Moose Opens Monday

[SJB358]

Dr. Mike,
Sounds like a good hunt so far. Go get em Buddy. Better Pack that 35 Cal.-Something if you meet up with that Bear.

Don

Same here Mike! Hope you get a chance this evening! Don is onto something with the 35's you own, but I would still like to hear and see your action report with the 7WSM. We are running about the same load this year, so I am interested in how well this combo works on moose. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Scotty,

If the 270 WSM loaded with a 130 E-Tip topples a moose, I have no doubt that the 7mm WSM loaded with a 160 grain AB will drop a moose. I've certainly dropped a number with 160 grain Fail Safe bullets from my 7mm RM.

 

[SJB358]

I figured you were going to say that! I took mine with a 160gr X bullet with the 7RM and it worked great. Just wanted to see some AB working on moose. I know, I am redundant, but man, I would love to see a recovered AB out of a moose. I would frame it I believe. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

We'll see about recovery. I just have to see the moose!

 

[SJB358]

Good point Mike. Don't wanna put the cart too far in front of the mule! Scotty

 

[Oldtrader3]

DrMike, I think that we older guys have this jinx about seasons. Everytime that I get an elk license, all I see is mule deer and everytime that I go hunting mule deer, all I see are elk running all over creation. This must be some form of selective blindness, a mental block or something?

 

[DrMike]

I think that we older guys have this jinx about seasons. Everytime that I get an elk license, all I see is mule deer and everytime that I go hunting mule deer, all I see are elk running all over creation. This must be some form of selective blindness, a mental block or something?

Charlie, I believe you may be right. I won't be able to "buy" an elk in two weeks. I will say that this area has been very good to me with mule deer over the past number of years, but the whitetail are pushing the mulies into ever more restricted areas. I am editing television programmes this evening, or I'd be back out. However, I'll be out first thing in the morning.

 

[DrMike]

Thought I'd give an update. No moose, so no pictures of the beast in all its antlered glory. To say the area I'm hunting is game rich is an understatement. Mule deer, whitetail, black bear, grizzly, wolves, elk and moose all populate the area. I have witnessed literally hundreds of mule deer and scores of whitetail in a day during the deer season. Elk herds are fairly large, and the bulls winter in this area. It is not infrequent that toward the end of the elk season to see as many as twelve to fifteen big bulls congregated at any given time. The cows winter farther south, and so are seldom seen during winter. There are always several black bears in the area, and at least a couple of wolf packs. There will be one or two grizzles each year wander through. I have witnessed as many as sixteen moose in a given day. I have actually witnessed fourteen bulls gather in one meadow one day after the season closed. My friend told me today that he counted twenty-eight bulls one day. This is what the area we wandered through looks like.

There is a lot of gas exploration taking place, and consequently a lot of new pipelines being extended throughout the entire area. Here is one we crossed this morning.

As we crossed, we observed numerous large hoof prints from several massive bull moose. We had observed a small herd of between fifteen and eighteen elk grazing across the valley. The calves were gamboling; it was delightful to watch them run and leap, spinning quickly to rush back to the side of the cows. As soon as we were down in the valley, we began to see numerous moose tracks, such as these fresh ones made that morning.

There were also numerous rotted tree trunks that had been ripped by bears. The entire area had been thoroughly worked over by several bears.

Alas, we did not see the bruins that had wreaked havoc on the trunks, nor did we find the moose that had left their tantalizing sign bidding me to penetrate deeper into the hills. There were also a number of elk prints indicating large bulls were frequenting the area. After traipsing through the meadows and trekking up and down hills, the old fellow was getting worn. Notice that he is carrying the 7mm WSM charged with a 160 AB that can be launched at 3000 fps. I opted for this armament this morning in light of the potential distances entailed. The shot could be anywhere from 20 to 300 yards.

Fortunately for him, his guide was at least as weary as he was.

