School Hunting Trip success

[Jimbob]

For a second year in a row myself and another teacher were able to take some students from our school moose hunting. For more information about myself and school check out last year's thread: http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?21961-Hunting-with-Students

The beauty of it is that I am allowed to give my gun to a student and let them be the shooters. Lots of red tape to get through but we made it work with insurance and lawyers.

The way we do the hunt is to have one gun and one hunter and all 5 of us together (one shooter and four observers). It seems like a weird style but for safety reasons it works. Also it turns out to be a pretty cool group dynamic when everyone can be together at go time.

Day 1:
Last Tuesday right after school we headed out and set-up camp then got in the bush for a short hunt. Nothing answered that evening

Day 2:
A rule of mine for moose hunting is that I ALWAYS hunt the same location in the morning as I did the night before. Sometimes bulls will take their sweet time coming to a call or even just decided to check out your calls hours later. So if I call somewhere at night then the next morning I'm back there calling. However, today it did not work out, no answers by 9:00 am at the location we hunted lastlastnightnight. So we headed further in and found a location with a lot more sign but also sign from humans. We set up and called and had a bull sneak in behind us that we only heard walking but never answering. Back to camp for lunch and a nap then we decided to try the new area again that evening.

We got back out to the area and gave some sweet sounding calls but no answers. After a short calling session last night and no answers today I was a little bummed.

This area traditionally holds moose and I am confident we are doing the right things. Also the rut is in full swing, only 4 days earlier I was out in a different location with my father and son and called in two bulls with one of them being this beauty.

Something just felt different today, not with our strategies but why weren't the moose answering? We discussed it around the fire that evening and I believe the previous hunting pressure in the area is the reason the bulls are not answering or coming to our location. It was time to tie up our boots and head further away from camp. We had one ATV that would be used for retrieving the moose but all of our hunting is taking place on foot.

Day 3:

We wake at 5:30 am to frost and a very bright moon. The gang doesn't have very good gear. Old sleeping bags and worn out clothes is the norm. I brought my whole hunting bin of clothes and let the students find something that can help them out. I get going on breakfast and the boys light a fire to warm up after a chilly night. Everyone is cold and a bit down from no moose action BUT we are out in the bush and not going to school so its easy to stay positive. As it turns out out the day was about to be action packed and solidify our relationships forever.

I can't break my rule and not hunt where we were last night so back to the same spot we go. We arrive at the previous evenings location for a calling session early in the frosty morning. I am impressed with Riley's calling. His grunts and moans sound great. No answers. 8:00 am and its time for a walk. We sneak back in a location that we thought we might have heard a grunt. The walk proves fruitless. We decide to head further down the old trail and get back to my favourite area to hunt. Instead of excited I am down that we have had no action. I keep reminding myself that I am getting paid to do this and it is the best thing ever. It's just that I want so bad for these guys to have a chance at a moose and I feel its my job to deliver. However I look around and I quickly realize that just being out here is good enough for everyone. The guys are loving it even without any action.

We make it to an old logging cut area that is near the end of the trail. The sun is over the trees now and everyone is happy for the warmth it brings. We decide to take a break and have a snack. What a beautiful day, cold crisp temps, not a cloud in the sky, we all feel so lucky to be exactly where we are. Now the logging cut has a few old white pines still left but mainly it is packed with 12' high poplars and a few small maples. With things going up every year visibility has become a major problem for hunting in it. However there are a series of moose trails through the cut and if you know them like I do then you have a bit of en edge when hunting the moose.

We head out and get onto one of the trails and I explain to the boys that the moose stick to these trails religiously. They do not try to plow through all these little poplars. Whether you are calling in a bull or you just scared one away the moose will use these trails, what's the beauty of this? If you know the trails then you know where the moose will be going or coming from. Knowing your area is a crucial part of hunting. The boys are soaking up the knowledge.

(Headed out deer hunting I will share the rest of the story later tonight)

 

[MountainTracker]

Nice man, can't wait!!

 

[Jimbob]

Sorry guys most of my story got deleted, it's to late to start over. I'll get at it tomorrow.

 

[Manosteel]

Good stuff!

 

[Becca]

Really enjoying the story so far, look forward to hearing the rest!

 

[Jimbob]

Here is a picture of the old cut. When this picture was taken we had no idea but there was a bull about 300 yds away from us, we were about to find that out though.


