| Welcome to Ontario Trophy Bucks forum. Enjoy your visit. You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free. Join our community! If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| 2010 OTB Moose Contest Poll; Voting period ends on Jan 15th. THANKS! | |
|---|---|
| Tweet Topic Started: Dec 28 2010, 12:01 PM (594 Views) | |
LoneWolf
|
Dec 28 2010, 12:01 PM Post #1 |
|
Rebel Soul
![]()
|
![]() ___________________________________________________________________________________ coptordoctor Well All We just returned from another awesome holiday in the beautiful north woods of Ontario. Other than a ton of Hunters all around everything turned out ok New area for us yet again thanks to the MNR tag system we seem to never be able to get tags in the same spot. After a 11 hour drive I met with the rest of the Gang in Kapaskasing. Here the journey started 4am leaving Kap ![]() Now for the next 11 hour drive to Thunderbay. Man I wish they could move my job closer!! We started up the road we picked with some help from some great members on the OTB site thanks Guys you know who you are.. Hate to give away any tips on your spot.. We were pretty depressed at every road we passed there we another camp of guys, We have never seen hunters like this.. Lucky I guess but we kept going hoping Our last choivce was not full as well. Finally after a couple hours we reached our last chance and lucky no one was there so after a two dayy set up we were good to go for our 2 week hunt.. Camp ![]() We had no time to set up stands on the friday and we were beat so we slept in Saturday and finished jobs around camp cut some wood did a bit of fishing. Sat night we drove to a spot and called on a high lookout no luck. Next day pouring rain so throw another log on the fire and catch up on some sleep.. Sunday afternoon loked good so off my hunting partner of 20 some odd years. Head out. We set up a pair of stands. Called at about 6pm had a answer just before dark so we snuck out with a plan to return in the dark and get ready for what we hoped was to be the first Moose encounter of 2010. Monday morning showed cold and calm perfect day ahead. In the stand for about 20 moinutes when I made the first call Nothing and then another call nothing.. I said to Bruce hard to believe he was here last night and with the stillness and hieght of land we were on we were confident our call was going Miles. After about 2.5 hours I said to Bruce lets get the hell out of here. Bruce said crap lets give it another 20 minutes or so. It was my turn to Video so no sweat to me he could keep watch I could nap.. If you don't know Myself and Bruce take turns videoing and shooting. so Last year I shot first so this year was Bruces. If he shot then he swithched to camera and then My turn to shoot. I tell you in is the best time ever ask Bruce I seem to lose control more when behind the camera than when I am shooting go figure!! As we were getiing ready to leave I gave a loud call and there he was one grunt and then we could hear him crashing in the twigs and branches laying on the ground in the cut. We spotted him at about 100 yards and with some carefull calling I coaxed him into Bruces effective range.. Sorry bud had to put this in 4 yards and there he stands. Bruce arrows him and off he busts after about 20 seconds he gets up on a hill infront of us where he satnds for a minute then topples over.. Woot woot!! Go to Justushunting.com to see the vid Rick should have it up in a week or so ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() So ther e we are one moose down and 5 days to go before we can hunt. We had two friends coming up the second week and said we would not fill the tags before they came.. I know we are really nice guys.. Not really but we are not liars !!LOL Kevin and Serge show up on late thursday night we had a few spots scouted out for them Serge went to the one and actually jumped a Bull walking in. He could not get him into bow range but a close encounter. We did not hunt Friday as the weather was crap but Serge and Kevin perservered. The next morning dawned great again so Myself and Bruce headed to a spot we put stands up a few days before. With Bruce behind the camera and calling it was my turn. The first call a Grunt long ways off but. it was early andd pefect weather so here we go. We called and he kept coming. Afte r30 minutes Bruces say's to me I can hear him coming down the trail to our left. In the next breath he say's the damn battery is showing low.. With some quick handi work Bruce gets the camera fired back up just in time as the Bull trots into view that's righ trots. I see him walking and then as he gets to my shooting lane he pickes up speed.. I losse the arrow and see it burry in his side first thing was I know I hit him but where? It sounded pretty loud. Bruce said Great shot he saw the aroow hit upon review it looked high. We left him for about 40 minutes and then slowly started down his trail. Fairly good blood trail. Then less and less. My heart was sinking. We ended up out in a big swamp with the tracks heaading straight out. NOt there I said to Bruce. On we went and in about 100 yards out in the swamp almost to the otherside we came upon him sunk to his belly. After some hand shakes and pictures we both said what a crappy place to get to.. As it turne dout we got my 800 can am and serges 500 polaris within winch distance and with both winches double lined we got him to dry ground.. ![]() ![]() ![]() Again check out Justushunting.com for the Video. Now the fun begins we hate to lose moose and have seen tons coming down the hiway stacked one on top in 70 deg weather not us. The meat is cut an wrapped ground and frozen before we leave camp. |
