The wandering hunter has returned safe, sound and tired. I left Wisconsin on September 21st for a visit to the NE United States, Canadian Maritimes and Newfoundland. Absolutely a fantastic trip. The first 11 days I ate lobster 9 times and never got tired of it. Most I cooked myself while camping. Nothing like a pound of clams, steamed lobster, fresh bagette and a beer for dinner - multiple times.
Stayed at Acadia National Park in Maine, Roosevelt Campobello International and Fundy National Park in New Brunswick and then Cape Bretton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia. After an 8 hour ferry ride to Port Aux Basque, Newfoundland I toured Gros Morne National Park and the surrounding area.
Attended the Cow Head, Newfoundland Fall Festival and met some wonderful people. Local music, crafts and even the Moose Supper at the church were great.
Well the reason for all this was a moose hunt in the Long Range Mountains and, again, it was perfect. I told my guide and the others in camp that my ideal hunt was to hunt every day and kill a moose on the last day of my hunt. That's exactly how it turned out.
Last Weds we stalked to within 40 yards of a couple of cows before I went solo for the last 25 yards. Still, at 15 yards she wouldn't step into the open for a shot and heard my foot suck water in the moss and spooked. Oh well, still a rewarding experience.
Then on Friday my guide called a 14 pt bull into 15 yards but he was facing me and, again, no shot. As he was looking around for the cow he heard my heart was a trip hammer and my arrow was buzzing like bumble bee. As I told my guide and the others later, if success was measured in heart beats per minute - I won. Almost dissolved into a puddle after he left - THEN he came back to 20 yards and STILL I couldn't get a shot and only saw his back and rack of the top of the tuckamore. He eventually caught my wind and was gone. WOW, what an experience.
So Saturday we were back to the same place and glassed for about an hour before we saw 3 moose (as it turned out it was a bull and two cows) leaving the far side of the ridge a half mile away. Jumped on the 4-wheeler and circled a big knob to get to within about a quarter of a mile and started our stalk. Lost sight of them until we were within 40-50 yards when we saw a cow first over the stunted spruce and then the other cow and finally the bull (we think he was the same bull from the day before). They had seen 'something' and were a bit antsy when the bull finally realized this wasn't a good situation and started to move off. With nothing to lose my guide made three bull grunts and the lead cow RAN right at us, stopped almost broadside at 25 yards and I put an arrow in her. She made it 200 yards before pilling up.
Turns out it was the first moose taken with a long bow in the 25 years this outfitter has been in business and the first time my guide had ever taken a long bow hunter. I was also only the second bow hunter to come to camp without a backup rifle though all the other hunters offered theirs' multiple times. I am still riding on air and have to pinch myself once in a while just to make sure this actually happened. 228 lbs of prime cow moose is now residing in my freezer - whoo hoo!!
(http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/Petemcm/CatArmMooseCamp2013126_zps6bda3a0a.jpg) (http://s839.photobucket.com/user/Petemcm/media/CatArmMooseCamp2013126_zps6bda3a0a.jpg.html)
The location of the entrance wound is where the two halves of the arrow intersect.
(http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz313/Petemcm/CatArmMooseCamp2013120_zpsa2f4b720.jpg) (http://s839.photobucket.com/user/Petemcm/media/CatArmMooseCamp2013120_zpsa2f4b720.jpg.html)
All in all a spectacular trip. Saw 20 moose, 15 caribou, coyotes/wolves, ptarmigan, spruce grouse.
Hope I can come back someday.
Pete
As an aside.....though I have been quite successful over the past 40 years with my wheel bow, THIS MOOSE is my FIRST big game animal with traditional archery equipment. Five years of practice all came together last Saturday. I couldn't be more proud and satisfied at the result
Sounds like the trip of a lifetime for some! Great write up
That's Awesome!!!!!!
Wow! what a trip...congratulations! :thumbsup:
Well done Sir!!!
