49 Degrees North Bull Moose Tag

[Falcon]

NICE !

I guess we are looking at the new world record !

[Charlie]

Hey, Where is the snow?   

[yelp]

 

[Willey]

Ok, here's how it went down saturday morning. The snow had stopped during the night but the fog was nearly down to the ground. We got to the area at daylight and drove the perimeter of the unit to check for any sign of tracks. Finding no moose tracks we determined that the animals were in a thick pine flat that besides, a few old logging roads, was too thick to try a stalk. We went back to the spot where we had cut the tracks the night before and parked the rig nearby. I had Deano get on the tracks while Shelley and I put the wind in our face and snuck up an old grade in order to get above the flat where I could see a few small openings in the flat and a ridgeline about 250 yds from our location. Fresh elk tracks were everywhere and it took Deano a while to sort out the mess and get back on the moose. Just before we reached our desired location, Shelley heard something about 50 yards below us. We stopped and listened to a moose feeding and could tell by the brush rubbing on its rack that it was a bull. We stood there for at least 20 minutes but the bull would not come up the ridge far enough to get a shot. I considered trying to sneak in on him but it was so thick I was afraid I'd spook him and the jig would be up. I knew Deano was down in the flat somewhere following the tracks so I decided to wait and see what happened. About that time I heard the moose crash off down the draw and knew I needed to get up to the top of the grade as quickly as I could in order to have any chance of seeing the animal. We hustled to the top and hadn't stood there for more than a couple minutes when we could hear animals moving through the bottom heading for the small opening. Shelley spotted the first animal but it was moving just on the other side of the opening in the thick stuff and we couldn't tell if it was a bull. Then another animal followed the first but all we could see was patches of black. They appeared to be heading for a skid road that went vertically up the far ridge so I sat down and and placed my scope on the skid road and waited for what I figured was going to be a quick shot as the animal passed through. No animals showed. We later determined that they crossed just out of sight where the skid road jogged just before it hit the top of the ridge. Suddenly, Shelley says , "I hear them running up the ridge."  I jump up, run to my right and sit down where I can barely see the ridge because of the dense fog. The first moose that appears is a cow which stands there for at least a minute staring directly at us. I have no idea how she knew we were there with the wind in our face and over 200 yds away but she did. I can just make her out in my scope and watch her the whole time waiting for a bull to walk up in back of her. Then like a shot she whirls in a full gallop up the ridge and over the back side.  I continue to keep the sight picture on the exact spot where she had just vacated when a nice bull comes blasting through the opening so fast that I have no shot. All I could see was a black vapor trail with antler in the fog. Knowing that the night before we had cut 1 cow and 1 bull track I cussed my bad luck thinking we had just blown our chance and now would have to try and track down a spooked moose. I'm still staring with my naked eye at the spot were the moose had just run through when out of the fog appears another moose which stops and stands in the exact spot where the cow had just been. I can tell its got bone on its head but how big I really had no idea. Shelley says "it's a bull but I can't tell how big but there's snow on his rack". At this point in time, any bull is a good bull and I know that I'm going to try and whack him. I put my scope up and all I can see is fog. I desperatly search for the animal but cannot find him. I pull the rifle from my shoulder and quickly wipe the scope off and remount the gun. I try again to locate the animal but there is so much fog between us that I start to panic. I look over the top of the scope and notice a tall pine just to the left of the animal and point the gun at the tree and look back through the scope. During this ordeal. Shelley keeps saying "I can't believe you can't see him, he's standing broadside, hurry up, he's gonna leave. I find the tree in my scope, move the crosshairs right and find the black outline of the animal. I direct the crosshairs across the top of its back, get to a point to where I feel is behind the front shoulder of the animal lower the crosshairs and squeeze the shot off from a sitting position. I watch the bull buckle straight down through the scope and Shelley yells "You got him" I can see the bull laying on the ground and still moving so we hurry across the draw and up the ridge where I quickly put one behind his ear. The bulls antlers are piled up in the snow and brush and I really have no idea what he is assuming that it is one of the small bulls that we had spotted in the area on Tuesday (which would have been fine with me at that point). Shelley walks up to the animal, grabs its head spins it around and yells "Its Tri-guard-Its Tri-guard" I could not believe my good fortune. How lucky I was to be able to get another chance at the bull I had passed up Tuesday. I knew by pushing the envelope to the last day that there was a darn good chance that I'd be chewing on paper come night fall.

I'd like to thank Deano for bird-doggin the bull out of the thick stuff and giving me the opportunity.  My wife Shelley for her support and always reminding me to quit whining and hunt hard. Thanks to all you guys, especially Brian for the info which helped me achieve my OIL Bull moose.

[agchawk]

Sounds like an AWESOME hunt Willey!! CONGRATS

Surely a hunt of a lifetime! Can't wait to see the pics!!!

[Curly]

Great story, Willey.  Good job.

[Willey]

Help!  Can't figure out how to post pics!

[jackelope]

email them to me and i'll post them up...

benjamin_rj@msn.com

[Willey]

OK...here's the pics...and a pic of my Montana buck, too!

[agchawk]

AWESOME BULL!

Again, CONGRATS

Looks like a great year all the way around...the MT Muley is great!

[jackelope]

beautiful...looks like you got the pics figured out.

good looking rifle too.

[Ridgerunner]

Sounds like a sweet hunt, good looking bull.

[270Shooter]

Nice8) way to go!!!!

[Charlie]

Now that's what I'm talkin about!! Way to go Willey!! Congratulations to you and your whole crew!!   

[blessed]

Congradulationd ! Great looking bull!  :chuckle:Loved the story too!! Had me on the edge of my seat!!
STB