THE KNOWLEDGE TOOLBOX
How to call a moose
By Jackie Wallace
Whether for hunting purposes or just to get up close and personal with Canada’s famed
ungulate, calling a moose takes skill, practice, patience and a great deal of caution since
moose can be unpredictable and dangerous.
Timing is everything
The best time of year to call a moose is in the fall since this is the rutting season, and
bulls are already answering the come-hither call of the females. Thus, when calling a moose,
you’re actually calling to the bulls, not the cows. The best time of day is at night
and early morning.
When preparing to call in bulls, silence is an absolute must since they have an acute sense
of hearing — they won’t approach any sound they don’t recognize. Wind minimizes
the distance your bugle will travel so try to wait for a calm day to do your calling. In
calm weather, a bull can hear your call up to eight kilometres away.
Choose your location
You do not want to be seen by the moose, so choose flat or thickly wooded terrain. It’s
also important to call from an area that offers quality cover and food where it is possible
that another moose might be browsing.
Depending on how confident you are about your location, you may want to continue to call
for up to three hours before moving on. Considering the distance a bull can hear, he needs
considerable time to get to you, so the caller must be extremely patient.
Technique, technique!
The traditional tool for calling in bulls is a piece of birch bark rolled up into a funnel — a
megaphone of sorts that will naturally amplify sound. Specific calling techniques vary greatly
from caller to caller, but a great way to get started is by making a bugling sound, a throaty "moo" similar
to a cow but much deeper in timbre. Call every 15 to 20 minutes for a duration of up to a
minute each time, increasing the intensity of your call with each cycle.
When a bull hears the call, he can pinpoint the exact location from which the sound originated.
He rarely misses. It is important to stop calling as soon as you hear the first answering call
from a moose. Be patient. He will come, and when he does, your reward will be one of the most
majestic views Canada has to offer.
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