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| Confessions of a moose addict | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Jan 14 2010, 06:13 PM (661 Views) | |
| moosemike | Jan 14 2010, 06:13 PM Post #1 |
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Sophmore
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It all started with me in 2003. I was a reasonably successful Pennsylvania whitetail hunter and I was pushing 30 and all of the sudden I realized whitetails were great, but I need a new challenge. I didn't know what to hunt but I had always had lofty dreams of the Canadian wilderness and Bull Moose. One big problem though, I couldn't afford a guided Moose hunt. I wasn't ready to give up though. I did my homework and found out that Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont offered non resident Moose licenses and I could hunt DIY. I started by applying for all three drawings. Imagine my shock when in July of '03 I received a letter from Vermont telling me i had drawn a D2 Bull moose tag. I was elated. Now Moose season was mid October and I couldn't get off work to go up and scout. But the D2 unit borders Quebec so I figured it would be good. In the meantime I talked to people on the internet who helped me, one even gave me the use of his northern Vermont camp for the week free of charge! I arrived for the hunt brimming with excitement. It looked like moose country to me, whatever that was supposed to look like. Being from near Hershey Pennsylvania I had never even seen a Moose before. But i was living my dream. The first day of the season passed without event, but I was pumped because for the first time in my life I was moose hunting. The second day was more of the same. I sat in the morning, walked around with my rifle throughout the midday, and then sat in the evening. On the third day I actually kicked up a bull while walking around. I never saw him but I heard him run away with his antlers smacking against brush and saplings. On the fourth day I met a guy who invited me to hunt his land. And he walked me around and showed me where the moose frequent. He came out with me on the fifth day and right before dark we met a young bowhunter who was after deer. When he heard I was Moose hunting he became rather excited and told me he new where to take me on the sixth and final morning of my hunt. I was five days in and had still never seen a moose yet so of course I said "lets do it". On the morning of the last day it was snowing rather hard. We watched a clearcut and when it started getting light the young bowhunter said "there's a huge bull". Now I looked where he pointed and indeed I saw a moose, two of them actually but could not see horns. With correction my eyesight is perfect but what looked to me like a large dark colored blob, to him was a Bull moose. I rested my .30-06 and took aim, cranking the scope to 9X. Ahhh, now I see the horns. WOW, that is big isn't it! At the shot the Bull and his cow started running. We caught up to him bedded down at ten yards, he tried to rise and lowered his head at us but a couple more shots had him still. I learned very shortly that it doesn't matter how many deer you've gutted, it still doesn't prepare you for a moose. With that part over we drug my prize out with an ATV and loaded it into the pickup truck. Mission accomplished and I was on cloud nine. Now since that happened I've been a part of four more moose hunts, two of those have been my own. I'd like to tell a few more stories about those hunts but I've typed enough for now. ![]()
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| I'd rather be Moose hunting. | |
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Smokey
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Jan 14 2010, 06:36 PM Post #2 |
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Advanced Hunter
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Congrats that a beauty. I've been adicted to archery moose hunting since the early 90's and my first vacation pick of the year goes towards getting the moose hunt off. Good Luck with the next draw. |
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deermagnet
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Jan 14 2010, 07:10 PM Post #3 |
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high on the horn
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Congrats on a great hunt
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when your old all you have are your memories so make them
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LoneWolf
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Jan 14 2010, 07:25 PM Post #4 |
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Rebel Soul
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Congratulations on the nice bull! |
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bowhunter-57
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Jan 14 2010, 08:00 PM Post #5 |
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Congrats on a nice bull.
