is phenomenal. They have big ears and those big sounding boards on their heads help also. On a still day, I've watched bulls come to my call from 1.5 miles.

We will be there around September 2 through the middle of the month. The folks I am going with have been doing this hunt for ten years now.

 

[SaltySailor]

Staying put is sound advice if you know moose are in the area. Even if you call away for days and see nothing, stay put. At the beginning of the season the bulls group up, i don't think they do that cause they wanna be friends and hang out, but because they want to know who else is in the area and scope the competition. As the season progresses they get that testosterone going and start to separate the strong from the weak, this quickens when cows start joining the group. Its at this point the dominant bull in the group either chases off the weaker or kicks their ass and they leave. When they leave they will travel long distances to find another 'party' and see if they can be the big kahuna there. This is when you catch em, they have heard you calling and will have a mental note of where you are, once they get kicked out they will come to you to see what's going on, this process may just take a while.

Last season we watched a high 50's and a 65 incher hang out from late august in the velvet all the way until September 9th. They were up high in a spot we could not get too, but we could see them from below every day. We called at em the whole time, they could hear us as they would look in our direction, but they had their group going with a few cows and no reason to see what we were doing. Surprisingly, we watched on the 9th as they finally had enough of each other and slammed heads in one of the coolest fights I have ever seen, and that high 50's chased off the 65! He wandered off in defeat down hill, and in our direction. We raced to the same spot we had been calling from and sure enough he appeared out of the wood line heading that direction. Threw out a few light cow calls and he came right in. After he died we saw he had old scar tissue all over his nose, and his last fight put another puncture wound in it, he wanted none of that! Overall he had a bad day. Its easier to stay put when you can see bulls, but the advice is still sound. If you know moose are in the area, stay put. I have a few stories of guys calling for days, then leaving and we shot moose from their calling spot shortly after they left.

 

[VernAK]

Staying put is sound advice if you know moose are in the area. Even if you call away for days and see nothing, stay put. At the beginning of the season the bulls group up, i don't think they do that cause they wanna be friends and hang out, but because they want to know who else is in the area and scope the competition. As the season progresses they get that testosterone going and start to separate the strong from the weak, this quickens when cows start joining the group. Its at this point the dominant bull in the group either chases off the weaker or kicks their ass and they leave. When they leave they will travel long distances to find another 'party' and see if they can be the big kahuna there. This is when you catch em, they have heard you calling and will have a mental note of where you are, once they get kicked out they will come to you to see what's going on, this process may just take a while.

Last season we watched a high 50's and a 65 incher hang out from late august in the velvet all the way until September 9th. They were up high in a spot we could not get too, but we could see them from below every day. We called at em the whole time, they could hear us as they would look in our direction, but they had their group going with a few cows and no reason to see what we were doing. Surprisingly, we watched on the 9th as they finally had enough of each other and slammed heads in one of the coolest fights I have ever seen, and that high 50's chased off the 65! He wandered off in defeat down hill, and in our direction. We raced to the same spot we had been calling from and sure enough he appeared out of the wood line heading that direction. Threw out a few light cow calls and he came right in. After he died we saw he had old scar tissue all over his nose, and his last fight put another puncture wound in it, he wanted none of that! Overall he had a bad day. Its easier to stay put when you can see bulls, but the advice is still sound. If you know moose are in the area, stay put. I have a few stories of guys calling for days, then leaving and we shot moose from their calling spot shortly after they left.

For years I've to my partners to expect bull moose to respond on the 10th and we have taken a good many bulls on the 10th. Your bull on the 9th must have been in a leap year.

 

[AKDoc]

And their sense of hearing is phenomenal. They have big ears and those big sounding boards on their heads help also. On a still day, I've watched bulls come to my call from 1.5 miles.

Same here...that combination of their excellent hearing and those palms on each side is like a huge directional dish antenna sitting on their head! It always amazes, using only their hearing, how well they can pin-point my exact location where I am calling...even at some significant distance.

 

[william schmaltz]

If you're going with guys that have been doing it successfully in the same spot for 10 years, I'd listen to them and what they're doing before someone that has hunted a different spot for 40 years. I've done a few hunts in the interior and have done another 5 from King Salmon to Kotz. I have a lot more experience to gather, but what I have learned is that it differs vastly between areas. I think vegetation, elevation, latitude and most of all moose density play into it way more than people think.

Where I hunt now, I like to hunt early. First 10 or so days in September basically just bull thrashing noises for me. Or if you can find a wallow to pour water into that's killer too. I think they're establishing dominance and home range so they respond very well early. If I have to hunt after them dates, then I'll mix in a few grunts if I know I'm very close to a bull with cows but mostly use cow calls. I feel like a big bull after the 14th of September already has his cows or he's old and already got his ass kicked. So you're not gonna pull a bull away from his girls unless you're right in the bedroom with em. And the transient loser will take advantage of a lonely cow but isn't interested in another challenge - he's learned his lesson for the year. That's just my theory and again it's probably location specific and I don't claim to have much experience. The largest bull I shot was 66 inches on September 21st. We got him as he was passing through very early in the morning. He wasn't making a sound and didn't have any interest in bull or cow calls. He was old as the rocks and covered in battle bruises.

I hunted late this year and called in several bulls in the first 3 days. After that nothing would commit. Including two different +50" inch bulls with cows within 200 yards of camp. They both ran their cows off ASAP. I hunted 13th-21st. Last year we started the hunt on Sept 8th and shot two large bulls this first day and called in another 6 as we waited for a plane for the next two days.

Love Thunder and Bull is always a good watch regardless.

 

[AKDoc]

We will be there around September 2 through the middle of the month. The folks I am going with have been doing this hunt for ten years now.

Ahhh...OK. That's important information right there...thanks for posting it.

Given the specific contexts of your hunt, the best suggestions I can offer you are: (1) Listen to those with you who have done that particular hunt for the past ten years...they are your best information resource (not us); (2) Let them know in advance that it's absolutely OK with you for them to offer you suggestions, corrections, etc. while in the field (that is, you welcome it from them, and thank them each time they do so...especially when they correct you), and (3) Enjoy every moment out there, even when the wx is hammering you...because as soon as it clears, the animals often get very, very active.

Have a great adventure...the very best to you!

 

[kaboku68]

Find a copy of the moose book by Sam Merill. It is very old but. It is the very best.