What a great hunt and lots of first's...You should be oh so proud!
Great first critter with traditional equipment, and moose is the best eating there is! Way to go. Us old guys rule!
Sounds like a great trip and some awesome memories. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.
BOB
What an awesome trip! Sounds like the food was great too. Fresh Seafood over and over Yum!!! Congrats on the food in the freezer!!
Sounds like a great adventure. Congrats on the moose! Acadia NP sure is a beautiful place.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
Wooow....!
:thumbsup: Neat.......now you have get on the treadmill to work off all that seafood ...lol! How about a lobster and a Moose steak......Oh yea!!
Awesome Pete!!
Congrats, Great job. :thumbsup:
Tom
wow. great story. good work!!
I think id have eaten myself to death on that trip...
out standing.!
Fantastic way to start your longbow journey!
Congratulations -- that looks like a big cow.
fantastic work sir!! congrats on some fine eating. I have never met another person who has visited the little village they called Cows Head. I and my wife stayed there in 2005
I have been to most of the places you mention in Canada. All wonderful destinations for sure. You will have lots of memories on this trip.
Again congrats on a fine trophy.
glad you stuck with it...congrates!!!
Hope you picked up some Newfanese expressions from Port Aux Basque...I used to work with a bunch of those guys and half the time even the other Newfies had trouble understanding them...moose roast cooked on the BBQ is about as good as it gets...great story...thanks for posting
DDave
Congrats! I would love to do a hunt like that some day.
Congrats Pete!! Man I am happy for you, glad your trip was a success and I could help make some memories!!
:clapper:
Thanks everyone. This has been one heck of a ride and I am still smileing.
Jim, My stay in Cow Head was one of those last minute changes to my itinerary that turned into another memorable event. Wonderful, wonderful people - they almost made me an honorary citizen before I left :)
Tyler, my only regret is that you and I didn't have a chance to share a cold one and some fresh moose steaks when I came back through Maine on Monday. You are a big part of my story and I thank you.
Great experience! Thanks for the story!! Congrats! :archer2:
Congrats!!
Sounds like a great trip! Well done.
Good job - on the moose and the story!
Way to go Pete. I will be looking forward to hearing the story in person. Hope you can make it to Comptons this year. We missed you around the fire. Hope the Newfies "Screeched you in"!
Hahaha, Glen, I did get Screeched in but by my own doing - in fact I brought some home to continue the adventure. :bigsmyl: I don't see any reason that I won't be at Compton's next year. Looking forward to it.
Great story. Congrats on the moose.
Congrats, lots of good eating there
Pete that's the way to get it done.I had one shot this year no moose.
Awesome! Great eating!
Congrats!
Great story. Newfoundlanders are some of the finest people anywhere. Great place to hunt as long as the fog doesn't roll in.
You drove about 5 minutes away from my place, outside of New Glasgow, NS. You stayed in some fine spots, for sure.
What a wonderfully told story of an amazing trip. Thank you for sharing, as I enjoyed it's inspiration immensely.
Yes Tom I agree, a wonderful and fun loving people, I can't wait to go back. I thought of you as I went through NS. I did stop at the Hopewell Rocks and wondered if that was your hometown. I did stop in New Glasgow, but for gas only. Maybe some other time.
Thank you Far Rider. The passion I feel and have felt from the people I hunt with is what this is all about.
Now Pete, That is as good as it Gets.
Good on you, Congrats. It will take a Loooooooong time to come back down off that cloud.
:clapper:
Congrats...great story... :thumbsup:
There is so much to like about this report! Thanks for sharing, and well done.
Fantastic!!!
That's got to be one of the best firsts ever. Congrats!
That's great! Big congrats!
congrats!! that is my dream hunt.
Way to go Pete!
Congrats,
Bisch
Well done...thanks for sharing your story...quite an accomplishment for your first Trad kill....
Great story!
Congratulations!
