Hunting Calf Moose

by Calf Moose Hunter
(Ontario)

Calf Moose captured with a Spypoint Trail Camera

Calf Moose captured with a Spypoint Trail Camera

I live in Ontario Canada the province that believes that most hunters should hunt calf moose. I hunt a lot but haven't found a secret to calf hunting. Can you give some advice?


Moose calves will not be straying to far from their dams, if you can find where the cow moose are then the calves will not be far away.

I have heard that cow moose will respond to a calf moose in distress (even if it is not her own). If you can mimic a calf moose in distress and attract a cow moose her own calves will surely follow.

How do you find the cow moose? Cows with calves are almost always found near water sources, they use the lakes and ponds as places to escape predators.

Hunting calf moose is not so easy in the sense you can't call, decoy or lure them. You pretty much have to rely on chance encounters unless you can reliably call cow moose to your hunting stand.

~ Mark

Comments for Hunting Calf Moose

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Cow/calf hunts
by: Farley

Maybe an old way of thinking but I still can not wrap my head around how you shoot the cow and think the calf will survive? You shoot the cow where will next years calf come from? You shoot the calf where will next years spike bull/cow come from? Roadkill, predators, ticks and lack of habitat should be a concern and dealt with through your Hunting and Fishing Associations.
Ont. draw system I think is screwed.
Why do you have to buy a moose license before you are drawn?
You want to harvest a bull but given a calf, so sad.
Good Luck
But I think the years are numbered if something does not change.
Clean Up!
by: kapow

Well as long as there are two legged animals out hunting they are going to shoot everything they can and most of the time they leave a trail of garbage behind them, just like a cookie trail on your gps. Please pack your garbage out that you brought in, it's not my job to clean up your garbage or anybody else's.
Good Hunting
The truth - In my opinion
by: Anonymous

You are absolutely wrong. First Nation Hunters do not follow ANY of the same rules that others do when it comes to hunting. Not even one of those rules. They can even hunt at night. There are pretty much no rules for them. Pull you head out of your 1$$ and pay attention to the reality going on around you
Did you know?
by: Moose9000

The moose can smell the ignorance miles away... Just a little information for people that let their lips do the thinking. First Nation peoples can only kill what they use to subsist on reserve land. That means if and when they choose to hunt on all other land, guess what!? They have to go through the exact same rules and regulations as we do. Same seasons, quotas and lottery's. No exceptions. So if your having bad luck hunting moose.. The next obvious complaint should be.. All the moose are hiding on reserve land over behind those big bushes your not allowed to look over.
Moose hunting
by: Anonymous

Moose population in ontario has been on the decline for the last 8 years.
My gang have hunted moose for the better part of 40 years.
We use to get a moose 90 percent of the time. Now in 2018
Its been 5 years and have not even seen one.
We hunt in area 21 B . Hunting in the first week for all that time.
Ever since the spring bear hunt was elliminated bear populations have exploded in ontario. So 40 % of all calves
Are eaten by bears.
Also moose hunting should be only permisible for 2 weeks only. An extended moose hunt until December is crazy and contributed to a reduction of moose population. Hunting moose with snowmobiles in late November is also a contributing factor in reduction of moose. We apply yearly with 9 members for the hunt .
Also a big factor reducing moose population is ticks. Tics are killing a lot of moose. I see in the Minden area moose with tic infestation .Those moose die in the bush and no one sees them except bears and wolves. So MNR do something.
Moose hunting Ontario
by: Chad

Well I'd just like to say, my father and I hunt moose, my father has not got an adult tag in 27 years!! And I have not had an adult tag in 15 years so we have to hunt calves.
We used to get the whole season to hunt them but now have been limited to a 2 week calf season, because some person in a suit in the South that never hunted thinks that's a good idea??

[Now you guys tell me is that a good idea??]

So when a hunting party in the adult season has a cow tag, and is not in the two week calf season, so rest of party can't hunt their tags, now kinda stupid eh?

Ok, now that party sees a cow and calf, they can shoot the cow but not the calf?? As they are not in the 2 week calf season, so they shoot the cow and the calf is left.

Now the calf dies without its mother the cow!! [Real smart idea they have there those people in the South!!] Let me tell you, calves are hard enough to find a lucky enough to see one, and yet I'm limited to 2 weeks, it's a awfully good way to lose hunters, cause my father and I are done taking time off and spending money to not get a tag or any meat, change the calf laws you southern dummies!!!!!!!!
Moose Tags
by: Dr. Kopov

Very little tags available! Transport trucks and trains kill more moose than any humans!
As for Southern Ontario residents paying for your broke asses up there in the north with no high school or trade and consistently voting NDP you should be happy that we pay for you to drive on roads, get mail and health care complements of the people who make 75K-125K a year in the productive parts of this province!
Maybe in Golden Lake.
by: Buzz

But that draw for one moose for 6 hunters is not the way it is done in Northern Ontario, not at all.
For instance in Pickle Lake the Natives have a "Fill Your Freezer Week" which happens just before the White hunters season starts, all the easy, by the road moose get quickly picked off.
A Native friend of mine here in Sudbury district one year shot six moose. "How do you eat six moose?" you ask... Well he didn't he gave most of them away! "Sharing among the elders!" he calls it.
That is not what the rest of the population around here call it.
"Racism" is what they call it, and they are good and fed up!
Look, I know you have a right to hunt, but everyone should use discretion like the Golden Band.
Natives
by: Anonymous

