Calling Moose
 

Just wondering if there was anyone out there willing to give advice on moose calling techniques. I am new to moose hunting and was wondering which calls are good/bad to buy.

Honestly the best call is using your voice, legally anyways. Listen to a moose clip on the internet or get any one of many calling videos that are out there. Don't waste your money, get out into the bush and get a nice piece of birch bark (read as to which time of year is the best, I think it's Aug but could be way off) make it into a funnel and secure with electrical tape, or whatever you want for that matter. This will act as your call and a makeshift antler for scraping brush. Right now is the time to get out and experiment, find some sign and call, you will figure it out in no time. Start with the cow ball and work in some extras as you can begin to "read" what the moose is doing. I would suggest not doing anything if you are actually hunting once a moose is coming to your call, only softer, shorter cow calls if the bull hangs up. If you're not hunting and don't have to worry about wasting a chance at one then begin to experiment, best if you can see him to see how it reacts to the noises you are making.

X2 on the birchbark horn and what moose6 said. I have successfully called many bulls using this technique. For the cow bawl I use 2 long and 2 shorter bawls in decending tone spaced about 10 seconds apart. I call about every 15 minutes till I get an answer and then tone it down. If you are by a lake pour water from a jug into the lake to simulate a cow peeing; it drives the bulls nuts. Most bulls that respond to the call will grunt as they come to the call. Don't scrape the bush if you are calling like a cow.

If a bull is already with cows it is way tougher to call him. You can try the bull grunt and scrape bush but be ready if he comes as this is a challenge. I found getting a bull to come out to this call is more hit and miss, depends on the bull.

Buy Alex Gouthro "Moose Madness" DVD series. It is well covered in those videos.

Look up "Frank Ritcey Moose Calling" on Youtube. It's from a Canadian moose calling DVD. Clip on calling moose with no manufactured calls. Used his technique to call one out of the bushes my first try out!

i agree with the mouth calling is best if you can ...frees up the hands when in close, and nothing to forget,leave behind, my last two moose i called in that way!

Thanks for all the information we'll see what I can do this weekend!

Calling Moose
 

Was at crappy tire last sunday watched a young fellow buy every kinda moose call and bottle of scent or p they had on the shelves. I've alway's called with the birch horn or just with a can and leather string. The primos call "I maka the bull crazy" works 2 or it did last friday!:D

Hi there: I've just signed up to the forum and was happy to see that you'd found my clip on YouTube helpful. I just added another on some very basic raking or rattling techniques for bringing in the big bulls when they hang-up on you. You can find it by searching for "Frank Ritcey Moose Calling" and it'll show up with the other videos.

Awesome videos Frank! I know that will improve my success quite a bit. I haven't called in too many moose, and I think I found what I was doing wrong by watching your videos more than by listening to old cassette tapes.

The best way to call by far is with your voice, as said numerous times above. One important thing to remember that is quite often forgotten is that if there are no bulls around, they won't answer your calls. I myself practised and practised until I was red in the face, watched all the videos also. I spent 2 years pretty much wasting my time because the areas I was hunting simply weren't holding any moose. Just something to keep in mind.

X2 plus birch bark horn and your own voice. + practice practice practice until you can replicate your call (ie pitch, tone) perfectly everytime......

This call is good:

http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=40898

Something I just learned on Nov 3 thanks to Frank Ritcey too is to be patient and don't put too much effort into the calling. Think outside the norm, moose don't really have rules that they follow. I setup on a moose to intercept him the other day after another hunter pushed him through the bush. I made 3 cow calls like Frank does, one soft long call, and two more shorter in length each time with the throat sound at the end of the first call like your phleming. I waited 10-15mins and made a few bull grunts in the opposite direction as well. When I called for the cow, I had a good idea where the bull was so I called in the opposite direction to not be too obvious that I knew where he was(played stupid), and kept the volume pretty low since he was within 500yds. He never made a peep, or grunt or any noise at all through the bush. He had follow the trail I was on initially for over 400yds, went through the bush for another 400yds. When I was done waiting till the last 10-15 mins of light I figured no luck. Got off the logpile I was sitting in a cutblock, got on my Ranger and reversed the machine to find him trotting down that same cutline! My biggest bull yet, 43" and a big drop tine on the one side with nice paddles for that size of a moose, massive body too! Thanks Frank, I think it had something to do with what I learnt from your videos! Don't think that it's too late to call in Nov, I tried even though this bull split from a cow and a calf when pushed through bush. I wasn't sure he'd be interested in calls. Can't positively say he came to the calls, but he was trotting pretty good down the trail 30 mins after I called????