I was doing cow moose calls, long bellows. I usually get pretty aggressive with this call. If you're a farmer and have heard a cow in full estruss you know.
. We had set up on the edge of a small pond in front of our cabin. It didn't take but a few minutes and we see a huge bull walk out from the black spruce. His bright white antlers against the dark green of the forest gave us a good look. He was over 50". He didn't get old stepping into open areas and steps back in. We're a couple hundred yards away. I do an immature bull grunt, lightly. Just one. This brings him out. He turns towards us. Doing a huffing grunt with each step, ugh ugh. Telling every bull around to get out of his way. Head down n out. Open mouth breathing in scents along with his open nostrils.
Have to say that being able to watch this was great ! He comes in a hundred yards n stops. Things aren't adding up I suspect. I tell my son to get ready. As soon as he starts to turn, take him. He wasn't sure and starts to turn. Again to probably study things a bit. He's big enough that he doesn't hurry for much either I guess. King of the hill.
Son shoots, I have a follow up . The moose moves into the bush. Yeah, called in our son's first moose. Dreamed about this moment for years while freighting in materials for the cabin. We cross an old beaver dam to get across the creek. Walking up to where he was. Hair and no blood. Son follows the trail through the grass. I walk down towards where he came out. I get near 50' down and see him laying on his belly. I holler to son to come over. He's still alive so dangerous. I instruct him to come in from the side and don't get close. I've had one stand up close enough to touch. Taught me. He harvests his first moose.
He slits the throat n we head back to the cabin to get our gear. I have a knife bag with half a dozen knives. I can't get the edge like I can at the cabin so I switch out. Game bag bag. I have a wheeler at the cabin so we I load up. And son hooks up my coleman canoe freight sled. He's close enough that I want to take him in pieces with the hide on and skin it hanging on a pole.
Some moose I will use a gutless method but not here. I can get the wheeler in a spot near the moose and run the winch line out to a spruce and use a pulling to pull the moose into a good position. I show son how to make the cut up the belly first so it cleaner. Then open him up to gut. Then a few gallons of blood pours out. He was hit in the aorta and lower heart so he bled out inside. I was able to cut him into 2 pieces across what I call the 13th rib. Second to last one. We were able to winch him into an open area and part up . I have the meat pole so we can pull along side it and winch the pieces up.
I've kinda worked hard n played hard so now I have to find ways to go moose hunting by myself. We spray everything with citrus and build some smudge fires to keep the flies off. Finally time to just build a campfire n chill. Son sets up some saw horses and starts cleaning his 58" non typical. Half of one antler was folded backwards on itself. Probably a fight with soft antlers. Huge base kinda stands out.
We both very proud. And have the meat for the year for 2 families. Our pilot was able to pick us up at the lake 2 miles south the next noon. We use the canoe again. It leaves no marks on the ground n we try to always be aware of breaking the earth.
We get there just on time n watch Dave land his 185. Takes 2 loads with us on the second load. And the rest of the family to unload the plane on the other end. On the second load out I notice our daughter on board the plane to my surprise. Son n daughter planned to clean the cabin and stock up the woodshed so I didn't have to. The antlers won't fit into the plane, too big. So we hung them in a spruce tree so he could come back and get them. And I head home to take care of the moose with my beautiful wife.
Dave asks me if I want to fly over the kids. Yes. As he dips his wing I can see our 2 kids. Just like 20 years earlier. Hanging out together. And daughter driving. I'm passing the torch kinda goes through my mind.
When the get home in a couple days we all work together as a family and process or meat. Making sausages n brats. Inventing stuff. A bunch of chopped up peppers to put in the burger for chilli burgers. Kids learn how to butcher. We got near 550 pounds of meat off the bone from this huge moose. Id est near 1400 lbs. Enough to share with the neighbors n grandparents.
Talk about a proud dad
. We had set up on the edge of a small pond in front of our cabin. It didn't take but a few minutes and we see a huge bull walk out from the black spruce. His bright white antlers against the dark green of the forest gave us a good look. He was over 50". He didn't get old stepping into open areas and steps back in. We're a couple hundred yards away. I do an immature bull grunt, lightly. Just one. This brings him out. He turns towards us. Doing a huffing grunt with each step, ugh ugh. Telling every bull around to get out of his way. Head down n out. Open mouth breathing in scents along with his open nostrils.
Have to say that being able to watch this was great ! He comes in a hundred yards n stops. Things aren't adding up I suspect. I tell my son to get ready. As soon as he starts to turn, take him. He wasn't sure and starts to turn. Again to probably study things a bit. He's big enough that he doesn't hurry for much either I guess. King of the hill.
Son shoots, I have a follow up . The moose moves into the bush. Yeah, called in our son's first moose. Dreamed about this moment for years while freighting in materials for the cabin. We cross an old beaver dam to get across the creek. Walking up to where he was. Hair and no blood. Son follows the trail through the grass. I walk down towards where he came out. I get near 50' down and see him laying on his belly. I holler to son to come over. He's still alive so dangerous. I instruct him to come in from the side and don't get close. I've had one stand up close enough to touch. Taught me. He harvests his first moose.
He slits the throat n we head back to the cabin to get our gear. I have a knife bag with half a dozen knives. I can't get the edge like I can at the cabin so I switch out. Game bag bag. I have a wheeler at the cabin so we I load up. And son hooks up my coleman canoe freight sled. He's close enough that I want to take him in pieces with the hide on and skin it hanging on a pole.
Some moose I will use a gutless method but not here. I can get the wheeler in a spot near the moose and run the winch line out to a spruce and use a pulling to pull the moose into a good position. I show son how to make the cut up the belly first so it cleaner. Then open him up to gut. Then a few gallons of blood pours out. He was hit in the aorta and lower heart so he bled out inside. I was able to cut him into 2 pieces across what I call the 13th rib. Second to last one. We were able to winch him into an open area and part up . I have the meat pole so we can pull along side it and winch the pieces up.
I've kinda worked hard n played hard so now I have to find ways to go moose hunting by myself. We spray everything with citrus and build some smudge fires to keep the flies off. Finally time to just build a campfire n chill. Son sets up some saw horses and starts cleaning his 58" non typical. Half of one antler was folded backwards on itself. Probably a fight with soft antlers. Huge base kinda stands out.
We both very proud. And have the meat for the year for 2 families. Our pilot was able to pick us up at the lake 2 miles south the next noon. We use the canoe again. It leaves no marks on the ground n we try to always be aware of breaking the earth.
We get there just on time n watch Dave land his 185. Takes 2 loads with us on the second load. And the rest of the family to unload the plane on the other end. On the second load out I notice our daughter on board the plane to my surprise. Son n daughter planned to clean the cabin and stock up the woodshed so I didn't have to. The antlers won't fit into the plane, too big. So we hung them in a spruce tree so he could come back and get them. And I head home to take care of the moose with my beautiful wife.
Dave asks me if I want to fly over the kids. Yes. As he dips his wing I can see our 2 kids. Just like 20 years earlier. Hanging out together. And daughter driving. I'm passing the torch kinda goes through my mind.
When the get home in a couple days we all work together as a family and process or meat. Making sausages n brats. Inventing stuff. A bunch of chopped up peppers to put in the burger for chilli burgers. Kids learn how to butcher. We got near 550 pounds of meat off the bone from this huge moose. Id est near 1400 lbs. Enough to share with the neighbors n grandparents.
Talk about a proud dad
