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Monthly Archives: January 2015

Our Best Moose Hunting Tips Will Increase YOUR Success…

31 Jan

 

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The Best Moose Hunting Tips
These secrets are what the best moose hunters use and we want YOU to know them. Believe me if you do not know these tips, you are not seeing the most moose.

If you use these hunting tips not only you will see more moose, you will get closer to them and quite possibly harvest the moose of a lifetime.

Do you want to increase your chances of getting a moose this fall? I suggest you read about and put to practice these best tips for getting moose.

We see a lot of other hunters out in areas where we hunt moose, the majority seem to just drive around, hoping that by some chance they might see a moose within a reasonable distance of the road. Unbelievably, they do not even get out of their vehicles!

To increase your success rates you have to get out and look where the moose live… preferably away from human traffic.

We have to admit though (sheepishly); we have done some road hunting and taken a few moose this way too. Actually road hunting is a good way to get familiar with a new area. The point is, if you get out of your truck and get away from the roads and people you are going to see more moose.

For your information in many provinces it is illegal to hunt over bait (enhanced food).

Read on to find out how to apply some of our best moose hunting tips.

calling-moose-250Moose Hunting Tips Revealed

Simple Tips
Concentrate on one area.  Use the wind to your advantage, and use a wind indicator to detect the direction from which the air is flowing.

  • During the rut or breeding season, hunt near lakes and ponds.
  • Hunt for moose near food sources and water.
  • Hunt the fringe areas, away from where other hunters are, away from the roads and traffic.
  • Do not setup your camp on the edge of a likely hunting spot. Your noise and smells will chase any nearby moose away.
  • Study and learn about the difference between Core Areas and Home Range.
  • Learn to recognize the difference between fresh and old moose sign.
  • If you see or hear a moose just before or after dark, leave the area quietly and return early the next morning. The moose, if not spooked it will likely still be in the area.
  •  Preseason Scouting and Calling will definitely be to your advantage.

 

Seasons to Hunt

  • Hunt during the moose rut… whenever possible.
  • Hunt higher elevations during the early season.
  • Late season moose hunting requires you to go deeper into the forest away from the openings. Be sure to carry a GPS or at the very least a compass for to ensure your safe return.
  • Moose Hunting in November
  • Identify and learn to hunt the prime moose habitat.

Tools to Use
The Moose Hunting Tips eBook – The Ultimate Guide to Moose Hunting can help you. Quite simply it’s the largest collection of moose hunting tips and techniques available in one place.

We’ve run into more than one hunter over the years who mentioned the fact that they had to go to town for WiFi service to read up on hunting tips. Well no more.

Download them, print them out or install them onto your electronic device. That way you can have them with you even in the field.

The following are some great tips to observe:

  • Use a Moose Call and learn how to use a call. Then put moose calling to the test.
  • Use an old shoulder blade bone to rake trees (to imitate a bull moose thrashing a tree with his antlers).
  • Use a Montana Moose Decoy. The cow moose decoy can be used to get the attention of a bull moose. Especially useful when you need to stalk a bull out in the open or when you have an incoming bull. Get the bull moose concentrating on the decoy and not you the shooter.
  • Make use of a trail camera for moose hunting. 
  • Maximize your advantage by using elimination scents.
  • Carry 30 feet of rope in your pack. This can be used as an aid when field dressing. 

Hunting Clothing will make a Difference

  • Wear clothing that does not make any noise while you move.  Fleece or wool is best. Also check out the entire line of Sitka Hunting Clothes. We have switched because the patterns make you invisible!

Cow and Calf Moose Hunting Tips

  • Tip for hunting cow and calf moose, stay close to water sources. They use these areas for safety reasons. The biggest bulls will be attracted to these areas during the rut.
  • Learn how to mimic a calf moose in distress. Often, cow moose within hearing distance will come to investigate even when it is not her own calf.

Moose Hunting Safety

  • Drink clean water… be sure the water you drink is free of beaver fever.
  • Of course moose hunters always need to keep bear safety in mind while traveling in the woods.

