Trad Gang

Trad Gang Highlights => HIGHLIGHTS 2013 => Topic started by: Sheepshooter on October 11, 2013, 12:49:00 AM

Title: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sheepshooter on October 11, 2013, 12:49:00 AM
This story was originally posted in the Alberta Forum:

 
I decided to take a break from elk hunting since the moose should be going hard. I went and sat in my old faithful "Swamp Funnel" stand yesterday morning. I had done a few calling sequences and was thinking that I needed to sit in the stand as long as possible because anything could happen at any time of the day in early October.

At about 8:30 I heard a branch break but couldn't tell which direction it had come from. Then I heard another break and had a direction but still wasn't seeing anything. Finally he came out of the brush at about a hundred yards but he was not coming towards me, but paralleling me. When he stopped I decided to let a soft call out to try and turn him. Just as I called he started moving again and didn't hear me. I tried calling again but he just kept walking into some thick stuff. I wasn't sure if he was going to make a little circle in the thick stuff or not so I opted to wait for a bit and see what happened.

 After about 5 minutes I didn't think he was heading for me and I didn't want him to get out of earshot so I did my best LOUD impression of a sexy cow. 4 minutes later I knew he liked whatever it was I said to him because I could hear his antlers coming through the hazel brush! He was heading for a trail that came through a little clearing right under my stand except when he got to the trail he didn't take it but instead cut across the corner of the opening. I wasn't sure I would get the shot but there was one small lane that would have him at about 28 yrds. That was getting out there for me. When he got to the opening I grunted. He stopped and I picked a spot. When I released the arrow it looked like I was going to miss low but when the arrow got to him he took off hard and I could see my arrow buried deep in a good place.

He made 60 yards in what seemed like less than 2 seconds and stopped when I cow called to him. After a few seconds he turned to leave. As he took his first step he disappeared behind some brush and all I could see were his antlers which were looking a little wobbly. His antlers disappeared as I heard a big crash followed by some death moans and then silence.

I began to shake violently. I blamed it on the frosty morning but I may have been a little excited. After waiting a very long 30 minutes I got out of my stand and went to where he was standing when I shot. A few steps later I found the back third of my arrow with some pink frothy blood on it, a good sign. I followed the trail through the high grass for about 20 yards til I found the first blood and then followed the blood to my bull. Not that I needed to follow the blood trail....I knew exactly where he lay.

I payed my respects to this magnificent creature and then lit up my phone to let my buddies know and try to find some help.

It was a long hard day yesterday but hard work never felt so good!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sheepshooter on October 11, 2013, 12:51:00 AM
http://i.imgur.com/GW4vI8G.jpg

 http://i.imgur.com/8zOCeiQ.jpg

 http://i.imgur.com/qkDhGi9.jpg

My 84 year old Dad who instilled this love of hunting wasn't going to miss out on the adventure of hauling this moose out!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Brian K on October 11, 2013, 02:45:00 AM
Too cool!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Joeabowhunter on October 11, 2013, 07:00:00 AM
Congratulations, that's a beautiful bull.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: SAM E. STEPHENS on October 11, 2013, 07:30:00 AM
That is a dream hunt for me , congrats sir.....

,,,,,Sam,,,,,
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: recurve3 on October 11, 2013, 08:31:00 AM
Awesome Bull, congrats!! that is a dreamhunt for me also!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Doug Campbell on October 11, 2013, 09:02:00 AM
Congrats, awesome bull and experience!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: GRAYBEARD on October 11, 2013, 09:46:00 AM
Way Cool!! It is truly great that your Dad is involved, cherish that. I miss mine every day. He is on every hunt with me but not in the same way.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sheepshooter on October 11, 2013, 10:15:00 AM
Thanks guys! GRAYBEARD, my dad still rifle hunts, sometimes by himself, which freaks my mom out. (he never did take up bowhunting)I try to do a couple of hunts with him every season cuz I just don't know how long I'll have the opportunity.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: jeanpaul3006 on October 11, 2013, 10:25:00 AM
Awesome bull, congrats. Nothing gets your pulse going like a moose hunt.  
It's great that you can still share your hunt with your father. Great memories.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: FerretWYO on October 11, 2013, 11:18:00 AM
Great story and a really cool bull. Congrats to you.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sockrsblur on October 11, 2013, 11:51:00 AM
Thanks for reposting this here. I never would have seen it. Cool bull and super that your dad took to bush to be a part of it. It left me wanting to stick that photo of the two of you in a frame and put it on my wall! I can only imagine how u feel :)
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: LITTLEBIGMAN on October 11, 2013, 11:56:00 AM
awesome!! way to go!! I love hunting moose!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: trad_bowhunter1965 on October 11, 2013, 01:06:00 PM
Awesome Bull!!!!!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Huntrdfk on October 11, 2013, 01:25:00 PM
Great hunt and a great bull! Congrats!


David
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: babou on October 11, 2013, 02:10:00 PM
What a great story et great hunt !

how old can it be ?
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sheepshooter on October 11, 2013, 03:19:00 PM
Thank you everyone! babou- I think he would be 5-6 years old.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Daniel G. Banting on October 11, 2013, 04:06:00 PM
Great story. Great animal. I expect by looking at your Dad's hands that helping to haul out your Moose was not his first hard work.

Congratulations,
Dan
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: kwc on October 11, 2013, 05:21:00 PM
wow,now thats some bull!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: happy1 on October 11, 2013, 05:50:00 PM
Awesome Bull!    :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Hummer3T on October 11, 2013, 09:14:00 PM
beautiful bull, awesome that your Dad can do that still, mine is 81 and still loves to work hard too.  something to remember for years.

