Mikes Outfitting Moose Hunt
Moose
This hunt actually started to take place last fall after my return home from my final Quebec Caribou Hunt. Had that season never closed, I would probably never ventured out and tried something new as i loved seeing the Humes as often as i could. But deep down I wanted to try something new and upon returning home started to look into moose hunts. I looked at everything from B/C to Newfoundland and everything in between. I had been on Mikes Outfitting's cancellation hunts mailing list for a couple of years and was also receiving his news letters. Mike has a great following on bowsite and I have never seen a bad review. It wasnt long after his fall news letter came out showing their success and stating both his early season moose hunts were still open that I gave him a call. In fact I think it was a day or 2 after that news letter and I was booked. I was 10 months away from hunting moose!
Mikes early moose hunts are considered "meat bull" hunts. Before talking to him I had never even heard of a meat bull. These are not "trophy" bulls, though you can run into one at any moment and are allowed to shoot any legal moose. A legal moose is a bull with (1) 4" antler. Being my 1st moose hunt and bowhunting on top of it, I was happy with anything legal.
Hunts are a combo of tree stand hunting over a mineral lick and spot & stalk/calling. He has several active natural mineral licks in his area that attract moose, elk, bear and deer.
Fast forward 10 months to August 21st 2018. Bags are packed and only 2000 miles to drive north west from Iowa. To anyone planning a treestand moose hunt and not knowing what to pack, think whitetail deer hunt. I had enough crap packed for 47 days.
Having trouble installing photos so I'm gonna quit until I can get them to load.
I have a feeling this is going to be good
Anticipation is tough....lol
Happy mods have cleared that jackwad troll....
I think I know how this turns out.... :-)
Get the damn pics rolling, Luke!
I've seen the trophy pic, but want to hear the story! Congrats!
Ive seen it too ..... but want the story!
The headstone with black writing was Custers final resting place after the battle.
The headstone with black writing was Custers final resting place after the battle.
Dad and I loaded the truck after work on Monday. All my gear for hunting, 1 150qt cooler and 2 120qt coolers. Plus dad's stuff. He was just along for the ride and too see(hopefully) a dead moose. Our trip was scheduled for 3 days driving. First stop Sturgis South Dakota to spend the night at my cousins house. Day 2 took us through Wyoming and Montana up to Lethbridge, Alberta. Along our route we stopped at the Little Bighorn battlefield. Very cool for those interested in that sort of thing.
Up until that 3rd day we were only seeing this moose.... and dreaming...
Up until that 3rd day we were only seeing this moose.... and dreaming...
It was early morning day 3 on our drive to Grande Praire that we saw our first moose. Heck our first anything other than antelope.
August 24th around 1 we were finally at Mike's house. With some eager hand shakes and anticipation we made our way to our rooms. Then out to shoot bows. Everyone at camp was ready to start flinging arrows. Since season didn't start until the 25th we all jumped in with our guides and headed out to scout. On that 5 hour drive we found a 170" mulie, a 140" whitetail, a bull moose, 3 bull elk and a Sow with last year's cub. GUESS how many pics I took while being amazed by all the animals!!!!?? Zero... Sorry fellas. I was just soaking it all in.
Keep it coming. Alberta is a special place. The animals are amazing.
One of the many trophies Mike has on display in his basement. This one adorned the wall in our room. At first glance dad and I both thought it was a bear rug. Turns out wolves are really big...
The evening before the hunt we were at both the stands I would be hunting and got acquainted with the stands and pulled SD cards out of the plot watchers. Looking at cards that night we found that moose were coming in daily to the north plot. The south plot had a bigger bull on camera as well but not very often. That night I learn about tree stand hunting moose. I had no idea the hours that were going to be put in. With 16 hrs of light, I was told we were going to be on stand 1 hour before legal light and because we rode a quad into the bush, the quad could not come in after me until noon. Morning Sits were 6 to 7 hrs. It was suggested at that point to come in, eat quick and take a nap. We would go back out at 3 and stay til 9:30.
