Back-to-Back Bulls

A Dream Hunt for a Mature Bull Elk and a Tremendous Bull Moose

We started down an overgrown cutline right at legal light in the morning. My hunting partner, Jason Frank, from Northern Backcountry Adventures is passionate about chasing elk. From late August until the end of November, he is chirping, bugling, and living with elk. Frank grew up in northern Alberta and started hunting elk when they first appeared on the landscape. Since then, he has mastered calling and decoding where elk live and how they communicate. Our early morning started with a distant bugle we knew well.

Several days earlier, we wound through the dense alders and trudged through the dense bush like the elk and moose that sculpted the path. The surrounding jungle of shrubs and trees made it difficult to see more than ten yards in any direction. Jason motioned to stop and raised his elk call, producing a deep, guttural bugle that resonated through the mature forest. Seconds later, an outlying bull screamed back, lighting up another bull in the distance.

It was scrambling time, and we took off down winding trails, crawling over deadfall and creeping through small grassy meadows to eventually get downwind of the bulls. Another bugle echoed through the timber, but the response was farther into the timber. We were off on another charge through the boreal forest. We never did see either bull, but we got close.

It was a warm fall day, and the elk targeted the tall timber to avoid the heat. When the shadows started to elongate in the evening, we slowly meandered through game trails and cutlines, looking at the fresh sign and trying to get close enough to a bull to make it uncomfortable when we bugled. The elk came to life as the temperatures cooled with the setting sun. Cows and calves chirped and mewed, tempting the bulls to start screaming. We heard the raspy bull from the morning and snuck it close. We bugled, and several satellite bulls screamed nearby. We continued to push towards the herd bull and kept calling. The bull and his herd were on the move, leading us further into remote country. The sun was creeping below the horizon when we finally caught up with the old bull, annoyed by our persistence. We could hear the bull walking no more than 50 yards and listened to snorts, deep breathing, and another raspy scream. The bull was smart and knew how to protect his cows, leaving us short on daylight.

We headed back towards our vehicle in the darkness and listened to bull elk bugle from every direction. A minimum of ten different bulls were caught up in the screaming competition. One bull heard us walking and thought we were elk, closing the distance to 10 yards. We stopped and listened as the bull walked through the timber within bow range before moving on.

The author with his early-season bull elk.

Back At It

We returned the next morning, and while discussing our approach, a distant bugle echoed through the morning fog. Jason and I looked at each other wide-eyed and leaped into action. We anticipated the elk deep in the timber, but they had worked out of the dense trees and adjacent to farm country. It sounded like the big bull was about a mile away by an old watering hole. We were off on another race, winding down the cutline in the forest.

Keeping the wind to our advantage, we approached the bugles. We no sooner arrived at the clearcut area when we saw the big bull chasing a rival to the far edge. The herd bull was busy, and you could sense the energy with cows mewing and chirping in the background. We carefully closed the distance and climbed a ridge to see better. The big bull had a massive body, and the muscles rippled as he ran back towards his cows. We looked at our watches, and it was still five minutes before legal shooting light.

Jason cow called and got the bull’s attention. Two cows walked out of the regrowth and stood in front of the bull, who was more than anxious to bugle. The bull was about 240 yards away, standing on a rise by a pile of logs. If he decided to walk into the cut, he would quickly disappear.

The bull elk had a massive body and antlers to match.

Every time the bull started to look antsy, Jason would cow call aggressively to focus its attention. The minutes ticked by slowly, and I could not believe we could keep the bull standing in the open. Jason looked over with a smile and said, “It is legal shooting light.”

The bull had never left my scope, and with the massive chest facing broadside, I centered my crosshair for a heart shot and squeezed the trigger. My Browning X-Bolt barked, and the bull lunged forward and disappeared. The bullet had hit hard, and there was little doubt the shot was good.

I was anxious to get on the trail and ensure the bull was fatally hit. We started towards the area where we had last seen the bull, and while I was trying to find a blood trail, Jason spotted the antlers above the grass through the alders. It had been a fantastic elk-hunting experience and a great start to the season. The bull was my largest to date, and I marveled at the antlers and hulking body.

We had the bull skinned and in the cooler before the sun heated the surroundings. Jason couldn’t help but get his measure kit out to tape the antlers. There was no question he was the big old bull we had been chasing.

Switching Gears

The following week, I headed north to hunt moose with Adrien Jacques with Keg Country Outfitters. We overnighted at his main camp before getting the quads and Argos ready for the trip to a wall tent camp deep into moose country.

