After more than a month of waiting, 4,105 lucky winners from this year’s moose lottery were announced on June 21. Some applicants drew their first year of applying, and others had waited more than 10 years before being drawn for a permit.
A lot of time and effort goes into producing a successful hunt. Hunters will get out in the field early in the year to scout, place trail cameras and determine the best areas to call moose with a grunt, bellow, or cow call. There’s the race to secure game processors, guides, and lodging accommodations. Friends and family will take time off work to join the experience.
Ahead of your hunt this fall, here are six videos that show what the year can look like and preparation that you might want to channel.
Some hunters will use a Cocall electronic game call to imitate a cow. Others will cup their hands over their mouth. Another option is to use a call made with birch bark like this one made by Butch Phillips of Milford. It can be difficult to draw a bull away from a cow, but these call methods demonstrate the range of strategies used to do so.
There’s not much that’s more exciting than getting a decent bull on camera – especially right before your scheduled hunt. Bulls can be unpredictable due to the distance they can travel in a day to find a cow, but if you can place trail cameras up in the summer and check them regularly, you should be able to determine cow hot spots and pattern where a bull might show up next if he’s not where you anticipated him to be.
Hopefully you actually see some moose in the field before your hunt, but hopefully it’s not as close as this encounter by Allagash Antlers. Caleb Lewis captured this footage of a bull moose in the moments leading up to, and as it charged at him. The behavior of the moose in this video including the flat ears and whites of its eyes indicate the animal wasn’t comfortable being that close.
Mainers are ingenious when it comes to getting a moose carcass out of the woods. Four-wheelers are used, as well as chains, ropes, chainsaw winches — you name it. But sometimes, especially in areas far away from logging roads or in areas that prohibit four-wheelers (such as the North Maine Woods), field dressing is a necessity. If you have a hunt in one of these areas, you just want to get away from people, or you enjoy the process of breaking down an animal and butchering it yourself – then this video is for you. Registered Maine guide Dave Hentosh and wildlife biologist Lee Kantar demonstrate the steps of properly field dressing a moose.
The tagging station should be your first stop once your moose is in the vehicle or trailer. Registration stations will take an incisor from your moose that is used to determine age – the following year you can search your permit number online and find this information. Body measurements including weight and antler beam diameter are also taken at the station. In many areas of Maine, the registration station is a place of comradery and stories. A picture of a moose hanging from a scale is part of Maine’s hunting heritage and a long-standing tradition for many. Harvested moose and deer in Maine are often prioritized based on their body size and weight over their antler size.
Having a video of your hunt is a trophy in itself, almost akin to your taxidermy’s value. However, this one in particular is beyond special. John and Emma Altman, their son Rye, and close family friend embarked on a moose hunt in 2021 with two videographers from HuntingME. This video details their camping conditions, a close-range encounter, field dressing and the pack out. Not only were they successful – but the moose was shot with a bow and arrow. A feat that is challenging to achieve with any big game animal.
