Moose hunting.

[Hangfire]

Can't see it happening at this stage of my life but I've always had a hankering to go to Canada or Alaska moose hunting.......they are pretty big critters and from what I've read the mature bulls can sometimes reach 7' at the shoulders and weigh between 840-1500 lbs. which would make them considerably larger than a bull elk.

Anybody on board ever moose hunt ?

 

[Okie4570]

I believe ElkStlkR and his wife have, New England area or eastern Canada? Can't remember. I know of only two guys who've gone to Alaska to moose hunt, both came back empty handed. One guy had a lazy guide, they glassed several good bulls but the guide always acted like he never wanted to go after them, they made one stalk in 5 or 6 days........the other guy I know they only saw two small bulls the whole trip, covered a lot of ground and his guide worked his rear off, that's hunting though. The first situation was pretty unacceptable imo, so research your guide thoroughly.

 

[skyhawk1]

I'm in same boat as you, always wanted but don't think I'll ever have the chance

 

[DRC458]

I never have, and I've only known one fellow who did AFAIK. He did get a decent bull in Alaska, but it's been years ago.

 

[RickN]

While laid up in the hospital I watched some show about game wardens up in the NE and they were talking about moose hunting. Pretty interesting. Up to 1000lbs meat and a moose will stomp you to death for the fun of it.

 

[ElkStalkR]

I believe ElkStlkR and his wife have, New England area or eastern Canada?

You are correct. In fact I'm impressed you remembered that from some random forum member who occasionally post on here. LOL

I've actually been to Newfoundland twice. Harvesting bulls both times. The second bull was significantly smaller than my first but still filled my tag. Before that I went to Manitoba and never even took my gun off safety. I have plans to head to Manitoba in 2021, same place BUT different owners. Guess I'm a sucker for punishment. LOL

Here is the thread from over 6 years ago:
https://www.okshooters.com/threads/newfoundland-moose-success.185596/

 

[retrieverman]

There’s ALOT of things self employment has kept me from doing, and taking cool hunting trips is one of them. I know several guys who have hunted moose but only a couple who have brought one home.

Would I go if the opportunity presented itself? OH HELL YES, but it’s not on my bucket list. The same goes for mule deer, pronghorn, and bear.

I guess my only “life hunting goal” is to kill a free range 200” whitetail buck and preferably on my place.

 

[dennishoddy]

Never moose hunted but I’d love to. Never realized how big they are until standing next to the full body mount of the world record Yukon moose in the Anchorage airport lobby. I have a pic of it somewhere. See if I can find it.

 

[TheDoubleD]

2017 I gave myself a moose hunt in Northern Alberta for a 70th birthday gift. Hunted with BearPaw Outfitting. I hunted for 9 days. This is a farmland hunt so big monster Alaska size moose were not expected. This is also a spot and stalk hunt. Drive to the edge of the field and glass.

It was beautiful up there-the fall colors were spectacular. But unfortunately temperatures were in the 80's day and never freezing at night. The moose were coming out at night to feed.

.
We saw a few moose, only cows, some amazing whitetail and Mule Deer, a few elk and lots and a lots of bear.

The outfitter only had permits for 5 moose. One client was involved in a traffic accident on the way up and got to start their hunt later than rest of us. The out fitter did not usually hunt that late because of the weather. Two clients hunting at the same time as I did, did not see a bull moose and of course did not fill their tags. Another client got a moose the day after we left. The lady who was late coming up got a big monster moose.

I did see one very large moose about day 5 or 6 probably a good mile away with about 10 minutes of shooting light left. Not a chance there. I did not see another bull moose until the last hour of the 9th and last day. We pulled into a field and immediately spotted a bull about 1/2 mile away across a canola field. We got out walked along the tree line about 100 yards sat down and the Guide started calling. In 10 minutes the moose was 40 yards away. I shot it with my 338-06 Ackley-using 250 gr, Sierra Gamekings. The guide had told me earlier on to keep shooting until the moose fell down or I ran out of ammunition. I emptied the gun-3 shoots.

This is the first shot-in the heart.

Here is my celebratory video.



He is not big moose, but he is my first moose and the biggest I have ever taken.

I had the moose cut a wrapped up there. I had a small chest freezer and a generator in the back of the truck for 2000 mile trip home.

Took two years for the wife and I to eat him.

This years hunting trip will be elk in New Mexico, but we are talking about going back for moose to Bearpaw, maybe next year.[/URL]

 

[Hangfire]

Thanks for sharing your hunt with us @TheDoubleD.

I was fortunate enough to make several fishing trips to northern Canada and the NWT back in the early 90's.

I saw a few moose, from maybe 150 yds., while on drop off float plane / fly-in fishing trips on the south end of Great Slave Lake in the NWT and the upper end of Atahabasca Lake in Saskatoon.

All the sightings were when I was drifting down rivers and casting with the motor off and I'd come around a bend and they'd be out in a shallow lagoon eating.....very impressive animals even from 150 yds. or so away, they'd just look up and trot back to the brush.

Was in camp on Great Slave one day around noon eating cold leftover from the night before fried walleye sandwiches and beans for lunch and out of nowhere a local Indian appeared in a small alum. boat. I shared my lunch with him and he said that he was moose hunting and of course with me being a gun nut I ask if I could look at his rifle.

He had a old beat up WW2 Lee Enfield chambered in 303 Brit that had bailing wire wrapped around the barrel at the fore end to keep the barrel in the stock, duct tape wrapped around the wrist of the stock to repair a cracked stock, he had tacked on the sole of a old sneaker or flip flop to the end of the stock for a recoil pad and he was using surplus military ammo not commercial.

He was really proud of that beat up old rifle and said that his uncle had given it to him a few years earlier before he passed away and that he'd taken a moose every year with it since he'd had it.......from the way he talked he just fired at any part of the moose he could see and then tracked it till he found it.

Gave him two or three more leftover fried walleye fillets and a couple cheap cigars for the road and never saw him again.