I’ve been at this camp 3 times and now have taken 2 moose. Both small. It’s a freakin awesome hunt with and awesome outfitter whose seriously sold out through ‘25. All return clients. He doesn’t have a web site but has a very cool business model. The moose hunt was only $5K. What is so cool, I was talking to him and he said the other outfitters in his territory have raised their prices to $7500-$10,000. He refuses to because he likes his blue collar clientele. I rebooked in 2025 for $6K
I’m not going to share the outfitter because he has no openings and all it would do is waste everyone’s time.
Day 1 we started as an evening hunt. He had me 20’ in the air on an alfalfa field ladder stand. No moose seen
The morning of day two was windy. We got in a ladder stand over a beaver pond to just listen. We almost immediately heard a cow and bull 200 yards away. We got down and tried to call. No luck getting them to talk again. 3 mile walk and then breakfast.
We pulled up to our spot and a lady with bleached white hair and two unmatchable sandals drove up quickly screaming porcupines, porcupines then said did you see my two dogs? I guess her dogs hated porcupines and took off chasing them. One was a pit bull and one was light brown. I told her I saw the light brown one on the drive in and explained where I saw it. She took off quickly
We got in the 20’ ladder stand over the alfalfa field and this time put out a decoy. The decoy was 40 yards away
Set up below
This goes on for 3-5 min then she drives away from us. I’m sure the farmer will not like to see the tracks through his field.
I’m thinking well day 2 is a bust. I was so wrong. 15 min after the lady left there was a bull moose in the field right where she was parked.
My guide cow called and after a short pause he’s coming in on a rope.
The ladder stand was set up for a lefty and I had to turn around in the stand. I mentally said if he hits 50 yards I’m shooting. I’d guess he was 30”
Well the bull stopped at 62 yards. I passed the shot and he ran right by the decoy and into the woods to my right. I think he got down wind of the decoy, then trotted up and saw she disappeared and we were busted
Well at least I didn’t wound a moose and have a story
When we got back to camp, no kidding, one of the other guides- hunting a different zone, hit a pit bull at 100 driving back to camp. It was just down from where we were set up. Don’t know, but it has to be one of the dogs the lady was looking for
Crazy night
Moose angled down wind to the decoy. We had the wind blowing out into the field
Place the decoy close enough to get a shot you want. He stopped 20-25 yards away.
Once he didn’t smell moose he didn’t play around and got out of there quickly
The 4th evening we went to a new lake and set up the decoy.
Almost immediately I spotted a 30” type bull across the lake. Maybe 400 yards away. He noticed the decoy and was heading our way along the shore. Then a 50” bull stepped out. The 30” turned and went to greet the big bull at a rut hole. They went nose to nose and the 30” showed it’s submission to the bigger bull with his body language. The big bull then started playing with the rut hole
Eventually the big bull headed our way. I lost sight of him along lake willows at about 150 yards. He must have passed us quietly.
My guide was jacked with the hot rut hole and told me we’d be parked on that rut hole the rest of the trip
Key learning I think with the decoy in this situations - if the bull can see it for a long time and the decoy doesn’t move that’s a problem. We decided not to use decoys anymore
Immediately we spotted the 50”, a 30” and cow directly across lake. I’d estimate 1/2 mile away
My guide said plans changed. There is no way we can get to rut hole without being seeing
We headed to our left about 100 yards along lake weeds.
