Moose hunting help

[Wapiti Chaser]

I'm going moose hunting in Quebec this Fall (just North of Ontario). It will be the first rifle season (Oct 10-17th) and I will be with seven rifle hunters but will be hunting with my longbow. It's not a guided hunt but we will be on an outfitters lease and stay at his lodge. I'm trying to gather as much knowledge about moose as I can. I'm looking for info on what food sources/habitat , vocalizations , scents etc.......... Also is there a good anatomy chart to look at the insides of a moose ? The guys I'm going with have gone before but just sit a couple hours in AM and PM in treestands (they do get moose). I like to hunt all day everyday and learn the game. Any advise is welcome. Thanks

[leatherneck]

I'm watching this one also.  

[AkDan]

shootm 1/3rd up and 1/3rd back.  STAY AWAY from shoulder and leg bones!  Puttm in the boiler they wont go far.

look up love thunder and bull 1 and 2..you'll find most everything you need to know about how to call on there...there is some better canadian made ones I've heard but I dont know the details of them.  


Moose have a tenacity of dying in water...a comealong if you have room isnt a bad idea to have.  Or atleast a pair of chest waders would be a good idear, atleast one person just in case.

Call late at nite before you leave your stand or area, or even in the middle of the nite....cow call and do some raking, it can work wonders...a oil can on a stick with some duct tape makes one helluva moose (and elk) brush thrasher..to tone it down you can cut the can in half or wrap it in duct tape.   I like it loud so I just cut an inch off the bottom or so.  

Be patient..moose are in no hurry to go anywhere..but they WILL travel long distances to get there.  A megaphone style call isnt bad to have if you suspect the animals are a long ways off.  

Dont over call, like anything else, they'll have the tree you're sitting under pegged real quick.  Call when they stop, shut up when they're coming.  

There's basically two kinds of grunts, one supposidly is a challenge grunt...more like a UHH  UHH...and the one they make while they are coming in...owhaa  owhaaa...  A cow call is simple but I aint even going to try and type it lol.  They'll come to chopping wood, chain saws running and a host of other things...so it doenst have to be perfect.

Tone the calling down when they get close...bulls have HUGE megaphones on their heads.  I over call way to much in heavy hunted areas.  Where we guided at in the bush I'm sure you can over call but man alive they liked everything you threw out once they started responding to calling.

If it's hot and they are quite, find ponds and sneak in on them...maybe even set up on the edges and do some calling...ponds or marshy areas..just remember THEY WILL DIE in the water LOL!  

A tip on taking care of a moose.

Dont gut them first, cuttm down the back from the tail too the neck. Take off both quarters and the strap, and if you want to bone the neck out start nocking it loose as best you can..then roll the beast over and do the same on the other side, take the other two quarters, strap the rest of the neck...THEN gut and get your flank meat, rib meat and tenderloins.  They are big animals...man handling them isnt quite what you'd expect..so instead of trying to tie this up, hold this over here and have someone pull on this over there..this is the EASIEST and most complete method of doing it...a good tarp or two is nice to have, to put meat on as it comes off before bagging and or to roll the carcass over onto before gutting.  I typically just roll it over back onto the hide...you will however get a bit of hair on things this way it does work well though.   So bring a tarp for rolling it over and wamo you'll have some nice clean meat and an easy gutting job.

There's many ways to skin the cat...this is just one that has worked well for me.  I hope it makes sense lol

[leatherneck]

Great post AkDan!

[Mallardstacker]

  I'm watching this one too!  Moose is my DREAM hunt...

[foxchef]

Maine Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has a pretty good video on their site.

[Daz]

October 10-17 should put you near the tail-end of the rut, and calling may not be as effective as a few weeks prior would be.

With the end of the rut comes bulls yarding up to power eat in preparation for the winter. Look for willow draws, regen cutblocks (if logging is present), and other food sources. Aquatic vegetation should be almost done as a food source by then, so look for willow, alder, and other browse locations.

They will move, and transition areas such as natural funnels, etc. may work.

If looking for calling info Alex Gouthro is considered one of the best in Eastern Canada. A google search should provide links.

And yes, as AKDan has stated, there is a whole lot of work after the shot, especially if water is involved. Good quality game bags, and a quality skinning blade and sharpener will make life bearable. Moose hide is tough on a blade.

Enjoy the hunt, and if possible buy a bear tag. You may have a shot at a good fall bear.

[Tuttu]

My favorite time is 2 hrs. before dark.  I also like covering ground vs. sitting in one spot.  Move spot to spot and try to do some locating calling (cow/bull/bull raking).  Moose hunting is like elk hunting.
If you find a bull with a cow (if it's possible), sneak in as close as possible 50-100 yards, and do a couple, soft, bull grunts.  Most of the time they will venture towards you and it's release time.  There could be a whole book written on moose hunting, but that's my best advice.

[AkDan]

ya dont buy cheese cloth bags!! Buy the good heavy duty types....probably hard to find down south, easy up here..they are basically heavy heavy duty sheets sewn up.

[Buckhorn47]

Akdan has provided valid info which applies here in Northern Ontario and likely in Quebec as well. Although moose could travel anywhere when bowshot, it doesn't hurt to put the odds in your favour by projecting an access point to allow easier removal of the meat, antlers, etc. It is no picnic to lug huge chunks of moose meat through bogs,pine, hemlock and cedar marsh areas. Always be wary of cow and calf together - this mother can be the most dangerous animal on earth.

[FrozenFew]

Daz brings up a great point and here in ontario the rut is definatly done by that time..  Thankfully archery only season is much earlier  in Ontario.  I have heard of calling working on sattelite bulls at that time but you've got your work cut out for you.  The best advice I could give you is that if you do put an arrow in one and are not sure about the hit give it twice as much time to soak as a deer!  Moose are quitters generally and won't go far if you don't push them while wounded, and it can take a while for a marginal hit to do its business.

[Wapiti Chaser]

Thanks for all of the info. I'm so pumped I can't wait !!