Best Archery Hunting for Cow Moose Tips.

by Laurie
(Timmins, Ontario Canada)

I am a woman hunter and I love moose hunting. I am in my second year of archery hunting using a crossbow, and this year I got a Cow Moose Tag.

I live in Timmins, which is in Northern Ontario Canada. I have been reading everything I can get my hands on to increase my chances for success, and have come heartbreakingly close to getting my cow, but she slipped away.

I am looking for tips on hunting for cow moose, and certainly from an archery standpoint because you have to get so much closer. What call would you use to call in a cow and other tips would be very helpful.

I also have wolves constantly trailing the moose in this area. Does that make any difference in the moose behaviour? Does it make them more skittish and spooky? Does it change their movement patterns?

I am hunting an older logging cut with loads of fresh moose sign daily, I have seen many bulls in this cut, with the cow tracks always minutes ahead of me or minutes behind me.

I really appreciate any help I can get. This is my first adult moose tag in 13 years, so I want so badly to fill it. Thanks again!!

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I hope my response is not too late Laurie, as I only returned from my hunt last night.

I wish you great success in your quest to harvest a cow moose using archery equipment.

I don't have a lot of cow moose hunting experience but I'll share with you what I can. If you go to the website for Western Rivers, Dave Keslo has many moose call sounds posted there.

Possibly a calf moose in distress sound will bring the cows close to you. I seem to recall that cows will respond to calves in distress, even if not their own.

However... I must caution you on the use of any animal in distress call. Predators will also respond. You must keep your wits about you.

Wolves will make your moose hunting more difficult for sure. Moose will not be vocal if there are wolves in the area, or the will move to areas where they can avoid them. Cows and calf moose always stay nears water, and for very good reason. They use water: ponds, lakes and rivers to escape predators.

I once witnessed a cow and calf come crashing out of the forest on the far side of a small lake; they then swam the lake to my side. Once on my side of the lake, the cow turned to look back across the lake as though she were waiting for another moose or something.

I couldn't figure this out at first, then I heard the wolves howling over where they had just come from. Then of course it made total sense. The cow moose had used the lake to escape the wolves.

You may also want to try setting up a tree stand in areas where you know the cow moose frequent.

Archery hunting for cow moose will present it's challenges. I hope some others can share their experiences too.

Good luck! Let us know how you do!

Mark

by Mark Allardyce

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