2012 Moose Camp

[DrMike]

Great account of a successful hunt. Congratulations to the hunters. Your statement that you started renos upon returning home reminds me of a two-week trip with a buddy who now lives in Rainbow Lake. He arrived home to find that his wife had removed an entire outer wall because she didn't like the fireplace. His only comment was, "Well, I have some work to do this coming week." He was more relaxed than I would have been.

 

[FOTIS]

Very nice. I still have about 18 years of preference points for moose, unless I get lucky.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Wow! Now that's the way to do it. Congrats for the great hunt and thanks for sharing. Someday I'll get there.

 

[LD375]

Nice ...Good stuff MP..My Moose hunt starts Nov 18th in Newfoundland, man it's only about 5 weeks away :twisted: ...Lou

 

[Mighty Peace]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

Here is a 2nd update. A few of the guys went out on sunday morning for a 1/2 day trip to a different area in the zone we hunt. I couldnt make it as I had to go out of town for a Hockey Coaches clinic. Anyhow they seen or heard nothing so they were making their way back to the trucks and one guys seen antlers in the willows in the cutblock. They stopped. Coudnt see anything. So they walked back up the rise a little bit and one of the guys (with a tag) seen the bull. One shot from his T3 270WSM with 140gr AccuBond and down it went. Guys were giving high 5's and were walking into the spot the bull dropped.

All of a sudden another bull appeared and they thought it was the same bull BUT it wasnt. It was a bit smaller and the guy with the other tag asked the other 3 if he should take it...they said YES. 2 shots from his Sako m75 Greywolf 300WSM with 180gr XP3's and it was down! The first bull started to stagger to its feet so my bud gave him another shot of medicine with 140gr AccuBond.

Right after that they realized the work ahead of them. Good thing it was around 12:30pm. They called their wives to say they will be late for dinner.

A HUGE cow moose appeared-they said she had a body bigger than the second bull and almost equalled the first. The 2 bulls had a bunch of bruises as they must have been fighting over the cow.

I was so happy for the guys when they called me sunday evening when I was driving back to town. I was disappointed as welll as I wanted to be there on the trip but oh well. Quite the story and new area they found. All of them thought it was just going to be a easy stroll scouting some new area about 40 km from our moose camp area. The RUT is still on.

I will post pics as soon as I get them emailed to me.

A couple of the guys have cow elk tags and are now thinking with the 4 moose in the freezer that they probably wont go out for them. I guess we will see once we process these 2 bulls - going to make alot of burger and make alot of kubasa and maple breakfast sausage. If it looks we could use more meat then they will get their cow elk. I already have a bull elk tag so if I see a decent bull when out whitetail hunting I will take him.

Its been a great year for our moose hunting group!! Now a couple of us can concentrate on findng a few Booner whitetail bucks!

 

[DrMike]

Sounds as if they they very well. I'm seeing lots of moose in this region; the population is very healthy. There are lots of elk around, but they are definitely more silent this year. The warmer weather seems to have given them laryngitis. However, we are into the second rut, so they will be moving again. Good luck, MP.

 

[FOTIS]

.........
I will post pics as soon as I get them emailed to me.

Please do Mighty. I will be eligible for the draw in another 18 points or 18 years here in WY.....

 

[Oldtrader3]

Oh how I miss hunting. I hope that I can get this whipped old body into shape again. This is more than I can bear but any of my buddies hunted into the late 80's. I am not even 70 yet, this sucks.

 

[FOTIS]

Hope the best for you Charlie!

 

[LD375]

Thanks for all the comments guys.

Here is a 2nd update. A few of the guys went out on sunday morning for a 1/2 day trip to a different area in the zone we hunt. I couldnt make it as I had to go out of town for a Hockey Coaches clinic. Anyhow they seen or heard nothing so they were making their way back to the trucks and one guys seen antlers in the willows in the cutblock. They stopped. Coudnt see anything. So they walked back up the rise a little bit and one of the guys (with a tag) seen the bull. One shot from his T3 270WSM with 140gr AccuBond and down it went. Guys were giving high 5's and were walking into the spot the bull dropped.

All of a sudden another bull appeared and they thought it was the same bull BUT it wasnt. It was a bit smaller and the guy with the other tag asked the other 3 if he should take it...they said YES. 2 shots from his Sako m75 Greywolf 300WSM with 180gr XP3's and it was down! The first bull started to stagger to its feet so my bud gave him another shot of medicine with 140gr AccuBond.

Right after that they realized the work ahead of them. Good thing it was around 12:30pm. They called their wives to say they will be late for dinner.

A HUGE cow moose appeared-they said she had a body bigger than the second bull and almost equalled the first. The 2 bulls had a bunch of bruises as they must have been fighting over the cow.

