DOWN ON THE FARM
Across Canada, moose inhabit pockets of prime cover in the midst of farmland—and that makes for a whole different kind of fall harvest
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CALLING
During the rut, it’s best to call early in the morning and late in the afternoon. If no moose are within sight when you start calling, try using a series of cow moans to draw in any nearby bulls. Start by calling softly in case a moose is close, and stay alert for a bull coming in on a dead run. If nothing happens after a few minutes, increase the volume of the calls. And be patient. Moose have excellent hearing, so a bull could be moving toward your calls from an extended distance. Give each calling location a good half-hour before moving on to another spot. As well, always approach the calling area as quietly as possible to prevent spooking any moose from the area.
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If you spot a bull moose in the distance before you start calling, evaluate the situation. If he’s alone, try cow calls to bring him into shooting range. If he’s with a cow, try bull grunting to make him think he has to come defend his cow from another suitor. Once you have a bull coming in, stop calling and let him work his way closer. If he hangs up short or heads in another direction, however, call again.
Since moose are so good at pinpointing the location of the caller, try hunting with a partner. Position the shooter 50 yards downwind of the caller so the shooter has the opportunity to see the moose as it swings downwind and keys in on the calls. To increase the odds of success, maintain visual contact between yourself and the other hunter so you can use hand signals to let each other know what’s happening.