Before I tell you about the Moose Trip, I’m still in Kawawachickamack Quebec working as a police officer. This native village is 13km north of Schefferville. It’s also caribou country. The migration has started about two weeks ago, the George River herd has left George River heading south and the Leaf River herd is heading back to Leaf River. Why? They say to many mosquitoes and horse flies, some say to much rain the lakes and rivers are too high, flooded. Some say to much air traffic, helicopters, bush planes and a lot of prospectors in the bush. It might be one of these reasons that are making them move a month ahead of time. The caribou hunt with the outfitters opened on the 1st. of August and there is still places available for this year’s hunt. If interested just e-mail me at fredasonier@hotmail.com The caribou hunt ends the 2nd. October.
This trip was with another one of my brothers-in-law JY it was late in the fall, the middle of October and the last week-end for the moose hunt. I decided that we would go as far as we could up the Romaine River without giving us to much of a hard time. We left early Saturday morning
At 5 AM. It was a nice day and pretty chilly. At 6 AM we were heading up the river with a 20 ft. canoe and the 6 hp. evinrude. We saw a few ducks and quite a few honkers, the great Canadian Goose.
Our first portage was Chute de L’Eglise a half an hour and we were on or way. The second portage Chute a Charlie’s a good hour and our way up the rapids called Les Rapide a Ferdilon . We continued close to shore looking for fresh moose tracks. Stopped a couple of times and only saw old moose tracks. This for my brother-in-law JY and I was new to us I had not been this far up the river.
We saw a nice little island ahead about 150ft. in diameter and said this is where we shall camp. In front of us on the north side was a nice little creek and that is where I will direct my call.
After getting all set up we had a good lunch, I said to JY (this is his first experience out moose hunting or just hunting) we shall be very quite, talking at a whisper and soft quiet movements and always listening for any sound, he said, no problem with that.
It was close to 3 PM. and not a sound to be heard for the last hour, yes there was the sound of the little creek flowing in front of us. I slowly and quietly put on my hip waders and walk to the shore line. Picked up a few dry twigs and started breaking them, stopped and listened, slowly got into the water lifting my leg as high as I could and doing the moose walk, and looking towards JY. stopped listened, lifted my moose call just above my shoulder filled with water and slowly pouring it back into the river, the female moose urinating, I stopped and listened and looked at JY ( he looked like he wanted to burst out laughing) I lifted my legs up high out of the water and back to shore, cracked a few dry twigs and listened for a few minutes, I looked at JY and with a shake of his head nothing. I took a few more minutes and listened. I walked close to the shore line, bent down, covered my mouth with my hands like a cone shape and gave that short and soft female in heat mosquito sound. I gave it a second time and listened.
I walked up to JY and said did you hear anything he said no, but that show you just put on,( if I were a bull moose I would come out right away ).
We listened for a good 30 minutes and not a sound our answer. I went back to the side of the river and gave the next call the same one but a little longer and louder, doing this twice. Waited and listened, cracked a couple of twigs and not a sound in return. I told JY not even a bird to be
heard. There must be something around, I said I will only be giving the soft and short call up until dark. It was close to 5 PM. And I decided to give the two short and soft calls, which I did. We listened until it was to dark to shoot. Went to the side of the river and gave two long and little loader calls.
It was 7:30 PM and time for a good supper. Nothing that we would cook, but at least make good cup of tea. My wife Mado had packed us a good lunch, a pork roast and ham. That is what we ate a little of for supper and that good cup of tea.
It was time to hit the sack, when I decided to give the big long and loud call. I said to myself not a sound to be heard, that means he is not close enough to hear my call. We are here for two more nights, why not put all the chances on my side. I told JY listen very closely and let me know how many echoes you hear after my call. Down to the river I went and started the long and loud calls, this I did 4 times one in every direction. JY said I heard two echoes at three places and on the north side I heard 4. I said good this should bring an interested bull or cow down. It was close to 10 PM. and we hit the sack.
The next morning I was out beside the river, nice and early, I could see the stars and even the northern lights it was 3:45 AM. I sat in the folding chair and just listened for a good hour. I heard a pike splash close to shore; I could here the birds chirping away. But know cracking sound or moose around. I waited and just listened, JY was still sleeping.
It was just passed 5 AM. And time to start the cow in heat imitation. Did all the same process as yesterday, then the soft and short call a couple of times. Then just listened, I had told JY not to move and just listen. A good 30 minutes later did the little louder and longer call. Waited, did another call, louder and longer, and that was it until I get an answer I told myself.
It was exactly 11:10 AM and I remember that time, we heard a call like an owl call, but just once, not one long and two short like the owl. I said to JY that is a moose answering but it’s far, we have to be very quiet. There was no wind, it was calm. We waited a couple of hours and not a sound.
I started the same imitation cracking twigs, but always listening a little longer, the walk in the water, back out and the soft and short call. Not an answer. JY said to me maybe he did not hear your call, I said I’m sure he heard it or she heard it, maybe because the bull and the female are together and if that’s the case it’s going to be longer for the bull to come out. The female that’s with him will do everything to keep her bull.