Tell someone where you are hunting. Leave a map and time of expected return

rutmoosewawangBefore and After the Shot

When tracking moose learn to recognize the circling patterns.

  • Decide on the best shot placement for moose.
  • Field dress your moose right away. It is very important to cool the meat as soon as you can; this helps prevent spoilage and gamey flavors.

As a moose hunter, it doesn’t matter if you are a novice or an expert, we all strive for the same result. Get close enough to a moose (bull, cow or calf) and make the shot. If we know enough it’s easier to close the distance, what if we don’t? How can we get just a few more ideas on closing the gap?

 

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Posted by on January 31, 2015 in moose, moose hunting, Northwestern Ontario, Uncategorized, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Grizzly Bear Rips SUV Apart

30 Jan

There are no scratches on the outside of this car, but the vehicle is totalled. Below is the story and the pics.

grizzlybearcar1

A man in Waterton, came out to find the inside of his 18 month old Toyota Sequoia trashed. A grizzly bear had somehow got a door open (easy considering the way the handles are) and once inside got trapped when the door shut behind him. Probably by the wind.

The Toyota was a platinum edition, all the door panels were ripped off, the headliner torn to pieces, all headrests, the leather seats, the dash shredded. The steering column was twisted sideways. Two of the six airbags went off, the other four the bear ripped to pieces. (…You can imagine a trapped grizzly being hit with an airbag in an enclosed space! He must have figured he was in for the fight of his life …and by the looks of this car, he won the fight.)

When the bear ripped off the door panels he also clawed all the wiring harnesses out. Toyota figures every wire he pulled or clawed at resulted in alarm bells, voices or sparks.

The head mechanic at Calgary Toyota doubted if they had the expertise to put this vehicle back together, even if they had enough parts to do it. And, to add insult to injury, the bear took a big dump in the back of the SUV ….and then broke out the rear window.

Fish and wildlife officers have inspected the damage and figure it was a 3 year old grizzly from blood left behind they are doing DNA.

The vehicle has been written off by the insurance company. The cost new was over $70,000, and they stopped counting repair costs at $60,000+.

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Posted by on January 30, 2015 in Bear, news, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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How to Pattern a Shotgun + Video

29 Jan

Shotgun patterns are measured at 40 yards for all gauges, except .410 bore. .410’s are patterned at 30 yards. Patterning is a simple process, but time consuming due to all the counting required. Here is the correct way to pattern a shotgun.pattern2

  1. Set a big piece of blank paper on a frame 40 yards from the muzzle. (Butcher’s paper cut into 48″ squares works well.)
  2. Shoot at the center of the paper.
  3. Draw a 30″ diameter circle around the center of the resulting pattern, so that it encloses the greatest number of holes.
  4. Count the pellet holes in the circle. (It helps to mark the holes with a magic marker as you count them, so you don’t lose your place.)
  5. Cut open an identical, unfired shell and count the pellets in the shell. (The actual number of pellets may vary from the theoretical number based on shot size and weight, so it is best to count them.)
  6. Calculate the percentage of pellets that hit in the 30″ circle. (Divide the number of holes by the number of shot in the unfired shell.)

That is it; you have now officially patterned your shotgun. Of course, every shot varies, so ideally you should repeat the process 10 times and average the results. (Analogous to shooting a group with a rifle, rather than just one shot.) Your shotgun’s pattern percentage will vary if you change the shot size, the amount of shot in the shell or the hardness of the shot, so you need to pattern all the loads you actually shoot in a given gun.

