1dirthawker
AH elite
Well guys,
this is a simple story about a recent bow hunt I experienced here in Anchorage Alaska. I was fortunate enough to draw a winter bow hunt permit on the nearby military base JBER. it was a hunt that required permits, shooting tests $175 trespass fee etc. The moose was for either sex (gender, for the more PC out there) so after filling all the required blocks, etc I was ready to go.
The season started on 15 Dec and since I drew a blank on the general season in Sept. i was glad for the opportunity for another try. We had record setting snowfalls around the 15th, like 31 inches and then another 18", so....i was a dedicated snow blower/shoveler/plower for a couple days. Then we immediately after got what i consider pretty cold weather. Like -10 to 15 degrees F. my first 2 outings i saw moose, strapped on snowshoes and tried to close the distance, but the snow was noisy (squeaky) and was difficult to get close and...it was so cold, my shooting fingers were cold and i was seriously wondering if i was going to be able to operate the release on the bow. The first attempt (-15) got me within 100 yards and they just walked away from me and then into the brush.
The following day (-10) i tried again, spotted a cow, followed it for 800 yards or so, it ducked into the brush but i backtracked and was able to cut it off on a right of way 8 feet wide. it walked out in front of me at about 40 yards, did not stop for my cow call, turned away and walked away from me....DANG!!
The next try was a few days later, the day after christmas. it had not only warmed up (+10) but had rained and put a sheet of glass like ice on everything, it had just gotten noticeably louder and slippery. DANG IT!! I stuffed my bow into my barney's hunting pack and walked down a tank trail about 3 miles with ice cleats on, saw sign but nary a moose then walked back on the icy road. I was so sore the next, the combination of constant tension by walking on ice and my sore feet from walking on ice cleats with boots that DID NOT have steel/stiff insoles caused sore feet, legs and butt!
The next day was wasted on shoveling off my carport, so i decided to try again on the 28th. I got out pretty early (0950 i believe) was just starting to get light and spotted a cow in the area but on the wrong side of the road, so i drove past, got my release on, got my bow in the front seat with me and drove by the moose and it darted across the road to the side I was able to hunt, YES! I went down the road, made a quick 3 point turn around and started back to look for the cow and spotted a decent young bull (about 42" wide) 300 yards away in front of me on the correct side of the road in my hunting area, YES!!
so, I drove up and passed the bull, turned into a turnout and got my bow out and quietly snuck to the edge of the snow berm. There he was, browsing along trying to get filled up for the for the day. I ranged him as i closed, he was at 30 yards. I nocked my 650 gr grizzly stick arrow, placed the lighted nock on the string and peeked around the snow berm. I drew back my 65# Matthews bow and hit my anchor and focused on placing the arrow. There was a lone twig that covered the exact spot I wanted to place the arrow so I held left and inch or two and sent it. In hindsight it is interesting to try to replay exactly what happened since one only had about a 1/4 of a second to observe the flight and the subsequent disappearance of the arrow into the bull. I felt like the arrow hit him a little farther back than it turns out that it did. It was a complete pass thru shot tho.
The bull jumped at the arrows bite and took 3 quick steps and then plodded along in the deep snow for about 40-50 yard, hooked left and laid down. The post shot adrenaline shakes started up by then and I finally let a breath out! The bull bedded in some alders and then the waiting game. Thankfully I was able to watch the bull and kept track of him the whole time. I started making phone calls to get help with gutting and packing the bull. I was on the phone with a buddy when the bull got up so i told him, "I gotta go!" I raced back to the turnout and grabbed my bow and walked in on the bull to cut him off, I spotted him re-bedded down at 30 yards. I was trying to figure out how to get an angle on him and he laid his head down, picked his head up and a minute later laid his head down again. So, i quickly backed out and decided to try the one thing I am not great at, patience!
I checked on the bull 10 minutes later and he had expired! I quickly called the wildlife officers on the base and reported where it was and then drove home to get rope, my truck, chainsaw, sled and a couple helpers. I was able to get the venerable VELO DOG to meet me out there and help out as well. It took and hour and a half for the round trip back to the bull that i had yet to lay hands on. My retired fireman buddy Dave and my son Dustin walked in on snow shoes, took photos, gutter the bull and then cut him up into quarters with the small chainsaw. We had just made a cut when VELO DOG showed up and walking in without snow shoes to help. We rolled the quarters into the sled, hooked it to a rope put a pulley on the rope to get a good angle and slowly pulled the sled out with my diesel pickup. Was one the best moose packs i have ever done!
Got home, scrubbed the bull out with loose snow to cleanse blood and hair off the meat and left in the truck to cool for the night. The next am, Dave came over and helped Dustin and I hang it up in the garage. We did have to pry it out of the bed of the truck first because it froze down to the bed! Anyway, finally got it all hung and quickly skinned it out, a very nice end to a very interesting winter hunt. I will try to insert a couple of photos as well. The big takeaway, is .... be patient when waiting on a animal hit with an arrow. Moose are big and sometimes just take a while to die.
this is a simple story about a recent bow hunt I experienced here in Anchorage Alaska. I was fortunate enough to draw a winter bow hunt permit on the nearby military base JBER. it was a hunt that required permits, shooting tests $175 trespass fee etc. The moose was for either sex (gender, for the more PC out there) so after filling all the required blocks, etc I was ready to go.
