Moose (Not Chocolate)…

[lyagooshka]

#5304

All,

So here is my dilemma. I am planning to go somewhere for a fall hunt. My choices are narrowed down to a DIY elk hunt in CO, whitetails at Blackbeard Island or moose in Quebec. Although the most expensive, the last sounds most appealing. I got in touch with a gentleman from an outfitter that does moose hunts in QC. It’s about a 13 hour drive from me. September 13 or 20 are available for archery. Food lodging and a boat are provided. License is around $400 and includes unlimited fishing. Not sure what I would do with a moose, but it would not go to waste. I am not mentioning the outfitter on purpose (although I think I got the contact info from one of these threads). If anyone has ever had a “bad” experience, feel free to PM me. According to the gentleman I spoke to, the “success rate” is about 50%, which I assume means getting a moose and not getting back to camp. The whole concept is probably more foreign to me than any in hunting. Anyone with advice or experience, please let me know if I am getting in way over my head. Also, any TBM articles (available online) that deal with the subject would be great. I am not expecting a shot 🙁 , but I hope to see some, at least 😀 . I am not sure if I want to try the early one (before the moose have all been spooked by the hunters), or the latter (when they are less apt to run from the sound of an approaching outboard). Whatever I choose, I am sure it will be exactly the wrong time (story of my life, if I had a dime for every time I heard “They were all over the place just yesterday, I don’t know what happened to them…”, I would laugh at how poor Bill Gates is) 🙄 , but I am fine with that. Also, if anyone has any experiences in Quebec or “must-haves” for the packing list, please let me know. I hope to get this done (deposit sent) by early next week. Honestly, I am hoping someone talks me out of it 😕 . Just thinking about it is creeping me out. No cell phones, paved roads, electricity, etc. So far, I have never hunter anywhere that I could not see, hear or smell traffic 😳 . The most wild I’ve been is only having 4 bars on my cell signal 😳 . Maybe it’ll be the “learning” experience I need. Or maybe I’ll never be heard from again 🙄 . Ok, somehow Blackbeard is starting to sound better.

Be well,

Alex

😯

[Etter1]

#39358

Let me start by saying that I have zero experience moose hunting…..but….

At 29 years old, I have been to Quebec fifteen times bear hunting. I’ve made the drive from Harrisburg quite a few times and from Atlanta 4 times. Let me know what area you’re going to and I’ll see what I can say about it.

I will say, it’s worth the price of admission just to see how eerily beautiful that boreal forest is. Those lakes, rivers, beaver ponds, and reservoirs are fantastic too. I’d go up just for the fishing.

I spent fourteen years on Reservoir Gouin and 1 year on the Baskatong Reservoir.

[lyagooshka]

#39366

Etter,

Wow. I don’t know if I can argue a review like that. The place in question is about 90 minutes north of Val-d’Or on 113. It’s the western part of the province, looks like northern WNU 13 or possibly WNU 16 or 17, but in the area of 13. Since they provide a boat and say that there is about 6 miles ov navigable river, I am guessing I can figure out on a map where they are talking about, but I didn’t really ask (more accurately, I didn’t understand, the phone was breaking up and the French names are tough enough for me). I am sure there is plenty of bear hunting in the area. Like you said, it would be surreal just to be there. Again, my “success” is having the momory of an amazing trip when I am sitting at bingo in the nursing home. It’ll be something to impress the ladies with. 800+ pounds of meat is as much an added bonus as it is a frightening burden. If you’ve got anything, let me know. As always, I appreciate it. Be well.

Alex

❓

[Etter1]

#39401

OH yeah. I’ve been through Val d’ or many times. Our jumping off points were usually Senneterre or Mont Laurier. From there it was about 120 miles of dirt road to the outfitter.

I’m sure there is bear hunting available through all of Quebec and good populations too. Moose and deer are a different story. In many area, the native americans get free reign to shoot anything they want to anytime of the year. Consequently, I’ve been to places where we saw moose on a daily basis, and I’ve been to places where we’d barely see a few sets of tracks in a week.

Also, quebec is probably not a place where you’re going to see many 50″ racks. I doubt you’re worried about that, but most bulls I’ve seen at outfitters were on the smaller side than moose taken from further north and west.

I would say you definitely want to talk to some folks who have been to any outfitter and do extensive searching on the internet.

Walleye and pike fishing in the fall are both excellent and will be worth your time to learn the tactics and bring lots of fishing gear.

