Moose scouting pics…

[wildschwein]

#2644

Well I think this is the right forum for this post, so here goes.
Yesterday I drove the two and a half hours North to WMU 527. Figured I would spend the day scouting for Moose sign since I was lucky enough to draw a Calf tag.
Whitetail numbers dropped drastically this Winter. I used to spook upwards of 30 Deer a morning in this area. I only saw two this trip, and very little sign of activity otherwise. Our Winter last year was mild so I doubt Winter kill is the reason. My first pic is a clue as to who may be the culprit. Found tracks like this everywhere, with scat and hair to boot. Might have to bag me a Wolf this year.

The second pic simply shows the fairly thick cover I will be hunting this fall. Its mostly Apsen and Alder, with patches of Willow and Spruce. While thick and noisy there are game trails everywhere, most with deposits of Moose scat.

My goal this trip was to head to a Beaver slough about 2km from the road. When I got there I wasn’t dissapointed. Third pic is just one of multiple sets of tracks bordering the slough. Tracks on the left were far larger than those on the right so I think we can assume a Cow and Calf visit the area often.

On the way back to the truck I made my first kill as a southpaw. I managed to successfully stalk within 20 yards of this large Bull Molson. My aim was true and he fell within sight.

While Deer numbers may be down the Grouse numbers are experiencing one of their highs. This cheeky fellow was one of twenty two I saw this day. 18 Ruffed and 4 Sharptail. Come on September!!!

And lasty I found this fallen monarch on the way back out. Seemed a fitting way to end the day. Hope you enjoyed the pics.

[Stephen Graf]

#11973

Deer and moose and elk, oh my! What a place to live. And brother wolf to keep you company too.

Great pictures, great day. Thanks I needed that. And good luck with your calf hunt!

[tom-wisconsin]

#13084

Great pics. Thanks for taking us along. Makes me wish to move to Alberta.

[Greg Ragan]

#19088

Awesome pics! I have a bow just like yours and will be chasing Elk in Sept. with it!:D

[JL]

#19909

Great pictures! Looks like you can just wander into those woods and watch a little bit of everything go by, really nice country, thank you for posting the pictures.

[MontanaFord]

#20558

I need to ask, because I almost wonder if my eyes are deceiving me. Is that a beaver in your avatar picture?

Michael.

[wildschwein]

#20890

Yup its a Beaver.

It is illegal to hunt Beavers in Alberta, with one exception. They may be hunted on private land with the written consent on the landowner, as was the case with this fellow. Kinda like the ultimate bowfishing. And no they don’t taste like chicken.

[MontanaFord]

#20942

It’s illegal to hunt them here, too. But we do have liberal trapping regulations on many of our furbearers. We also managed to dodge a trapping-ban bullet this year in our upcoming elections. A group petitioned, and barely missed, getting a statewide public land trapping ban on the ballot this year. If Montana had lost its public land trapping, so could every other state in the country. They missed by some 4000 petition names, and missed qualifying in like 2 districts. Too close for comfort. And they’ll be back in 2 years to try again.

Michael.

[Rocks]

#21267

Nice pics!

[wildschwein]

#21275

Man MontanaFord that was close. I always thought of Montana as a fortress for hunters, trappers, and fisherpeople. Guess it can happen anywhere.

[MontanaFord]

#26064

Everybody views Montana as a stronghold, but this initiative just goes to show that we are indeed just as susceptible to the anti-hunters as anybody else…I’m going to try and join both of our trapping organizations (hopefully) here in the state. Hoping to do some trapping this winter, but I don’t know yet. All depends on money….but wait, doesn’t everything? LOL.

Michael.

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