As the sun was trying to warm up the frost covered ground, the massive Shiras bull grunted and started my way. My heart was pounding, and the adrenaline running as I finally spotted him at only 80 yards. He was big and looking for trouble.
This hunt all started when I learned that I had received a draw-only tag for MOOSE in Idaho. I had never hunted these huge creatures before, so I started reading and studying everything I could about them: habitat, what they eat, when is the rut, etc…etc…
I contacted Brett Dayton, a good friend of mine that guide’s fisherman and hunters out of Lewiston. He runs Hells Canyon Fishing – Two River Tours. (208) 882-8080. Brett introduced me to Brian Dunlap of Landowners COOP Hunting Club, (208) 798-0840, which has access to about 300,000 acres. I believe they specialize mostly in whitetail and elk hunting, but Brian hunts for himself in the unit that I had gotten a tag.
He told me where some really nice bulls, (one that was 50”-52” wide), were seen a couple months before the season opened. Moose season opens on August 30th, but I was not able to go until the week of September 15th. My wife, Lori, daughter Brittney, age 5, and my parents went with me. My other daughter BreAnna, age 7, was not able to go with us because of school. She stayed with my in-laws. Thanks.
We hunted pretty hard Monday evening and all day Tuesday. We did not find any fresh sign of moose, but we did see and hear some elk bugling. We also saw a really nice whitetail buck. We woke up Wednesday morning to a heavy rainfall. At 6,000 feet elevation, it snowed 3 inches. Around noon, we talked to an archery hunter that befriended us, and he told me about a big, old, cantankerous bull that had chased them around Tuesday morning as they were calling elk. He said that I would be happy with this moose, even if I were only trophy hunting. But I was not really trophy hunting, I just wanted to get a good looking bull.
After about 3 hours of hiking in the rain and sleet, Dad and I decided to call it a day and go back to camp, and try to dry everything out, We made a moose call out of a green bean can and a string with resin on it. I had heard that it would work.
So with much anticipation about the morning hunt, I tried to get some sleep, Dad had some other things to do on Thursday, so it was only Lori, Brittney, and I that headed back up the road. They sat in the Ford pick-up, while I hiked for only about 1/3 mile and set up to try my new call that we had made late Wednesday night. After calling and waiting for only 17 minutes, my heart started pounding as I heard the bull grunting and heading my way. The bull finally came into the edge of a clearing, but he was still behind too much brush for a clear shot. I waited until he stepped out into the open and was broadside before I touched off my 270 Remington Model 700. I was shooting a 150 grain Remington Core-LOKT soft point bullet. I hit him in the shoulders, and he only went 30 yards. I really took my time getting close to him. I was trying to get my heart back to normal.
When I finally had a good look at the rack, I was extremely excited. It was 51 inches wide. Brian, you were right on. The bull has 7 points on the one side and 8 on the other. He has double drop tines, which are totally awesome. I got my good looking bull, but it is also an once-in-a-lifetime trophy. It B/C net scores 158 6/8. Thanks, Wife, Dad, Brett, and Brian. What a hunt to remember!
Until next hunting season, Loren Alley
