I had been intrigued with the idea of harvesting a moose ever since my caribou hunt in Alaska 20 years ago. The thought of getting North America’s largest ungulate was reinforced when I moved to Colorado and saw them while hunting elk and deer. After more than a decade of applying in my home state of Colorado as well as Wyoming and Utah where tags are rarer than hen’s teeth, I began looking for an opportunity for a “reasonably-priced” moose hunt. Searching various websites, reading emails from outfitters, and going to outdoor shows led me to the idea of hunting Alberta.
At the Safari Club International Show in 2019, a friend came across just what we were looking for – high success hunt in the Peace River Valley. We paid our deposit and waited for the 2020 hunting season to arrive. As we all know, the pandemic and border restrictions arrived well before hunting season and our plans for 2021 were similarly bolloxed up. Oh well, 2022 was just around the corner. However, I had already made plans for a guided elk hunt in Wyoming. As timing would have it, I found out I did not draw in Wyoming (as usual) and by the time I could commit to the moose hunt my slot had been taken.
A bit dejected at not being able to go with my original group, I found a hunt and began searching for some other hunting partners to join me on the 23-hour ride from Colorado. After many calls and emails, I had no takers. Then at a business meeting, one of the folks there asked me about my hunting plans for the fall. I explained I only had buck and doe tags for my property in Colorado and failed to draw in Wyoming and Utah. I also mentioned how my plans for a moose in Alberta were not going to happen unless I found at least one other hunter. To my pleasant surprise, Steve Whiteside said he was in and then asked if his brother, John, could join us. The hunt was on!
Hunt Nation connected us with Taylor Loewen who runs Red Willow Outfitters based out of Valleyview, Alberta. Planning for the hunt, we knew a trailer with freezers would be in order as we assumed some success. John and Steve both own horses, so the decision was made to bring along a horse trailer, closed off from the weather and prying eyes. While it seemed large at first, the trailer turned out to be the perfect choice as we toted three freezers, six coolers, and two generators.
We headed out October 13th with great anticipation. Ironically, the original group with whom I planned on hunting returned two weeks before having only taken one bull among four hunters and they had to deal with extremely warm temperatures and uncooperative critters. We made the ride from Colorado, stopping once in Lethbridge before motoring to Valleyview.
Moose hunting during the rut, I would observe from my young guide, Colton McCaffery, is much more like chasing long beards than elk, the other vocalists of the woods. This meant driving for miles on the back of a four-wheeler, stopping to call and listen, followed by walking and calling as we went. The terrain in Alberta is notably flat and an interesting break from my usual hunting haunts above 9,000 feet in the Rockies. However, flat does not make for easy walking, especially given the density of the aspen forests, frequency of beaver- built marshlands, and head-high grasses covering the cut lines.
I must admit, my aging ears made listening for the expected bull grunted response to the beckoning moan of a cow call challenging. Several times during the first four days of the hunt, Colton heard a bull moose respond and had me readied on the Primos Trigger Sticks only to tell me the bull had been dragged off by another cow in the other direction. Moose, like geese, apparently keep their mates over seasons and cows are notoriously jealous in guarding their bulls.
My hunting partner, John Whiteside, was working with guide Leif Harbidge and saw the first moose on day two of the hunt, but he was unable to get a shot. However, on the third day of the hunt, he was able to close the deal at 20 yards on a nice 3-year- old moose who came running into the mournful tones coming out of Leif’s handmade rolled bark call.
By the fourth day neither Steve Whiteside nor I had seen or heard anything close to a moose. We did, however, see plenty of deer, beavers, muskrats, and grouse. We could have easily limited out on the grouse. Each day, we rose at dawn, made it back to camp for a hearty lunch, and then went back out, only to return happily exhausted well after 9 p.m.
As day five dawned, I had the usual hunter’s doubts. Was my hearing so poor I was going to miss the opportunity? Was my guide, Colton, pulling my leg when he heard a moose grunt? Was the moose hunting a good idea? Could I make the shot through these thick woods? With just two days left, would I even get a chance to see a moose, much less get a shot at one? I took some solace in the fact that during my Alaska Dall sheep hunt I shot a bruiser of a sheep on day five. That thought kept my spirits high.
We followed what had become our normal procedure, pulling out of camp around 6:30, driving to a spot, pulling the quad out of the trailer, and heading off into the woods. After riding on the lightly padded rack for four days, my back and recently replaced left shoulder were a bit tender. We stopped and called over the next hour, walking down a cut line in an area a bit hillier than the other days but by no means steep. Shortly after 9:00, Colton cow called and said he heard a grunt. I set up the shooting sticks like we had done many times during the previous four days, candidly not expecting much. Then I heard it. About 150 yards away, we could hear the clear sound of a bull moose grunting as he closed the distance, but we could not see him. The crashing of bushes, grunts, and my own rapidly increased breathing filled my ears. Suddenly, I could see the moose’s hump and antlers as he circled to get our wind. The trees were thick, and as he moved from left to right, Colton gave a short call. The bull stopped with his vitals between trees two feet apart. I had my opening. One shot from the Tikka T3 chambered in .300 WSM using Nosler Trophy Grade and the moose fell over backwards. From call to the bull coming in, it could not have taken more than three minutes. When it happens, it happens fast.
Seeing this giant of the woods on the ground, it hits you, these animals are huge. While the rack was just 34", the sheer size of the body was impressive and dwarfed even the large elk or kudu I had taken. At 1,100+ pounds, a moose is a handful.
Following the obligatory photos and gutting the bull, the task of moving the beast was upon us. My moose had collapsed in a small depression in the woods, making the job of moving him even more of a challenge. After strapping the head to the rear rack of the four-wheeler, we began the process of winching tree-to-tree. Handling of the quad was significantly difficult with 1,100 pounds hooked on the back! Three hours later, we reached the trailer.
Back at camp, we celebrated with only Steve not having even heard a bull. He and Leif were hunting hard with little luck. Day six near dark, Steve and Leif had an encounter with a legal bull, albeit a small one, and decided to pass. It was booked as a six-day hunt, but the folks at Red Willow wanted to give Steve one more chance. He and Leif headed out the next morning and decided to spend the entire day in the field rather than travelling back for lunch. They drove and walked miles, setting up at various swamps. Nothing.
Half an hour before the end of shooting time, Steve and Leif spotted two moose cows standing on the edge of the woods in a swampy area. They were not paying attention to calls of any kind. Then, with just minutes of legal shooting time left, a massive Alberta moose stepped into the field. Steve dropped the giant at 325 yards. It took until 2:30 a.m. to bring the moose out of the field and to camp, but we had done it, three for three! His moose measured 43" and sported numerous tines.
Driving back to Colorado with three freezers and six coolers full, the wisdom of hauling the horse trailer was obvious.
Special thanks to Hunt Nation for hooking us up with the folks at Red Willow Outfitters, to our guides, and to the Loewen family for taking such good care of us.
Login