Just Moose'in around

[Pete McMiller]

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!!

 

The location of the entrance wound is where the two halves of the arrow intersect.


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

[recurve maine]

Sounds like the trip of a lifetime for some! Great write up

[23feetupandhappy]

That's Awesome!!!!!!

[4dogs]

Wow! what a trip...congratulations!  

[Over&Under]

Well done Sir!!!

What a great hunt and lots of first's...You should be oh so proud!

[centaur]

Great first critter with traditional equipment, and moose is the best eating there is!  Way to go. Us old guys rule!

[ArkyBob]

Sounds like a great trip and some awesome memories. Thanks for sharing your adventure with us.

BOB

[goldflinger]

What an awesome trip! Sounds like the food was great too. Fresh Seafood over and over Yum!!! Congrats on the food in the freezer!!

[Shortlongbow]

Sounds like a great adventure. Congrats on the moose! Acadia NP sure is a beautiful place.

[MR BILL SHORTY]

       

[b.glass]

Wooow....!

[ron w]

 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!!

[rwbowman]

Awesome Pete!!

[TJK68]

Congrats, Great job.    
Tom

[huntnmuleys]

wow. great story.  good work!!

I think id have eaten myself to death on that trip...

[joe ashton]

out standing.!

[Pat B.]

Fantastic way to start your longbow journey!

Congratulations -- that looks like a big cow.

[LITTLEBIGMAN]

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.

[durp]

glad you stuck with it...congrates!!!

[damascusdave]

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