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moose location; during the rut
Topic Started: Jan 30 2010, 07:31 AM (302 Views)
beechwood
Sophmore
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Hi Guys ,

Question for you , the past few years we have started bow hunting for moose in central ontario our success has been poor !
we have hunted the gun season for years in the same location and pretty much always have taken a moose.

the area is good ! rugged country , mixed bush with ample marshes and ponds !

here is the deal , head up and scout labour day plenty of sign and usually some sightings !

all looks good ! head back up for first of october to hunt , not looking so promising , moose sign has dried up and they seem to have left the country ?
Hunt all week very few sightings and no luck.

the area is remote and fairly hard to access and there has been no signs of poaching or such.

Head back up for the gun season , third week of october and the moose are back eating lily pads in the ponds and basically teasing the guys with no tags !

this has gone on for a few years now same pattern !
seems like the moose move to a different location to breed and then return when its over !

Any thoughts ?

Thanks

Jeff
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shedherder
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Advanced Hunter
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Lots of different variables but I'll give you my opinion. Come Oct.1 the moose have been breeding for 2 weeks already and some of the bulls are wore out and are resting most likely on a secluded ridge some where. The number one factor for moose movement is weather. If there are high winds the moose will stay up on the ridges and will move very little till the wind dies down. Temperature is also linked to how much a moose will move. After all they wear a winter coat all year long. On a cool frosty light wind morning it seems they are all up moving around. On the days of no movement being more aggressive with your hunting tactics is the way to go. Get in the bush and take the hunt to them instead of waiting for them to come to you. Of course you must be equipped for this type of hunting. Shooting a moose somewhere to deep is a heck of a task to retrieve. You also need good bush skills. I carry topo's, satellite image, GPS, compass, water and food. This type of hunting has permitted me to harvest my two biggest bulls that would still be running the woods if I would of stayed on the fringe. The moose you are hunting are still there but just stepped up or over the next ridge. Put some miles on and I'm sure you'll find them. There are several good moose hunters on this board hopefully they'll give their opinion as well.
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beechwood
Sophmore
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Thanks for the response, you may be right on with the moose laying up and not moving much at that point of the rut , unfortunately the bow season in those units is always the first week in october .
we have had some pretty warm temps pushing the mid to upper 20's for a couple of the years and did not hold high hopes for that reason.

as for stalking up on them its tough due to the fact that the trees and underbrush are usually still thick with foliage making it hard to even get off the marshes or trails.
would you call while your moving along ?

Interesting point about the moose bedding high on ridges when the temperature gets up , always kind of figured you would find them in the spruce swamps and boggy areas... that theory has not been working !

The way I see it if the moose are not responding to the call at that time its going to make for some pretty tough bow hunting !

is there any different calls or techniques to lure in a worn down bull ?

when do you figure the peak rut usually takes place ?

lots of questions !!

Thanks !
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shedherder
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beechwood
Jan 30 2010, 07:55 PM

as for stalking up on them its tough due to the fact that the trees and underbrush are usually still thick with foliage making it hard to even get off the marshes or trails.
would you call while your moving along ?

Interesting point about the moose bedding high on ridges when the temperature gets up , always kind of figured you would find them in the spruce swamps and boggy areas... that theory has not been working !

The way I see it if the moose are not responding to the call at that time its going to make for some pretty tough bow hunting !

is there any different calls or techniques to lure in a worn down bull ?

when do you figure the peak rut usually takes place ?

lots of questions !!

Thanks !

Yes I would move along and call as I went giving full respect to the wind.

The moose are on the ridges more so when the winds are high not due to temperature. warm weather shuts down there movements and I to would expect them to be close to the water, just only moving at first light and sunset.

Every day that goes by in Oct. The moose seem to be less responsive to the calls but covering lots of ground and calling on several bulls might entice some chat sessions. Sitting still you only cover the ones in that particular area.

My guess peak rut is from the second week in Sept. to the third week. It's a shame in the area you hunt the season is not opened to catch them in rut but not much you can do about that.
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Posted Image corman30


Where we go the locals will tell you the 27-30 of Sept is peak. They call it the running of the bulls.
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Renegade
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Atikokan, Ontario
Quote:
 
Yes I would move along and call as I went giving full respect to the wind



Yes, things change over the course of the season and often it is the human presence that changes the behaviour of moose. Not just the rut itself. We have had some unusual moose season's the past couple years. 2009 was the warmest September I have ever seen so your not alone in having a difficult moose hunt. The window of opportunity was diminished and for sure most movement was at night and your best odds were real early and late.

Here are some of my thought's..............

During the rut, cow calling will be the most successful strategy. I would hang around swamps, ponds, rivers.....water. If not, reasonably close. Moving around is the most effective strategy in my opinion. Staying in one location is a recipe for failure and not very productive. Hunting in pairs is good with the bow, possibly even three but more than that in an area is poor utilization of resources.

Bull grunts and thrashing trees is good to add to your bag of tricks as well. However, the cow call is still the best option. I would listen to tapes and read about moose behaviour to help make higher percentage decisions in the field.

I have had a lot of luck moose hunting and have called in numerous bulls when I set my mind to it. I like to call from many different areas in one day. In 2007 I called in 4 different bulls in 3 days in 4 different locations and took a nice one with the bow at 30 yards.

I use “mare in heat” urine and have had success with it during rifle seasons in seasons gone by.

A decoy can be very effective.

Have fun and good luck this fall!
Posted Image
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Posted Image Northshore


What we like to do for moose is get our hands on some arial photograghs or google earth if it is available in good resolution for the area we plan to hunt. Then we look for some out of the way natural clearings (meadows) or beaver ponds with a decent amount of grass land between the pond and the trees. Then we go there a month or so before the season and cut in a trail and set up stands,blinds and a rut pit and whatever else you think you need. We try to have at least two places to hunt, however three or four is even better. Hope this helps you out. Northshore.
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beechwood
Sophmore
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Thanks for the great information guys all very helpful
typically we set up treestands in proven spots and spend a good percentage of the time calling at those locations .

Definitely will try to be more mobile next time as we are fortunate to have a large area to hunt .

would you guys think trying to call in a bull through the first 10 days of october is a worthwhile endeavor or would precious vacation time be better spent elsewhere ?

I thought it would be ok as we have called in a few smaller bulls in gun season as late as oct 15- 18 ?

Thanks

Jeff
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