Moose Hunting Trip Part 2

I was up at 5am and still pretty dark out. The night had been very quiet nothing to be heard except Reno's snoring once in a while. I got myself an orange juice and peanut butter sandwich. I was quiet in all the movements I made. Oh yes I still did not tell my buddy about what happened in the bush yesterday. Maybe I'll tell him later on.

I pulled the chestnut canoe to the shoreline with the less noice possible. It still was pretty dark.

I decided to wait until I could see a little better accross the lake. The lake was about 1 and half miles long and half a mile wide. A small lake with a two creeks flowing in. I wanted to get over to the creek on the otherside. I listened for a good half hour. Nothing to be heard. Got into the canoe and slowly paddle accross. All was silent not even a bird chirpping. Once on the other side, I paddled up to the little point about 500 feet away from the creek. I said to myself this is a nice place. I pulled the canoe up a little farther and completly out of the water. Oh I forgot to tell you my buddy is still sleeping.


It was 6:30 am and quiet. I cracked a few dry twiggs. Listened a couple of minutes, walked into the water, lifting my feet very high. Walked like a moose would walk in the water. Listened a couple of minutes. No answer waited a few seconds and gave a soft low call of the cow. Did it again a few seconds later. Listened and gave the same call twice. Listened for a couple of minutes
then gave the bull call the grunt sound twice in a row. I knew there was a cow around, this is why I gave the grunt sound.

Half an hour later I gave the same bull grunt twice. I stood still and listened. Did not hear a thing. It was close to 10am. I said to myself it was to close to me yesterday and it`s probably far away today. I'll wait another hour. I noticed that my buddy was up and sitting in front of the tent. A little wind from the east was picking up and that could mean bad weather.

At noon I decided to head back to camp, the wind had picked up a little more and there was waves on the lake. As I paddled back I decided to stop at the hump where we thought there was a moose standing yesterday. Checked it out and no moose tracks at all, it was what we all call
a stump moose.

At camp asked Reno if he heard anything. No, nothing at all but I saw some nice splashes and I think thier speckles. We'll give it a try this afternoon. Right now I'm starved. Reno said are we going to do some cooking and I said yes, you are. My pleasure, he said and Reno is a great cook.

After having a a t-bone steak, mushrooms and mashed patatoes and french bread, a good bottle of red wine. Yes we hit the sack for a one hour nap. When I woke up I could hear the wind. On the lake the waves were at least a foot high.

I asked Reno where were those fish jumping this morning? Just on the otherside of our stump moose. Lets get the fish tackle and rods ready. Did you bring any worms. Yes there in the cooler.

We paddle to the spot and Reno said right here. I had a small hook, one inch of worm, no lure or sinker just the hook and the line. I casted with the wind, my cast was about 30 feet total. Pulled out more line and I left it to sink to the bottom. As it was sinking and not quite to the bottom. I
saw my line pulling out straight, I gave a little more lose and then yanked it. I got it and if it's a
speckle trout it's a beauty. Something big and what a fight. Yes what fight and Reno we did not bring a net to pull them out. I forgot he said and I got one also. His rod was bent a good 90* and
a fight also. We'll take our time and no moose calling if the wind stay's like this. Back to those speckles, mine was in the canoe and what a speckle it was Reno was still working to get his abord. It was a good 10 minute fight. Finally abord and both close to the same size. They were red and the belly was red the bottom jaw was starting to curve up,(they had started to spond) this is why I was fishing deep on the bottom.
At a glance they weighted close to six pounds. Two like that is good for a couple of meals. We'll do a little catch and release. We did that for a couple of hours. Four or five each and it was time to head back to camp. They were all between 4 to 6 pounders.

Well for supper was speckle trout, french bread and white wine. Exactly what we had bud just to add our shot or glass of cognac before all that.

It will be back to moose hunting tomorrow morning and early at that. It was starting to rain.

I'll get back to you next week with part 3. We still have 5 days to go.