September 1st: Opening day of moose season. September 1st: A Saturday. September 1st: The start to a three day weekend. September 1st: The day Mike and I would almost (emphasize ALMOST) get a moose!
On Saturday, September 1st, Mike and I awoke to a dreary, drizzly day. We crawled out of bed, drank a cup or two of coffee, and got moving. It was hunting day! We loaded up the camper, packed up the guns and headed down to our favorite moose spot. I'm not really sure why it's our favorite moose spot, because we've never gotten a moose there. Really, it's the only spot we know.
Mike and I hit the road with optimistic hearts and minds. We were gong to get a moose! As we drove, we planned our strategy for bagging the biggest member of the deer family. I would call in a bull and Mike would shoot it. And for those of you who think calling a moose is, "Here moosey, moosey," there is a depth and skill to calling in a bull. One must have talent! One must possess three key things: 1. a good, heavy, solid stick; 2. a birch tree (although spruce will do); and 3. a good set of pinching fingers.
What do you do with these three key things, you might ask! Number one is used to hit and scrape number two. This leads bull moose to believe there are other bulls in the area. In their small moose minds, the hitting resembles two bulls clashing their antlers together. The hearing moose will want to come and get in on the action. The scraping of the tree with the strong, sturdy stick resembles a bull scraping his antlers against a tree just before the rut. So, you can see how important the first two are to enticing a bull into a hunting spot.
Number three, though, requires some major skill and practice. First, one must pinch the nostrils of their nose, cup their hands around their mouth and call like a cow moose who is wanting a bull to come for a visit. If you want a good idea of just how to do this, check out this Canadian (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36q8sHC6Kg4). After hours of practicing in the privacy of our home, I was ready to perform for every bull in the area!
With a plan in place, Mike and I set up camp and immediately went to scout out a hunting spot. We walked up hills and down hills. We traversed rugged terrain until we found just the right spot. At approximately, 8:07 p.m., we marked our spot and then set our waking up alarms for 4:00 a.m. On the hike back to camp, we talked about how awesome it would be if we stumbled upon a bull on the way back. Then, we talked about how awesome it would be if a bull showed up in our camp. Oh, were we dreaming of the easy hunt! Of course, nothing ever turns out that easy! Right?
We did make it back to camp without spotting a moose. Hungry, we decided it was time eat some dinner and then get to bed early for that 4:00 a.m. wake up call. Mike boiled some delicious water for our Mountain House meals (which I would not recommend to anyone). I had chicken and rice and Mike had beef stew. Amazingly, Mike loved it and I ended up eating an oatmeal cookie. Okay, I've digressed. Back to the meat of the story!
Just after finishing the few dishes we had used, Mike went outside to throw out the dishwater. He came back to the camper and said, "Quick! Hand me the rifle! There's a moose right here!" Obeying his orders, I handed him the rifle and quickly followed. We moved stealthily over crunching leaves and broken branches. We circled around to the back of the moose, when we heard it: an ATV's motor that just shut off. Someone on the main trail must have seen the moose, too.
Mike and I knew if the hunter was going to shoot, we would be in his line of fire. We retreated back to the trail to inform the hunter that we were there. The look of shock on his face said it all. From where he was, he could not see our campsite. He had no idea that anyone was in the area. Obviously, the shock wore off quickly. It didn't take long until he lifted his rifle and aimed through the scope. The hunter pulled the trigger and the moose went down.
Just 50 feet away from our campsite, lay a bull moose shot by another hunter, going in another person's freezer and on his dinner table. While on the inside, Mike and I were feeling sad about us not being the ones who shot it, we were happy for the other guy. Sort of....
You may think the story ends here, but it doesn't. Mike and I had one more thrill. We got to watch Mr. Hunter field dress this 1,000 pound animal. From the skinning to the taking off the meat to the slitting open of the abdominal cavity, each part of the dressing process was a sight to see! Since we have never dressed a moose, this was a very good experience for when we do get one.
The field dressing was finished at 12:15 a.m. Mike and I knew that in four hours we would be waking up to start our own hunt. We quickly got a few hours of sleep and then went out to find our own moose. I am sorry to say that we did not see the first bull (or cow). Although a little discouraged, we will not stop hunting. Next Friday night, you will find us at our favorite hunting spot trying once again to bag a bull!
No comments:
Post a Comment