So, about nine o'clock, we called it and headed back home. I had no more than arrived at home at 10:30 when Lance phoned to say that the young bull I had originally been looking for was standing in a copse of trees we had passed several times. Sucker that I am, I hied it back out to Willow Valley to tag the moose. Unfortunately, as we moved into position, the moose squeezed out through a small finger of meadow to head into some other thick timber. We never saw him, though we found where he had been bedding. As I moved back to meet Lance, a cow moose and her calf born this spring beat a hasty retreat behind us so she could shelter in another copse of trees about a km behind me.

I am always humbled at the abundance of game in this area, and also at the way in which these large beasts are equipped to survive despite the best efforts of hunters to bring them in. They are worthy of respect, that's for sure.

 

[SJB358]

Mike! Those are excellent pictures buddy! What a great way to spend a morning. I am pulling for you to put a tag on a good moose quickly! I know what it means to get the first one knocked down. Good luck buddy. Are you hunting in the morning? Scotty

 

[Greg Nolan]

DrMike
You'll find what your looking for and in the mean time have a great time in some beautiful country. May the moose you shoot run and hide in the bed of your pickup before it expires :wink:
Greg

 

[sask boy]

Hi Mike, thank you for the photos looks to be beautiful country ( God's post card ).
Look forward to seeing that young bull down and a start to a great fall hunting season

Blessings,
Dan

 

[DrMike]

I'll likely be out at 4:30 tomorrow morning, provided the rain isn't too heavy. It could be wet snow in the area I'll hunt. I may go out this evening to look in another area west of here where I've hunted before. I just want to take a look at the area as I haven't looked it over for a year or more. There are large open spaces interspersed between dense forests. It was pretty windy this morning, and the moose were hanging tight in the trees. It is very difficult to sneak up on them when tip-toeing through the woods--there is enough blowdown and tanglefoot to make quiet travel near impossible, especially for an aged blind guy. Still, it is great fun, good exercise and always holds out the possibility of success. Ah, yes, hope spring eternal in the breast of the moose hunter.

 

[Guest]

Dr. Mike,
Great pictures and lots of sign from different animals working the areas you hunt. It's only a matter of time till the 7 strikes and BROWN IS DOWN. Hang in there Buddy.

Don

 

[DrMike]

The open season for any bull last through the end of the month. I'll definitely work it vigorously. However, the season changes to bulls with ten points on one side, a tri-palm (three brow tines on one side) or a fork horn throughout September and the last two weeks of October. It is a fairly long season, so I should be able to tag a moose yet this season. I just received word that my daughter (who is visiting) may need an emergency appendectomy. My wife is at the hospital with her now. So, I'm not going out this evening as I'll be cooking for five grandchildren. That does mean that I should be able to get an early start on sleep tonight, however. Provided things go smoothly during the evening, I may be able to go out tomorrow. If not, there is still some time. My focus is changing even as I type. Family does take precedence.

 

[257 Ackley]

Nice pics Mike...hope all is well with your daughter.

 

[DrMike]

Joel,

We'll reassess again tomorrow. WBC is not sufficiently elevated to be diagnostic. I'm querying another problem, but it would entail a trip to Grand Prairie (125 km away) to obtain a diagnosis. So, we wait and reassess.

Consequently, there were lots of saskatoon berry bushes, but few berries--the bears had stripped them. There was evidence that there had been a good dew berry crop; but again the bears had already been there. Wild strawberries are long gone, but there were lots of runners. There were raspberries, however. I didn't see any mountain blueberries. In short, whatever berries there were had been sucked up by the bears. There must be a few around. Of course, dining on all the berries, those bruins would be delectable. If I see one, I'll invite him home to dine with me.

 

[JD338]

Mike,

Thanks for posting the pictures, sure is some beautiful country.

I am hoping tomorrow will be the day. Good luck Mike.

JD338

 

[CatskillCrawler]

Nice pics and beautiful country there. Keep at it, what's the worst that could happen? Another great day in the woods?

Speedy recovery to your daughter.

 

[sask boy]

Thanks for the update Mike, my prayers for your daughter.

Blessings,
Dan

 

[DrMike]

Thanks, Dan. We'll see about tomorrow. Right now it looks as if I'll be staying home.