It was about 8:30 am, while making my coffee I glanced outside across the creek as I usually do, but to my surprise I see a beautiful bull moose walking along the edge.  He was going toward the road where we all know they usually cross. We never see them only their tracks. All excited I run to get my camera hoping I can get a nice shot.  I slowly open the door and sneak out onto the porch, and start taking some pictures. There are still lots of leaves on the trees for it’s only the second week of October.   I know it will be only by chance that I’ll get a nice clear shot, but I keep snapping.  Between taking pictures and watching him, my adrenalin is pumping and it’s a great experience, one I have been waiting for. I like to see moose come by the cottage.

Let me tell you that about a week before this happened. One evening I was sitting on the deck as I often do. I thought I would try a moose call, so I let out this bellow. Oh how funny…it sounded so terrible.  I laughed out loud hysterically at myself for a few minutes, and during the course of that evening I kept laughing at myself as it was such an incredibly bad call and every time I think about it, I still chuckle….anyway…so getting back to the story…

I realize this Bull is about 200’ from where he will cross the road, so I decided to try calling him back…here goes. I let out my sick cow call, laughing to myself the whole time because I can’t call,  but to my surprise he stopped to listen. So I called again, sure enough he was listening. He didn’t know whether to stop or not. When he reached the edge of the road I grabbed a piece of wood on the BBQ and started banging it on the deck railing. Wow what a reaction, he walked on the road, did an about face and started coming back grunting all the way.  My heart was pumping, hey I did it. I persuaded a bull moose to come back. I carefully watched him. He didn’t know exactly where I was but he was headed straight looking for the cow grunting all the way. Maybe he thinks there is another bull around too. I let him pass still taking pictures. He started heading to the south lot so I thought I’d try again to call him and make him turn around.  I let out one more call and I watched him turn around and come back. Oh that’s fantastic I was thinking, this bull thinks I am a cow waiting for him.  As he gets closer, he’s coming full tilt now…I get scared.  I don’t know what he’ll do, so I stop.
  I watched in amazement, he is now headed behind the cottage out of sight.  Feeling quite satisfied that even with my sick cow call I had his attention. It was a very rewarding event.  I kept him on our side and in our territory for the time being.  I didn’t know what would have happened had he come any closer. I didn’t want to take that chance, maybe next time. I will continue to practice my calling so that if the chance comes up again maybe I won’t  be so scared.

Until next time…happy trails.

Lyn McKenzie  © 2010           

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Why Moose Grow Antlers:
Antlers are signs of adulthood and sexual maturity in moose. Bull moose, or male moose, use antlers to threaten other bulls during mating season and win over female moose, or cows. Bulls will often engage in fighting with other bulls using their antlers. The animal with the largest antlers will usually triumph. However, owning the largest set of antlers may be a burden in the winter if the growth of antlers took all of summer's energy stores.

When antlers are beginning to grow, they are covered with skin and hair. The skin and hair are very soft earning the name "velvet". Antlers grow very fast, within 3 to 4 months. The velvet delivers nutrients to the antler bones which nourishes their growth through blood vessels. When the blood supply grows stagnant in the late summer, the velvet dries and begins to shed. As the velvet begins to dry and drop off, moose will rub their antlers against trees leaving strips of the velvet on branches and twigs.

Why Antlers Shed Before winter, moose shed their antlers in anticipation of the upcoming season. In the winter, food is definatley more scarce and antlers require a lot of food consumption to support their weight. Shedding their antlers allows moose to survive on smaller amounts and poorer quality of food. When the velvet is removed from the antlers, blood is no longer supplying the bones with nutrients. This leaves the antlers gradually brittle and, eventually they fall off.

     Growing up in the small town of Comber, ON, my father and I patiently await our trip every year to the near north.  We have a hunt camp in CHAPLEAU, ON.  It was 2008 and our group of 20 guy's had 3 bull tags, which we split up over 3 weeks. I was in the first week this year.

     We had warm weather and couldn't get the bulls moving much. The last Saturday that we were hunting the first and second week guy's overlap by a day.   So we had about 12 hunters that morning, it was cold and a fresh coating of frost covered the ground.  We split up.  Two of us went out to a fresh clear cut.  This is where it gets interesting.  We spotted two moose in a big bowl down below. The hunter who spotted them first had been a seasoned hunter with lots of harvest to his credit.  I was on my 4 th season moose hunting.  The veteran decided to let me have a chance at a big bull.  I got set on a log pile and got the biggest of the two bulls into my scope. He was a huge 50 inch. spread.  I eyed him up and let him have it, hitting him 2 times.  Then he started moving and I had to wait for a cow to run by in front of him, then I fired my Tikka .300 mag. two more times.  I watched him as he laid down. Just then the veteran hunter told me that there was another bull off the left.  I was in the middle of changing my clips so I told him to shoot the other one.  Good thing I had just bought an extra clip the week before.  As I looked back at him, he had set down his gun to watch me.  So I continued to put in the other clip and proceeded to ready myself on the other animal.  I could not see his antlers for his head was partially blocked by some tree stumps.  The seasoned veteran gave a couple of cow calls to get him to move or turn his head.  He turned his head to look into the bush and that's when I saw the palms of his antlers. I squeezed off two rounds and the 38 inch bull only made it 10 yards. They were both roughly 250 yard shots but all 6 rounds of my Federal Premium Vital Shok 180 grain Nosler ammo found their marks.

     Well that's my story it's one that I won't forget for the rest of my life. Thanks guys for all you hard work getting both bulls out of the bush.

By: Paul Quenneville
Feb. 2010

  Crouched behind a large spruce tree, I watched in amazement as a massive bull displayed his dominance on a nearby ridge. Powerful grunts followed by vigorous raking captured the undivided attention of two cows standing a short distance away. It was early October, peak of the moose rut. The lovesick moans held his attention but weren't enough to close the deal. So I stepped it up a notch. After emitting a series of low grunts, I grabbed a nearby log and raked the tree branches before me. Evolving into a show of strength, dominance and will, the huge bull postured for the better part of a half-hour. Then, off to my right, a second bull appeared. Intrigued by the commotion and in search of a companion of his own, things were getting interesting. Doing an about-face, the larger bull gathered his two cows and vanished into the shadows of the forest. The newcomer, although attempting to follow, soon gave up in frustration.

This is just one of the great experiences that you can read about on our moose page. For most folks in our area a trip to the near north is required but usually worth talking about for years to come.