wild guide: 36 commandments of moose hunting
“
HUNTING LOCATION
With hundreds of thousands
of desciples, the activity of
harvesting which consists
of outwitting the king of the
forest, is almost considered
a religion.
To help you increase your
chances of harvesting one
of these great creatures,
I have listed the top 36
tips that will help you, in
my opinion, to thwart the
mighty moose.
1 Make sure there
is moose in your
area. You may be
a good scout, an
excellent tracker
and the best shooter,
but if there are no
beasts on the piece
of land on which you
operate, you will not
make them appear. make themselves
fat stores. Fodder
sites composed of
mature deciduous
forest or mixed forest
are preferred sites.
Much of the rest of
the day is devoted
to ruminating near a
rest area of mature
fir
and spruce.
2 Visit your
territory, especially
if it is new, in the
spring before the
leaves appear to
locate the scrapes
and rubs of the
previous autumn.
The purpose of this
reconnaissance is to
find out where the
moose was in the
rutting season last
year. There is a high
probability that this
site will still be used
the following year,
hence the importance
of this spring visit
before the leaves
and underbrush
grow. 4 Use topographic
maps with forest
cover or IQHO to
better understand the
morphology of the
relief and to identify
the sites most likely
to harbour moose.
Look for mature
stands dominated
by fir or spruce
that form bedding
areas alongside a
mature mixture of
hardwoods in the
shade which makes
up the foraging area.
3 Moose must eat
about eight hours
a day, eating more
than 18 kg of leaves
or branches in the
fall, because they
need protein to
5 Scouting is
essential to find a
suitable hunting spot.
The ideal location
will include a
mature forested area
bordered by a stream
or a lake, near a ridge
of deciduous trees.
The forest roads
and the existing
paths will allow you
BAITING
10 I rely on
the permanent
installation of a
well maintained
saline, located near
a body of water.
I mix dry salt in
crystals enriched
with calcium, iron,
magnesium, potash,
phosphorus, sulfur
and zinc.
Consult your local
regulations regarding
the use of salt licks or
other bait.
to cover as much
terrain as possible to
discover the various
signs like fresh
tracks, disturbed dirt,
rubs, scrapes, etc.
6 On warm days,
over 18-20 degrees,
hunt in conifer
stands, especially
those whose soil is
covered with moss.
The characteristic
of this type of forest
canopy offers a much
cooler environment
where temperatures
can easily be about
ten degrees lower
than the surrounding
area. It is in these
stands that you will
find moose in your
territory.
7 Moose frequent
water bodies
especially for eating
plants and aquatic
weeds. However,
due to the summer
grazing they do, there
is less food at these
sites once the fall
comes. The hunter
can maintain this
type of habitat early
in the season, but he
must diversify his
offensives. During
the hunt, mountains,
valleys, flows and
fresh savannas are all
places to consider.
8 Let go of a site
that does not live up
to your expectations.
After one or two
attempts in one
area without signs
of a moose, look
elsewhere! Do not
go back to hunt that
spot for three or four
days. Take the time,
however, every day,
at noon, to check if
there are fresh traces
in the surroundings.
If so, you try your
luck again.
9 The best
“cafeterias” are
found in places
where hardwood
regrowth varies from
1.5 to 2 meters in
height. These habitats
are often found after
logging, but also
after the occurrence
of a windfall or a
forest fire. In general,
moose will not move
in the middle of
a woodcut, but at
the edge of it. It is
therefore better to
call at the edge of
this site.
EYE SIGHT
11 It is good practice
to put out two blocks
of salt at the same site.
There are social ranks
among moose and
if a more dominant
subject is already on
the spot, the second
visitor will hesitate to
approach. By placing
two blocks, about
five meters from each
other, it is possible
to see “reasonable
accommodations”
between them.
12 Moose have
limited vision,
however, this aspect
should not be
neglected because
they easily identify
contrasts and unusual
movements. When
you’re on the move,
try to stay close to
obstacles or wood
edges on the edge of
pyres and lakes. Do
not expose yourself in
opens.
13 Moose do not see
details, but distinguish
forms. If it is too far
to loose an arrow, take
advantage of this poor
eyesight and move
in without fear of
frightening it. Use a
rattling antler or canoe
paddles positioned
on your head to make
your silhou ette look
like a moose. Call and
move towards him,
swaying your “antlers”
from side to side.
Wild Guide
. Fall 2017
16