The snow is flying, the airplanes are on dry ground, the water has been drained and the camps have been put to bed!  Another season is in the books.  It was a great year once again.  

Moose Hunting

2019 was pretty normal moose hunting.  Each group except one had some sort of excitement during the hunt each week.  The weather as always plays such a huge role in how each hunt will go.  During the first week we battled the wind and during the second week we battled snow, rain and wind.  We had a number of great hunting days also each week and that is when the moose moved.

We ended up with 2 moose for the season and one that got away.  

The moose that got away happened during the first week of the hunt.  I was guiding some guys that had hunted with us many times and have had great success almost every time they hunted with me.  After seeing some cows during the week and lots of wind, on day 5 Mike and I were just setting up in a spot on a perfect morning.  As we were walking up the hill I thought I heard a grunt.  After calling back and waiting awhile we didn’t hear anything.  I left Mike and went to call from the top of the hill.  When I got to the top I met up with a Monster Bull about 25 -30 yards away headed our way.  I scurried back over the hill and fetched Mike.  The moose had moved away slightly and I called him back.  He came right to us within 50 yards but the brush was thick and we couldn’t see him very well.  As he came into the open Mike had a shot.  I heard it hit and it turned and disappeared.  After it was behind some bushes for a few minutes, it started to move and it went through the bush and up over the ridge.  

Mike figures he shot him fairly square in the chest.  That isn’t a good shot on a large animal.  We waited for an hour to give him time to lay down and expire.  After finding the blood trail we began to follow.   It was hit but the blood was clear and only looked like a flesh wound and not through any vitals.  The bull never laid down until it was half a mile from the lake.  He was in the thickest stuff imaginable when I heard him get up.  And like a sheet of plywood being dragged through the willows, he got up and walked away, deeper into the burn.  I tracked him for another half mile over the next ridge but he never stopped.  Never ever struggled or fell once since being hit.   He was gone.  I hunted that area a number of times since then and never saw any birds or activity. This has only ever happened to me one other time but I hope that bull is healing up.

One of our unguided groups of hunters were successful in taking a bull as well.  I was a day late in picking them up as the weather was not very good.  As I was loading the moose I asked if I could get a picture for the website.  Where are the horns?  It was a spike bull and the guys had just cut off the spikes and were going to make a knife handle out of it.  He could put it in his pocket 🙂 We had a few other groups of hunters who had moose calling and wouldn’t quite come in, lots of encounters with cows. One cow was even dancing in the water!  It was a good hunt but the rut was late again this year as it was last year.

Aaron and I saw the forecast coming the day we brought out the last moose hunters and there was a couple of nice days followed by a Colorado low, heavy wet snow and lots of rain for 4 days.  We went back up north and worked as hard as we could to get most of the work done and camps closed before the storm.  We had hoped that we would be able to hunt for ourselves and leisurely close the camps.  Our last night up north with the Otter, we got to Loree after closing camps all day at 5 pm.  an hour and a half before dark, our only opportunity to get out hunting.  “Let’s just hunt right by the camp”

After a half hour of calling…….

He came right to the call but quietly.  He was still fat and not very beat up.  Aaron had not shot a moose before, so I gave him the first shot.  The moose came out across the narrows and turned perfectly.  Aaron hit solid on the first shot, the moose headed for the lake.  I shot and hit him and he kept going for the water, so I gave him one more and down he went….  in the water of course.

It is always so exciting to get a moose but to see someone’s first moose is awesome.  Aaron was so happy, I was happy and Dustee was happy.

Aaron’s bullet went right through the moose but my 338 Win mag was on the far side against the hide.  They both did their job.  

We were able to get all the camps closed but one and put the Otter away one day before the storm.

For some reason, the Ravens were always close to me this year.  One morning a raven sat next to me for 5 minutes, just shining his beak and staring at me from 3-4 feet  away.  Many others sat in trees next to me this year and made weird noises.  I don’t know if they were being friendly or what but it was always entertaining.  If you spend enough time in the bush you will see some interesting things.

We saw a lot of this……

But also some of this 🙂

Dustee as always loved her time in the bush and was very happy to see the snow.  We had 6 inches 2 separate times.

We are always trapping mice while we are up there but this year was a first.  2 Mice, 1 Trap!!  It looked like they were 2 friends that said to each other “let’s do this together”  Both of their mouths were on the bait at the same time.  The ravens came each day and picked up the mice.  Maybe that is why they were so close to me all fall.

After the storm went by, we were able to get back up north and finish a few jobs that were left to do.  Winter was knocking on the door so we knew it was time to be done.

Since the storm we have had some phone issues and are having land line trouble.  If you are trying to reach us please email us at amikoutposts@gmail.com or click here to send us an info request form.  We are continuing to book dates for next year so please let us know if you are interested in specific dates or lakes in your email.