As we were slipping down the moose trail we would give the occasional grunt and just let our raking antler rub against some trees. This made 5 guys sound like one bull moose. About half way across the cut this little ruse worked perfect and a soft quiet grunt answered us back form less than 100 yds away. Everyone of us heard it instantly and the adrenaline started flowing. We were finally into moose and we finally undeniably herd a grunt. As if by providence there was a clearing in the dense poplars to our left and the bull was on the other side. We quickly got into position and let out a few calls. The bull answered back but only softly and quietly, I could tell he was not fired up. We called and he answered but no movement. There was a thick wall of poplars on the other side of the clearing and I was confident the bull was not busting through this to get to us. So it was our move and Stan and I decided to sneak across the small clearing straight at the bull. We crawled about half way across then from a crouching position I glassed through the tangle of jungle like trees. Suddenly the brown snout of a moose materialized and the flicker of an ear confirmed it. When I thought the moose head was looking away I dropped to my belly and motioned for Stan to do the same. We army crawled to a small spruce 15 yds in front of us then got to our knees. Riley called from behind us and we heard the bull grunt but it was further away. Another call from Riley and an answer from the bull but again further away. DARN. First moose we get into and no chance and barley a sighting. I couldn't even tell if it was a cow or bull, just to thick to get a good look. But it wasn't over yet. I like to hunt bulls aggressively and rarely has that mindset steered me wrong when hunting in the rut. So down the clearing we went perpendicular to the where the moose headed but we needed to find a trail. We found what we were looking for and dove into the poplar jungle. We grunted and the bull grunted but still further away. We picked up the pace and pushed through until we emerged on a main trail and a bit of an opening. More calls but no answers. I almost feel like we might have crossed over the bulls path and headed the wrong way. After waiting for 10 minutes we headed back to the original spot we first heard the moose to regroup. We gave a few more calls and we all think we heard an answer from the dark timber that borders the cut on its northern side. Perfect I love this area of bush. It's dark, thick, and has a soft mossy floor. The moose love to stay in there during the day and if we do have an encounter it will be up close and personal.

We have a good west wind so the plan is to follow the moose trail down to the east end of the cut and pass through a funnel into the timber. Once in the timber we can head west with the wind in our faces. This should bring us into the the area that we think the bull just headed. Spirits are high now that we have seen moose. Its 10:30 am as we enter the timber and the cool air feels good after trekking through the sunlit cut.

Don't tune out now the story is just picking up. I'll finish later on though.

 

[sojourner]

Waiting to hear the rest

 

[Jimbob]

This picture shows the soft mossy ground that covers the floor of the dark timber. Also there are marshy strips of tag alders that are about 10 yds wide and run north and south every 200 yds or so.


As we are headed west through the timber we stop every 10 minutes or so and give a few calls and listen for a response. With no response we continue to sneak along the soft mossy forest floor and observe the immense moose sign in here. When we reach a wall of tag alders we follow it north until we find were the moose are getting across. This is the moose’ territory and its just smart to learn from them on how to travel in here. Also if we stick to their trails it is quieter and it will bring us to their areas. After we get across one of these marshy tag alder strips we stop to give a call and instantly a deep guttural thundering grunt echoes through the spruce trees. Then again and again the bull answers. He is to our south east and less than 100 yds away.

Stan and I move towards the bull and find a spot that we hope will give us a few shooting lanes. Riley is 5 yds behind us and Blair and Kirby a further 15. Branches are snapping, the echo of limbs hitting antlers is resounding and the deep and excited grunts of this bull are filling our ears. Then suddenly silence. The bull is about to materialize in front of us but before doing so he is listening and scanning the area for the moaning cow he has heard. We freeze and don’t make a sound. He’s not hung up he has just found a little patience amongst his raging hormones. 2 minutes go by and the grunts start shaking the trees again. He comes in on a trot but we have no shot. The one-foot diameter spruce trees are to many and we only have tiny lanes to get a glimpse of the impressive beast. He’s got good long palms and a bunch of points, an excellent moose for a first timer. The bull angles to the east of us and holds up at 40 yds. He’s broadside but we have no shot. Riley behind us has a shot, and Blair and Kirby can clearly see him as well. The bull puts his nose to the air then to the ground and as fast as he came he turns and leaves ripping my heart out of my chest and taking it with him. We give a call and he stops but again no shot then he’s gone. I am devastated. How do we get that close with a rifle and get no shot? I’m happy with Stan though. He kept his composure and was waiting for a good shot but it just never came. I assure him he did that right thing and that’s just hunting.

Stan and Kirby have never heard a bull grunting before today and they have certainly never had a big bull come into them like that. All of us are floored by the powerful experience that happened so fast and came so close. We still have more days to hunt and we have found moose.

Its now 11:30 am. We loop about 200 yds around where the moose went and set-up to call. No answers and at the stroke of noon Stan hands the gun to Riley who will now be the hunter for the rest of the day. We break out lunch and all but Kirby fall asleep on the thick mossy forest floor.

 

[Jimbob]

After a nap and some lunch we decide to continue west through the timber and use the same tactic of calling every 10 minutes or so. After a mile of this we had no action and started making our way south. This brought us out of the dark timber and into a clearing that is located at the very end of the old logging trail that we began our day on.