This was my view for 7 hrs straight
This was my view for 7 hrs straight
Close up of all the tracks and where they animals were mainly using
Close up of all the tracks and where they animals were mainly using
The morning of August 25th came and I was up at 4 and on stand at a little after 530.I was in the north lick in a 10ft tall tripod stand nestled between 3 trees. Even though I had walked the trail the night before I was a little fumbly in the dark. I crawled into stand and figured out even though I had packed my pack 3 times I was NOT prepared to be super quiet. Nor was I dressed warm enough for the mid 40s weather. I fumbled putting up my bow hanger, mounting my camera (so I could video my shot ;) ), unwrapping the little foil off the thermacell insect thingy was a nightmare in the dark and something I should have done at camp..... I felt like the biggest rookie in the world. Like I was banging a gong saying dont come over here!!!!! All in all I wasnt that loud but I realized I could improve a lot of things. My view was unspectacular at best.... I could see about 40 yards to my left and 50 to my right in spots. For the most part it was the same 40 yards of real estate for 7 hrs. It was a long sit. Around midday I caught glimpse of a bear and he came to 38 yards. I of course did not have my camera ready and never got a pic. Very cool to see. 2nd black bear in the wild ever for me. 1st off a stand.
My much more beautiful long view
My much more beautiful long view
View of the activity
View of the activity
Pine Martin
Pine Martin
Things got a lot prettier after the rain
Things got a lot prettier after the rain
Other than the bear the morning ended uneventfully. Josh was in just after noon to pick me up and head in for lunch and a nap. Around 3 we were back out and I was in a different stand. I was now in the south like about 17ft up in a nice comfy stand. I loved this setup as I could see 200 yards in one spot. Everything about this spot felt right and I named it the killing tree on my gps. This stand had a better bull coming in but not on any regular basis. Over the next 6 hrs even with my high hopes all i ended up seeing was a pine martin. Which was another 1st. I was overly happy to have my rain gear with me as it poured several times. Then the thunder and lightening started. I used my Inreach to ask Josh how long this was gonna last. He felt it would pass quickly and it did. I remember it raining so hard and lightening enough that I packed up and lowered my bow to the ground to get off stand. As soon as my bow was down, the rain stopped and the sun returned. So back to hunting I went. Josh picked me up on the road around 945. Then the 30 minute trip back to the house for supper.
He was even nice enough to present several shot ops
He was even nice enough to present several shot ops
Happy to have good rain gear and my lucky horseshoes with me.
Happy to have good rain gear and my lucky horseshoes with me.
August 26th rolls around and we chose to sleep in an extra hour and drive around to spot and stalk moose. There were heavy Heavy rains overnight and rain forecast all day. The roads were terrible to put it best. We spent most of our time sideways, ripping up the roads we were on. And we were on the good roads. There were some we did not dare touch. No moose were spotted, though several elk were located for the fellas coming up in the following weeks.
We were back to camp around 11 and ate. I took a short nap and we headed back to the south stand around 2. It was gonna be a long sit but I just felt it was the right place to be. I was again wrong. It was a long sit with PLENTY more rain and cool temps. I did have another bear come in and this time i was ready. He got down to 15 yards. I was sure wishing I had a tag. He was nothing special but it was a very neat encounter.
That night we discussed plans for the next day. More rain all night and the rest of the week really. The weather showed a break in the morning with some actual sun by 10 am. It turns out early season moose hunting is actually much better with warm dry weather.... They use the licks on a much more regular basis. Kinda like whitetails back home. Once it gets cooler you notice them stop using them as much. In the end Josh and I decide to give the north lick a shot again in the morning. After that if we didnt have luck, it really was gonna turn into a lot of driving and spot/stalk.
Im again in stand by 530 on August 27th. On my way to the North stand again I spooked what I can only convince myself was a moose at the lick while walking in in the dark. I was quiet as a moose but one good snap of a branch while about 20 yards from the stand and all I could hear was hooves and branches about 100 yards away. Sick feeling. I get in my stand and quietly set up anyway. I figure at least something is in the area.
I again set up one of my cameras overlooking the lick and have it ready to push record. Its set up in a fixed position so moving it is not an option if a shot presents itself elsewhere.
The woods were very quiet that morning. And wet. While it wasnt raining it just as well be. The water falling off the branches above me was soaking through my clothes. I had not put on my rain gear this morning thinking its not supposed to rain, so why wear it.... My butt was wet from sitting in the seat. I ended up choosing to leave the rain gear off because it was so silent in there. Couldnt risk a possible shot opportunity just because I didnt want to be wet.
Around 930 I heard loud sounds behind me. I swivel a bit in my tripod seat and instantly get hit with a rush of adrenaline. Its a moose..... Moments pass and I realize its a cow and shes walking through the water to me. I should note that on day 1 this lick had almost no water in it. It now had over a foot of standing water. She walks along on a path that is going to take her 10 yards way from me. At 35 she stops. I have my compact camera out and want to take a video of her coming in. In my excitement I hit the power button.... the camera shuts down and the long noisy old lens starts to contract. Instantly she is on alert. My heart just jumped up a gear thinking she was going to bolt.