Pattern percentages will usually (but not always!) go up if you increase the hardness of the shot, decrease the weight of the shot charge, buffer the shot inside the shell, or decrease the muzzle velocity of the shot charge. Pattern percentages will typically do down if you use softer shot, increase the weight of the shot charge or increase the muzzle velocity of the load. These generalizations primarily apply to traditional lead shot, your gun may vary.

pattern1The percentage of pellet strikes that constitutes what choke varies, depending on the source. These percentages are typical:

  • Full Choke: 70% or higher
  • Improved Modified: 65%
  • Modified: 55-60%
  • Skeet No. 2: 55-60%
  • Quarter Choke: 50%
  • Improved Cylinder: 45%
  • Skeet No. 1: 35-40%
  • Cylinder: 35-40%

 

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Posted by on January 29, 2015 in firearm, hunting, hunting equipment, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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A Hunter’s Prayer

28 Jan

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Posted by on January 28, 2015 in bear baiting, bow hunting, hunting, moose hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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TIPS for Hunting Grouse Without a Dog + video

27 Jan

Ruffed grouse (colloquially called partridge) are the premier upland game bird of northern New England and are both delicious and incredibly difficult to hunt. They often dwell in the kind of thick, previously logged, new-growth forest habitat that is nearly impossible to walk through and offers a wall of brushy cover that can make spotting and hitting birds a tall order.

grouse (3)

A hunter with a well- trained canine companion can level the playing field somewhat due to the fact that a good dog can sniff out birds and give the hunter a slight edge. Unfortunately, not everyone is in a position to give a hunting dog the proper home and training it needs and are thus stuck hunting solo. All is not lost, however, and the following tips will improve a hunter’s chances of bagging a few grouse without the aid of a dog.

1. Locate Food Sources

Omnivorous ruffed grouse have a varied diet that includes insects, snails, slugs, mushrooms, and the leaves and buds of trees (usually poplar), but they have a particular affinity for the various fruits that are common to their habitat.

Other fruits that may attract grouse include choke cherries, blackberries (if they are still present at the start of hunting season), and the fruit of hawthorn trees or “haws”.

grouse

2. Stick to the beaten path

Whenever it is possible, safe, and legal to do so, it makes sense for a grouse hunter to stick to established trails and decommissioned logging roads. The primary reason for holding to roads and trails is that these travel ways provide grouse with a convenient source of dust and pebbles. The birds dust themselves to control parasites, and eat small pebbles to aid in the breakdown of food stored in their gizzards. It follows that grouse often stay within easy striking distance of a path or road. Areas where a food source, such as a stand of apple trees or poplar saplings, is immediately adjacent to gravel path or road typically yield a lot of grouse.

Trails and roads also facilitate easy movement through the thick, brushy, and nearly unwalkable new-growth forests that comprise typical ruffed grouse habitat.

3. On rainy days, take to the pines

Grouse, much like any other terrestrial animal in existence, don’t like to be rained on and will seek shelter during inclement weather. This shelter often takes the form of such coniferous trees as balsams and spruces. Stands of pines that are in close proximity to food sources are particularly good places to look for grouse on wet weather days.

4. Keep one eye on the ground and the other on the trees

An easy error to make while hunting grouse is to keep eyes only on the ground. While ruffed grouse are primarily ground-dwelling birds, they do spend an appreciable amount of time perched in trees. A hunter concentrating on spotting birds on the ground will likely miss birds perched in tress and vice versa.

grouse (2)

5. Catch them sitting still

Ruffed grouse are an incredibly difficult bird to wing shoot, especially without the help of a dog to provide advanced warning or a bird’s presence. Not only do grouse take flight in a manner that results in a sudden blur of motion and thunderous wing beats likely to startle an unaware hunter, but the birds are also adept at quickly taking cover by putting trees and thick brush between them and the muzzle of a shotgun. By the time a hunter, surprised by a bird, shoulders his or her gun, disengages the safety, and gets on target, the bird will likely be gone. That’s not to say those hunting sans dog will never hit a flying grouse, it’s just that spotting the birds before they take flight is a surer way to put meat on the grill.

Spotting grouse before they fly is a skill in and of itself as their natural camouflage is just shy of perfect. A good way to spot them is to look for movement rather than trying to recognize their outline on the forest floor. A grouse moves in a very awkward, jerking motion, similar to that of a chicken. This distinctive movement will often give away a bird’s position.