Thanks for sharing.

Tim
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Big Ed on October 12, 2013, 06:14:00 AM
Congrats !!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: bansheewins on October 12, 2013, 08:56:00 AM
Congrats that is awesome.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: on October 12, 2013, 09:27:00 AM
Awesome! Moose with a stick!

Unbeatable!

Congrats,

Bisch
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Tater on October 12, 2013, 10:29:00 AM
Nice Bull....thanks for sharing the story..!
  Really nice your dad was there to share the hunt..
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Izzy on October 13, 2013, 08:43:00 PM
Super cool moose, love the scarring on his shoulders.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Igor on October 13, 2013, 09:53:00 PM
Super animal....and nice shot!


><>>
glenn
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: HARL on October 13, 2013, 09:56:00 PM
Great Stuff !  :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Knotter on October 14, 2013, 02:01:00 AM
Great story and I really like the pics.  Good to see some success coming out of Alberta!. Tons of Character on that bull to boot.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: cacciatore on October 14, 2013, 02:52:00 AM
Congrats really a very fine animal.
I am glad your Dad was with you.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: KentuckyTJ on October 14, 2013, 11:05:00 AM
Awesome!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Keith Zimmerman on October 15, 2013, 04:15:00 PM
Great story.  Right to the point.  Great pics!  Congrats!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Jayrod on October 16, 2013, 06:12:00 AM
verynice bull thats on my to do list one of these days i think it would be a blast!!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Cyclic-Rivers on October 16, 2013, 10:23:00 PM
I would love to kill a moose someday!  ongrats on your Bull Sir!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: SheltonCreeker on October 16, 2013, 11:03:00 PM
Awesome. Congrats. Glad you got to share that experience with your father.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Mike Hames on October 18, 2013, 07:22:00 PM
Fantastic! A moose hunt with my selfbow, arrows I make and stone points is on my bucket list. Might have to do it in the US but I'm going to hunt one sometime, somewhere.
That is a great rack and congratulations on the shot . It is great you can take your Dad with you to hang with you on trips like that.
Congratulations again.
Mike
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sheepshooter on October 18, 2013, 11:19:00 PM
Thanks for all the congrats! I think the real trophy on a moose is the meat. I think it's the best of the venisons.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: PA Bones on October 21, 2013, 08:00:00 AM
Congratulations on a great bull and excellent shot.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Altiman94 on October 21, 2013, 11:05:00 PM
That is a really nice bull!  Just curious, how much meat did you end up with?
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Richie on October 22, 2013, 01:13:00 AM
awesome   :clapper:
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sheepshooter on October 22, 2013, 11:06:00 AM
I cut and wrap all my own meat and I don't weigh it but I'm guessing there would be over 300 lbs of boneless, sinewless meat in my freezer. Our moose here aren't nearly as big as Yukon/Alaska moose or even as big as moose further north in Alberta.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Rathbuck on October 22, 2013, 12:20:00 PM
Congrats on an awesome hunt and a beautiful trophy!!!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: zipper bowss on October 22, 2013, 12:34:00 PM
:notworthy:    :clapper:   Great story!! Many of us would love to go moose hunting some day. If you would share your set up with us. That will give us an idea what it takes to get the job done on a moose.
Bill
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Sheepshooter on October 22, 2013, 04:55:00 PM
Sure. I shoot a 55lb ( at my draw ) Cari-bow take-down recurve. My arrows are 628 grain Patriot Missles tipped with 300 grain 3 blade VPA broadheads with a 100 grain brass insert. On this bull I got about 20 inches of penetration which was enough for two holes. Last year I was using the same setup  with 250 grain broadheads for an arrow weight of 587 grains. I shot a slightly smaller bull at about 15 yards and got a complete pass through.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: zipper bowss on October 25, 2013, 08:06:00 AM
Thank you, sir.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: sbschindler on October 25, 2013, 09:47:00 AM
I'd bet your dad is as proud of you as one could be, very good
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: TJK68 on October 25, 2013, 10:40:00 AM
Beautiful Bull, Congrats! Great story and pics.
Tom
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: 59Alaskan on October 26, 2013, 05:53:00 AM
Quote
Originally posted by SAM E. STEPHENS:
That is a dream hunt for me , congrats sir.....

,,,,,Sam,,,,,
Yep...
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Walt Francis on November 18, 2013, 09:31:00 PM
Congratulations on a fine bull.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: gordydog on November 19, 2013, 03:52:00 AM
Just awesome,  congratulations.  Thanks for posting.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Friend on November 19, 2013, 10:31:00 PM
Bravo!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Michael Arnette on November 24, 2013, 11:30:00 PM
Very nice...What a Dad!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Rays Arrow on November 24, 2013, 11:35:00 PM
I like his left antler.  Great job.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: Bowwild on December 07, 2013, 10:01:00 AM
Randy,
I sent you a PM as I'll will be (God willing) in your neck-of-the-woods next fall.  

It is so great that you and your Dad are able to enjoy these adventures. I'll bet he loves sharing the stories of your bowhunts with his friends!

After my Dad died Mom told me he had been carrying a news clipping in his wallet about something I had done (good news!).
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: kibok&ko on December 16, 2013, 02:53:00 PM
:thumbsup:    :thumbsup:
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: huntnmuleys on December 16, 2013, 05:56:00 PM
beautiful bull!!!
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: T-Bowhunter on December 17, 2013, 08:05:00 PM
Congrats, That is my dream Hunt.
Title: Re: 2013 Alberta moose
Post by: BDann on December 17, 2013, 10:54:00 PM
Congrats on the bull!