The trip in was an adventure itself, and we followed old trails and wound our way through a labyrinth of muskeg, pipelines, and cutlines to finally get to the picturesque banks of the river where the wall tents had already been set up. With leaves turning and drying, it looked, felt, and smelled like moose camp. We explored the area to prepare for the next day and check for moose signs.

The next morning, opening day, we headed out in the dark and reached the river at first light. I cupped my hands over my mouth and nose and produced the calls of a lovesick cow moose. The plan was to hang out by the river and call for several hours. However, on the second calling sequence, the area lit up with wolves howling from three directions. We were surrounded and quickly snuck to cover to see if the wolves would venture into the open along the long stretch of open gravel between the river and the trees. The wolves came close, and we could hear them, but they never showed themselves. We hunted the rest of the day before returning to camp to enjoy dinner by a roaring fire.

I didn’t remember putting my head on the pillow before falling asleep, but the smell of morning coffee drifting through the tent door was inviting. We had a quick breakfast and pointed our quads down the trail to take us back to the river. The fall morning air was chilly but refreshing. We followed the trail winding through the trees, over a creek, and down a long hill. Fresh tracks and antler-thrashed alders guaranteed us we were hunting good country.

Processing the elk was completed before the day warmed.

The area around the river was inviting and finding a fresh wallow the previous day seemed like a good place to focus attention. The muddy hole had the fresh perfume of a bull moose, and it was easy to see where the bull had rolled through the mud and rounded the edges of the wallow. The drive was pleasant, and as the sun crept to the horizon, we descended the last hill toward the river.

The plan was to park the quads, walk down to the river, and check the long stretches for moose. However, as we approached and rounded the corner, we were surprised to find a bull madly raking antlers in the trees. The mature bull was 50 yards from where we had been calling the day before, and I couldn’t help but wonder if he had come to investigate the cow calls. There was no time to waste. I quickly retrieved my rifle, chambered a cartridge, and watched as the bull lowered his head and ran quartering up the trail towards us. The bull was confused by the noise and commotion and quickly turned around and ran back to where he had thrashed the bark off the trees. He stopped to look back at us, and my crosshair found vitals, and I squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit the bull hard, and he lunged forward and ran over the sandy embankment toward the river. I quickly chambered a second round and ran to where the bull had disappeared. The big, massive body was faltering, and seconds later, the bull spun on his back legs and fell over. We were only three days into the trip, and I folded my moose tag on a great wilderness bull.

Moose typically take time to figure out, and calling for several days is required. However, there is no good reason to turn down a bull early in the hunt, especially one with wide, heavy, mature antlers.

The meat was processed and put into game bags. The entire bull was hanging on the meat pole before noon, and I looked forward to doing some grouse hunting. It had been hard to deal with the bull before air temperatures heated up, but we got it done.

Back-to-back Success

In less than ten days, I had taken a mature bull elk and a tremendous bull moose. Back-to-back bulls provided incredible excitement; in some ways, I was sad it was over so fast. We would eat well in the coming year, and every bite would remind us of hunts that went better than planned.

Wildlife Research Center Moose Scent and Scent Killer Gold Body Wash

It can be challenging to beat the nose of a moose or elk. Wildlife Research Center Strong and Premium Synthetic Moose Scent proved valuable on the moose hunt, deployed in areas where we called. It is formulated to stimulate and attract a rutting bull to the smell of an estrous cow. After my success, the 4 oz bottle was put to work and left in moose camp. Magnum Key Wicks are best for soaking up the scent and keeping it in your hunt area.

No moose or elk hunt would be complete without Scent Killer Gold Spray, Wipes, Body Wash & Shampoo, and Antiperspirant & Deodorant. The products work like a system that should be used to eliminate human odor. The Body Wash & Shampoo were ideal for a dip in the river after getting the moose back to camp. For more information on all Wildlife Research Center products, go to wildlife.com.

eating — Eating late dinners around the fire at moose camp generated lots of stories and laughs.

ALPS Elite Series Hunting Pack

The ALPS Elite Series Hunting Pack is necessary for any big game hunt were getting meat and antlers out of remote areas is required. The lightweight and durable design also features adjustable components for proper fit and load distribution. The pack is versatile for long trips or when retrieval is the focus. The Elite packs are based on the design of the Commander X frame. A meat shelf can haul meat and extras, and the gun sling keeps hands free for hiking poles. The ALPS Extreme Bino Harness kept my optics secure and hands-free to focus on the trail.