Thursday

Camping all Summer at Manic 5 (part 5)

We were well into the month of August. The night were getting a little cooler and the days shorter. This meant that yes moose hunting was on it's way.

So the moose calling practices started. I was even trying to get my wife Mado to practice with us. No, she was not interested at all.

We were exactly the 21st. of August and had been practicing for a good three days. The sound for me and the boys was excellent. I said we'll give it a good try to night just before dark. Which we did and the sound, echo was great. We could hear it hitting the mountains a good 2 to 3 miles away. It was about 9 pm.

The next morning on my way to work, on the bush road to the Hydro Dam. Yes there was fresh moose tracks. At work that morning Guy who camps just beside us said why were you calling moose so late last night? What time did you hear me calling. Well I went to bed after midnight. That can't be me I was in bed at 10 pm. Unless I did this in my sleep. Well it was the same call as you do. So it was a real moose that came on our call.

At dinner time back at the trailer I told the boys about this. They said Dad we should go out moose hunting on the week-end? I said moose season opens 12th. of September. That's in two weeks from this week-end. They said no, we can go and call but no rifle. They said that would be a good and real practice. Hey you guys are intelligent that we will do. The first day Saturday or Sunday that we have nice weather.

It was Saturday morning we were up at 2:00 am. It was calm, had a good breakfast. Grabbed our pack-sacs, my 12 gauge shot gun. We were dressed in warm clothes. I told the boys were gone for the day.

We had planned to go up to the seven lakes. We could cover more ground and less people around, than doing this along the road. There are a few good spots up there and maybe the cow and her calf that we saw this summer might still be around.

It was 3:30 am. and still dark as we got aboard the dore skiff, pulled the crank and on our way we were. It was pretty cool out. I told the boys before starting the motor, what do you say if we try Danny's lake, just up the creek about a mile. They said okay.

It was 4: am. when I stopped the motor in that small creek. We got out of the boat walked about 10 minutes, found a place to sit for about 15 minutes without making a sound. Listening and breathing only. We listened and nothing to be heard.

I asked the boys softly if they heard something. Both nodded their heads "no". I said I'm starting the moose show. I had my hip wader's on. Had picked up a few dry twigs. Day light had begone.

I walked towards the creek, brushing the willows and cracking the dry twigs. Stopped and listened for about a minute. Started walking into the water lifting my legs as high as I could. Moose have long legs. I was doing the exact sound the moose does when it walks in the water. Stopped and listened for a minute, looked at the boys and nothing heard. Walked back towards the shore, stopped, filled my birch bark caller with water. Lifted it to my shoulder height and started pouring it back into the water. Exactly like a cow moose urinating. Listened for about a minute. Walked up on shore, with few crick and cracks. Stopped, listened and gave two soft low
call of the cow moose in heat. Did this twice. Sat down and listened. Nothing to be heard. Looked at the boys and no.

I looked at my watch and it was 5:10 am. We looked at each other once in a while and no one heard nothing. I made a sign with my fingers in ten minutes I'll call again.

It was 5:35 am. and I gave the second call of the female in heat. This time it was loader and we did hear the echo. The boys confirmed with their hands that it was far and the good.

Nothing no answer it was 6:15 am and gave another call but a little loader this time. I did it in two directions, up and down the creek. Looked at the boys and they shook their heads, no.

6:45 am we all looked at each other and said theirs on interested. We all heard the owl call. It does not do it like the owl, three times. It does it just once. Both do it, the bull and the cow. The sound came from up the creek. I knew that about half a mile from where we were that there was a small lake. So probably it was there. We waited without calling. I told the boys listen for cracking sound.

6:55 yes a grunt and another grunt. It was a bull and he was coming down the creek we could hear him walking in the water. I said into the boat. Not trying to make to much noise. It stopped I think he heard us. I waited a couple of minutes. Then gave a small cow call. No answer. I said to the boys I think he heard us. We waited. Nothing, he was dead still. I said, who wants to give the bull cow? Gary said I will. Okay give it a shot. He gave two bulls calls and the bull moose answered immediately and was on his way towards us and not to far.

He was just around the corner about 500 yards. He came around the corner and stopped, looked at us for a good 2 to 3 minutes. Shook his head from side to side up and down. Gave another grunt sound and headed slowly into the bush. We could hear the crick and cracking as he walked away from us. My heart was pounding and the boys also. What a thrill and experience for all of us.

Yes we still remember this today like it was just yesterday.