We walk east on the trail and return to the overgrown logging cut that we had the encounter with the bull in the morning. The plan was to set up on the north side of the cut close to the timber. A creek runs east and west along the north side of the cut and this divides the cut from the timber. Also the cut is about 40’ higher in elevation than the creek and the timber. We chose a set-up that allowed us to see down into the creek bottom and have a view of a few trails in the cut. The wind was now blowing hard from the north, straight out of the timber and into the cut. Our goal was to call moose out of the timber and hopefully they would come to an area that we would have a shot. We arrived at this evening spot at 4:00 PM. Stan chose to sit facing the timber and looking down into the creek bottom while the rest of us faced into the cut. Let’s just say Stan has some natural hunting instincts.

Once set-up everyone decided to take a nap, except for Kirby who seems to survive on half the sleep as the rest of us. At 5:15 we all came back to life but feeling a little hazy. I am shocked we slept that long. Everyone stood up and started chatting and adjusting clothes to get ready for the evening. I told the boys to quiet down as it was getting to be prime time. We let out a series of seductively sounding calls and settled in. Riley was standing up tying his boots that he had removed for his nap when we heard the distinctive crack and crunch of a moose walking behind us. We snapped our heads around and Stan was calmly pointing down to the creek and nodding his head. I look back at Riley who is still tying his boots he never heard the moose. Blair and I silently yell at him to grab the gun, none of us are as calm and cool as Stan. Riley gets the gun and creeps to the edge where Stan is sitting. The moose has already gone by. Stan tells us it’s a bull and it walked by but its headed up into the cut. Riley and I turn and sneak 20 yds out into the cut and peer to our East and there is the bull only 60 yds away. He is standing broadside and scanning the cut for the cow he thinks he heard. Wind is perfect, shot angle is perfect BUT all we can see is his head. The numerous small trees are blocking a shot and there doesn’t appear to be any openings, I’m worried we might not get a shot.

Are only chance of getting this moose is if he decides to walk down the trail we are standing on and come right at us. After 5 minutes of scanning for the cow the bull decides to start walking. He travels up a little rise and reveals his vitals, I whisper for Riley to shoot but the gun doesn’t bark. The bull slightly turns away but a soft cow call stops him dead in his tracks and he turns and starts walking right at us. At 30 yds the bull pulls up and starts wondering where this lovesick cow is. I survey the area and realize this needs to happen now. If the bull walks any closer he is going to drop into a little lull and then pop up and through some trees at only 5 yds. I know Riley and I would trust this young man with my life so I am not terribly nervous but I would prefer he shoots NOW. I whisper to Riley and tell him to drop the moose, “put one in the spine in the neck”. I wait but no shot rings out. Riley is focused and on the moose but I am wondering why he has not shot. Then it hits me. I’m 6’1” and on my tippy toes, Riley is about 5’6” and in a comfortable shooting position. I bend my knees and crouch down to Riley’s eye level and all I see is trees. AHHHHH!!!!! No shot again. The other guys can see us but not the moose so this whole time they are wondering what is going on. The bull takes a step and turns his head to his left and BOOM the rifle rings out and the bull instantly drops. A perfect shot. I pump my fist in the air then slap Riley on the back and tell him congrats. The other guys know by my reaction that the shot was perfect. They run over to hear what happen. After a short recap we walk up to the bull as a group. Blair (the cultural and Ojibwey language teacher) hands everyone some tobacco. Riley kneels by the head of the moose and says his thanks. After a short time of silence he offers his tobacco by sprinkling it onto the moose.

Blair and Kirby head back to camp to get the ATV and trailer. Riley, Stan and Myself get to breaking down the bull. We do the gutless method and are just about done when Blair and Kirby arrive back. We finish up under headlights and have the bull loaded up and everyone feels amazing. Blair presents Riley with a beautiful brand new buck knife to commemorate the taking of his first moose. Then we look up and see an amazingly clear night with stars shinning like we can never remember. We turn out the lights and stand in silence for 10 minutes. Then we start the long walk back to camp. Blair is driving the ATV and we are marching behind. The moon rises and lights are way and Blair is belting out traditional Ojibwey songs that can be heard over the sounds of the ATV engine. We arrive back at camp at 10:30 and light a fire and get a pot of chili fired up. Together we eat and lounge by the fire and recap the amazing day we just shared together. An experience none of us will soon forget.

 

[Jimbob]

Rifle we used was my tikka T3 lite in 30-06. Bullets were handholds that i just started this year. 165 grain Accubond over 57 grains of IMR 4350. Bullet entered 1" below the spine smashing through the first rib then traveling through lung and stopping somewhere in the guts. An absolute perfect shot, only lost a little bit of neck meat to bullet damage.

 

[Trail Blogna]

Congrats and thanks for the story!!!

 

[Manosteel]

Awesome, great hunt, congrats!