Here is an outfitter I’ve bear hunted with that I think you might be happy with. The owner is named Dennis and is a wonderful guy. I think they have about a 50% success rate. His exclusive guiding area is on a long peninsula into the baskatong reservoir and I saw moose there very regularly while driving to and from bear baits. There are also a good many deer there and lots of bear (although Quebec lost its fall season) and grouse of both species out the wazooo!

Good luck and let me know if you have any other questions.

http://www.auberge-gatineau.com/en/

[lyagooshka]

#39440

Etter1 wrote: …From there it was about 120 miles of dirt road to the outfitter…

Yeah, I’m in over my head. Oh well. Whatever doesn’t kill (or maul or mutilate or feed on or bludgeon or try to mate with) you makes you stronger. 😯

You are correct in that I am not concerned with racks. Never was. Biggest “rack potential” = “highest cost”. 100# of meat is 100# of meat. Doesn’t matter what kind of horns it was attached to. You can’t eat ‘em, and for me there’s really no point as the wife expressly forbade any “wall decorating”. Most I can do is have a hide tanned with the hair on and use it as a floor-mat for my side of the bed (or an extra blanket, as these days that seems to be a necessity).

I appreciate your help. Will definitely look up your guy. Thanks for the info. Be well.

Alex

😕

[Troy Warner]

#39635

Alex,

I don’t have any experience with Moose, but the more remote and wild the better!:D IMO.

Good luck and enjoy

Troy

[Stephen Graf]

#40071

I’ve bear hunted and moose hunted in Quebec. I managed to get a 54″ moose with about 20 points I think, I’ll have to go check…

The area we were hunting in (south east) had a 2 for 1 rule. Meaning 2 people bought a license, only 1 got to shoot a moose. Some area’s of Quebec have a 4 to 1 rule. I don’t know if any area’s are 1 to 1. So that may be why he said there was a 50% success rate. Only 1 in 2 guys is allowed to shoot…

The rut in the Southern Part of Quebec is toward the later part of September. So if you go in the beginning of September, you will be in the pre rut time. The archery season was during the rut where we were hunting, which was nice.

I’ve also hunted in Newfoundland for Caribou. Which you can’t do anymore. But that would be my next choice for Moose. They have more moose than anywhere (smaller though) and the people are a real joy.

I flew there for my caribou trip, but I would drive for Moose. Too much meat not to drive.

If I am remembering correctly, licenses are over the counter and there is not much management going on. A lot of the moose in Quebec come from the US where there is better management. The farther north you go, the fewer moose you’ll see.

I say check out Newfoundland before making up your mind…

[bruc]

#40090

I agree with Steve on the Newfoundland moose. I have never been there but here a lot about there moose, almost considered as a problem. I have heard of special seasons to reduce animal numbers.

Due to economic problems I think the human population is declining as well. Might be worth checking out.

Bruce

[archer38]

#41395

WOW ! I’d call this a nice problem to have ! A moose hunt in Quebec would only be second to a moose hunt in Newfoundland on my list and I live in Northern Ontario ! True, you won’t likely come home with a “trophy rack” but you will certainly catch your share of fish and have a belly full of it. Thats not to say there aren’t some nice moose in Quebec but its not the Yukon ! Mid to late Sep. is sort of the pre-rut time so practice up on calling. You might not have to venture too far from camp if you can persuade a curious bull to come to you.

Good luck !

[lyagooshka]

#47764

First, thatnks to all that replied to the thread. Lots of great ideas. Now that I booked the trip (I chose quebec, more on that later) I can tell you that the outfitter I chose is “Horseshoe Hill Outfitters”. I leave on the 20th of Sept, hunt 6 days and come hope the 27th. Boat and fishing are included. $2K + $400 license (and gas, etc). Newfoundland is definitely more dense in population, but this is a 12 hour drive. Newfoundland if almost double that (with a ferry) ans the lowest hunt I founf was $4500.

Next, I am gearing up for my new bow (hoping done soon). It will be an 80#er. My arrows (Al) will be just under 700 gr. and 300 of that will be on the “business” end (broadhead and insert). I just want some advice on this because of this video I found on YouTube:

Check out the video at 1:48. Go frame by frame if you can. 36 inches from an animal. I cannot believe how far OUT that arrow is sticking (meaning how LITTLE penetration is there). That scares me. I am sure the hide on a moose is tought, but that shot did not look like something done with the animal’s interest in mind. I didn’t even watch to the end, so I don’t even know if it was recovered or how far. I do not want that. If I can get a few pictures of a live moose in the wild, maybe call one in close and catch some fish, this will be more than worth it. If I get a chance at a moose, I will take it, but I want to make sure I am able to bury my feathers in that animal, especially at that distance.

