spotnstalkID
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Well, 1/2 success anyways...
Just got back from our moose hunt in Northern Idaho and I have to say it was one of the best and most exciting hunts I have been on. Both my hunting partner and I had tags. Mark filled his tag the evening of opening day however I never got to notch my tag. I have to say, even though I did not get to tag one it was a great trip.
I'll start with a phone call I got about a week before opening day. A buddy of mine called me to tell me he spotted a 48-50" bull and he wanted to show me where it had been. Two days before season opened I went with him out to that area to look around. Never saw the bull but was pretty sure he was nearby.
Day before opening day we scouting that hill, saw a couple other bulls but no sign of the one I wanted to see.
Opening day of a 7 day hunt we headed to the exact same location that my buddy saw the bigger bull to call. We got up there and as we were walking in to the area to call we noticed moose tracks that had just torn up the road, patches of moose hair and sign everywhere that 2 bulls had battled it out right there that night before opening day. Needless to say it got us pretty excited knowing there was just 2 bulls there so we started calling. We only ended up calling in 1 cow but were optimistic that the bulls were "right there" somewhere. We headed back to the truck and drove up the road about 1/4 mile and as we were driving we heard some crashing down on the hill below us. We got out to investigate. First thing I saw was a cow moose. I saw her standing still and still heard brush breaking pretty heavily below her so I kept walking to see what was going on. All of a sudden we had one bull come running up the hill (small bull) but we kept our eye on him. We followed him as he crossed back over the road and into a clear cut above us. we walked up into the clear cut and lost sight of him. As I stood up on a stump overlooking below us in the clear cut where that bull had gone I heard a branch snap behind/above us. I watched for a few seconds and heard another branch snap. All of a sudden I saw antlers cresting the hill. All I could see were antlers at this point. The bull was walking sidehill above us so I gave him a "grunt". He stopped dead in his tracks. We grunted again and he grunted right back, turned and headed straight at us. He crested the hill at about 20 yards but unfortunately he was smaller than what we were hoping for (actually I don't think there is a place for the word "small" anywhere in a sentance that includes the word moose).
We headed back to the truck and down the hill. As we were driving along the road just below another clear cut a few miles away we rounded a corner to see a nice little bull in the road. This bull was a pretty average bull for the area but not what I was looking for. We took a few pictures of him:
As we were looking at him he started to walk away so we grunted at him. Instantly we heard a grunt back but not from him. Up above in the clear cut another bull started charging in on a dead run grunting every step of the way. Literally, one grunt from us and he came hauling a$$ grunting "URRrrah" "URRrrah" every step he took. That bull got to the bottom of the clear cut about to step out on the road as he saw Mark and I and came to a dead stop. He only had one tree and some brush between him and the road he was about to step out onto. Mark was about to end his hunt on this guy. It was pretty exciting but he chose to keep looking. Here are a couple pic's of that bull as he stood behind a little tree thrashing brush and slobbering all over himself as he talked to us. He was only about 10 yards from us and he talked to us for about 10-15 minutes. It was pretty sweet.
That evening we headed straight back into that area hoping to see the one we were looking for. About 45 minutes before shooting time was up we were driving and came around a corner to see a bull walking up a new clear cut. Mark instantly knew he was going to take the bull. One shot with the 7mm Mag and it didn't take another step. One tag filled, one to go. Here are a couple pic's of Mark's success.
After this we saw several bulls but nothing ever came along that I wanted to punch a once in a lifetime tag on. Luckily in Idaho all I have to do is wait the 2 year waiting period and I can start applying again, and I will.
The weather started warming up so much that when I left town mid-day one afternoon it was in the high 70's/low 80's for temp's again and I'm sure that had something to do with the bulls not talking as much later in the week. We called in several and saw lots more. We probably saw 3-4 bulls a day but unfortunately I'll be applying for Idaho moose in the future. Even though my tag never got filled I have to say it was one of the most exciting hunts I have ever experienced.
Now that I am home and have had a chance to look at the pictures over and over (and over and over and over...) if you look at the bull that Mark took and compare it to the bull standing behind the tree talking to us, are they the same bull??? I think they are. He took his bull about 1 to 1-1/2 miles from where we talked to that bull earlier in the day.
Below are a few more pictures I took on the trip of some moose, etc. Sorry to all the dial-up connections out there.
Jaxon
Cow feeding with small bull in the brush behind her.
