I have been a fisherman all of my life, but I didn’t start hunting until I was in my early 20s. It was something I had always wanted to try but never had a chance to pursue. When a couple of friends offered to take me with them on hunts, I jumped at the opportunity! After experiencing that first duck hunt, I knew I wanted more. I quickly signed up for my hunter’s safety class so I would be ready for the start of the next season.
I got hooked on hunting very quickly. I could not get enough time chasing ducks, turkeys and deer. And as I got more experienced and more passionate about the sport, I had friends and coworkers asking me to help them get into hunting. And I was happy to oblige! Which is why I decided that becoming a registered Maine Guide was something I wanted to do.
Becoming a Maine Guide didn’t take me down the path I thought it would. I ended up becoming a moose hunting guide shortly after I got my license, thanks to an outfitter that took a chance on me. I had never been on a moose hunt, nor had I done any professional guiding. But he brought me in, introduced me to some amazing guides and to a world that I fell in love with.
In 2020, I got a call from a great friend of mine asking if I could help his dad, Bob, pursue a moose hunt. Of course I wanted to help him out! When we finally spoke on the phone, he stated that he dreamed of doing a moose hunt but had no idea where to start. He didn’t know where to go for a hunt, he had no family or friends to hunt with…but he wanted to apply for the moose lottery.
After a long discussion, we decide that he would apply for the 2021 moose lottery, but he would only put in for the hunting zones around my camp. Being that my camp is located in the Moosehead Region, this limited his chances drastically. He would put me down as his sub-permit holder, allowing me to hunt alongside him. Of course, I was excited about this, since I have never been on my own moose hunt. And I was excited about the idea of hunting moose from my camp for the first time.
He did not draw a tag in 2021, so he tried again in 2022. And on his second year of applying for a moose hunt, he drew a 2022 tag! And in a zone that only gives out 30 bull tags!
Through the summer leading up to the hunt, I had done a lot of scouting and monitored several cameras, hoping to give us a chance at taking a moose. This zone was small, and the opportunities were limited compared to a Northern Maine hunt. But I had found an area with several bulls showing up consistently on camera. And it was an area that had to be hunted on foot, so I figured the pressure from other hunters would be limited.
As the hunt got closer and we were all getting packed and prepared, COVID started throwing us curveballs. Bob’s wife tested positive a few days before he was supposed to arrive in camp. And a couple days later, his son’s family came down with COVID. But through a little luck both guys never tested positive and were able to make it to camp.
After scouting the entire weekend leading to opening day, we were finally ready and confident about the plan for the morning. We arrived at our spot well before legal shooting to make sure we were the first hunters into the spot. At legal shooting hours, we began to work our way up the hill under the light of the full moon, calling and raking to get the attention of any bull in the area. Roughly an hour into the hunt we heard a cow call. And then a second call! As we discussed our game plan to approach the cows, we heard a bull tearing up tree with his antlers. Then the grunts began, one after another, after another. The bull was coming to us! We stayed where we were as the bull continued to get closer. At about 40 yards the bull stopped, but we still couldn’t see him.
I gave out 2 quick grunts to get the attention of the bull, and that was all he needed to hear. He started moving toward us again, grunting with every step. The bull finally became visible at about 30 yards, when he stopped and gave us a shot. Bob took the first shot, and I followed up with a couple shots of my own. After the bull ran for about 40 yards, he finally fell in the middle of the trail we were on! Our moose hunt lasted roughly an hour, and we had a 47″ bull on the ground. Bob, at 70 years old, had fulfilled his wish to harvest a moose.
After the moose was packed out and we were back at camp, celebrating around the campfire, I was able to reflect on what a special this moment was for me. Bob’s son is one of my very special friends. We have known each other since childhood and grew tighter through our college years. To able to help his dad have this once-in-a-lifetime moment, and for us to all share in it together, is a memory I will always cherish. It is moments like this that reaffirm my decision to become a Maine Guide, to help other pursue and love the outdoors.
And a special thank you to Jon G. for being by my side, creating these special memories!