Before you speak you should do your research. we have to put into a draw with 6 people similar to resident hunters. They have quota, so many bull, cows etc. it is one adult moose per the 6 hunters if they get drawn. People should do some research. this is how Golden Lake does it. I cannot speak for the farther north nations..GRRRR. people need to educate themselves.
Season is too long!
by: Buzz

I don't understand why deer season is two weeks long, one week on the Manitoulin where there are all sorts of deer, and the disappearing moose has a season that is in some WMUs 3 months long! Does this make sense to anyone?
I also think that Natives should be limited to one moose a piece and that it should have to be shot in season.
The game status should be removed from bear and wolves, (it is only there to make outfitters money).
And of course Northern Ontario should separate, run our own MNR, and southerners would be non-residents.
ontario moose calf @ cow
by: farley lock

No calf no cow hunt. Kill the calf killing future breeding stock. Kill the cow no moose. Bull by draw spike or fork bull open season. As some comments have referred to native hunts they have their rights for their own consumption, if being sold for profit they should be prosecuted. As for southern Ont. people getting the draws, I was told the US is running the draw system ?? I enjoy the hunt and possibilities of harvesting a moose. But it is not just the hunt for me but the championship, planning and just being out there with nature. Good Luck Moose !!
I agree about southern ontario folks
by: Randy

It is very unfortunate, but it's true I also have folks from Southern ontario show up driving their ATV all over the place trespassing and leaving their garbage behind. Then they complain about the government not issuing enough tags and complain there is no moose.
Not all southern Ontario folks can be painted with the same brush but so far in my experience they've been more a nuisance for me getting much needed meat on my table , a good job around here pays 16$/ hr and they are rare so we count on the meat the southerns spook away or shoot and waste.
And please pick up your garbage before leaving, this bush is my backyard!
Are Northern Ontario hunters better people?
by: John

Way to single out Southern Ontario hunters. We take time off, save our money and yes contribute to your economy. Very offensive comments there Guy. You must be a real joy to be around. Love to meet up with you in the bush sometime.
calf hunting
by: TrueNorth

Up in area 28, northern residents don't have much choice but to hunt calves. Adult tags mysteriously are almost entirely drawn to southern Ontario hunters who invade our area yearly bringing nothing to our economy, leaving only Coors light cans and their camping mess behind. This year 2014 has been best moose hunting year in ages for US the residents. No ignorant road blockers believing this or that area belongs to them. No surprise hunters sitting in our tree stands opening morning. No constant partridge hunters ignorantly hunting in others areas. This low moose tag allotment can last forever in my eyes, we were never given any anyways and have always hunted calves by way of being left out by southern Ontario lawmakers and ignorants!!!
Calf Moose
by: Jamie

Hunting calf moose is great way to keep the population up. If we don't get them predators will. Predators should also be hunted to keep moose numbers up.
Ont. Calf Moose
by: Moosecaller

Most Hunters are very lucky to see a calf Moose in all the yrs. they have hunted Moose.
Here in Ont. where I hunt Moose as well, I would consider myself a a Calf Moose Lolly Pop.
I have have seen & taken more Calf Moose than any Hunter I know & I would take a Calf any day over a Bull...U can't eat the Rack.
Good Scouting, Paitence, knowing where to look, WATER/PONDS/LAKES/Etc. really helps.
Calling works, as a Cow will come & who knows who she will bring with her.
I just finished eating my last Calf Moose Round Steak, no marinading, just some Montreal Steak Spice on it, it was so tender, it melted in my mouth...Yum, Yum !
And bye the way, U won't be the only one Huntin Calves again this yr. as Tags are so hard to get in our area & I'm just lookin forward to the Holiday.
Good Hunting & be Safe & respect others !
Calf Moose Hunting
by: Mark - The Mooseman

Thanks for your comments Dan; however there are some jurisdictions where the moose population justifies the harvest of cows and calves in order to keep a healthy balance in the moose herd.

Not hunting cows and calves or does and yearlings (deer) is an old school way of thinking. We must maintain the correct balance (ratios) of bulls to cows and bucks to does. If the herd becomes unbalanced then the whole suffer.

Wildlife management for consumptive use requires a balance, when moose have good habitat they can withstand heavy hunting pressure. Maximum harvest opportunities will result in a lower overall mean age of the population.
Moose harvests are adjusted by modifying season lengths, types of weapons used and length of season. This is how/why in some areas there are severe antler restrictions (trophy harvest) or any bull harvest (harvest for consumption).
The later is how there can be a justifiable cow and calf moose hunting seasons... and there should be!
baby moose
by: dan click the moose hunter

Well I've never hunted calves I think they should be left alone to grow up to have a fair run at life. I've never hunted cow's neither as they are your life line to keep moose up and running at a fair number if given a chance.

There's just to many people that hunt moose and loose them when shot as I've had to go and look for other people that shot moose and can not find them, as moose are so big that they look closer to you than you think.

You will find that if you think they are at 100 yards chances are they at 200 yards. So people do not go far enough when looking for that moose to find the blood so they think they missed it.

Then they go and shoot another one, this happens a lot. If your going moose hunting make sure where and what your shooting to help keep a healthy stock.

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