Occasionally, ruffed grouse will also give away their position with sound. The noise that ruffed grouse are perhaps best known for is their characteristic drumming that sounds similar to a distant lawnmower engine starting and stalling. This sound will make a hunter aware of a bird’s presence in a general area, but it is difficult to use it to pinpoint an exact location.  Another sound emitted by grouse is a kind of high-pitched, raspy clucking.  Grouse will occasionally make this clucking sound when distressed a few seconds prior to taking off, thereby giving a hunter advanced warning of its presence in the immediate area.

6. Walk slow, pause often

This last piece of advice is perhaps the single most important.  Most of us have become conditioned to walk through our day to day lives as quickly as we possibly can. This mindset is perfect when navigating the local supermarket, but it will lead to certain failure on a hunt.

Rather than walking quickly and continuously, it is important to move at what at first will seem like a snail’s pace, and to pause every few steps to thoroughly scan the woods. Walking in this manner will not only result in the spotting of more game, but will also result in a hunter noticing other interesting details about the woods that would be missed when hiking at forced march speeds. Noticing such details as a vibrantly colored mushroom, a hawk or eagle circling high overhead, or even just a really cool looking tree are as important to the experience of hunting as bagging game.

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Posted by on January 27, 2015 in grouse, hunting, Northwestern Ontario, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Grouse Fricot

25 Jan

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Adapted from the cookbook Traditional Recipes of Atlantic Canada, this Acadian dish is a popular part of traditional New Brunswick cuisine. Fricot is basically a stew comprising potatoes, vegetables, savory and any available fish or meat, in this case ruffed grouse. Bon appétit!

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 2 ruffed grouse
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 1 white Spanish onion, diced
  • 2 sachets chicken bouillon
  • 4 1/2 cups water, divided
  • 3 tsp summer savory
  • 2 cups potatoes, diced
  • 2 cups carrots, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 2 tbsp flour

Preparation

  • Wash dressed grouse under cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Remove breasts and cut into medallions. Separate legs from carcass.
  • Braise medallions and legs in butter in an oven roaster over medium-low heat until browned (approximately 15 minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep lid on roaster to ensure grouse stays moist.
  • Saute onions until soft and add to grouse.
  • Stir chicken bouillon into 3 cups water in a microwave-safe mixing bowl and bring to a boil in a microwave. Add savory and pour on top of grouse. Simmer until meat is tender (15 to 20 minutes).
  • Season remaining vegetables with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Bring roaster liquid to a boil, add vegetables and reduce to a simmer for another 20 minutes.
  • Mix flour with 1 1/2 cups cold water to create a smooth paste. Slowly stir paste into roaster liquid until it thickens into a sauce. Serve with crusty rolls and a garden salad with raspberry vinaigrette.

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Posted by on January 25, 2015 in grouse, recipe, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Bug Screen For Cans

24 Jan

bug-screen-for-cans-thumb

The bug screen for cans will protect your sugary soda can or beer from terrible aids carrying mosquitos and bees from hopping inside your can and spreading viruses, creating choking hazards, and causing girl like screams form occurring.

To use the screens, simply place it on your can under the opener ring, and you are ready to do some bug free drinking.

The bug screen for cans comes in a 12 pack of screens, half of which are sized for soda cans, the other half are sized for beer cans. The bug screen for cans are washable and reusable, and can even be used with straws.

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Posted by on January 24, 2015 in Camping, camping equipment, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Folding Portable Charcoal Grill

23 Jan

folding-portable-grill-thumb

The X-Grill is a portable charcoal grill that you can fold up and haul anywhere with ease, and is great for those long hikes you take by yourself, while hunting or even on the beach.

Just unfold it, throw in some charcoal, and grill some weiners while you take in the ambience of nature.

