This moose hunt began several years ago with the draw application process. The years passed quickly and so with it the drastic decline of our once health moose population. Sadly moose closures began to pop up everywhere and the decline linked directly to the over harvesting by Aboriginal and Metis hunters alike.

Dec,2 was to be opening day and the weekend before we began our pre scouting trying to find multiple areas that contained bulls. We were very excited when in the first half hour of glassing, a cow and calf was found followed by another and another totaling 5 moose in this one area. The trend of finding moose that day continued however finding a bull proved impossible. It wasn't until the morning of day two that we found a lone bull not a trophy bull but a bull none the less.






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OPENING DAY

First light brought many cows without any bulls sighted. Later around 10:00am we found a young bull but we had waited so long for this tag we decided to pass and come back to him if we couldn't find anything else.





Well the weather up to that point had been beautiful - 10 cel and no wind well.... while driving in a field our truck oil light went on and we began to have truck issues. We managed to bring the truck to a local garage just about the same time a snow storm and -32 cel weather blew in.
This storm continued from Monday night to Thursday evening all but shutting the hunt down.

Friday morning had us finally able to get back out hunting the temperatures were still in the -32 to -37 with the wind chill but at least the wind was calm.

After not seeing a good bull yet we decided to cover some new areas that looked promising and with the fresh snow that was earlier non existent tracks could be found. It wasn't until 3:00 that evening that we came upon some really fresh track and lots of them. Finally after looking around I found what was to be a very big bull track and we began tracking never quite knowing how big or far the bull had already gone.
We had followed his tracks for around 5 or 6 miles and so very tired we had almost given up hope. Resting at a small bluff catching our breaths discussing if we should continue my dad said don't move!! There's a big bull and he's walking our way!! Moments later I turned and finally saw the bull we had no doubt been tracking and at that very moment he had seen us as well. At a distance of around 400 yards he suddenly turned and disappeared behind a small bluff. We ran to the next bluff some 80 yards away and us as we rounded the corner there he was broad side at 337 paces. Our home made poplar wood ''African'' tripod shooting sticks were place and I was now ready. The bull standing broad side had a small group of willows blocking his vitals and I dare not shoot threw them I thought, placing the cross hairs in front of the bull he after some 15 seconds began to move and I touched off as he entered my scope. At that distance the report of the hit was loud and it followed my fathers words he's down!!!



Finally our quest for a bull moose was fulfilled and I am proud of what we had accomplished and the way we accomplished it.

Memories that will last a life time and a hunt with my father I will not soon forget!

The bull was weighed by the butcher and would have been around the 750lbs live weight. Most interesting his left antler has very little palmation instead growing huge tines the one almost two feet long!

This bull was harvested with a Savage rifle in 300 win mag caliber shooting only 150 grain federal ammunition. Ironically the gun was purchased as a package including a 3 - 9 variable scope for a cost of 419 dollars. I did replace the scope with a Bushnell Elite firefly 3 - 9 variable and the rifle shoots min 1'' groups at 100 yard with the cheap 26 dollar ammunition!



Please excuse the poor "trophy photos" as the temperatures were in the -30 cel range and my cameras shutter would barely open. We to were just as frozen but happy none the less!!!!

Cheers

great story....thanks

Agreed, a great story! Looking fwd. to pics, congrats!