Moose Season

[Peter Emberley]

How is everyone's season so far?

Have you got your animal yet?

Are you seeing lots of sign?

[GLENN BROOKS]

We got our moose in area 20. It was taken down [early Oct] on a Monday morning around 10 am. It was brought out by atv , skinned and hung by 5pm. I have been hunting big game for about 35 years and seen my share killed but the amount of flies was unbelieveable. Never seen so many before. Very hot and no wind. We wrapped the meat in bed sheets like I have been doing for 25 years. The flies was steady attacking the meat. That night the temp dropped and we had frost the next morning. I did not want to return home because there was a new guy with me and we took a day on bikes and boiled the kettle. When we returned the meat was hung and it was the second day with high temps. However the meat was in the shade but the flies were not as many but still way too many for comfort. That night it cooled down again.  I decided to leave the next day which took me 8 hrs to get home.  Wed morning we put the meat aboard the truck and I pulled back the sheet and  discovered the fly spits between 2 sheets. I think if I gathered them all up I would likely fill a coke can.    Now I was getting more concerned that I would lose the meat.  Wed night the third day I put all 4 quarters on a tarp at home and found 4 or 5 lines of spits on each quarter, also a few bunches hid away. I took the garden hose and washed it all off. Thursday I hung the meat indoors with no windows and had no fly problems.... Friday around 2.30 pm I had it all cut up and baged with a hand saw and butcher knife. Meat was perfect.. no sour smell. No maggots.

[Boyd Winsor]

That was a close call. I've been there. No fun when you have to rush and a long distance to travel. We always take a fish vat with ice for a long haul.

[Peter Emberley]

Good glad to hear you saved it. Been a warm fall. I got mine opening day in area 36. Lucky for me it was cold for 2 days. Hung it in the shed Saturday and Sunday. I took it to the butcher Monday morning it was warming up pretty fast. I had cheese cloth on it then.
I have heard many people say to coat the quarters with black pepper, apparently the flies won't go handy to the black pepper. At least it could get you out of a jam.

[GLENN BROOKS]

That's a goods ideal Boyd. I have also heard of a insulated shed , no windows and a small hole in the door , with a button to cover it.  It appears that flies are not active if in a total dark place  if some get in when you open the door... They will see the light if you open the hole  and come out. You open the door after dark and close it early in the morning..Can use the shed later for a atv storage etc. That's if you hunt from the same location each year like me. Also have a cabin there.

[Robert Sullivan]

We've got our licences filled, however I'm a little concerned with the lack of calves I've seen.  Hunted in area 15 with my wife's uncle and my dad in area 28.  A good sign of moose, and we saw animals daily, but didn't see one calf.

[kenneth Griffiths]

It's funny you said that this year we only see 1 calf. Not a good thing.

[Robert Sullivan]

We saw 7 cows, 5 of them very large, and not one calf...  It would be nice for the government to actually do a study to find out what is happening to them all...

[kenneth Griffiths]

Well just in my opinion. If we shoot all the big bulls there will be not moose left. I think it takes a bull 5/6 years to produce. We see alot of young bulls and a good few cows. But like the cow she sometimes don't want a young bull to mount her because she is waiting for the big bull to come along. Just a though.

[Gary WIlliams]

Area 36 most moose even either sex licenses are shooting Bulls, especially early season, I missed the rut this year due to work, only went 5 times but did a lot of going and haven't seen a bull, did see cow and calf. The first calf we've seen up there in years besides in the wilderness area. Usually we see dozens of cows, a few Bulls way off in the distance, not so far this year.

[Gary WIlliams]

Where's everyone getting there moose done from Bonavista to St johns, with good sausages

[Peter Emberley]

Mine are ready to be picked up tomorrow. I'll let you know what they are like.

[Gary WIlliams]

Best kind