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spent
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Jan 14 2010, 08:12 PM Post #6 |
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That is a nice bull...... |
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greybeard
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Jan 14 2010, 08:36 PM Post #7 |
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congrats, nice bull!!! |
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GOOD HUNT'N, greybeard Tomorrow, Yesterday, Why fret about them if today be sweet !!! | |
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| moosemike | Jan 14 2010, 09:48 PM Post #8 |
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Sophmore
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Thanks everyone for your kind words. The saga continues.... The very next year (2004) I get drawn for an Either Sex tag in New Hampshire. A few weeks later I find out my wife is drawn for Moose in Vermont. Both seasons are the same week so we get my wife's brother to go with her as subpermittee, and me and my buddy from my first Moose hunt go to New Hampshire. I scouted this time and was prepared when the season rolled around. My season was over as soon as it started because right at daylight the first morning there were three Moose 75 yards in front of me. A cow, about a 36" bull, and a bull that was much larger who was broadside. I shot the large bull with a 450 Marlin and he ran 100 yards and collapsed. I was shocked to find he only had one horn! If I would have known that I would have shot the 36 incher. Oh well, still an interesting trophy that dressed out at 875 pounds and later proved to be 9 and 1/2 years old. The meat was tough though. Anyway we loaded it into the pickup (smashing the back window in the process, LOL) and away we went. I spent the rest of the week trying to help my wife and brother in law find a Vermont moose but it was not to be. ![]() Not the best pic I know. But I don't have a scanner. Sorry. ![]() The finished mount. This moose addiction story is not over. To be continued........ |
| I'd rather be Moose hunting. | |
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| shedherder | Jan 15 2010, 07:47 AM Post #9 |
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Advanced Hunter
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Some good stories there Mike. On the first hunt you did well by getting in touch with so many good people. Nice to know there are still a few out there. I really like the second bull he is very unique. Congratulations
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| moosemike | Jan 15 2010, 08:53 AM Post #10 |
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Sophmore
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Thanks Shedherder. Now we will fast forward to 2006. My brother inlaw (same one that helped my wife on her moose hunt) was drawn for New Hampshire moose. He has money so he was up many times over the summer and fall scouting. He wanted me with even though he already had two guys hunting with him. We figured he didn't need a four man entourage but I wanted to be nearby in case he got a moose. We agreed to meet at a certain spot at 9 a.m. the first morning. I pull in and he is nowhere to be found. But guess who is there? Of course there is probably a 35" bull standing there staring at me. My BIL shows up an hour later and says he wasn't ready to leave his spot yet so that is why he didn't meet me on time. I asked him if he had saw any and he hadn't. I told him about the 35 incher that was standing right here an hour ago and he said he didn't care because that was too small. . Three hours later he shot a 27" bull, go figure. I wasn't having any success with moose tags until this past (2009) drawing. I got picked for Vermont again, same unit as before. My buddy who I met on the first moose hunt (and who helped me, and is in the picture of my second moose hunt) wanted to help again but he would miss the first part of the hunt due to a Kentucky whitetail hunt that he had already booked. In the meantime the economy took it's toll and I lost my job. When moose season rolled around I didn't have money for a hotel room so my wife, son, and myself pitched a tent. This was a new style of hunting for me, and in the 25 degree farenheit temps I didn't get the best nights sleep every night which hampered my moose hunting to some extent. The first two days passed uneventful. Lots of tracks but no moose. I had this really good clearcut I was watching though and I was determined to stay with it. On day three it was getting dark and I got up to walk back to the campsite, when I saw a Cow and calf staring at me at about 80 yards. My hunt was halfway over already and because the tent wasn't the most glorious situation I'd ever hunted in, I didn't hesitate. I raised my .30-06 and shot the Cow through the lungs. She didn't go far and I finished her. We loaded her up the next morning and headed for home and butchered her there. I also butchered my first moose at home because the local meatcutters get $400 to butcher a moose. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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| I'd rather be Moose hunting. | |
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| shedherder | Jan 15 2010, 08:46 PM Post #11 |
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Advanced Hunter
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Wow you've done very well in the few years you've been moose hunting. Many people go 10 years to get one. Do you use satellite photo's to pick out spots ?, I've found it very useful although once on the ground everything looks a bit different. Congrats again.