The season started on 15 Dec and since I drew a blank on the general season in Sept. i was glad for the opportunity for another try. We had record setting snowfalls around the 15th, like 31 inches and then another 18", so....i was a dedicated snow blower/shoveler/plower for a couple days. Then we immediately after got what i consider pretty cold weather. Like -10 to 15 degrees F. my first 2 outings i saw moose, strapped on snowshoes and tried to close the distance, but the snow was noisy (squeaky) and was difficult to get close and...it was so cold, my shooting fingers were cold and i was seriously wondering if i was going to be able to operate the release on the bow. The first attempt (-15) got me within 100 yards and they just walked away from me and then into the brush.
The following day (-10) i tried again, spotted a cow, followed it for 800 yards or so, it ducked into the brush but i backtracked and was able to cut it off on a right of way 8 feet wide. it walked out in front of me at about 40 yards, did not stop for my cow call, turned away and walked away from me....DANG!!
The next try was a few days later, the day after christmas. it had not only warmed up (+10) but had rained and put a sheet of glass like ice on everything, it had just gotten noticeably louder and slippery. DANG IT!! I stuffed my bow into my barney's hunting pack and walked down a tank trail about 3 miles with ice cleats on, saw sign but nary a moose then walked back on the icy road. I was so sore the next, the combination of constant tension by walking on ice and my sore feet from walking on ice cleats with boots that DID NOT have steel/stiff insoles caused sore feet, legs and butt!
The next day was wasted on shoveling off my carport, so i decided to try again on the 28th. I got out pretty early (0950 i believe) was just starting to get light and spotted a cow in the area but on the wrong side of the road, so i drove past, got my release on, got my bow in the front seat with me and drove by the moose and it darted across the road to the side I was able to hunt, YES! I went down the road, made a quick 3 point turn around and started back to look for the cow and spotted a decent young bull (about 42" wide) 300 yards away in front of me on the correct side of the road in my hunting area, YES!!
so, I drove up and passed the bull, turned into a turnout and got my bow out and quietly snuck to the edge of the snow berm. There he was, browsing along trying to get filled up for the for the day. I ranged him as i closed, he was at 30 yards. I nocked my 650 gr grizzly stick arrow, placed the lighted nock on the string and peeked around the snow berm. I drew back my 65# Matthews bow and hit my anchor and focused on placing the arrow. There was a lone twig that covered the exact spot I wanted to place the arrow so I held left and inch or two and sent it. In hindsight it is interesting to try to replay exactly what happened since one only had about a 1/4 of a second to observe the flight and the subsequent disappearance of the arrow into the bull. I felt like the arrow hit him a little farther back than it turns out that it did. It was a complete pass thru shot tho.
The bull jumped at the arrows bite and took 3 quick steps and then plodded along in the deep snow for about 40-50 yard, hooked left and laid down. The post shot adrenaline shakes started up by then and I finally let a breath out! The bull bedded in some alders and then the waiting game. Thankfully I was able to watch the bull and kept track of him the whole time. I started making phone calls to get help with gutting and packing the bull. I was on the phone with a buddy when the bull got up so i told him, "I gotta go!" I raced back to the turnout and grabbed my bow and walked in on the bull to cut him off, I spotted him re-bedded down at 30 yards. I was trying to figure out how to get an angle on him and he laid his head down, picked his head up and a minute later laid his head down again. So, i quickly backed out and decided to try the one thing I am not great at, patience!
I checked on the bull 10 minutes later and he had expired! I quickly called the wildlife officers on the base and reported where it was and then drove home to get rope, my truck, chainsaw, sled and a couple helpers. I was able to get the venerable VELO DOG to meet me out there and help out as well. It took and hour and a half for the round trip back to the bull that i had yet to lay hands on. My retired fireman buddy Dave and my son Dustin walked in on snow shoes, took photos, gutter the bull and then cut him up into quarters with the small chainsaw. We had just made a cut when VELO DOG showed up and walking in without snow shoes to help. We rolled the quarters into the sled, hooked it to a rope put a pulley on the rope to get a good angle and slowly pulled the sled out with my diesel pickup. Was one the best moose packs i have ever done!
Got home, scrubbed the bull out with loose snow to cleanse blood and hair off the meat and left in the truck to cool for the night. The next am, Dave came over and helped Dustin and I hang it up in the garage. We did have to pry it out of the bed of the truck first because it froze down to the bed! Anyway, finally got it all hung and quickly skinned it out, a very nice end to a very interesting winter hunt. I will try to insert a couple of photos as well. The big takeaway, is .... be patient when waiting on a animal hit with an arrow. Moose are big and sometimes just take a while to die.