><>>
Glenn
congrats on some fine eating
What a great story and a great hunt. I'm glad that you had a good time in Maine. I grew up about 30 minutes from Campobello, it is a beautiful part of the country. Whenever I get home to Maine I try to eat as well as you did. I love Wisconsin (especially the deer herd) but when it comes to seafood, there's no comparison. If you fly out of Portland, make sure you try a lobster roll and pumpkin ale from Linda Bean's!
Hunter gains 15 pounds! No freezed dried food, no semi-warm instant oatmeal right out of the envelope? And this is hunting? Makes me want to sign up. Thanks for the story.
Great job!
Awesome, Sounds like you had a great trip and hunt. Ah the memories. Congratulations
Quite and adventure, Pete! Thanks for sharing it.
Bill
I'll be taking note of the camp grounds you stayed at. Tracy and I love to hook up the trailer and just go!It seems thats the only way to leave business stress behind.
Bill, It certain was an adventure. All the campgrounds were great. The interesting thing is that they all had wifi. Seems like everyplace I went in Canada, including all the campgrounds had wifi available - free.
I did purchase a lifetime US National Park pass (for those over 62) for $10 that paid for itself the first day. I also bought an All Canada Pass that is good in all their parks - 1 year for $67 that I think drops to $55 for those over 65.
I am already thinking about going back next year as I only hit the highlites of many places I went. Maybe a two month trip this time with another moose hunt at the end.............yeah, that's the ticket :thumbsup:
You had me just at the menu on this hunt! Congrats on a beautiful moose!
That was one fine adventure Pete, and I couldn't be happier for you. Well deserved reward for all you have put into your traditional journey!
Congratulations again my friend!
Congrats on a fine hunt Brother Pete :clapper:
Glad you enjoyed our section of the globe. Come on back anytime.
Jeff,
I did indeed enjoy my first trip to your home area and I'm sure I'll be back again. I only hit the highlites the first time around and would like to take more time to fish, hike, etc. Plus, there are many more lobster that need to be eaten :bigsmyl:
Great shot on a wonderful animal. Congratulation and Thank You for sharing it with us!
Glenn
:thumbsup: congrats!!!
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Sounds like an amazing trip with a great ending. Congrats! Enjoy that awesome meat!
Pete I hope you don't mind but i thought the gang might like to see a the following 2 photos of places you visited
this is Gros Morn National park
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5493/10365635635_9240bcf5ca.jpg)
Cape Breton Highlands
(http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5489/10365845883_3e14d47089.jpg)
:clapper:
WOW! Gorgeous country!!
You really have to take the wife and just go. It is as good as the pics. I have 900 pics but haven't even started going through them all yet.
Cogratulations Pete!!! Sounds like you had a great hunt. I hope we get to read more about it in the Stump Shooter.
Sounds like you had a great hunt. Good job
Pete........Congrat's on the Moose. I don't know how I missed this before? Great job!
I'm sure I'll get all the details someday in the near future while we enjoy an adult beverage! Moose hunting is on my bucket list, so I'll need to get more details from you.
Great trip and hunt . Moose is on my bucket list . Sounds like you did it up with a nice trip .
Me too, Pete. Love to tlk to you about this trip as it is on my "Bucket List"
Glad to talk to you about my trip - anytime. I'll be at the banquet if you can wait that long. If not, just get in touch with me.
Cool stuff. :thumbsup:
Great story, congratulations. What was your setup used?
Thanks again guys.
Gene, I used a 66", 60#@28 R/D Big River. CE350, 100gr. insert + 75gr.adapter + 170gr. Grizzly Kodiak. Total arrow wt. is 720gr. and around 23% foc.
Thanks again guys.
Gene, I used a 66", 60#@28 R/D Big River. CE350, 100gr. insert + 75gr.adapter + 170gr. Grizzly Kodiak. Total arrow wt. is 720gr. and around 23% foc.
Faaaantastic!
A big congratulations.