![]() |
|
LoneWolf
|
Dec 28 2010, 12:04 PM Post #2 |
|
Rebel Soul
![]()
|
whitetailweasel After 15 years of guiding, I was back in camp with my old bowhunting group. Some new faces, some old. I was on a 3 week hunt, everyone else just 2 weeks. The third week, I would be hunting with my long time friend, Don Hyatt of Hyatt's Manion Lake Camp. I have been hunting or guiding out of this camp for 20 years. So with 6 people in camp, opening morning found me in one of my honey holes. We had great action, but couldn't get the bull to commit. Day 2 was the same. On the morning of day 3, we were heading to a new pond. There on the road was a pair of wolves looking in to the pond. As my friends Rob and his wife Christa & I got closer, the wolves took off. We looked into the pond and there stood a big bull. Trying to get Chris to shoot the bull, I made a soft cow call and here he comes across the pond, fast! Rob & Christa were not ready yet so I had to make a move fast! Running through the timber I closed the gap. The bull is grunting all the way. I draw the bow, walk out to the edge of the pond, and grunt to stop the bull! 28 yards, I dump the arrow, the bull spins and runs. I grunt to stop him and send a second arrow into his lungs. A short run and down he goes. We left the bull to go and get the rest of the group. When we returned, the wolves were already on the bull. Thankfully, no damage to any meat. One bull down, 2 to go. ![]() ![]() Our other tags were in the unit an hour to the north. We pair up in groups of 2. I would now be hunting with my good buddy Greg. After 4 days of hunting, we set up on the egde of a spruce swamp in the evening. Greg was 50 yards down wind of me. First call and here comes a moose. Out steps a cow & a calf. They circle to get my wind and walk right into Greg. Off goes the arrow and the calf is down right within sight. The next morning, we headed back to the same area because there was bull sign everywhere. We hunted all day with some midday action. Just before dark, a bull started grunting. He came hard and fast, only stopping to rake trees. At 7 yards he stepped out in front of Greg. Greg drops the string & the bull is down within 40 yards. So far a 50 inch, 47 inch & a calf. You would think it couldn't get any better than this! ![]() ![]() The third week, Don Hyatt & I were going to try and get Don his first moose with a bow. He has being hunting moose all his life with a rifle & has shot too may to count! On day 2 of this hunt, again on my first call at daylight a cow answers a long way off. We take off on a run, knowing there has to be a bull with her. When we got close, I started raking & grunting to challange him, and here he comes. I don't stop and neither does he. Again at 7 yards, Don lets the arrow fly. A couple hours later, we walk up to big bull#3, a 46 inch with great mass. What a great bow hunt! ![]() ![]() I thought the 2010 season was completed after returning from the bow hunt, our group having having filled three bull tags and one calf when a friend that was returning from the rifle hunt came home with an unfilled cow tag. This area 34 cow tag is a coveted tag in this area, as only 20 bull and 5 cow tags are released each year. Fortunately, this area also happens to be in the same area my cabin is. As you can imagine, it didn't take a whole lot of convincing, and the plans were set to hunt the last week of the season. Long time friend Craig and I head north to hook up with other members of Craig's moose group that live in the Sault. Day one brought us lots of moose sign, but no moose. Day two, the guys head back to the favourite hunting spots, and I head into the big timber, cross country looking for new moose. Before long, just after day break, I ran into a cow with twin calves. I shot the first calf and could not a clear shot and the cow and other calf. Called the rest of the guys on the radio to come to where I had shot the calf, knowing the cow would return. When they arrived, I set them up down wind of the calf and proceeded to circle two miles down wind of the where I had last seen the cow and calf. Four hours later, 200 yards from the first calf and the boys, I walked into the cow and the other calf. Within a couple of minutes, the cow and calf are down, approximately 3 yards from each other. What an end to a great season, to be able to stay at my cabin, meet some great new friends and have harvested four moose in the 2010 season. Definately, a dream season! ![]() ![]() ![]()
