Author Topic: I quite, I'm never going Moose Hunting again ever (Read 1090 times)

Sourdough · « **on:** September 18, 2011, 10:28:52 AM »

My hunting partner, his wife, and I went up the Chena River last evening. River is way up, nearing flood stage. We ran about five miles up river, then stopped and sat for about an hour. Time for the animals to get over the sounds from the engine. Then we started drifting. I manned the oars to keep Linda facing down stream, she had a cow tag. 30 minutes into the float we saw out first cow. Linda did not want to shoot, it was too small. I estimated about 500 to 600 pounds. We continued on down river. 20 minutes later we saw another cow. This one looked to be between 900 to 1000 lbs. Linda took her shot. From the drifting boat she had a hard time keeping the scope on target. She shot high, missing bones that would have dropped it on the spot, but hitting vitals. Moose ran into the willows and disappeared. She and her Husband followed it. Suddenly it jumped up and took off running. Linda was able to get a good shot into the back of the head. Down Moose, 300 yards of rough terrain from the boat. Grass and willows, shoulder high. Downed logs across the trail, some rotten, some not. Channels a foot deep and two to three feet wide where water had ran during times of flood.

We hiked into the area and started working. We skinned the top side, getting the first shoulder off, ready to go to the boat. I threw it up on my shoulder and headed out. I had forgotten how heavy a Moose shoulder is. After the first 100 yards I was struggling. After 200 I was getting desperate to get rid of the weight. I was able to switch from the right shoulder to the left one. When I got to the boat, linda thought I was having a heart attack due to my heavy breathing. I just needed to sit down.

From then on the large pices were put on a pack frame, and Linda's husband took them out to the boat. I hauled the bags of meat, containing the back straps, tenderloins, and the deboned neck meat. Making three more trips for me. Linda shot the Moose right around 7 PM. We got finished loading up and back on the river at Midnight. Due to the heavy load in the front of the boat, we were unable to get up on step. So we idled on down river to the boat ramp. We loaded the boat onto the trailer and headed home. Ten minutes later they dropped me off at my house, it was 1:20AM. I said I would just walk over this morning to get my truck and unload all my gear from the boat. I would also help move the meat into the garage.

This morning I can hardly walk. My shoulders are so sore I don't want to use my arms for anything. Eating breakfast was a pain, really. NO MORE MOOSE HUNTING, EVER! NEVER AGAIN! We are leaving Tuesday to go hunt Bears. I have already told my partner, if he shoots a Moose, I'll shoot him. Gosh my back hurts, even the bottoms of my feet hurt! I hate Moose, I hate Moose, I hate Moose!

BBF · « **Reply #1 on:** September 18, 2011, 11:12:21 AM »

I've heard all that before........................... from others

They all went again and so will you, if not this year then next. BTW you(she) could have taken the smaller one. If you got to hoof it, a pack frame is the answer as your partners did.

I'm curious, seeing the ARGO Ads all the time. Would one of them work where you are?

Sourdough · « **Reply #2 on:** September 18, 2011, 11:26:50 AM »

Scatterbrain: As for the ARGO, not in this situation. They get high centered too easily. Argo makes a good machine, but in my openion they have too many moving parts. A lot of people use them on swampy trails, they do great in those places if they have tracks. Without tracks they are not any good. Also they are not good along river banks where there are boulders about the size of your head. They bounce too much. Plus they are slow, even on good trails they are slow. It's 32 miles from the highway to my cabin. I can be there in three to four hours with a 4-wheeler fighting the mud. An Argo can make the same trip without getting stuck in the mud, but it will take him 6 to 8 hours. I see too many of them broke down back in the woods for me to even bother with one.

In the past, throwing a moose shoulder up on my shoulder was nothing. Guess I'm getting old, man that hurt last night. Even with the pack frame I don't think it would have been much better for me. Just walking through the grass and rough trail was hard. Those lights with elastic bands that strap to your forehead are life savers.

powderman · « **Reply #3 on:** September 18, 2011, 11:47:30 AM »

ROG. Didn't you post a while back about having problems with your heart?? What were you thinking?? You'll be right back at bullwinkle next year, if you live. I'm sure a bear is much lighter to carry. POWDERMAN.

Sourdough · « **Reply #4 on:** September 18, 2011, 12:05:31 PM »

With Grizzlies you only take the hide and skull, with Black Bears you take either the hide, or the meat, or both. For me, I'm looking for Grizzlies. If I see a Black Bear I'll shoot it. I'll take the hide. If it's been eating fish or carrion I'll leave the meat. If not I'll take the meat as well. But if I can not connect with the shot I want I'll pass it up. I want them on the water's edge, where I can pull the boat right up beside them.

Spirithawk · « **Reply #5 on:** September 18, 2011, 06:18:08 PM »

Now see Bud, you're suppose to take them at gunpoint and make them walk back to the boat before shooting them!

Great story and thanks for sharing. Soak in a hot bath my friend.

briarpatch · « **Reply #6 on:** September 19, 2011, 02:03:32 AM »

I have heard when a pilot crashes, they put him back in a plane as fast as they can before he has time to think about it and not want to fly again.
If you will go out 3 or 4 times farther and kill a moose, cut it up and carry it out, you will get over it and love moose again.
Just trying to help.

