TBow Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 Well we made 'er home. Didn't connect with a bullwinkle, but still had a great time. We left a week and a half a go and it rained for the entire 12 hour drive there. I don't just mean it rained....it POURED! All our gear to set up our camp that was on my trailer was absolutely soaked. We couldn't put camp up in the rain, so a friend of mine in Timmins offered to put us up for the night. Great bunch of people and life savers too! We got camp set up a day late and had to fire up a couple heaters to dry things out once we got a roof on, but the weather from there on was O.K. Overcast for the most part, but little to no rain from then on. A buddy that lives near where we camped, told us the bulls were calling like mad two weeks before we got there, so things had cooled down somewhat. Still, I had some success in arousing a few bulls interest, but not enough to get them coming in hot and heavy. They kept hanging up 150 yards or so out from us. I had responses, or indications that moose were all around us virtually every day we were calling, but no sightings with which to get some pictures of live animals. One moring I had three bulls working on my calls, and we believed it was a cow that came into 30 yards from my son, but he was unable to see it in heavy brush. It was that close he could hear it breathing. The wind kept swirling and eventually it picked up his scent and existed stage left. The night before we pulled out, there was a moose breaking branches about 80 yards or so right behing our camp a couple hours before dusk. When we grabbed our bows to investigate, the moose circled us and exited crashing. The day before we pulled up camp there was a HEAVY frost on the ground, a kazillion stars twinkling in the early morning sky, a low mist rising off the ponds and creeks and absolutely dead calm conditions with which to hear our calls reverberating off the local hills. A moose hunter's dream conditions. I had two bulls working my calls that morning and had one as close as 100 yards grunting up a storm, but then splashed though a nearby corner of a small lake. I figured cows were coming back into estrus and this week should have been gangbusters for anyone fortunate enough to be in the woods. I visited another buddy's camp the day we pulled out, and the friend that we stayed at when we arrived, showed up with a 53" bull that had just been hit by a '97 Caddy. They were carving it up as we departed, but did offer us some meat, with which we graciously declined. I figured they were gon'na loose quite a bit anyways on the side that took on the Caddy. The Caddy driver was put in the hospital with multiple injuries and lascerations. Man that's got'ta be a nightmare for sure seeing one of those monsters coming through your front windshield! Anyways, we popped a few rough grouse with our bows and arrows. Did a little fishing and a heap of atving. I put almost 25 hours on my argo that week. Even drove it into one lake and did a little trolling with it as I had a small electric trolling motor that I wanted to try out. I wouldn't want tp cross any vast water body with it, but for small creeks and ponds, it was O.K. I do recommend an auxillary motor such as the electric type that I had or a small outboard though, as the wheel drive system in the water is pretty much useless for any distance. I took my brother-in-law this year for his first ever moose hunt. He was talking about what to bring next year already, so I guess he had a good time! BTW Shaun, I honked three times on Hiway 17 as we passed Arnprior around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 23rd. We were gon'na stop into Timmies there, but I missed the turn off what with all the construction changes, so we pulled into the Renfrew Timmies instead. TBow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colorado bob Posted October 6, 2010 Report Share Posted October 6, 2010 Sounds like you had all the fun & none of the work. It's a lot WORK when you have a moose down. CB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob LeBlanc Posted October 7, 2010 Report Share Posted October 7, 2010 ...with a 53" bull that had just been hit by a '97 Caddy. ... Newfoundland speed bump !! Unfortunately, this past weekend, a young couple was killed just outside of Shediac, NB, on Highway 11, when they hit a moose. Their 2 year old son was in the backseat, and was relatively unhurt...but orphaned in an instant.:bummed: Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.