That is exactly what happened, that day, night and the next morning not an answer. It was noon and it was time to head back. JY thanked me and said that he enjoyed his week-end.
Maybe my next little story will be the one with success, until then.
This trip was with another one of my brothers-in-law JY it was late in the fall, the middle of October and the last week-end for the moose hunt. I decided that we would go as far as we could up the Romaine River without giving us to much of a hard time. We left early Saturday morning
At 5 AM. It was a nice day and pretty chilly. At 6 AM we were heading up the river with a 20 ft. canoe and the 6 hp. evinrude. We saw a few ducks and quite a few honkers, the great Canadian Goose.
Our first portage was Chute de L’Eglise a half an hour and we were on or way. The second portage Chute a Charlie’s a good hour and our way up the rapids called Les Rapide a Ferdilon . We continued close to shore looking for fresh moose tracks. Stopped a couple of times and only saw old moose tracks. This for my brother-in-law JY and I was new to us I had not been this far up the river.
We saw a nice little island ahead about 150ft. in diameter and said this is where we shall camp. In front of us on the north side was a nice little creek and that is where I will direct my call.
After getting all set up we had a good lunch, I said to JY (this is his first experience out moose hunting or just hunting) we shall be very quite, talking at a whisper and soft quiet movements and always listening for any sound, he said, no problem with that.
It was close to 3 PM. and not a sound to be heard for the last hour, yes there was the sound of the little creek flowing in front of us. I slowly and quietly put on my hip waders and walk to the shore line. Picked up a few dry twigs and started breaking them, stopped and listened, slowly got into the water lifting my leg as high as I could and doing the moose walk, and looking towards JY. stopped listened, lifted my moose call just above my shoulder filled with water and slowly pouring it back into the river, the female moose urinating, I stopped and listened and looked at JY ( he looked like he wanted to burst out laughing) I lifted my legs up high out of the water and back to shore, cracked a few dry twigs and listened for a few minutes, I looked at JY and with a shake of his head nothing. I took a few more minutes and listened. I walked close to the shore line, bent down, covered my mouth with my hands like a cone shape and gave that short and soft female in heat mosquito sound. I gave it a second time and listened.
I walked up to JY and said did you hear anything he said no, but that show you just put on,( if I were a bull moose I would come out right away ).
We listened for a good 30 minutes and not a sound our answer. I went back to the side of the river and gave the next call the same one but a little longer and louder, doing this twice. Waited and listened, cracked a couple of twigs and not a sound in return. I told JY not even a bird to be
heard. There must be something around, I said I will only be giving the soft and short call up until dark. It was close to 5 PM. And I decided to give the two short and soft calls, which I did. We listened until it was to dark to shoot. Went to the side of the river and gave two long and little loader calls.
It was 7:30 PM and time for a good supper. Nothing that we would cook, but at least make good cup of tea. My wife Mado had packed us a good lunch, a pork roast and ham. That is what we ate a little of for supper and that good cup of tea.
It was time to hit the sack, when I decided to give the big long and loud call. I said to myself not a sound to be heard, that means he is not close enough to hear my call. We are here for two more nights, why not put all the chances on my side. I told JY listen very closely and let me know how many echoes you hear after my call. Down to the river I went and started the long and loud calls, this I did 4 times one in every direction. JY said I heard two echoes at three places and on the north side I heard 4. I said good this should bring an interested bull or cow down. It was close to 10 PM. and we hit the sack.
The next morning I was out beside the river, nice and early, I could see the stars and even the northern lights it was 3:45 AM. I sat in the folding chair and just listened for a good hour. I heard a pike splash close to shore; I could here the birds chirping away. But know cracking sound or moose around. I waited and just listened, JY was still sleeping.
It was just passed 5 AM. And time to start the cow in heat imitation. Did all the same process as yesterday, then the soft and short call a couple of times. Then just listened, I had told JY not to move and just listen. A good 30 minutes later did the little louder and longer call. Waited, did another call, louder and longer, and that was it until I get an answer I told myself.
It was exactly 11:10 AM and I remember that time, we heard a call like an owl call, but just once, not one long and two short like the owl. I said to JY that is a moose answering but it’s far, we have to be very quiet. There was no wind, it was calm. We waited a couple of hours and not a sound.
I started the same imitation cracking twigs, but always listening a little longer, the walk in the water, back out and the soft and short call. Not an answer. JY said to me maybe he did not hear your call, I said I’m sure he heard it or she heard it, maybe because the bull and the female are together and if that’s the case it’s going to be longer for the bull to come out. The female that’s with him will do everything to keep her bull.
That is exactly what happened, that day, night and the next morning not an answer. It was noon and it was time to head back. JY thanked me and said that he enjoyed his week-end.
Maybe my next little story will be the one with success, until then.
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