moose down
The north slope
10/14/07 12:39pm
This story starts last spring on the turkey hunt. On the way back from the boulders I called my credit card to find out it was hit for 308.00 dollars, I knew what that meant, moose tag. I drew a tag on a CWMU called the Moons ranch. I used to hunt elk near the ranch and knew there was moose on it so I thought with only 4 points I would give it a try.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA050039.jpg " alt="" />
This is my golden ticket.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA120091.jpg " alt="" />
The ranches has just about every type of country on it from red rock to...
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110069.jpg " alt="" />
pines...
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA100063.jpg " alt="" />
aspens...
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA090054.jpg " alt="" />
scrub oak...
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA090049.jpg " alt="" />
cedars...
I talk with the CWMU operator a lot I was not allowed to get on the ranch to scout so I had to trust the operator. He said that I could get a bull up to 40 inches. There was a lot of bulls moving through the ranch during the rut. However, I got there a little to late and the rut was winding down. Little did I know that this five day hunt would be one of the hardest hunt I have been on!
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110068.jpg " alt="" />
We camped on the north fork about 4 miles from the ranch.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA080041.jpg " alt="" />
camp...
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110066.jpg " alt="" />
albino rainbow trout...
Day 1... We saw one cow on top of a wicked steep ridge in the pines.. Day two at first light we saw a cow and a tiny bull running down a ridge, they were in a big hurry to get somewhere.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA090053.jpg " alt="" />
I got within bow range with this guy but I passed.....
I could not find a bull and time was running out I was down to one more day and I was sweating bullets... I thought that I was going to come empty handed.....
So we kept on looking....
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA100059.jpg " alt="" />
Thats not a moose but nice to look at!
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA100064.jpg " alt="" />
This was all that was left of a 362 bull that was killed on the ranch.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA100060.jpg " alt="" />
We kept on looking finding everything but a bull moose.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA100061.jpg " alt="" />
I did find the tag on my chair though
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA090048.jpg " alt="" />
We started to get closer but time was running out, I was a wreck. That night on our way out we ran into the ranch manager. He said he found a bull across the canyon but only saw it for a second before dark. He said he would take us in the morning to try and find it. It was a long restless night... I hope and prayed that the bull would stay put. We met up in the morning and headed out to a look out point. We found elk all over the place but no moose. Hope was slipping away when all of the sudden he came out of the scrub oak.
He was across the canyon and feeding. Jason and Tom thought that I should wait and see what the elk were going to do, cause they were really jumpy. They though if I tried to get in bow range I could blow out the elk taking the moose with them. I could not just sit there and wonder if the bull would stay or feed over the ridge. I grabbed the ultra mag and headed down the hill. I covered a lot of ground fast, I was not going to let him slip away. Well the elk slipped over the hill and the moose started feeding towards me. I lost him for a while and then he reappeared, 252 yards but not broadside. I waited he turned and I sent a bullet his way. He fell so fast that he went head over heels. I walked up to him and he looked dead, I was wrong. I was about ten feet from him when he tried to get up. He charged at me and growled I put two more rounds in him and it was over.
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110071.jpg " alt="" />
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110074.jpg " alt="" />
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110078.jpg " alt="" />
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110081.jpg " alt="" />
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110083.jpg " alt="" />
http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r175/bullhollow/PA110089.jpg " alt="" />
I wanted to get a 40 inch bull with my bow. I ended up with a 37 inch with my rifle. This bull was broken of in 4 places and a skinny palm on one side, but I was still happy to take him. This trip was a emotional roll a coaster I would have to say that high profile tags are high stress. My buddy Jason stayed with me from start to finish and Tom found my bull. I could not have done it with out them, great guys. It was one hard hunt and cutting up this beast is going to take forever. His tenderlions are a big as backstraps on a elk, hmmmmm. Moose it's what's for dinner!!
This is my golden ticket.
The ranches has just about every type of country on it from red rock to...
pines...
aspens...
scrub oak...
cedars...
I talk with the CWMU operator a lot I was not allowed to get on the ranch to scout so I had to trust the operator. He said that I could get a bull up to 40 inches. There was a lot of bulls moving through the ranch during the rut. However, I got there a little to late and the rut was winding down. Little did I know that this five day hunt would be one of the hardest hunt I have been on!
We camped on the north fork about 4 miles from the ranch.
camp...
albino rainbow trout...
Day 1... We saw one cow on top of a wicked steep ridge in the pines.. Day two at first light we saw a cow and a tiny bull running down a ridge, they were in a big hurry to get somewhere.
I got within bow range with this guy but I passed.....
I could not find a bull and time was running out I was down to one more day and I was sweating bullets... I thought that I was going to come empty handed.....
So we kept on looking....
Thats not a moose but nice to look at!
This was all that was left of a 362 bull that was killed on the ranch.
We kept on looking finding everything but a bull moose.
I did find the tag on my chair though
We started to get closer but time was running out, I was a wreck. That night on our way out we ran into the ranch manager. He said he found a bull across the canyon but only saw it for a second before dark. He said he would take us in the morning to try and find it. It was a long restless night... I hope and prayed that the bull would stay put. We met up in the morning and headed out to a look out point. We found elk all over the place but no moose. Hope was slipping away when all of the sudden he came out of the scrub oak.
He was across the canyon and feeding. Jason and Tom thought that I should wait and see what the elk were going to do, cause they were really jumpy. They though if I tried to get in bow range I could blow out the elk taking the moose with them. I could not just sit there and wonder if the bull would stay or feed over the ridge. I grabbed the ultra mag and headed down the hill. I covered a lot of ground fast, I was not going to let him slip away. Well the elk slipped over the hill and the moose started feeding towards me. I lost him for a while and then he reappeared, 252 yards but not broadside. I waited he turned and I sent a bullet his way. He fell so fast that he went head over heels. I walked up to him and he looked dead, I was wrong. I was about ten feet from him when he tried to get up. He charged at me and growled I put two more rounds in him and it was over.
I wanted to get a 40 inch bull with my bow. I ended up with a 37 inch with my rifle. This bull was broken of in 4 places and a skinny palm on one side, but I was still happy to take him. This trip was a emotional roll a coaster I would have to say that high profile tags are high stress. My buddy Jason stayed with me from start to finish and Tom found my bull. I could not have done it with out them, great guys. It was one hard hunt and cutting up this beast is going to take forever. His tenderlions are a big as backstraps on a elk, hmmmmm. Moose it's what's for dinner!!
5,255
Thanks Mossback300 :thumb