2012 Moose Camp

[Mighty Peace]

Well my annual sanity break from work is almost here...leaving early this sunday morning for a week with the guys :mrgreen: My trailer is already loaded up with 2 quads with tub trailers hooked on and 2 other tub trailers tied down on with gear to be placed in saturday. Overall 3 quads and 4 rhinos will make the annual migration into camp. Should take about 5-6 hours to get camp hauled in and setup.

Pic of camp from 2010.

Pic of 2011 Camp

Pic of Meat Pole 2011

Getting pretty pumped ...hard to concentrate on work....lol

Going to surprise my buds this year once camp is hauled in and setup. When we go to leave for the late afternoon hunt, I'm going to break out my Mossberg Tactical 22 and say I'm going moose hunting. The guys will think its a restricted weapon (as AR's here in Canada are) but they wont know its just a rimfire 22 and a non-restricted rifle...its going to be funny. Its going to be my grouse gun this year. :wink:

The old trusted Sako m75ss 300WM with reloads of 180gr Accubonds will be coming to camp-my traditional moose camp rifle since it was new in 1997.

We have 4 tags in our camp this year, hope to have some freezers full so the families can eat good this winter....maybe a few elk too wouldnt hurt!!

Will post story and pics when we return.
Good luck to everyone heading out on their trips this season !!!

 

[DrMike]

Best of luck to you, MP. I'm certain it will be fun. It is always good to get together with good fellows and to enjoy the hunt together.

 

[sask boy]

It looks like a good time is going to be had by all remember lots of photos and a good story or 2 :wink:

Blessings.
Dan

 

[Oldtrader3]

Best of luck, guys!

 

[SJB358]

Great luck! That looks like an awesome CAMP! Wished I would be there!

 

[FOTIS]

Man that does look like fun for sure. Good luck and be safe.

 

[Hegland]

Looks like a great time, MP. Best of luck to you and your group.

 

[Mighty Peace]

Thanks guys......1 to 1.5 days of work left to go, get rest camp and supplies loaded up saturday afternoon and off early sunday morning. It sure was an awesome cool fall morning today @ 8am out on the jobsite. been a great morning for calling. The bulls nutz should be all tightened up by now and we should hit it full swing rut !!!!! I hope ...lol

I will update when we return.

 

[tecumseh]

That looks like a great time! Good luck!

 

[257 Ackley]

Seeing pictures like this makes me want to leave tonight for camp. The next two weeks can't go fast enough for me until I can pack up and head out for elk camp in Montana. Great looking setup!

 

[LD375]

Best of luck on your hunt ..Looks and sounds great!

 

[CatskillCrawler]

Hell ya! Great pics and best of luck. These pics are getting me all pumped for this upcoming season. We leave for Colo on 9 Oct for 21 days. :twisted:

 

[leadchucker]

Good luck and play safe!

 

[cloverleaf]

Seeing pictures like this makes me want to leave tonight for camp. The next two weeks can't go fast enough for me until I can pack up and head out for elk camp in Montana. Great looking setup!

ELK! You are holdin out on us....or Ive just missed a post or two Say "Hi" to home for me when you pa through.. Pictures are expected.... Good Luck be safe. CL

 

[Guest]

Your Camp set up is awesome and looks inviting. Love the pic with meat hanging. Lots of luck to you this year hunting.

Don

 

[Mighty Peace]

Well, all packed up, atvs/supplies/camp, leaving by 7:30am tomorrow. Temps in our region are dropping starting tomorrow !!!! YES !!!! Highs of +10 Celcius lows of -1 Celcius.....should have the bulls going hard!!! HAHAHA I said HARD!!

By this time tomorrow, camp will be all hauled in a setup and prepping for the evening hunt!!

Later all....till October 9th

 

[DrMike]

You've got the weather co-operating. I'm wishing you every success. Go get 'em, MP.

 

[Guest]

MP,
Go get em Buddy!

Don

 

[Mighty Peace]

Quick update. Man I hate being back at work already!!

We got 2 bulls.....first one again the first day out after getting camp tub trailered in and set up. Same cutblock about 500 metres west of our camp at 6pm. One guy took a shot tuesday morning and missed.....too bad b/c it would of been identical to last years trip and in the same block too boot where we took the second bull.

The 2nd bull taken was on friday. We come home saturday. Cut, made burger, wrapped all the meat yesterday in 6 hours.

Two guys have tags still so a few weekend-day trips will be happening till the end of the month as the early season tags are only open till Octber 31....late season starts November 1.

Anyhow, I will update fully with pics later this week.

 

[Mighty Peace]

FULL UPDATE with PICS.

Well it was another successful year for our annual moose hunting trip. There were 4 tags in camp this year. Left town early sunday morning. Started unloading the trucks and trailers by 9am and had camp hauled in a with all the gear on the Rhinos/Quads and tub trailers and we were fully setup by about 2pm, less another hour to get some firewood.