The guide told me to go about 50 yards ahead of him and pointed to these willows where he wanted me to set up
I got up there and immediately noticed if a bull came in along the willows he’d run into me making a frontal shot my only shot. I saw an opening were I could get off the edge and took it
The guide started calling. The 50” and cow disappeared. The 30” was coming in on a rope from 1/2 mile away. He was taking the lake edge
Shortly after the bull started coming my way I heard grunts to my left along the lake shore. Definitely coming in, a second bull
When I could hear him in the grass I got ready. As soon as I saw movement through the brush I drew. Saw he had horns and he stepped out at 9yards. Slightly, I mean slightly, quartering toward me
I took the shot. Perfect hit. The bull ran toward my guide and stopped (this is where I screwed up, never nocked another arrow). I had him at 40 but no arrow. Knocked an arrow and he swung back past me at 50. Drew but this time he didn’t stay still enough. I watched him run about 150 yards and go down
He went right past the first bull. Well that bull came in too. I got it all on video. He stopped about 20 yards out and I could have easily shot him. Here is a screen shot
The moose appeared to be stumbling but we were worried how it made it that far if it was double lunged?
We waited 45 min. My guide saw another moose where I told him it went down. We didn’t know if it was mine or the second one?
I quietly got to where I saw the moose go down. Found a screaming blood trail then heard crashing in the woods. The crashing wasn’t moving off but in one spot. Then a pack of coyote lit up really close. They howled a number of times. I quietly moved forward to find the bed. Big blood in the bed. He got up somewhere along the way.
As I looked for blood out of bed (I found the trail), my guide quietly snuck up where we heard the crashing.
He signaled to me to back out. He heard the moose dying
We went back to get some breakfast and the moose cart
Came back and found the moose easily.
One lung and liver. The broadhead hit the edge of rib and angled back
This is how we got the moose out
Laid a trailer next to it tipped up. Tied the legs together then ran the 4wheeler winch cable under the trailer and moose and back over the trailer.
Moose slid easily into trailer.
Slick to say the least. We were skimming the animal in short order
Everyone got close action in camp but everyone didn’t score
We had one young man - really nice kid and good hunter in camp
This bull came in all fired up. At 60 yards he shredded a tree and then walk right at the hunter. The hunter had is tactacam going, this the picture of the moose.
He got within 10 yards and the hunter did not draw
The moose saw the hunter and bolted. The guide stopped the moose at 40 quartering away
The hunter was shooting one pin set at 20 yards. Guessed the windage and shot. He hit the moose low
They’ tracked the moose 600 yards with great blood. Bedded 2-3 times in that distance. Looked for him the rest of trip and never found him
I think the arrow skirted down the ribs and didn’t get in the good stuff
The day after my moose was a relaxing day- slept in, ran into town to get export permits and drank a couple of beers.
Well at 630pm my guide gets a call. Another guide needed the moose recovery team. The guide was 70 years old, the hunter just got two new knees and my guide was color blind
The promotion came to me - my guide asked if I’d come along on the moose recovery and be lead tracker. I jumped at the opportunity
It took a while to get to the kill spot. It was a 15 yard frontal shot at a 38” moose (mine was 28”).
At the shot site I found a little blood but after 30 yards or so it really opened up. Like the biggest blood trail ive ever seen
It kept going and going. Easy to follow at normal walking speed. Before we started we agreed to only go in 200 yards and/or if we bumped the moose. At 200 yards I stopped. With the crazy amount of blood the group said drive on
Well the blood kept pouring out and I bet we were 400-500 yards from the shot location when my guide said, “we are getting close, I can smell it”
Sure enough about 15-20 yards further I could see the moose. He was laying just like mine with his head down
I was excited (and wasn’t thinking ) and ran up and grabbed an antler. The moose picked up his head and looked me in the eye
Oh did I pucker.
High frontal shot off to the right. 15” or so penetration. One lung. I was lucky
The day after my moose was a relaxing day- slept in, ran into town to get export permits and drank a couple of beers.
Well at 630pm my guide gets a call. Another guide needed the moose recovery team. The guide was 70 years old, the hunter just got two new knees and my guide was color blind
The promotion came to me - my guide asked if I’d come along on the moose recovery and be lead tracker. I jumped at the opportunity
It took a while to get to the kill spot. It was a 15 yard frontal shot at a 38” moose (mine was 28”).
