| Keith Gilbraith Scores on his winning Moose Hunt to Bryson Lake Lodge |
| The moose hunt at Bryson Lake Lodge this September was an amazing adventure and is definitely the highlight of all of my hunting experiences. We were very lucky and managed to harvest a nice bull moose sporting a thirty six inch wide set of antlers. Not a record book moose by any means but still a trophy in our minds. I would like to begin by thanking Dan Leonard and Jim Hanlon of New York Outdoorsman Central for giving me this wonderful and unique opportunity. When I joined NYOC I never really thought I would win anything. But I am sure glad that I joined anyways. I would next like to thank The Gun Works in Verona New York for giving me a brand new Remington model 700 30-06 rifle. |
| The Gun Works also did a very nice job mounting a new Millett scope and bore sighting the rifle. Once the gun was properly sighted in it performed superbly both at the rifle range and in the field. Finally I would like to thank Denis and Laurel LeBrun of Bryson Lake Lodge for giving this trip away. Denis was extremely friendly and helpful. He was there for us whenever we needed anything, from camp supplies, to maps of our hunting areas, and most importantly, great advice on hunting and fishing hotspots and strategies. |
| We had a great time both hunting and fishing at Bryson Lake Lodge. The lake is very large with 15 cabins spread out around the lake. The cabins can hold from 2 to 14 occupants and range from luxurious to a little rustic. Some of the cabins are built on islands on the lake and look like the perfect get away spot. We chose a more rustic cabin in the most remote hunting area at the north end where the river flows from the lake. Even though our cabin was remote we still had running water, propane lights, stove, and refrigerator as well as a wood stove. We were very comfortable to say the least. Our cabin was right on the lake and we could hear the loons calling every morning and evening. The land is true wilderness with plenty of wildlife, and best of all we did not see another hunter in the six days we were there. That was quite a change from white tailed deer hunting in central New York. Due to work commitments we did not begin the trip until 9pm on Friday September 12, so we did not arrive until 5:30 on Saturday morning. Despite a smooth border crossing the trip took longer than anticipated. Rainy and foggy conditions, as well as a few too many coffee breaks, slowed us down considerably. After a quick nap, the guide arrived and day one of the hunt began. We chose the most remote hunting area that Bryson Lake has to offer so Andrew, our guide, explained our set up, helped load our gear, and took us on the forty minute boat ride to our cabin on the lake.. We spent the first morning with Andrew setting up camp, learning the hunting areas, and discussing hunting strategy. Since this was a semi guided hunt we were then left to our own devices.. We decided to hunt at known river crossings that afternoon and evening but did not see any moose. To be truthful, that first day after driving through the night we were so tired that the moose could have almost stepped on us and we might not have even noticed. |
| We had heavy wind and rain for most of Sunday and Monday bus still spent most of our time in the woods. Thank god for good rain gear. We alternated between hunting the river and inland ponds and marshes. Unfortunately, the rain kept most of the wildlife from moving. We did see fresh moose tracks in some areas so our spirits remained high. On those days it was very comforting at the end of the day to sit by the wood fire to dry out and get warm. I guess a few beers and a good meal didn’t hurt either. |
| The weather finally broke on Monday night so Tuesday was partly cloudy and in the high sixties, a little unseasonably warm for that time of year. Since so far we had no luck on the river, we decided to navigate by compass to a remote pond that we located on the map. The terrain was much more rugged and hilly than I had imagined it would be, and the forest was very thick. We travelled through mixed deciduous forest of maple and oak, with many spruce thickets. The visibility was less than thirty yards in most areas but a huge amount of moose sign was evident. Unfortunately we neither saw nor heard any moose. |
| We did flush numerous ruffed grouse who acted as if they had never seen people before. The grouse would flush and then land a few yards away only to just stand there and look at us. This never happens when I am hunting for grouse. When we finally arrived at the pond we chose a stand with the wind in our favor and waited. Later on we decided to attempt calling in the moose while raking some small trees and branches, but we had no success. Since it was getting to be a warm afternoon we decided to head back to the lake and go fishing for an hour or two before the evening stand. The fishing was great so we had fresh lake trout for dinner that evening. |
| Since the weather was still warm we decided to hunt the river and nearby marshes on Tuesday evening and Wednesday. We were hoping the moose would spend the day cooling off and feeding in the water. Wrong again. But we did spend a little more time fishing on Wednesday afternoon and again had fresh lake trout for dinner. Since the next day was the last day of our hunt we decided that since the moose weren’t coming to us, then we might as well beat the brush and try to find them. On the last day of the hunt we decided to split up and hunt some of the more remote ponds in our area. At sunrise I took the boat down the river and followed my compass to another pond we found on the map. It was a beautiful cool sunny morning so I chose a stand on the water’s edge and waited. |
| The moose never showed up, but I kept myself amused by watching a flock of ducks and a family of otters playing in the water. All good things must end so I bid the otter farewell and headed off to another pond to meet up with my hunting partners. While picking my way through the thick forest and watching my compass I suddenly heard a single low pitched grunting sound. I froze and began scanning the surrounding area for the source of the noise.. I noticed a large dark patch in the thick brush about thirty five yards away. I couldn’t identify what it was until I viewed it through my scope. I saw that the large dark patch had antlers. I couldn’t believe my good fortune, or just plain dumb luck, of walking almost right up to a bull moose without even realizing it. If I had been making that much noise while hunting deer back home they would have all ended up in the next county. Suddenly the moose began quartering towards me at a trot. I picked out a shooting lane between the trees. When the moose was about twenty yards away I aimed at the chest and fired. The moose kept coming. When the moose was ten yards away I aimed at the shoulder and fired again. Fortunately the moose dropped on the spot. It all happened so fast that my first reaction was disbelief. My next thought was “what the #*&# did I do”. I was so far back in the brush that getting the moose out seemed like an impossible task. Just field dressing the moose alone had already worn me out. I was sure that my hunting partners had heard the shots and had guessed that it was me. Since we think alike, I decided to head back to camp and hope they would do the same. I guessed right, and once we met up we decided to locate our guide and get his advice on how to best retrieve the moose. Andrew, our guide, immediately dropped what he was doing and pitched right in. The forest was much too thick and the terrain was much too rugged to even get in with a four wheeler. We quartered the moose, put it on poles, because it was much too difficult to drag over that terrain, and carried it out. Darkness came much more quickly than we would have liked. We were only part way out before nightfall, so we covered the moose with our jacket to ward off predators, and returned at dawn. Luckily, the nights get cold this time of year so the meat was fine. Another five hours the next morning and we had the moose out. It was quite an exhausting but enjoyable experience. Our guide Andrew was indispensable in this task. I cannot thank him enough for all of his hard work and good advice. The week at Bryson Lake Lodge was a great time for our entire hunting party. I would definitely recommend a trip to Bryson Lake Lodge to anyone who enjoys hunting, fishing, or just relaxing in the outdoors. I plan on returning for another moose hunt with my two boys and anyone else that can join us. Although next time, I will go later in the season when the weather is colder and the moose are more into the rut. Keith Giilbraith Please note: This is the 3rd trip that Bryson Lake Lodge has offered to NYOC's membership in 3 years. Dan, Dave and I want to thank our friends,Denis & Laurel Lebrun at Bryson for helping us promote hunting and fishing and our program. We would also like to thank our winning members for representing NYOC in a professional manner. |
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