We all left is separate groups for the evening hunt by 4pm. Just like last year, we got a bull come into my calls in a cutblock not too far from camp (500m west)-same block as last year on the first day out! :mrgreen: Walked into the cutblock and sat on a brush pile. It was all over for our little party by 6pm. About 110 metre shot. Located the downed bull. Nice young bull, maybe 2 year old.

Me with the bull.

Found best access out to trail in the cutblock. Walked back to the quads, drove in part way, got the chain saw going and cut a way into the bull....there were some large logs laying down plus the tall grass made it hard to see them. Finish just at dark, rest of guys come in and we dressed the bull out where he layed and then pulled him back to camp. Skinned out, quartered up, deboned the rib cage of all meat. Dragged the hide and rib cage back about 1 mile west of camp.

Cooked supper, consisting of appetizers of smoked oysters, roll mops (pickled herring)and other goodies we are not allowed to eat at home in front of the wifes. :wink:

Woke up at 4:30am to the sound of rain falling on the tent fly. So we slept in till 8:30/9am-still raining, cooked a good hearty breaky of bacon, eggs and maple sausage we made of last years elk & moose. Still Raining - sat around the camp fire and talked the usuall BS and girl stories....lol

It stopped raining, we left by 3pm, off again all in different direction. Had another bull grunting at my calls but never showed. Back to camp............the usual appis' and supper is Moose Chilli with corn tracers.....hahaha.

Woke up at 5am to the wolves howling to the northwest. Great morning, went and worked some blocks a couple miles to the east. Heard a shot. Got back to camp around noon and one of the guys missed (and yes he did go look for blood...he usually doesnt miss). This bull materialized out of no where the first time he seen it, the disaapeared, then appeared again further away in the edge of the block when he shot, about 250 metres. We all say he pulled up from his excitement... 8)

Rest of day was uneventfull...just lots of touring and looking for sign. A few ruff grouse where taken during the day and kept for a traditional camp meal.

The night was very cool and partially froze outside. We thought that would get the bulls going again. The morning was uneventfull for all again. We had an awesome lunch- fresh moose heart pan fried in bacon and onions....hmmmmmmmmmmmm. First time for me eating heart and it was AWESOME!!

I seen a large bull that evening hunt in the far east blocks but the wind was totally wrong and I knew it form when I seen him. We tried a sneak getting over the the east edge of the block out of the wind....got part way, set up and called. The bull come in, trotting then hit the brakes wheeled around and ran straight north. Was about 350 metres from where we set up ....damn wind. Oh well, this got the guys back at camp all pumped up again. We had a tremondous supper of 10-12 oz NY strip loins and roasted potatoes along with fresh large oysters cooked in their shells on the BBQ along with the usual appetizers again.

Off to bed, very cold night...warm in the tent with the diesel heater we have. Porrage for breaky, off to the block with couple of guys to where the bull was last evening.............nothing but a great morning. My quad broke down-snapped a rear u-joint. Had no rear wheel drive. Limped it home later that morning back to camp...good thing all solid ground. As the saying goes, sh!t happens. Been a great machine...new since- 99-Honda 450ES. I guess now I have to get a Yamaha-my buddy is the dealer as you can tell by camp. Hopefully new Rhino-just need to convince the Misses.

Heard couple shots from where we were setup. Found out wasnt anyone in our hunting group...and none sounded like a hit.

We did up a brunch again...some guys had a nap, some went looking for chickens, cut and buck up some more fire wood. Thursday evening was slow again. Pick of a buddy doing his series of calls.

Friday morning was spent touring/calling but to no avail. BUT the late afternoon another guy was succuessful on a young bull, came right into the cow calls of mine....I guess I sounded good.. This bull was quite a ways away from our camp and help was needed.

By the time we got back to camp, got the guys and left and got back to camp it was quite late. We hung the quarters up and then got a fire going and really tied into some RUMS to celebrate camp.

Our meat chimes!! :mrgreen:

Again we heard the wolves to the NW. We slept in the next day till 8:30am, started to pack up, hauled supplies back to the trucks. We left the area around 12:30pm. Rinsed off the moose quarters with a pressure washer (they were clean but to get some of the liitle bit of hair, grass and bit of mud off).

My wife put me to work the next day starting a reno job in the basement :| , oh well I guess thats what happens when you leave home for a week of fun with the boys !!!

We cut meat, ground burger and wrapped all the meat up on monday-took 6 hours between 6 guys...started at 8:30am.

Couple guys with tags left are heading out over the next couple weekends for day trips-maybe into different area of the zone we hunt as to let our area we hunt rest till next year...its been good to us over the years. The 2 guys have till end of the month for their tags....if no go, we have a few of us with cow elk and bull elk tags and the elk should be near the farmland we have permission on by mid November...mmmmm these elk are like cattle...all they eat is alphafa, oats, etc out from the farm fields all year.

GREAT TIMES !!! GOOD MEMORIES again! Now in the next couple years, most of us have younger children that want to start coming out for a night or 2. CANT WAIT!!! But I dont want my 2 boys to grow up too quickly yet.

Thats the long story. Looking forward to reading other fellow hunters adventures and successes.