Made from durable electro-plated iron construction the folding charcoal grill folds up to just 1 inch in thickness when collapsed. The portable X-Grill comes with a chrome plated tri-fold cooking grate, along with a charcoal grate, and measures 21 inches x 21 inches x 9 inches when fully set up.

 

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Posted by on January 23, 2015 in Camping, hunting, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Moose Fajitas

22 Jan

 

moose

Mexican food is even better when made with game meat. Here’s a great way to stretch out some tender steaks and accentuate the wonderful rich flavours only game can bring to the table. This recipe works well with any venison. Serves 4 (2 to 3 fajitas per person).

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • 1 to 1½ lb moose steak
  • 1 cup fajita sauce
  • ¼ cup canola oil
  • Salt and black pepper, to taste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 sweet red, green or yellow peppers, thinly sliced
  • 12 flour tortillas

Preparation

  • Trim all fat from steak. Slice thinly across the grain into 1×2-inch strips. Marinate in fajita sauce for several hours or overnight in refrigerator.
  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove meat from marinade (keep marinade). Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat. Add meat and brown, taking care not to overcook. After 4 to 5 minutes, add fajita sauce marinade and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.
  • In a separate pan, sauté garlic, onions and peppers in 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, warm tortillas in a covered dish in oven.
  • Fill one platter with moose strips and another with vegetables. Serve tortillas in the warming dish, along with small bowls of grated Monterey Jack cheese, tomato, salsa, sour cream and guacamole.
  • For the glassMexican beer is a natural choice for this summer feast; hearty red wines such as Zinfandel or Spanish vintages are also good.

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Posted by on January 22, 2015 in moose, recipe, Wawang Lake Resort

 

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Need a Do-Over With Your Shot?

21 Jan

It’s rare for any hunter to walk away from a field or reflect on a hunt and not think about whether a shot could have been better.  Whether with a bow, crossbow or firearm, there are times when we hesitate. A little voice – instinct, caution, doubt? – throws up a hurdle.

ShotSimulator
Sometimes we adjust and avoid the hurdle. Other times we pull up short and don’t leap. We don’t take the shot.And, unfortunately, there are times when we know the hurdle is there but take the shot anyway. We’re confident in our abilities and that of our bow, crossbow or gun. Some might call that experience. Some might say it’s recklessness or unethical.

We probably all can look back and wrestle with at least one shot that might have been risky, even if things turned out well after taking it and the deer, bear or moose is on the ground.  Part of our duty as hunters is to strive to maximize our abilities with whatever weapon we use.

We practice, tune our bows, hit the range with our guns. We try to find the right combination of arrows and broad heads or the ammunition that works best with our rifles, muzzleloaders, handguns or shotguns.  One way to improve our knowledge and experience is with Deer & Deer Hunting’s “Shot Simulator” software.  If you’ve ever been curious about where your bullet, slug or arrow has entered a deer’s body and what happened, here’s how to find out.  The Shot Simulator software is designed to provide you with outstanding animation of a deer’s body and internal bones, muscles and organs.

imagesA15UZWSYWith the Shot Simulator, you can position the animated deer in numerous positions – how it was when you shot, or how you saw a buck or doe and didn’t shoot – and then learn which organs were hit.  Didn’t like what you saw? Position it differently and do it again. You can not only position the deer, but also your shot from a tree stand or ground level.  If you’re a stand hunter but only climb about 15 feet, you can see the difference in that height versus 25 feet or on the ground.  The animation allows you to move the deer around and then remove the hide, skin and bones to see what happened.  Then, you can punch in the trailing guide to find out what happens next.  Should you follow the game immediately?  Wait a while? Just for your knowledge, you could take the shots on the computer that you’d definitely pass up in real life and then see what would happen.

It’s an educational tool that could help you glean more knowledge and help make you a better hunter. Shot Simulator also is a great teaching tool for young hunters, too.  They’re curious about what happens and this is a great way to augment their in-field learning.

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Posted by on January 21, 2015 in Black Bear Hunts, hunting, moose hunting, Wawang Lake Resort, Wolf Hunting

 

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