Moose Calling Question

[bluemtchuck]

I've been up North a few times now and have seen seven Moose, 2 bulls last week. I'm planning on going this weekend again. My question is , should I try calling for bulls now or will this educate them? I've been hiking into some new and old clearcuts but I haven't tried calling yet.

Charlie

[browning204]

"educate" is a dangerous word when it comes to animals IMO.

Try calling to see if you trigger a response then quit if and when you do.

FYI: it is a plug for their product but Wildlife technologies has a Moose video out. Great film of huge moose and alot of info on their rut habits and stuff.

[okanagan]

I don't think it will educate them, but why take the chance? Have confidence in your calling to work when the time comes, unless you want to photograph them or something.

Most of us call way too much IMO and don't wait long enough, or at least I do. Sometimes a bull will wait hours, till dusk, to come check out a call sound. Other times they come on the prod within minutes of course, and those are usually the biggest ones.

I hunted northern BC the last week of August and did not get a moose to respond to my few calling attempts, but that was before the rut. Also, I had a grizzly come in to a soft cow-in-heat whine so backed off and didn't call much after that. I just use my voice and usually don't call very loud. Three hunters got two moose, all by spot and stalk, but there are a lot of moose and a lot of country up there. Neither had much for antlers.

Our plan to fly in to high country and hunt big bulls in the subalpine got canceled so we improvised. Within two or three days it was clear that the caribou and big bull moose were still up high rather than in the swampy valleys we had access to, and that we would have to take anything we could get. We were tickled with fat, tasty, pre-rut young bulls.

I had Gore-tex chest waders along plus some of the plastic Croc sandals, for landing our little inflatable boat. For my moose, I wore the stocking foot waders and Crocs to ford a river and slog nearly a mile through swamp to kill the bull at 60 yards as he fed in a lake.

Using the inflatable boat, we floated/towed him to the river outlet and down the river 3/4 mile to where we could pull him out with the 4x4 in a better place to work on him. Crazy hunt and lots of fun. When I told an old high school friend about going after the bull moose in Crocs, he shook his head and said, "You never did anything the way you are supposed to."

Let us know how the calling and your hunt goes.

[copper]

If you are trying to call use the coffee can trick they show you. Trust me it works.

[bluemtchuck]

Thanks guys for the replys, heading up North tomorrow for the weekend.

[okanagan]

Bluemtchuck,
How did it go this weekend? I have to take off on a trip tomorrow and will be offline for awhile so hope you get a chance this evening to post about your weekend hunt. Actually, I hope you are so busy taking care of moose meat that you don't have time!

[bluemtchuck]

Okanagan, I didn't go hunting this weekend just scouting. The season here in NH dosen't start until Oct.18. We didn't see any this weekend but did find lots of fresh sign.

[okanagan]

Thanks for the update. I feel kind of dumb now, didn't know your seasons etc. Now is getting to be prime time to call moose in most areas. Oct. 18 is on the late end of things but my son called a young bull to within touching distance on Oct. 20 a few years ago. That was in the Canadian Rockies, so timing of the rut could be considerably different.

I have had bulls answer me into early November and I could hear them walk around but they did not come into the open where I was.

With a month to go until season I can see your point about calling them and I'd probably try it after all just to do it. By Oct. 18 calling is probably less effective anyway, though I'd sure try it.

Last year at dawn I called a young bull on opening morning of moose season, Oct 1. We were closer to main roads and other hunters than I've hunted before. Another hunter I didn't know was there killed the bull. I don't think the other hunter knew I was down by a swampy lake calling when the bull strolled toward me along a timbered low ridge above the lake and crossed an old road cut the hunter was walking along. He shot it about 350 yards from me, and I was calling soft enough that the hunter didn't hear me. That to say that calling around other people has its problems. Good luck in your hunt.