Post by Junior on Sept 13, 2023 11:51:02 GMT -7
Ok, story time.
Little bit of set up. Normally I try to hunt over Labor Day weekend with how busy my job is this time of year. This year I had other things come up, and couldn’t do that and pretty much had decided I wasn’t going to hunt this year.
Today was a really nice day, fall is starting to set in and the leaves are all turning yellow and I had the itch, and realizing there is only 3 days of moose season left, after work I grabbed my 375 Ruger, and headed out. I didn’t have time to plan a hunt, but I know one spot where I can drive the truck in fairly close to a spot, and hike the last mile or so in to a decent spot. There is a 4 wheeler trail up on the ridge on the east side that I hiked in on, and if you walk down a little ways it opens up to a nice little valley with low brush and small trees, a really decent area to sit and glass.
I get settled in, and started snacking on some cheese crackers since I hadn’t had dinner after work and start glassing. It’s about 7:45 PM, so things should be moving soon. About 2 mins in I spot a moose across the open area and determined it was a cow. I keep glassing while trying to quietly munch on my Austin Cheese cracker sandwiches, leaned up against a small spruce with the sun shining down on me. Really beautiful evening to sit out in the woods with a rifle.
Periodically I’m glassing back at that cow watching for other moose or a calf, and after about 10-15 mins it turns and I study it a little closer and realize it’s a spike bull.
Game time.
I take everything out of my pockets I can, and mark the spot I place them with some flagging. I don’t want anything making noise. I would guess it was a little over a half mile from me to the moose, and I start my stalk.
I’m working my way towards the moose, staying on the high ground where I can and taking my time, glassing, sneaking, watching. That moose doesn’t care about me at all, just enjoying the fading sunlight and happily munching on the short brush.
I sneak in to about 500 yards and it’s still too far for me to be comfortable with the shot. I look further to my right and see a spot that is a bit higher then where the moose is with a nice tree that I can use to rest the rifle on, and should get me within about 300 yards of this moose. That I can work with.
I start my stalk again, going slow, staying low in the brush, taking my time, and when I get about 50 yards from the tree I had identified as my shooting spot, I hear a ATV up on the ridge where I had walked in at. Whatever, the moose is looking thstat way but doesn’t seem to mind, but he’s watching so he won’t be watching me and I can close this last 150 yards quickly and get in position for a shot.
I hear the ATV stop up on the hill and turn off. I glsss back and I can see it up there, and about that time I realized they could definitely see me because I was still wearing a bright orange shirt with reflective stripes on it.
Whatever. Maybe they will just watch the show. I’m about 45 minutes into my stalk at this time.
I keep going. I’m 50 yards from my tree. I’m starting to get bubbly in my stomach. This is it. I’ll finally fill a moose tag for the first time since I was a kid. Somehow that 6 pack of cheesy crackers weighed about 40 pounds in my stomach.
I’m sneaking. My heart is racing. My rifle is in my trembling hands. 35 yards from my tree rest.
About this time I hear the side by side up on the hill fire up, and just full send off the bank and go crashing through the brush towards my moose. My heart sinks. I’m still about 350 yards away. I’m not confident in taking that shot quickly off hand, especially without hitting it with the range finder and checking my dope.
I stand up and watch helplessly as this 6 wheeled side by side barrels down across the brushy area towards the moose, and he had no interest in hanging around for them to get to him. He slips down the bank into the trees and is gone like a ghost in the night.
And thus ended my 2023 moose season. I doubt I’ll get another chance to go out.
People suck.
Little bit of set up. Normally I try to hunt over Labor Day weekend with how busy my job is this time of year. This year I had other things come up, and couldn’t do that and pretty much had decided I wasn’t going to hunt this year.
Today was a really nice day, fall is starting to set in and the leaves are all turning yellow and I had the itch, and realizing there is only 3 days of moose season left, after work I grabbed my 375 Ruger, and headed out. I didn’t have time to plan a hunt, but I know one spot where I can drive the truck in fairly close to a spot, and hike the last mile or so in to a decent spot. There is a 4 wheeler trail up on the ridge on the east side that I hiked in on, and if you walk down a little ways it opens up to a nice little valley with low brush and small trees, a really decent area to sit and glass.
I get settled in, and started snacking on some cheese crackers since I hadn’t had dinner after work and start glassing. It’s about 7:45 PM, so things should be moving soon. About 2 mins in I spot a moose across the open area and determined it was a cow. I keep glassing while trying to quietly munch on my Austin Cheese cracker sandwiches, leaned up against a small spruce with the sun shining down on me. Really beautiful evening to sit out in the woods with a rifle.
Periodically I’m glassing back at that cow watching for other moose or a calf, and after about 10-15 mins it turns and I study it a little closer and realize it’s a spike bull.
Game time.
I take everything out of my pockets I can, and mark the spot I place them with some flagging. I don’t want anything making noise. I would guess it was a little over a half mile from me to the moose, and I start my stalk.
I’m working my way towards the moose, staying on the high ground where I can and taking my time, glassing, sneaking, watching. That moose doesn’t care about me at all, just enjoying the fading sunlight and happily munching on the short brush.
I sneak in to about 500 yards and it’s still too far for me to be comfortable with the shot. I look further to my right and see a spot that is a bit higher then where the moose is with a nice tree that I can use to rest the rifle on, and should get me within about 300 yards of this moose. That I can work with.
I start my stalk again, going slow, staying low in the brush, taking my time, and when I get about 50 yards from the tree I had identified as my shooting spot, I hear a ATV up on the ridge where I had walked in at. Whatever, the moose is looking thstat way but doesn’t seem to mind, but he’s watching so he won’t be watching me and I can close this last 150 yards quickly and get in position for a shot.
I hear the ATV stop up on the hill and turn off. I glsss back and I can see it up there, and about that time I realized they could definitely see me because I was still wearing a bright orange shirt with reflective stripes on it.
Whatever. Maybe they will just watch the show. I’m about 45 minutes into my stalk at this time.
I keep going. I’m 50 yards from my tree. I’m starting to get bubbly in my stomach. This is it. I’ll finally fill a moose tag for the first time since I was a kid. Somehow that 6 pack of cheesy crackers weighed about 40 pounds in my stomach.
I’m sneaking. My heart is racing. My rifle is in my trembling hands. 35 yards from my tree rest.
About this time I hear the side by side up on the hill fire up, and just full send off the bank and go crashing through the brush towards my moose. My heart sinks. I’m still about 350 yards away. I’m not confident in taking that shot quickly off hand, especially without hitting it with the range finder and checking my dope.
I stand up and watch helplessly as this 6 wheeled side by side barrels down across the brushy area towards the moose, and he had no interest in hanging around for them to get to him. He slips down the bank into the trees and is gone like a ghost in the night.
And thus ended my 2023 moose season. I doubt I’ll get another chance to go out.
People suck.
