Successful Alaska moose hunt!

Dbevans

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 18, 2021
Messages
195
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I’ve hunted moose for the last 10 years. I got my first moose at 11 and then got a few more with my dad and step brother. This year my dad bought a house and was busy moving in to it so he couldn’t follow hunting.

The first day, my friend, my gf and I went up a river where I scouted another big bull a week before season. By 7:30 am we spotted him and he disappeared in the brush to be seen 2 hours later. We saw him come out on the other side of the willows and decided that was our time to put a stock on him but he managed to disappear into the thick brush (I’m not sure if he was as big as this one but he was close). We climbed back on the hill and waited to see if he would stand up or move to an area we would see him. After 6 hours of no luck we went up river and scouted from another vantage point. Just a cow. We went back to where we saw the other bull and waited until dark. Boated down the river and drove back to camp.

The next day we got up at 5:30 am and were on our way up the river when the sun was coming up. We glassed all up and down the river and by 1pm we were getting anxious because our hunting area was closing at midnight. We decided to go to another river we knew there were moose on where no one hunted. We soon learned why no one hunted there. Big rocks, or 2 inches of water was really your only choice after the first 15 miles. We stopped in a few glassing spots and saw nothing. I thought we are not far enough up the river. We made it this far whats a little more going to hurt. Getting stuck and hitting rocks was a regular occurrence but coming around one bend I spotted two bulls. We pulled off the side of the river and watched them for about 5 minutes before we decided to try and get them.

By now it was 5:30pm, we were 32 miles up a shallow river, and saw two bulls 1 mile up a hill. I told my friend it looked like a long walk, remembering my dad telling me that shooting moose far from the river is a workout, my friend said we’ll worry about it later. We climbed the hill in to a view spot and when we finally got up there the wind was in our favor. We spotted the lower bull and wanted to see where the one higher was. We thought the one higher on the hill was bigger. After looking at the lower moose in my scope I told my friend we have to get this one. Got a range on him 550 yards. We wanted to get closer but had thick brush between us and him. We had to walk through it. After what seemed an eternity we cleared the brush to an opening and knew we’re within 200 yards of the bull we just have to find him. We walked up and down side to side. I had a feeling he was lower so I signaled my friend to come with me and we walked down. After 5 minutes of looking all over he stood up 40 feet away. Bang, Bang. Hes down.

Then the work began. He took 3 trips and probably weighs close to 2000 pounds. If you read this, I probably will shoot a moose far off the river again.


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robby denning

Administrator
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Joined
Feb 25, 2012
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14,994
Location
SE Idaho
What a great bull and thanks for the recap. never hunted this way, so very interesting logistics

How many trips from the bull to the boat? Assuming the “3 trips” mentioned were boat-to-camp, so over 150 boat miles, yes? no?
 
OP
Dbevans

Dbevans

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Oct 18, 2021
Messages
195
What a great bull and thanks for the recap. never hunted this way, so very interesting logistics

How many trips from the bull to the boat? Assuming the “3 trips” mentioned were boat-to-camp, so over 150 boat miles, yes? no?

With 4 people, I did 4 trips. We spent a few hours cutting a trail through the brush


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AKDoc

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
May 16, 2015
Messages
1,533
Location
Alaska
Very well done!! Thank you for sharing your very well written story with us! What an adventure to remember!

If I'm looking at it correctly (not sure I am), I think that might be the greatest number of brow-tines that I have ever seen!
 
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
Messages
792
Location
Pendleton, Or
I guided fishing up in Bristol Bay for 20 years. Come september I was always amazed how far up some of the little creeks local guys could get their boats.
Great looking bull, well done.
 

Scottf270

WKR
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
467
Location
Missouri
I leave Friday the 9th for Bethel. I assure you, I will not shoot one too far from the water pick up spot. I don't want one in the water either. Great bull, awesome brows!!!
 

Grumman

WKR
Joined
Jan 30, 2016
Messages
1,603
Location
Kentucky
Congrats and thanks for taking the time to post it. I love reading about moose hunting adventures.


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Joined
Nov 3, 2017
Messages
1,456
Location
AK
Congrats on a killer bull, them fronts are awesome!

I'm wildly in love with them boats and have been selling my wife on one for next year. This just added more fuel to that flame.
 
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