Can anyone suggest good educational or just entertaining moose hunting videos? Newb to calling/interacting with them, what to look for, etc. Just wanting to learn some of the basics so I don't come in as a complete moron for my hunting partner who has done this a time or two before.
Thanks fellas, fall can't get here soon enough!
Mule Power's Link
Also look at a book: In The Company of Moose" by Victor Van Ballenberghe. He was moose biologist for 30+ years. It has good info on moose behavior/life. Mine was $30.
Worth a look.
In all seriousness. I bought A. Gouthro's 'Quick Fix' DVD and it is very informative and is about all you need to call moose.
Good Luck
Also, if you want to learn about moose in general, get "Ecology and Management of the North American Moose" by Franzmann and Schwartz.
Moose Hunting in Alaska and "Becoming a Great Moose Hunter" by Richard Hackenberg. If you can still find becoming a great moose Hunter, it comes with a cassette of different calls all done by mouth. It is what me and my best friend used to learn to call.
I have lived and Hunted moose here in Alaska for 25 years. In my experience...meaning the techniques I have had the most success with, are as follows.
1. For locating bulls I almost exclusively use a cow call. If I am in the flats I use a roaming cow call. What that is is cow calling while slowly moving along. I call, put my cone to my ear and listen for a few minutes. If I Don't hear anything I slowly move forward about 10-15,minutes and call again. Then listen and move and call again, listen and then move 10 minutes and call again. This often brings bulls in on the run.
2. If I am on a high spot or on the edge I use a cow call if I am not seeing anything. I try to move about 25 yards or so below my glassing spot when I call. I also vary the direction towards which I call. I call from a glassing spot about every 20-30 minutes.
3.If I am on the edge of a big clearing or on a high glassing spot and a bull answers but I can't see him, I use a cow call till I can see him. Then I switch to a bull call and start raking brush with a small scapula that I carry . I try to bull call a little timidly at first so I sound like a younger moose that a big bull will want to come kick it's butt!!
4. When I use the bull call I generally do not call directly at the bull. And I tend to move 10-20 yards to the side from the spot I called from. The bulls will be focused on the spot you call from. They can pinpoint it quickly.
If possible have your guide or hunting partner call for you while you set up 20-50 yards in front of the caller and 10-15 yards to the side.
If alone once I have a bull located and coming in close, if I call agai it will be towards the side of me I want the bull to come to.
A key for the float part of your trip will be to get off the river 1/4-1/2 mile. You will see more moose that way. Many who float the rivers tend to stay on the river or gravel bars and that is a mistake. They see less moose than those who get off the river.
Pm me if you might want any more info. Good luck.