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Moose hunting/calling resources

A buddy and myself will be embarking on our first AK moose adventure this September. I’ve hunted bunches of elk and one guided BC moose hunt, but am pretty green as to moose calling/call strategies.

I’m looking to learn from bowsiters, and get suggestions for additional resources, books, videos, especially in the calling strategy aspects. I understand they can be not so smart in the rut, but I can be not so smart year round, so I need all the help I can get!

Thanks, —Jim

Check out Alex Guthro's moose madness series.

Tons of calling stuff on the net. But one thing that really works is Buck Expert Mare in Heat scent.

Find a place with moose sign. Use wicks or NON-scented cotton balls and “chum” an area by hanging a line of wicks as close to ninty degrees to the prevailing breezes as possible. Or run a long L shape. Or run a line along the bottom of hills to take advantage of the thermals. Freshen them in the mornings and evenings as you call and wait. Give moose along time to come. We often have responses first thing in the morning, after calling and chumming an area the night before.

Sometimes the bulls are tired after a long night of rut activity in warmer weather, so be patient and listen for a quiet approach to.

Moose pee is the only scent I use and believe in. Deer scents have all been a total fail for me.

Nothing like a good bull grunting and smashing his way right to you!!

Grunts PR cow call, almost can't mess them up. We had more success cow calling to lone bulls or grunt and flash some white to bulls with cows. As long as they don't wind you you can get away with a lot.

What are regulations on using scent for moose hunting in Ak? Are you doing a float hunt or a base camp type hunt, Jim?

I called in a really nice bull for my buddy in 2016, starting with cow bawls. I was set up about 50 yds behind my buddy. He came in, but hung up just out of range, so I started grunting and raking to try to pull him in the last few yards. He ended up wading back across the oxbow from us and would never fully commit to coming back across to us. He would get in the water, then turn back around and pace back and forth about 90 yds away, which he did for over an hour.

He had a long bell, which I had a couple of moose guides and hunters tell me, can indicate that it was a younger animal. IMO, I think this bull wouldn’t commit to my cow bawls and grunting/raking because he was intimidated and didn’t want to get his butt whipped. I think if I had stuck with only cow call, my chances of him committing would have been better.

We’re gonna try again this fall in AK. as well. Good luck on your hunt, Jim! Moose hunting is a ball!

I also suggest Alex Gouthro. We went moose hunting completely green. We made a playbook of Gouthro’s tactics and implemented them. We’ve had multiple shot opportunities and 3 kills to date

Highly recommended

Scott.

Alex's moose madness video deals with Canadian moose and apparently rut different than Alaskan Moose, So look into it a bit more

How do they rut differently ?

The theory is Canadian bulls go to a lone cow whereas Alaskan/Yukon cows go to the bulls and the bulls 'collect' harems. Kind of like elk.

So how do you call in an elk then ? ;)

timbrhunter, if you could find elk that haven't been called to which is probably going to be impossible any call will work, cow call or bull bugle, but its much more complex than that. a good bet probably for moose and elk is to get in pretty close 150-100 yards and use bull sounds either grunts for moose bugles for elk and tree rubbing and thrashing, try to be a threat to the herd bull, 90 % of the time the bull will gather his cows and head out, but early morning, or maybe in a moment of his weakness he might try and run you off and that's your chance

Thanks guys, Gouthros moose madness is the one I was thinking of. I’ll definatly check that out!

I had not even considered moose scents. A quick cursory search makes it look like natural deer (and elk and moose) urine scents are not legal, but synthetics are. Do NOT quote me on that, and I’ll be digging a little deeper on that.

Thanks for the start, and I’m certainly interested in any other tips/comments.

—Jim

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