Seconds later more splashing. I look back to she what should be a calf.....but instead out pops a bull!!!
The cow a few minutes later in the hunt
The cow a few minutes later in the hunt
The bull doesnt follow the cows path, he heads to the tree line and pops up in the meadow just on the other side of it. He does walk towards me, the cow and the lick though. On his current route is a 4ft wide opening cut out for a bow shot just like this. i put my camera back in my pocket and slowly reach for my bow. My heart again picks up a couple beats. As soon as he hits that opening it will be a 25 yard shot at a barn door. The size of these creatures in unreal. He keeps walking, at 3 ft from the opening I start putting pressure on the string.
In the blink of an eye he turns and pops into the lick. He is now facing me at 20 yards. The cow is to my left at 15 yards. My heart is slowly trying to have an attack. But I keep calm.... Waiting for his next move. Within a minute he makes it and turns broadside. My thoughts race as i am not sure if I can pull back without them seeing. And if they stay on path they will be in view of my video camera.... Years of whitetail experience kick in and tell me what to do.... Take the first good shot that presents itself. Screw that video. Ease that bow back and make this count.
I start pulling only to hit a wall at 3/4 draw. No idea why but I was struggling. I cheated a little and lifted my bow arm and managed to come to full draw. Instantly settled my pin behind his shoulder and touched off the shot. In a flash my arrow was through him. The pink vanes and lighted nock vanished in an instant sticking into the ground on the other side of the lick. My shot looked perfect. The bull busted back out the opening from which he came and bolted. I could hear what sounded to be gurgling and could see 35 yards of his retreat. Branches were breaking. The cow then followed up the same path out of the lick and stopped looking in his direction. She stared intently his way.... Silence soon took over and the cow bolted to the path that she originated on.
There I sat. Adrenaline soon hit. I tried sending Josh a message to get dad and come. I knew i just killed my first moose ever. As I sat there i could not stop shaking. Worse than my first whitetail, worse than my biggest whitetail....I just shook. My hands wouldnt stop for 15 minutes. The feeling is pretty much indescribable.
AND NOW THE REST OF THE STORY.......
Happy with my hit
Happy with my hit
I waited in that stand for an hour. I soon decided to go look at my arrow. Thought Id find some blood and get the arrow so when Josh and Dad drove in things would be easy.... I had to walk around the lick to get to my arrow, the water was to deep to cross with my boots. I quietly made my there and picked up my arrow. My arrow that was 100 % covered in green slime. We all know what that means. I couldnt believe it, HOW did i mess this up!? What happened? It looked perfect! My mind wandered as i eased forward to look for blood. I text josh and told him to ease up. I described the arrow. His reaction was dont worry hes dead. We were not on the same page.... I continued forward and was able to follow the bulls route to the trees via the wet grass. Soon I found blood. Though SMALL amounts. I did find 2 drops that were full of bubbles though. Small relief for my hurting mind. At 50 yards in I quit and marked it on my GPS. I thought I could smell something but figured it was the gut covered arrow in my quiver. I gathered up my pack and waited for Josh and Dad who said it would be another hour. Ended up finding a nice spot to take a nap and got a little mind easing nap in. At 11:32 they showed up. We walked to the last blood. I looked at them and said thats it. 2 steps later I heard, there he is right there! Looking to my left....rather than right in front of me...was the nice big round moose ass. I still dont know exactly what happened but either moose are SO big I felt he was broadside or in that moment of struggle to pull back I didnt notice him shift. I feel it was the second and that he must have seen me move. My shot entered perfect behind his shoulder and excited just behind his liver in the guts. He made it 55 yards. Looking back the reason that cow finally ran off is because she saw him fall over. Couldnt be happier and to have my dad there to help really was the best part. He may not be a giant but what a trip. 6 days alone in a truck with dad. Time we will never forget. My first moose. And a heck of a lot of moose meat to go along with it!
Josh grabbed the quad and we quickly drug it out whole. After taking it to the locker we figure it had a live weight of about 550#. Small in moose terms. HUGE if the only other thing youve killed are caribou and a 300# whitetail.
I should note that Mike runs early season velvet mule deer hunts at the same time as this moose hunt. They went 3 for 4 with 100% shot oppotunity. And these were not little mulies.... The smallest was guessed at 150 though I was never there for the official measuring. The biggest went 181" and was shot opening morning.
Smallest buck shot that week. And unfortunately only pic I have of any of them.
Smallest buck shot that week. And unfortunately only pic I have of any of them.