At the shot site I found a little blood but after 30 yards or so it really opened up. Like the biggest blood trail ive ever seen
It kept going and going. Easy to follow at normal walking speed. Before we started we agreed to only go in 200 yards and/or if we bumped the moose. At 200 yards I stopped. With the crazy amount of blood the group said drive on
Well the blood kept pouring out and I bet we were 400-500 yards from the shot location when my guide said, “we are getting close, I can smell it”
Sure enough about 15-20 yards further I could see the moose. He was laying just like mine with his head down
I was excited (and wasn’t thinking ) and ran up and grabbed an antler. The moose picked up his head and looked me in the eye
Oh did I pucker.
High frontal shot off to the right. 15” or so penetration. One lung. I was lucky
This is how we got the moose out
Laid a trailer next to it tipped up. Tied the legs together then ran the 4wheeler winch cable under the trailer and moose and back over the trailer.
Moose slid easily into trailer.
Slick to say the least. We were skimming the animal in short order
The moose appeared to be stumbling but we were worried how it made it that far if it was double lunged?
We waited 45 min. My guide saw another moose where I told him it went down. We didn’t know if it was mine or the second one?
I quietly got to where I saw the moose go down. Found a screaming blood trail then heard crashing in the woods. The crashing wasn’t moving off but in one spot. Then a pack of coyote lit up really close. They howled a number of times. I quietly moved forward to find the bed. Big blood in the bed. He got up somewhere along the way.
As I looked for blood out of bed (I found the trail), my guide quietly snuck up where we heard the crashing.
He signaled to me to back out. He heard the moose dying
We went back to get some breakfast and the moose cart
Came back and found the moose easily.
One lung and liver. The broadhead hit the edge of rib and angled back
Immediately we spotted the 50”, a 30” and cow directly across lake. I’d estimate 1/2 mile away
My guide said plans changed. There is no way we can get to rut hole without being seeing
We headed to our left about 100 yards along lake weeds.
The guide told me to go about 50 yards ahead of him and pointed to these willows where he wanted me to set up
I got up there and immediately noticed if a bull came in along the willows he’d run into me making a frontal shot my only shot. I saw an opening were I could get off the edge and took it
The guide started calling. The 50” and cow disappeared. The 30” was coming in on a rope from 1/2 mile away. He was taking the lake edge
Shortly after the bull started coming my way I heard grunts to my left along the lake shore. Definitely coming in, a second bull
When I could hear him in the grass I got ready. As soon as I saw movement through the brush I drew. Saw he had horns and he stepped out at 9yards. Slightly, I mean slightly, quartering toward me
I took the shot. Perfect hit. The bull ran toward my guide and stopped (this is where I screwed up, never nocked another arrow). I had him at 40 but no arrow. Knocked an arrow and he swung back past me at 50. Drew but this time he didn’t stay still enough. I watched him run about 150 yards and go down
He went right past the first bull. Well that bull came in too. I got it all on video. He stopped about 20 yards out and I could have easily shot him. Here is a screen shot
The 4th evening we went to a new lake and set up the decoy.
Almost immediately I spotted a 30” type bull across the lake. Maybe 400 yards away. He noticed the decoy and was heading our way along the shore. Then a 50” bull stepped out. The 30” turned and went to greet the big bull at a rut hole. They went nose to nose and the 30” showed it’s submission to the bigger bull with his body language. The big bull then started playing with the rut hole
Eventually the big bull headed our way. I lost sight of him along lake willows at about 150 yards. He must have passed us quietly.
My guide was jacked with the hot rut hole and told me we’d be parked on that rut hole the rest of the trip
Key learning I think with the decoy in this situations - if the bull can see it for a long time and the decoy doesn’t move that’s a problem. We decided not to use decoys anymore
Moose angled down wind to the decoy. We had the wind blowing out into the field
Place the decoy close enough to get a shot you want. He stopped 20-25 yards away.
Once he didn’t smell moose he didn’t play around and got out of there quickly
Good for you,
Robb
