Clayton and I recently went on our very first moose hunt and it was quite the adventure! We drove over 30 hours straight to central Alberta which proved to be a very long drive. Moose camp was incredible and was everything I ever dreamed of… among sky scraper like poplar trees and pines sat a classic hunting shack sporting moose antlers. A wall tent with wood burning stove. A rustic outhouse that appeared to be a home to squirrels in the off-season. Old mossy picnic tables and a rock campfire foundation that’s heard more stories and lies than the local watering hole.
Moose hunting was quite different than anything else I have ever experienced. One minute you are are in a lush forest with giant poplars and pines and the next you are knee deep in “muskegg” which I describe as a quicksand/swamp sloshy mess! We covered miles and miles each hunt in search of bulls willing to talk to us. Clayton and I hunted hard for a week straight and were able to punch 1 of 2 moose tags. I was able to shoot my first moose at just 12 yards. Talk about a rush! I cannot thank Jordan Bolduc and Dayne Majeau enough for inviting us. The fact that they used valuable vacation/holiday time and were away from their families just to help us says a whole lot about them. Time they could have been utilizing to fill their own tags but instead they passed the moose fever along to us. Clayton and I are extremely grateful for what they did for us.
One of my favorite experiences from the hunt was talking about the differences between Canada and the US. It seemed like every hour someone would say, “have you heard of this?” or “have you tried this?” It was so funny. My jaw about hit the floor when I found out they never tried Cheez-Its before! We solved that quickly when we busted out 5 different boxes for them to try. Good times! I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard on a hunting trip in my life. In the end that’s really what it’s all about anyway. We had a great time and can’t wait to do it all over again!
-Skyler