Congrats and great story + memories.
Thanks for posting and congrats! Definitely high on my bowhunting bucket list but I need my bull elk first. :0) TODDY
Very nice congrats- that is some excellent eating and what a great experience. Thanks for sharing the story.
Alberta and Mikes place are as good as it gets. Glad you were able to go it with your Dad! Magic! Congrats
Congrats, looks like fun, except maybe with a little less rain ;)
-Jim
Congrats on a great memory maker of a hunt with your dad!!
Mark
Congrats and good story!!
Congrats, great time to share with your dad.
Thanks for sharing the story! Great memories and a first class experience at Mike's! Can't go wrong with Josh, either!
Way to go! Thanks for taking us along on your hunt!
Congrats, Good Times, Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations! That had to be so awesome. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Thanks for sharing, congrats! Took me so long to get my first moose, it was my most memorable kill when I finally did!
Congrats on the moose, nice storytelling.
Congrats Luke! I know first hand the drawing power of a mineral lick.
Congrats again, Luke, and thanks for the story!
Our second archery moose Bowhunter logged a lot of hours on stand and got his moose too! Clayton VanVolkinburg from Michigan.
Congrats! That's a great bull! Heard he walked by the stand at 10ft.
Awesome read, thanks for sharing. Congratulations. Moose now have a special place in my heart, and I can't wait to hunt them once again
Good stuff! Congrats on a great hunt and thanks for sharing it!
Super awesome man. We enjoyed the mighty fine table fare that moose is again last night. Actually with M.Pauls^^^^ and family ;) Funny how we hit threads at the same time even though we are miles apart lol. You are gonna LOVE eating that thing. Congrats on a great hunt, great shot, and writing up an wonderful read. Thanks for sharing.
Lucas White
Lucas White
Lucas and his elk
Lucas and his elk
We also do an moose and elk combo bow only hunt Sept 7-14 which is the hunt where Lucas got this moose with guide Josh, sorry for the nasty blood but at least it’s in the right spot!
I know these are not big moose and we don’t get many big bulls, just don’t have many, it’s managed more for opportunities to hunt them. It is so tough to draw a moose tag in the lower 48 USA so it’s fun for guys to just get to hunt them, and probably get one, without a $10,000+ price tag like most Canada trophy moose hunts.
Dad Troy White
Dad Troy White
Here’s Troy White, Lucas’s dad, with his moose. Troy and Lucas have come on this hunt for the last 5 years and have had a blast, firing quite a few arrows and killing several moose and elk. They drive out for the hunt from Ontario, Canada and even though we are in the same country it still takes them 40 hrs of driving to get here, it takes them 19 hrs just to get out of Ontario! It is quicker to drive from Houston, Texas!!
(Another crazy fact is that I could drive all the way through the USA and Mexico to Guatemala faster than I could drive to Newfoundland, Canada! Probably just a bit safer to do the Canada only trip though, haha)
Well done all around. Good eater moose for sure. Nice. My best, Paul
that would be a neat hunt for the reasons Mike notes, and I do see one possible contributing reason above why he says there are not as many larger moose around. It is a good option for sure to get to hunt without a draw and get an animal most never get regardless of rack dimensions.
Congratulations, thanks for taking us along. Forrest
Dad and I were back this year for mule deer. This was dads dream hunt and we went with rifles (sorry guys but it was still fun) in november. Great trip!
Dad and I were back this year for mule deer. This was dads dream hunt and we went with rifles (sorry guys but it was still fun) in november. Great trip!
Dads dream deer
Dads dream deer
Our good friend Chad made the drive with me this year, dad flew. Chad killed one HELL of a deer as well.
Some great muleys, Caribou. Congrats to you and your dad!
Thanks for the good story and pictures and congratulations
What a great thread! Congrats!
Never looked at the dates on the thread and started reading and was sucked right in then I saw my own post and was like what the? lol Then the hunt started coming back to me. That's awesome, nice mulies!!! Dream trip with dream results!! Gotta love it!
Dont worry APauls, I read the title and thought oh cool another moose hunt at Mikes.... Wasnt til I opened it up and started reading I realized it was my thread. Heck Bou was the last to post 2 years ago and brought the thread back up. lol I thought I may was well post the mule deer pics since it was at Mikes. Didnt want to do a write up on them as it was a rifle hunt.
Happy to read this thread again! Like watching a good movie the 2nd time! Great to see you and dad tag some jumbo Mulies! I've hunted that country a few times. Amazing, game infested place.
Very nice. Congrats to you and your Dad!