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| Extreme | Jan 15 2010, 08:49 PM Post #12 |
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Lanark County--Team Ontario Trophy Bucks
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Great storys and pics.Congrats on all the successful hunts
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| I thought I was wrong once,But I was mistaken | |
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| moosemike | Jan 16 2010, 10:33 AM Post #13 |
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Sophmore
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I've started doing quite a bit with satellite photos in the last year or so. They are more helpful than the old Topo maps. As far as being successful I've just been blessed. I thank God for the opportunities I've had. Everyone I knew that had ever gone Moose hunting had hired a guide to do it. So I didn't have anybody who could advise me on how to DIY for moose. I used the internet to my advantage there. With that said growing up I always envisioned myself one day hunting moose in Canada. Canada and moose have always been inseparable to me. Most people I hear talk about how they want to hunt moose someday want to go to Alaska. To me it's always been about getting to Canada. I've gotten three moose in New England because I've never been able to afford a Canadian hunt but I've been determined to go moose hunting. It's better that i started out in this fashion though because I now know how to field dress, skin, butcher, get out of the woods, and load into a truck my own moose. Someday soon I hope to be able to afford a Canadian moose hunt but until then I will keep applying in the New England states and doing it DIY. My moose dreams are not over now that I've been fortunate enough to take three but I like to think they have just begun.
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| I'd rather be Moose hunting. | |
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ThatHuntingGuy
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Jan 16 2010, 10:48 AM Post #14 |
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Advanced Hunter
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nice!
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"PRESERVE WILDLIFE.....USE FREEZER BAGS"
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Archer Ontario
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Jan 16 2010, 12:03 PM Post #15 |
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Archer Ontario, Kingston Ont
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love the storys now i have moose hunting on the Brain :archer: |
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SHOOT STRAIT OR SHOOT ALOT "SMACKDOWN" www.ontariotrophybucks.ca | |
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sureshot
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Jan 17 2010, 03:23 PM Post #16 |
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Advanced Hunter
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Good Job MooseMike you will have to get to Ontario Moose hunting sometime. We have a buddy from PA coming up this year for his first moose bowhunt cant wait. His hunt will cost about 1200 total. His non res tag will be 400 but we are pitching in as part of the cost whats a extra 50 bucks between everyone he is also looking foward to the awsome walleye/pickerel fishing we have up here. |
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| shedherder | Jan 17 2010, 06:47 PM Post #17 |
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Be sure to check out the regulations for the WMU you wish to hunt non residents must hunt through a tourist outfitter or by hunting with an immediate relative. Some area's if the said person owns land they can get a calf tag in some areas but not all. |
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| b g hunter | Mar 26 2010, 08:05 AM Post #18 |
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Rookie
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you already know how i feel,good stuff right there mike...later
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perrysbirds
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Mar 26 2010, 08:29 AM Post #19 |
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Great Newfie Hunter
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Right on! |
![]() If I aint out shooting deer! Im home drinking beer! Pro staffer for spypoint | |
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Bocephus_86
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Mar 26 2010, 09:50 AM Post #20 |
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Thanks for the great stories and photos Mike! I went moose hunting this past season fo rthe first time, and shot a nice cow moose...and I am definitely hooked now as well! Can't wait for October...one of these years I want to try the archery hunt..but we will see! Thanks again
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| moosemike | Mar 26 2010, 06:22 PM Post #21 |
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Sophmore
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Thanks Bocephus. Congrats on your Moose.
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| I'd rather be Moose hunting. | |
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chevy man
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Mar 27 2010, 04:01 PM Post #22 |
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thanks for the storys and pics |
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from some reason from August to November im always hunting i wonder why? | |
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Love2Hunt
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Mar 27 2010, 06:04 PM Post #23 |
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Great White Hunter in Mississauga!
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GOOD JOB |
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Congrats on a nice bull. 



. Three hours later he shot a 27" bull, go figure.








9:34 AM Jul 11