49 Degree North Moose 08 (huntnphool)

[robodad]

K'meer Shawn, you sexy little devil I got something for you !!!  LMAO !!

[DeKuma]

 
That is a good one Robo!

[boneaddict]

OUTSTANDING pics as always.  Damn what a fun camp.  You guys are awesome.  Love the quote about Idaho too.  by the way, there are even more pissed off moos ein that direction.    gonna need a bigger bow.

[bowsandhose]

  good thing you didn't trip he might have made you his little cow prison style

[bucklucky]

Awesome pics and story! Whens the next hunt happening 

[M_ray]

Hopefully this weekend we'll be going back to get the "Big Boy"  It's up to Huntnphool I'll be ready! 

[M_ray]

good thing you didn't trip he might have made you his little cow prison style

  I missed this one! 

[boneaddict]

I might even be int he neighborhood.  I hope it happens.

[huntnphool]

Awesome pics and story! Whens the next hunt happening 

I am heading back over to look for that big bugger this weekend. I would like to go early Friday but may have to wait till afternoon. Its killing me knowing he is over there and I am over here.

[huntnphool]

Okay here are a couple more pics. Saturday we headed into a different location and got the privilege of breaking in Outfitters brand new cabin. We had a tip there was a monster in this particular area, the only problem is he was 5 miles in behind a locked gate
 
 Friday night we put Jim Beam and his Crown to bed  and set the alarm for 4:00am. The ring came way too early as far as I was concerned but I did have to get up to  anyway so out I went. It was pouring down rain and I figured the JB drinkers were going to need a little more sleep to fend off the effects of the previous evening anyway so back into the bag I crawled. Set the alarm for 4:30am and hoped it the weather would let up by then, WRONG!!!!
 
 At about 4:45am I heard some talking so I got up and got Shorty dressed and went to start packing up to hit the new cabin. We rolled out a short time later and made it to the new cabin just after light. I still cant believe Shawn remembered Outfitters directions in the shape we were all in the night before but he got us there with only one missed turn, and that was because someone had knocked the street sign down. We unpacked all our gear, so as not to have it snatched out of our rigs and headed for the gate. There was one truck already there and I thought it might be PA Ben but it turned out to be a couple elk hunters on bikes. Packs and raingear on we started what would end up to be a long, wet hike. About 4 1/2 miles in Shawn and Mark spot a bull just off the road and standing on a hill about 60 yards in front of us. We stop but Waid is out ahead of us and keeps walking down the road and right on by the bull. It waits until he passes below it and the bull walks off into the timber.  As it turns out the bull was not a shooter anyway but Mark still gave Waid a chatting to once we caught up to him.

 I hear a bugle down below us so Mark bugled back and I hit my cow call just to see what would happen when all of a sudden Shawn turns to me with "that look". We heard a moose "glunk" up ahead and not too far down the road. We slowly headed on and Shawn would hit his call every 50 feet or so until we were right on top of him. This bull was cranked and had the lowest glunk I had heard on the trip, it was like a subwoofer thumping and would vibrate right through you. Waid and I worked into position for a 30 yard bow shot with the rifle as backup just in case it turned out to be "the one". Shawn kept getting the bull to glunk, rip up trees and bust branches just inside the timber but it would not come out for nothing. After at least an hour Waid finally spotted him about 50 yards inside the thicket and we got a very good long look at his rack. We both determined it to be a shooter but having never been in that position before I wanted Shawns opinion as well. Waid worked his way back to get Shawn while I waited and burned the bulls rack into my memory. About 5 minutes later Shawn came cautiously up and asked where he was. I pointed through a tiny window of trees and brush and Shawn put the Swaros on him. It only took a minute before Shawn said it was one of the biggest Shiras he had ever seen and said its definitely a shooter. We had heard of a pig in the area that was estimated at 60" and thought this might be him, although Shawn thought more along the lines of 57". Everything else on him looked good to the only probelm was he was not cooperating. After about another hour it finally went up and over the hill and we headed back to the trucks, soaked, tired and I for one was deflated have seen a true bull of a lifetime, had him at 20 yards but couldn't get a shot without taking a chance of hitting brush and wounding it.

 Back at the cabin we regrouped and made plans to go back after him the next morning. After checking the GPS's we determined that we all had hiked 10 miles in the pouring rain and knew tomorrow would hurt even worse. My daughter was a real trooper, she stayed right with us the whole way and never complained once, not bad for a just turned 10 year old girl

 Sunday we headed back in before dark and got all the way in there very early. The guys on the bikes went passed us on the way in and I later found out that they were headed for the same bench the bull was on. About an hour down the road we ran into them, they had stopped to bugle a clearing below so I took the opportunity to chat with them. I explained to them that I had a moose tag and that we had found a nice bull on a bench at a certain mile marker and asked if they wouldn't mind waiting until we got in there to see if the bull was back. They were very understanding and said they would gladly hunt a different draw for a few hours so as not to push the moose out, and said that if we ran into them later and thought that they were causing any kind of problem that we should let them know and they would move out. Can you believe that, how cool of them

 We got to the spot where the bull had been the day before and Shawn let out a call, somewhat tired and horse from the day before but never complain. The bull didn't answer. We tried all over the area but nothing, no replies At this point I was feeling a little beaten down, having thoughts of dropping the big one all night and then not even hearing one

 We headed on down the road and it went around the hill and up, I looked at Waid and he was just shaking his head, if we had only known the road went up here the day before I could have gone up and cut the bull off when he left After another mile+ we ended up at the top of the nob looking down to where we had done all the calling the day before. I sat down all bummed out and Shawn threw out another call just for chits and giggles. "GLUNK, GLUNK" Holy crap, there he is, right down where he was yesterday. We had walked right by, called and he just stayed put and didn't make a sound. Instantly my hopes were sky high again and we quickly made plans for an ambush. Long story short he disappeared again without so much as a peep. This is one smart old bull. That's pretty much how the weekend ended, we went on the long defeated hike back to the trucks and then back to the cabin to pack up.

I am heading back Friday to try and find him again but have no clue as to how to get this smart old bugger to slip up. Shawn talked to Outfitter and they determined that it is indeed the same bull several folks have put in the 60" area and Outfitter put me in my place by telling me forget the bow, "that bull just has to get dead"  I will pack both again but if there is any chance of getting him at a distance I am not going to risk it. I just want one shot at it, is that too much to ask More story to come after this weekend.

[Backstraps]

Great story and pictures guys!
     Huntnphool good luck this weekend! Take down that 60"er! YOU DESERVE IT!

[shag]

Good things come to those that work hard  for what they want!   You can do it!

[finnman]

Your setting us up for some serious drama Phool!!!!
I hope you tag that dude, there is no better feeling then the gifts paid from perseverance and hard work!!!!

GO GET EM!

Finnman

[jackelope]

wow phool...good luck.

[rougheye]

Git er done phool    .  Dont stress    youll get him