I Blew the Moose - UPDATE

Mike P · Post by **Mike P** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 8:53 am

I Blew the Moose

Well, if the truth be known, I blew the whitetail whose antlers look more reminiscent of moose antlers then whitetail antlers. Of course we are talking shape and makeup here, not size.

I have been aware of this buck for three years. And until this year, I had never laid eyes on him. Some of you may recall, I posted a picture of one of his sheds here on the forum. But this year he has been visiting a bean field most every evening. And I have been watching him.

I have a hunting philosophy about mature whitetail bucks and the times they are vulnerable during the hunting season. My history has taught me that there are three times when the big boys make mistakes. The first, and most unreliable, is very early in the season when you can find them on an afternoon food pattern. They are just now starting to size each other up but are still pretty comfortable with showing themselves during shooting hours as long as they have not encountered any human on the way to their food source. But this comfort level is on the edge and will only last a short period of time. In addition, it is not very precise. It is not as regimented as a very late season food pattern well after the rut and into mid to late January here in Ohio. That late pattern is when they are also vulnerable and the pattern is more regimented then the one at the beginning of the season. Of course the number one time when their vulnerability is the greatest is during the rut. Your chances for harvesting a "booner" are always at its peak at this stage of the season.

I had this palmated mature buck on such a pattern here the last week. I decided to make my move last night. I set up approximately two hundred yards from the field in the adjoining woods at the intersection of three trails. This is where two trails joined to form one and that single trail led to the bean field. I was pretty sure my "moose" was using one of those two trails to come to the field. He had emerged off of that single trail and into the bean field for six days prior to yesterday. I was hoping that my ambush site was also going to buy me some time as this big boy entered the field every night just at dark and right at the close of legal shooting hours. I was hoping he was staging earlier back in the woods and that I would have enough light to get the deal done.

And last night with fully fifteen minutes of legal shooting time left I saw him. He was indeed coming up one of the trails leading from the creek beds below the field and heading right for the junction of the trails. He was in no great hurry. He seemed to check out every piece of brush he walked by. And then while still some seventy yards from me he went into alert mode and looked over to his right, ears perked. I watched him and kept looking in the direction he was looking to see what had his attention.

I saw the other antlers before I saw the body. It was another buck. This was a buck I knew and he has also been visiting the same bean field. But I had never really seen these two guys together before. They had given each other a very wide berth out in the field. This buck was an eight point. He was also an older buck, but was a disappointment in the antler development area. He was actually better last year and I have passed on him several times when he was within my kill zone. I was hoping someone would kill this old buck but he is a wily old boy and has managed to live to a ripe old age. A hard winter could take him out this year, but I wouldn't bet against this old timer.

The palmated buck started walking directly towards the eight. The eight continued up the trail he was on towards the bean field. When the palmated buck cut the trail of the eight, he followed directly up the path taken by the eight.

Now I'm screwed. This was going to be a one shot do or die situation with this palmated buck. Now I have to figure out how to get out of the woods and not make my presence known to the two bucks that will be in the field. I know this food pattern is getting dicey and he won't be on it long and I will do almost anything to take another crack at this buck coming to the field. If he knows I am hunting him, he will vanish. I have to avoid the bean field.

I made a tough decision. I climbed down and packed the stand on my back. I headed down to the creek bottom on an angle away from the direction the palmated buck had come. I didn't want to do this, the climb back up from the creek was going to be a real pain in the ass. And by the time I started it, it was also going to be dark.

Long story short, it took me an hour. At the conclusion of this "bataan death march" I swore I didn't care if I ever laid eyes on the palmated bastard again.

Good thing I won't feel that way late this afternoon. Oh, and when you saw the title of this thing you just had to read it, admit it!

maple · Post by **maple** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:03 am

I'll stay tuned for episode two.

Go get 'im Mike.

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:18 am

When that Irish spring gets in the woods you wont see him again.

Good luck with him Mike

huntman · Post by **huntman** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:28 am

good luck this afternoon!

FredBear · Post by **FredBear** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:33 am

Expext the unexpected! Good luck with Bowinkle Mike!

wabi · Post by **wabi** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 9:42 am

And I expected a story from the famous old tale "Antlers in The Tree Tops / Who goosed the moose?.

Good luck on recovering and going after him again.

fdegurse · Post by **fdegurse** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:19 am

whew, thanks for the story, good luck getting that wall hanger,

I got worried about our moose population for a minute when I saw the title... "I blew the moose"... sounded kinky...Hah, hah!

mikew · Post by **mikew** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:20 am

Mike,
Thanks for the latest Chapter.
I do look forward to the next installment.
-Mike

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 10:25 am

The thread title threw me for a loop.

Thought maybe you were having money trouble!!!!

I took my car to the shop one time,the mechanic said I blew a seal,I told him to fix the damn thing and leave my personal life out of it

awshucks · Post by **awshucks** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:04 am

I remember the pic of that shed. Good luck w/ him, he is a real trophy.

VixChix · Post by **VixChix** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 11:10 am

Looking forward to reading "The Continued Adventures Of Mike and The Moose"

pdislow · Post by **pdislow** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 12:14 pm

hang in there and get him soon!

saxman · Post by **saxman** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:17 pm

I tried not to I really did

awshucks · Post by **awshucks** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:30 pm

bstout wrote:
saxman wrote:The thread title threw me for a loop.

Thought maybe you were having money trouble!!!!

I took my car to the shop one time,the mechanic said I blew a seal,I told him to fix the damn thing and leave my personal life out of it
I knew someone was going to comment.

I had my money on Awshucks.

Bob, yer a hoot! Actually, I got the video Sax swiped the punch line outta, but it's a little too risque imo.

Grizzly Adam · Post by **Grizzly Adam** » Wed Oct 08, 2008 1:38 pm

Y'all need help.

Hope you master the moose soon, Mike.