Dave, sorry to single you out but could you (or any other moose / elk hunters) chime in and let me know if that video is normal or am I correct that it is not the way it should be.

I appreciate it. And any other “words of wisdom” before my trip are also appreciated.

Be well.

Alex

❓

[Terry Lightle]

#48129

Will be chasing moose in Newfoundland in October.Going there because there are so many there.

[archer38]

#48268

I’ve seen this video many times. It is in yukon with Real Langlois (aka The Rackman).I’d say he probably hit a rib, and yes,though there doesn’t seem to be a lot of penetration, the animal didn’t go far.The problem is, at that distance, with the moose ready for a fight and hunter at full draw….you have to shoot because the chance of getting trampled is actually the same or greater if you let down. At 3 feet, i’d like to think that he wasn’t even using his sights.

[lyagooshka]

#48305

Archer, thanks for the update. I commend a guy for getting 3 feet for a moose with him and 2 cameramen. It just didn’t look like a shot that went deep enough to do the damage needed. I’m glad the animal didn’t go far. I have watched it in slow-mo over and over. I was wondering why he missed the opportunity when the front leg was forward and why he took a shot that far back, but I have to admit, 3 feet from 1200# of antlered fury definitely has an effect on one’s thought process. Thanks again. Be well.

Alex

😀

[Jason Wesbrock]

#48367

Alex,

I have some experience with moose (hopefully someone with more will chime in soon). Between a good friend of mine and me, we’ve killed three with archery tackle. Mine was with a homemade recurve, his two were with compounds. I only mention my friend’s bulls here because of the video.

On mine, the first shot was broadside at 11 yards. The arrow passed through both lungs, split a rib vertically on the off side, exited the animal, and flew off into the cutover. The bull trotted 10 yards or so, turned broadside, and stopped to look at me. So I shot him again. That arrow passed completely through as well. Total arrow weight was 499 grains on my digital scale, including a 125-grain broadhead.

On my friend’s first moose, he got a complete double lung pass through at around 27 yards with a XX75 2213 and a 125-grain broadhead. A few years later he killed his second bull at 45 yards slightly quartering away with a double lung shot that only failed to pass completely through the animal because it imbedded in the off side shoulder. He was shooting carbon arrows at that time, with the same type of 125-grain broadhead he used on his first bull. With both moose, my friend’s arrows weighed somewhere between 450 and 500 grains.

When I shot my bull, we had another gentleman in camp that shot a moose with archery tackle, but his kill turned into an unfortunate rodeo because, despite my repeated offers, he didn’t want to properly tune his bow. His arrows flew like trash, and the fact that it took him four of them over two days to kill his bull reflected that fact.

I don’t know anything about the gentleman in your video or his equipment, so it’s impossible for me to say with any degree of certainty why he didn’t get better penetration. But I’ve killed more than enough animals to know if you get it sharp, get it flying straight, and get it where it belongs, you should have no trouble. And if you fail on any of those three, no amount of anything else will guarantee success.

Several years ago I met a guy at a 3D shoot—very nice fellow—with a longbow that was all the rage (and rightfully so) as far as energy and speed were concerned. I asked him how he liked his bow, and he replied he’d shot two whitetail does with it and had failed to get a pass through on ether. His bow pulled high 60s for poundage and he was shooting very heavy wood arrows. By any function one could spit out of a calculator (Ke, momentum, whatever), his setup had more lethality than what I used to shoot through my moose, so I was a little confused as to his lack of penetration. When I saw his arrows fly, all doubt disappeared. The last time I saw something barrel roll that badly I was watching a roller coaster at Six Flags. I politely suggested he may wish to take another look at his tuning, he said his arrows flew “like darts,” we left it at that.

I suppose my point is that you shouldn’t get rattled by a video on the internet, especially when the cause of the problem is unknown. I’ve seen folks who can’t get an arrow through a whitetail button buck with setups that, on paper, should be blowing through elk all day long. Nine times out of the proverbial ten the problem isn’t the equipment; it’s the operator.

[lyagooshka]

#48555

Can’t argue any of that. I have a bow being made right now. I will probably take it up to Canada when I go. I am pretty sure I can get the “where it belongs” and “sharp” parts down. I really have to work on the tuning. My LB, Hybrid and Recurve all are pretty touchy. Some days are better than others. Will definitely be working on it all summer. Thanks again to all for the advice. Definitely a huge help. Be well.

Alex

😀

[Bruce Smithhammer]

#48714

Is it possible at that extremely close distance, that penetration was poor due to the arrow still recovering from paradox (or at least partly)?

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