Glanceblamm · « **Reply #7 on:** September 19, 2011, 03:14:07 AM »

Quote

I've heard all that before........................... from others

Ditto.

I think that the first time I heard it, the accompaning Cree Indians told the hunters that when you kill a Moose, You are suppose to make camp at the kill site and spend the winter there

Congratulations to Linda

Spirithawk · « **Reply #8 on:** September 19, 2011, 06:08:00 AM »

Quote from: Glanceblamm on September 19, 2011, 03:14:07 AM

Quote
I've heard all that before........................... from others

Ditto.

I think that the first time I heard it, the accompaning Cree Indians told the hunters that when you kill a Moose, You are suppose to make camp at the kill site and spend the winter there

And they called us ignorant savages!

Sourdough · « **Reply #9 on:** September 19, 2011, 08:13:55 AM »

Hay, the Indians up here have dog teams. Even in summer they pull sleds. Long sleds slide over grass and willows easily. The terrain we were in a long sled would have negotiated it just fine. Would have taken 14 to 16 dogs to pull it, but they could have done it. That's the way the natives here do things here. I just don't want to keep 20 or more dogs in my back yard.

BBF · « **Reply #10 on:** September 19, 2011, 09:14:49 AM »

Thanks for the Info Re ARGO.

On my last moose hunt we had just enough dogs to pull a quarter at a time on one of those slick plastic panels that slides over leaves and small branches. The problem was that none of the dogs we had available was considered a lead dog.

I don't know if there really is such a thing or the owner of the dogs was pulling my leg. Anyway he suggested that I grab the front rope and act as the lead.

OFF we went, I was scared to death to stop expecting to get trampled by a group of dogs. I came close to the BIG ONE by the time we got to the truck. Never again !!

powderman · « **Reply #11 on:** September 19, 2011, 11:12:08 AM »

Scatter. HEH, good story. POWDERMAN.

rdmallory · « **Reply #12 on:** September 19, 2011, 02:29:38 PM »

Another reason I like to shoot prairie dogs.

No cleaning , no dragging dead animals.

Doug

Conan The Librarian · « **Reply #13 on:** September 21, 2011, 05:21:26 AM »

Sourdough:

It's been several days since the orignal post. How are you feeling now. Good, I hope.

Best wishes!

BBF · « **Reply #14 on:** September 21, 2011, 06:47:39 AM »

He is probably resting up from dragging a bear

Sourdough · « **Reply #15 on:** September 21, 2011, 06:54:42 AM »

I feel pretty close to being back to normal. BAck is still sore. Linda has recouperated as well. Norm, spent two days cutting meat off the bone for grinding. He is just grinding everything into burger. I picked up all the bones and scraps last night for a Dog Musher friend. Over fifty pounds of fat that was trimmed off the meat. It was a fat cow. It was too dark for pictures.

Wyo. Coyote Hunter · « **Reply #16 on:** September 21, 2011, 01:03:41 PM »

Sourdough, never had to pack an Alaskan moose, but several of our smaller animals here as well as deer and elk...NOW, like you I consider where they will fall, and HOW will I get them out before ever chambering a round..heal well and fast and have a great bear hunt...

rd, that is why I like hunting coyotes...no tags, no season, no packing meat out, and almost everyone is happy to see you shoot one...they are my favorite western animal to hunt, with the good old prairie dog next.....

Sourdough · « **Reply #17 on:** September 21, 2011, 10:01:02 PM »

TM: The Moose probably out weighted the boat we were in. The Moose was supposed to drop 10 yards from the water. Did not happen that way. Oh Well.

powderman · « **Reply #18 on:** September 22, 2011, 05:03:06 AM »

I deer hunt ON the hill anymore, not down it. The holler is pretty steep where I squirrel hunt and I won't shoot one in a tree out over it anymore. My old heart won't take the steep climb anymore. POWDERMAN.

BBF · « **Reply #19 on:** September 23, 2011, 06:37:55 AM »

I've used an anchor in mud, sand or vegetation for pulling things besides holding a boat

Depending on terrain, a lightweight high tensile Danforth will amaze you with what it can hold.

Sourdough · « **Reply #20 on:** September 23, 2011, 09:13:48 AM »

TM: That's right.

I don't try for a heart or lung shot. I shoot for the center of the shoulder, break that shoulder. They got down and don't get back up. so you loose a bit of meat, three to five pounds. So what on a 1000 lb animal, that's nothing.

Yea, if I had of known the Moose would have gone so far I would have taken a plastic sled and a lot of rope. But that is one thing you never know. Last year Norm's Moose went about 30 yards from the water. We just threw the shoulders and ribs over our shoulders and walked to the boat. The hams we put on a pack frame and carried it between us to the boat. Such a short distance it was not worth putting the frame on.

BBF · « **Reply #21 on:** September 23, 2011, 01:39:46 PM »

Using a packboard just the rear quarter of a small moose has got to be one of the most awkward things to carry. I stepped in a small grass covered hole with a locked knee. Major OUCH !!
That knee became an excellent bad weather forecaster lasting several decades.