I was so happy for the guys when they called me sunday evening when I was driving back to town. I was disappointed as welll as I wanted to be there on the trip but oh well. Quite the story and new area they found. All of them thought it was just going to be a easy stroll scouting some new area about 40 km from our moose camp area. The RUT is still on.

I will post pics as soon as I get them emailed to me.

A couple of the guys have cow elk tags and are now thinking with the 4 moose in the freezer that they probably wont go out for them. I guess we will see once we process these 2 bulls - going to make alot of burger and make alot of kubasa and maple breakfast sausage. If it looks we could use more meat then they will get their cow elk. I already have a bull elk tag so if I see a decent bull when out whitetail hunting I will take him.

Its been a great year for our moose hunting group!! Now a couple of us can concentrate on findng a few Booner whitetail bucks!

Congrats again :grin: ..Gotta love that 270wsm :grin: ..That's my tool :twisted: ..Lou :wink:

 

[DrMike]

Now, Lou, that 270WSM is too small to take a moose. It is barely enough to tag an Anticosti whitetail. :mrgreen:

 

[LD375]

Now, Lou, that 270WSM is too small to take a moose. It is barely enough to tag an Anticosti whitetail. :mrgreen:

:grin: :wink: ..Thanks Mike 8)

 

[Mighty Peace]

Well here are the pics as promised.

First Bull:

Second Bull:

2 Rhinos-2 Bull Moose: The pull to the trucks....all field dressed out.

The guys were not prepared for 2 bulls. I bet they were tired after field dressing the 2 bulls. My one buddy is quick (we have done more than our other friends-maybe he made them do it this time on one of the bulls for practice). Normally weh debone in field (at camp once animal is pulled back) or at trucks but with the pull out of the cutblock and down the cutline to the trucks they just field dressed them and then hauled to the trucks/trailer, loaded them up and finished skinning and quartering up back at home.

Meat is hanging in our cooler. We will cut/wrap and make burger on one bull next monday after work and do up the other bull a couple night later. Should take 3 hrs for each animal with 4-5 of us helping out. Now the guys with more children will have lots of burger for this year and I cant wait to start making kubasa and sausage. :mrgreen: The beer and rum will taste good when taste testing :wink: freshly smoked sausage. :mrgreen:

Anyhow guys, keep you posted on the whitetail hunting I will be concetrating on now. Need a buck bigger than 185" or I dont pull the trigger. Got to be bigger than what I have on my wall. if not my tag will be another XMAS tree ornament. I'm due its been 8 years since I shot my last whitetail buck.

Good Luck on the rest of your hunting season guys!!!

Darren

 

[DrMike]

Darren,

Those bulls look to be in prime shape. Congratulations to your hunting party. You did very well.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Nice bulls and lots of meat!

 

[Guest]

Darren,
Thanks for the pics and sharing the hunt experience. Good luck getting that Big Buck.

Don

 

[LD375]

Well done!...Very nice beasts for sure...Congrats again 8)

 

[Mighty Peace]

Well the hunting season come to a close on Nov30 for us here in Alberta. My whitetail and bull elk hunting was very limited for me....to busy with work after moose camp, wife decided to want renos to the basement the day I get back from moose camp :roll: plus my 2 boys both play hockey now and as a assistant coach it ties up time BUT I really enjoy it. I think after moose camp I made it out a total of maybe 30-40 hrs....1 ful day and a few half days-either hunt the morning and back to work or vice versa.

Never seen a buck worthy of a bullet from me...needs to be over 185ish or my tag is an ornament on the XMAS tree...thats just me...needs to be bigger than what I have on the wall. Might change my view when the boys are older and eating us out of the house

Seen only a few spiker elk but not legal. A couple of guys have cow elk tags and one took a sweet cow elk in mid November...I was away that day. Couple guys with cow elk tags left have till December 20 so a few more wil be taken. We wil be making sausage within the next couple weeks before XMAS. We have alot of meat for our hunting group families this year.

My nephew took his first bull elk, a small 5pt and I am super proud of him. Thats what its about...get the young into the sport!! Cant wait for my boys but that will be a few more years to shoot still.

My boys want to go out predator hunting since my nephews are into it as well, so Christmas Holidays and rest of winter should be fun. Will try to get out a couple times Ice fishing with the kids-guess now I need to service my snowmobile and have it ready as we have lots of snow already in northern Alberta.

Bring on the 2013 hunting season. I should get my draw tag in 2013 for bull moose :mrgreen: and so should at least one more guy so MOOSE CAMP 2013 will be on!!

Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays everyone / Best Wishes in the New Year :!:

 

[russ808]

Darren,
Congrats on a great hunt. Those are huge buggas. One side of the horn is bigger then the cooler!!! Good going.
Russ

 

[DrMike]

MP,

Sounds like a fine season for you. As you, I'm looking forward to the coming year. Bear opens in April. Until then, there is wolf and coyote, if I can only slip away.