|
![]() |
|
LoneWolf
|
Dec 28 2010, 12:23 PM Post #3 |
|
Rebel Soul
![]()
|
<span style='font-size:14pt;line-height:100%'>deermagnet</span> ![]() Well it's starting to become the same old story for us and a lot of groups. Every year September rolls around my moose group finds itself in a new area. Despite having gained a thourough knowledge of the landscape the previous season we have opted to play the odds to assure ourselfs the best probability of tags-hence square one. The first day in, my buddy Craig hunted a small clear cut and managed to stick a nice bull before dark. We end up tracking the bull some distance but the blood trail had pertered out so so we head back to camp for some much needed sleep. The next morning scouring the countryside. I had a unique encounter with a very sociable pileated woodpecker. In fact,most of the morning it stayed closeby as I meandered through the terrain, sometimes perching within a few yards. One fella in our group made a nice shot on a big doe before he stumbled into are dead bull which didn't go that far after all. How we get so close and not see it is beyond me.Smiles and cheers all around as we spent the rest of the day cutting and hauling. At lunch the following day, Craig and I decided to work the same clear cut because there was so much fresh sign. We split up, each following the old growth. Approaching the back end of the cut, I caught a glimpse of movement, I almost had to duck as my feathery sidkick from yesterday settled in a nearby tree greeting me with those, gutteral peeps that only a pileated woodpecker could muster. Before I had a chance to reciproate its warm welcome ,I senced more movement quarting towards me,cresting a rise in the clear cut. It was a nice looking 2 1/2 year old bull, I quickly crounched and moved into postion for a shot. My quarry started to veer away so a few soft cow calls persuaded him back my way. As he ambled into range he turned perfectly broadside, it was almost to good to be true. My bolt found the mark and the beast exploded into an unrestrained sprint. I was so caught up in the momentI didn't hear Craig's frantic screaming as the bull narrowly missed him at full speed. It's pace finally slowed to an unsteady wobble and toppled over in plain view . Sure didn't have to look for that one , high 5's were shared again. Still early early in the evening we radioed the two guys hunting the cut next to us for help.With the help of a couple of quads and a little elbow grease,we made it back to camp in good time. At dark the other two members of our group who were out fishing saw the back of the truck, the look of utter confusion mixed with elation was priceless. In only three days of hunting we filled both our moose tags and in almost 25 years of moose hunting this was the first one we took out whole, usually were off the beaten path some what. The next week and half was action packed with some greet deer encounters and moose Our group harvested 13 deer in total , five of them coming from one small magical cut . But that's another story |
![]() |
|
LoneWolf
|
Dec 28 2010, 12:26 PM Post #4 |
|
Rebel Soul
![]()
|
Road /colt.v68 Headed up North early with my 12 year old son Colton, who is a apprentice hunter. Our group had 2 bull tags and thing were looking good. Went out a few days before the rifle season began with the bow looking for a calf. Walked into the cut after the sun began to rise and had a 40" bull at 25 yards. I decided to get out and leave things alone until Saturday. Hoping he would still be around. Saturday came and the weather was great, nice and still and frost on the ground. We waited till sun light and started to make our way up the cut to our post. We dropped off our first hunter Lumpy, in his spot and made our way slowly up the old skidder path. We had not gone any more then a 100 yrd and to my left stood the biggest Bull i have seen in 15 years of moose hunting. I pointed him out to Colt and he looked at us for 20 sec and jogged off. The good thing is that it was in the direction of our post. We made our way to our rock,the highest point in the cut. From there we saw 2 cows only minutes after we got settled in. We heard over the radio that my brother harvest a 40" bull and one bull tag remained. Now it was going to be a race to see who fills the other tag. My buddy, Jim was now at his post at the far end of the cut. He called us on the radio to tell us he had 3 bull and 2 cows in front of him. He lost sight of them for a while and when the reappeared they were only 60 yrds away and making there way to wards us. Jim could have harvested any of the bulls and was hoping Lumpy or Colt would get their first, Now is when I turned on the video cam and began to film. The bad part is i forgot my tripod at the bikes so the footage is a little blurry. heres the vid...enjoy i know i will for years http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCYfUkd8Msk ![]() ![]()
|
![]() |
|
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Moose Hunting Forum · Next Topic » |




























9:33 AM Jul 11