A couple pic's I took above the fog line that turned out OK.
Just got back from our moose hunt in Northern Idaho and I have to say it was one of the best and most exciting hunts I have been on. Both my hunting partner and I had tags. Mark filled his tag the evening of opening day however I never got to notch my tag. I have to say, even though I did not get to tag one it was a great trip.
I'll start with a phone call I got about a week before opening day. A buddy of mine called me to tell me he spotted a 48-50" bull and he wanted to show me where it had been. Two days before season opened I went with him out to that area to look around. Never saw the bull but was pretty sure he was nearby.
Day before opening day we scouting that hill, saw a couple other bulls but no sign of the one I wanted to see.
Opening day of a 7 day hunt we headed to the exact same location that my buddy saw the bigger bull to call. We got up there and as we were walking in to the area to call we noticed moose tracks that had just torn up the road, patches of moose hair and sign everywhere that 2 bulls had battled it out right there that night before opening day. Needless to say it got us pretty excited knowing there was just 2 bulls there so we started calling. We only ended up calling in 1 cow but were optimistic that the bulls were "right there" somewhere. We headed back to the truck and drove up the road about 1/4 mile and as we were driving we heard some crashing down on the hill below us. We got out to investigate. First thing I saw was a cow moose. I saw her standing still and still heard brush breaking pretty heavily below her so I kept walking to see what was going on. All of a sudden we had one bull come running up the hill (small bull) but we kept our eye on him. We followed him as he crossed back over the road and into a clear cut above us. we walked up into the clear cut and lost sight of him. As I stood up on a stump overlooking below us in the clear cut where that bull had gone I heard a branch snap behind/above us. I watched for a few seconds and heard another branch snap. All of a sudden I saw antlers cresting the hill. All I could see were antlers at this point. The bull was walking sidehill above us so I gave him a "grunt". He stopped dead in his tracks. We grunted again and he grunted right back, turned and headed straight at us. He crested the hill at about 20 yards but unfortunately he was smaller than what we were hoping for (actually I don't think there is a place for the word "small" anywhere in a sentance that includes the word moose).
We headed back to the truck and down the hill. As we were driving along the road just below another clear cut a few miles away we rounded a corner to see a nice little bull in the road. This bull was a pretty average bull for the area but not what I was looking for. We took a few pictures of him:
As we were looking at him he started to walk away so we grunted at him. Instantly we heard a grunt back but not from him. Up above in the clear cut another bull started charging in on a dead run grunting every step of the way. Literally, one grunt from us and he came hauling a$$ grunting "URRrrah" "URRrrah" every step he took. That bull got to the bottom of the clear cut about to step out on the road as he saw Mark and I and came to a dead stop. He only had one tree and some brush between him and the road he was about to step out onto. Mark was about to end his hunt on this guy. It was pretty exciting but he chose to keep looking. Here are a couple pic's of that bull as he stood behind a little tree thrashing brush and slobbering all over himself as he talked to us. He was only about 10 yards from us and he talked to us for about 10-15 minutes. It was pretty sweet.
That evening we headed straight back into that area hoping to see the one we were looking for. About 45 minutes before shooting time was up we were driving and came around a corner to see a bull walking up a new clear cut. Mark instantly knew he was going to take the bull. One shot with the 7mm Mag and it didn't take another step. One tag filled, one to go. Here are a couple pic's of Mark's success.
After this we saw several bulls but nothing ever came along that I wanted to punch a once in a lifetime tag on. Luckily in Idaho all I have to do is wait the 2 year waiting period and I can start applying again, and I will.
The weather started warming up so much that when I left town mid-day one afternoon it was in the high 70's/low 80's for temp's again and I'm sure that had something to do with the bulls not talking as much later in the week. We called in several and saw lots more. We probably saw 3-4 bulls a day but unfortunately I'll be applying for Idaho moose in the future. Even though my tag never got filled I have to say it was one of the most exciting hunts I have ever experienced.
Now that I am home and have had a chance to look at the pictures over and over (and over and over and over...) if you look at the bull that Mark took and compare it to the bull standing behind the tree talking to us, are they the same bull??? I think they are. He took his bull about 1 to 1-1/2 miles from where we talked to that bull earlier in the day.
Below are a few more pictures I took on the trip of some moose, etc. Sorry to all the dial-up connections out there.
Jaxon
Cow feeding with small bull in the brush behind her.
A couple pic's I took above the fog line that turned out OK.
