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Moose Hunt in Icy Bay
DIY Moose Hunt in Icy Bay
For the last three minutes, “Young Guns” has been on a beeline to my cow call. My loud calls, bolstered by the use of Wayne Kubat’s “Bull Magnet,” which is essentially a fiberglass megaphone that allows me to amplify both cow calls and bull grunts, has drawn in this big bull from far away. At first, far in the distance, I could hear the faint vocalizations of a bull drawn to a cow. The rhythmic “Ooh-Waa” sounds are repeated by the bull every few seconds. Finally, at about 400 yards across the swamp, I get a visual on the bull as he milled around.
At first it appears that the bull is going to head off in another direction, but my persistent calling has him coming on a string. The topography of the location makes it so I won’t be able to get a shot until he comes clear of the brush that separates us, which will put him broadside at 20 yards. I experience a full adrenaline rush after so much communication with this bull, and have enough time to calm down my heartbeat as Young Guns closes the gap. At 30 yards, a swirling wind alerts the bull of my presence, and he pulls up, spooks and bolts. At that moment, I was understandably crestfallen. In hindsight, the experience was incredible and part of the reason why hunting moose is so exciting.
For many who have never DIY-hunted moose, the logistics of choosing a location, figuring out what gear to bring, learning how to find moose and call them in, and then finally butchering and packing out the animal, make for a significantly daunting task. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on each aspect of a DIY moose hunt in order to help more hunters succeed in pursuing the biggest deer species in the world.t’s typical weather in southeast Alaska; raining steadily and accompanied by a stiff breeze. As Brian and I get within 1/2 mile of camp, I hear a grunt behind me, which sounds like an “Uhhh.” When I hear it again, I turn to look over my right shoulder and “Big Chocolate” is staring at me from 50 yards away. I alert Brian to get the camera rolling, and slowly walk away from the bull. Talking to the camera, I explain that we can’t shoot on the same day we fly, or I would drop this bull right now. He appears to have at least a 50-inch spread on his rack, and tall, wide main palms that are dark chocolate in color. I conclude on film that we will ease our way out of the area, try and put this bull to bed, and come right back in the morning to try and draw him out. Unfortunately, he doesn’t comply with our wishes, but the interaction fills the team with great expectation that we will be seeing bulls during the hunt. It also proves that my calls are effective.
DIY Moose Hunt in Icy Bay
For the last three minutes, “Young Guns” has been on a beeline to my cow call. My loud calls, bolstered by the use of Wayne Kubat’s “Bull Magnet,” which is essentially a fiberglass megaphone that allows me to amplify both cow calls and bull grunts, has drawn in this big bull from far away. At first, far in the distance, I could hear the faint vocalizations of a bull drawn to a cow. The rhythmic “Ooh-Waa” sounds are repeated by the bull every few seconds. Finally, at about 400 yards across the swamp, I get a visual on the bull as he milled around.
At first it appears that the bull is going to head off in another direction, but my persistent calling has him coming on a string. The topography of the location makes it so I won’t be able to get a shot until he comes clear of the brush that separates us, which will put him broadside at 20 yards. I experience a full adrenaline rush after so much communication with this bull, and have enough time to calm down my heartbeat as Young Guns closes the gap. At 30 yards, a swirling wind alerts the bull of my presence, and he pulls up, spooks and bolts. At that moment, I was understandably crestfallen. In hindsight, the experience was incredible and part of the reason why hunting moose is so exciting.
For many who have never DIY-hunted moose, the logistics of choosing a location, figuring out what gear to bring, learning how to find moose and call them in, and then finally butchering and packing out the animal, make for a significantly daunting task. The purpose of this article is to shed some light on each aspect of a DIY moose hunt in order to help more hunters succeed in pursuing the biggest deer species in the world.
