Camp Whack - AK - Moose 2016 - Story & Pics

[cnelk]

The forecast for Sunday evening was rain and wind....

It was correct...

 

[cnelk]

Sunday night - time to check in with BackTrakOutdoors

Monday is next!

 

[cnelk]

Monday greeted us with rain and wind.
When it wasnt raining, it was windy.
When it wasnt windy, it was raining.

I huddled under a big old spruce tree for the day, watching a slope covered with willows

 

[cnelk]

The weapons were kept handy

 

[cnelk]

About 430pm, a cow and calf and spike fork bull wandered thru the nearby willows.

Encouraging!

 

[cnelk]

That was about all the excitement we had for the next couple days.
More wind and rain but we still we out and hunted

Good weather for ducks

 

[cnelk]

Found a moose shed right near the tent.
It was my table for the week

 

[cnelk]

The rain ended as predicted.
BTW. The weather forecaast on the InReach was almost spot on

 

[cnelk]

Wednesday we expanded our hunt area by a little.
Went up on the ridge and that was a good decision as it was real \'moosey\' up there

Around this little pond was where we called all the moose in too

 

[cnelk]

The black spruce tree were thick with spruce hair, and made for some humor

 

[Ol' Arky]

At least I\'m not the only one that wears military wool glove liners as a stand alone glove...

 

[cnelk]

This bear scat keeps everything in perspective for sure

 

[cnelk]

Sunrise on Blueberry Lake

 

[cnelk]

The \'kitchen\' for a week

 

[cnelk]

I ate blueberries everyday, OMG they were so good!
You could just reach down and pull up a handful!

 

[cnelk]

So, if you want to hunt moose in Alaska, here is a pic of what daily gear is recommended

Hip boots
Wool pants
Wool shirt
Neck Gaiter
Fleece jacket
GPS
Binos
Helly Hansen Rain coat
Wool hat
44 mag
Bow / gun
Pack frame

 

[cnelk]

Friday afternoon - Sept 16

We were grunting and scraping, with multiple bulls responding

This 40incher came in again [same one from the other night]

With 2 others off to the left in the thick spruce

 

[cnelk]

By this time, you can see how thick the brush and trees are.
I carried the rifle today

After the 40incher moved off, we went as quietly as we could toward the other 2 bulls

We worked in to our calling spot and started raking and grunting.

The 2 bull were responding and cows were moaning but it was too thick to see anything

Suddenly, we heard the 2 bulls fighting!! Crash Clack! Antlers banging!

We slipped in closer and grunted.

Here comes a bull!!

I could hear the brush and trees breaking around his antlers.

I had a tight, low shooting lane about 30yds long

I knelt down and popped off the safety...

In to the lane stepped a HUGE moose!!!

BANG went the 375 H&H

He hunched up and went into the thick spruce

I racked another round and took a step to see him standing there, so I sent another round into him

Down he went!

 

[cnelk]

Holy &*%&&%$@

 

[cnelk]

Took a few pics