http://imgur.com/gallery/vfTknjr

Got a family moose hunt done, I'll try to post some pictures and a report.

http://imgur.com/gallery/srOfYBA


http://imgur.com/gallery/XBKBQyh

http://imgur.com/gallery/PiKK0QA

http://imgur.com/gallery/5GNBPwH

http://imgur.com/gallery/cWFZhRV
https://postimg.cc/gallery/SQkR0d4

http://imgur.com/gallery/DojzpTU

So we finally did it. After a three year hiatus from moose meat I was able to rally myself and others to get back in action.

Truthfully it was just my problem. I don't like being away from Violet, ( the three year old,) and she wasn't able to go hunting, so my last few years efforts have been less than half hearted.

When Mark Young lived here he found a close by spot to fly into that yielded good results. He's mentioned it to me several times over the years and suggested I try it. As I have in the past I asked tom Schlagel/ Bay Air to transport us in his Beaver on floats and he provided us with a raft to row around the lake .

It took us two trips in the plane to get there! That's heavy. True, there were the five of us, two tents, camping gear and a raft, but that's not very " Air Mobile" as Robert Duval said.

Previous to this at my insistence my missus and our thirteen year old girl completed their hunter safety courses. Not mandatory in alaska to have in order to obtain a hunting license, but they're both scatter brained enough to more than warrant some coursework in safety.

Violet was very excited about it all. Although she understood moose, guns and camping she'd not been hunting before and had no concept of death, meat and where meat comes from. Fish certainly help a little I suppose but it ain't the same. Violet will be four in November and still sleeps in diapers at night. She's been potty trained for a while but still occasionally gets pee pants. Well this trip was just to much for her! The excitement and adventure pushed her to far and I think one day we had three pee pants! Ah well, a learning experience.

Well the five of us rowed around the lake some and found some likely coves on the lake to call from. After I guess about three different calling sessions, the bull above answers and came to us. The 9 year old and the thirteen year old had good seats on the edge of the meadow, the thirteen year old had my -06 propped up elbows on knees. The bull stopped about 75 yards out and just stood there head on waiting to be shot. Careful aim was taken and a shot fired. The 180 g TSX did its job and the bull was reduced to possession.

For the big kids and I it was all perfect. The lighting and scenery was just right, the bull performed as best as you could ask for grunting and brush thrashing and the shot was easy and steady. Violet and mom were no more than 20 yards away and although out of view with Violet napping in mom's lap in the boat, but mom could hear it all. Violet slept thru the shooting and had to be woken up to come field dress.

We quickly gutted the bull and left him in the field overnight as the light was fading. As Mark had mentioned to me that bears were in the area I was concerned but had little choice. The next morning we were up and off early and as I rowed the raft back to the kill I had a long lecture with everyone about the different scenarios we might encounter with a bear. I encouraged them to not shoot me while trying to kill the bear trying to kill me.

There were no bears, the moose was just as we left it and we got it all back to camp in the early afternoon. The following day tom returned to make the two trips with us home and just last night we processed the last leg.

FWIW the bull was 53" we think there was a second bull in the area and I had along my 9.3x62 loaded with 286g Partitions.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
http://imgur.com/gallery/vfTknjr

Got a family moose hunt done, I'll try to post some pictures and a report.

Nice job Dad!!

Well done Scott. That no name lake made some great memories for Sadie and I.

Mark

Congrats! I took my own daughters on some pheasant hunts when they were younger. Now this was a real adventure!

This should make some real family memories.

Well done Scott. Making memories for a lifetime. Those kids will remember that trip forever, especially your oldest who shot the moose. 53" moose for her first one. Wow!

Congratulations to the new hunter. She sure is looking like her mom!

Beautiful family and great write up!

And dang, it one thing to get a moose. It’s another thing to get a new hunter their first moose with the whole family in tow. Outstanding!

quote:

Originally posted by surefire7:
Well done Scott. Making memories for a lifetime. Those kids will remember that trip forever, especially your oldest who shot the moose. 53" moose for her first one. Wow!

That was certainly part of it.
An Immature spike would have been fine, but it wouldn't of responded to our calls with its own brush thrashing and grunting like this mature bull did. This bull put on a show. Waving antlers, grunting, the whole enchilada. All in broad daylight with no brush or woods for cover. The bull was shot in knee high to Violet grass. It was a show for all of us. The big kids will remember it for life, Violet will have something vague and we'll do something similar for her to imbed in concrete.

quote:

Originally posted by JBrown:
And dang, it one thing to get a moose. It’s another thing to get a new hunter their first moose with the whole family in tow. Outstanding!

Tom asked me, " How big of a circus is this going to be?"

I said, " Three Ring! With dancing bears, five clowns, a bearded lady and the daring young man on the flying trapeze!" ( Me).

It was insane. I said, " be quiet! Stop talking!" Every five minutes for five days straight. Nighttime hours included.

Scott,

You're a better man than I am. I had four adults on one moose hunt with only one being inexperienced. That was about all I could handle.

Mark

Well done.

Mike

Mike, pee pants? Sounds like your last elephant encounter :-)

quote:

Originally posted by Biebs:
Mike, pee pants? Sounds like your last elephant encounter :-)

I hate elephants Probably would hate bears in Alaska too.

Biebs - I am getting another k95.

Mike

Outstanding Scott!!!!

Super Dad!

Man Scott, Ive missed your DIY moose reports, you always seem to get on them. And the 13yr old with the show? I know grown men who havent been able to hold it together for that, Congrats to all involved!

Outstanding!

Congrats to your kids!

Sounds like you are a glutton for punishment...

Hope you took a bunch of photos for the kids to remember this with!

My parents die the same thing with us with ducks, not nearly as much of an undertaking as wilderness Alaska!

quote:

Originally posted by 505 gibbs:
Man Scott, Ive missed your DIY moose reports, you always seem to get on them. And the 13yr old with the show? I know grown men who havent been able to hold it together for that, Congrats to all involved!

Thanks much!
We work on staying calm 12months of the year. I'm not much for screaming and yelling, nor am I big on the " high fives" and other touch down celebrations so although the kids might want to endlessly babble they know I insist on quiet and calm.
We practice shoot some, talk scenarios and use the computer to google moose photos to plan shot placement.
But like I said, he stopped in the middle of the meadow just looking at us and waited to be shot. It couldn't have been easier.
This was successful enough to make me think this is about how we'll continue it. Probably no more than one moose per year with informally rotating shooters. Maybe mom next year.
I'm always there to bat clean up ofcourse.

Also, I asked the park ranger about the bears yesterday and she thought the numbers were down. More bears in Dillingham than out she said.

CONGRATS SCOTT!

What a great story and family! You are blessed!

Mark

Great adventure that everyone will remember forever. Huge congratulations to all of you and your daughter on her first moose.

I still cherish the memories of the few hunts I did with my dad.

quote:

Thanks much!
We work on staying calm 12months of the year. I'm not much for screaming and yelling, nor am I big on the " high fives" and other touch down celebrations so although the kids might want to endlessly babble they know I insist on quiet and calm.
We practice shoot some, talk scenarios and use the computer to google moose photos to plan shot placement.

Start them young, raise them right train them properly and they will grow up to be good up standing citizens and people.

Great story, Scott!