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Hey Alex,
My Alaskan hunt
turned out to be a huge success this year. I
had great weather and a great guide who put me on
lots of game. The day before Moose
season opened (my first day of hunting) I shot a
nice Cinnamon Phase Black Bear, saw a very nice
trophy Bull, and two grizzlies. We went back the
next day to look for the Bull but couldn't locate
him. The Moose were mostly in the pre-rut
phase while I was there; however, I ended up taking
a 54" Bull on the third day of the the Moose season,
and this was a fantastic day for me.
We were out in the
flats off of the foothills of the Alaska Range and
quietly walking through the birch and aspen woods
hoping to sneak up on Bulls that bed in the chest
high grass pockets. We walked most of the day
before finally jumping a cow and her calf, and later
a small bull. As the sun was setting we
started heading back to the Argo but had trouble
finding it; you might say we were somewhat lost.
I was pretty tired from walking when we finally came
out onto the trail, and I said to the guide, "You go
ahead and get the Argo and I'll wait here at the
edge of these fields and keep an eye out for any
Moose that may be around."
As soon as he started heading down the trail I heard some raking in the woods off to my left. I said to myself , " Hey, there's a bull over there." I decided to try a few of my well-rehearsed cow calls and throw in a few grunts. I cupped my hands and let out a nice four-count call and sure enough the bull raked again. I then starting thrashing the living daylights of a small spruce tree nearby. After that I tried another call .... this time an agitated cow call. I'll be darned if I didn't hear more thrashing but this time on the other side of the trail behind me. Just about that time the guide comes rolling up in the Argo and I explained I thought I had located two bulls...one on each side of the trail. We quietly walked behind us to the edge of the field and saw four bulls hanging out on the edge the woods we had previously walked through. One of them was a shooter but had asymmetrical tines and a busted ear so we let him go. We got to within 80 yards of the group and enjoyed watching two of them involved in a non-serious shoving match. As the light was fading we started on our way back. Just as we got going we could see yet another bull on the other side of the trail back in a field, and started to evaluate him. We put the sneak on him and got to within 125 yards, doing a little raking of bushes as we moved closer. Each time we raked ... he raked right back at us. After studying him for about 15 minutes I decided I wanted him and took the shot. It was a hunting moment I'll never forget. I like to think that my calling and thrashing tactics learned from the Moose Madness videos located those five bulls and kept them around. The guide agreed and said that I had sounded pretty good to him while he was walking down the trail to get the Argo. He said I was really "going at it".
We saw bulls
almost every day of the hunt .... sometimes up to
seven in one day. I got some video of one or
two bulls that is somewhat decent (after I finally
got some steady footage using my shooting sticks for
support). I was also lucky enough to also
shoot two wolves at close range after stalking them
for over or a mile. On the last day of the
hunt we went into the mountains looking for grizzly
(I had a tag). We saw four but I wasn't able to
connect; but the encounters were really exciting.
So there you have it - a great bull moose - a
beautiful bear - and two wolves all on the same hunt
.... I sure had fun!!!
Thank You ....
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Hi Alex, I want to take a moment to tell you of my success hunting this year. I was lucky enough to call in and harvest a bull with a 33” spread with my Bow near Perrault Falls, Ont.. Not world class by most peoples standards, but for me it was a huge first step to consistent success in hunting Moose.
I purchased your Moose Madness Series over a year ago and repeatedly watch it to pick up on as much as I could. Last year we came close to success when I called in a Bull, in the 50” class, to within 10 yards of a family member. As things go with wild game things didn’t fall into place as we would have hoped but the memory is something that will stay with me the rest of my days. This year’s harvested Bull was only part of the success for me; I also had responses from 6 other Bulls and my brother had 4. I know that this success came because of the techniques and insight supplied by you in your video series. Preparation for this years hunt started with making my own calling horn, picking up a beef scapula from one of the local butcher shops and constructing “Sarah”, my moose decoy. The scapula and horn both added to this years result; Sarah didn’t this year but it’s only a matter of time before she makes a contribution. Thanks again for taking the time to produce the Moose Madness Video Series! Regards .......
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Alex:
It is amazing to
look back on the past 17 years of moose bow hunting with the
five guys I hunt with.
We
have been avid bow hunters for the past 16 years, and each
year except one we have been able to harvest a bull or two
(19 bulls in 17 years)
during our group
hunts in the Thunder Bay area.
All members of
our group have now harvested a bull or two since we began
archery hunting.
Basically, in our group we have two sets each of both your original cassette tapes and your new DVDs. Two of us are the callers for our group of guys and we take turns communicating with Bulls during our hunts. The knowledge you share through your initial audio cassette tapes (that I still have ) and now your DVDs is excellent.
Alex, your DVDs have
FAR TOO MUCH valuable information to pin point down to
specific areas of interest. The ENTIRE series is a "
MUST HAVE " for any moose hunter from start to finish!
The three-week archery hunt is a very short window of
time to communicate with these thrilling animals.
As you are aware, weather and moose attitude can be very
unpredictable in this small window of opportunity. You
can be in the woods daily with little response and then
all of a sudden that magical time frame occurs.
By reviewing, digesting, practicing and implementing the
techniques and tactics found in the Moose Madness
Series, the hunter is much better prepared for this
annual Quest to coax a bull moose into shooting range.
We are seasoned moose hunters, but many aspects of these
DVDs have further educated our group a great deal,
and helped explain some past scenarios where we had
bulls react differently than expected to the tactics
used.
You have enhanced our September experiences.
You
did a great job!
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Alex: I have found your 'Gouthro's Moose Madness
DVD Series On Moose Hunting & Calling' to be an
excellent addition to my hunting library. It is a
great addition to your 'Gouthro's Complete Guide to Moose
Hunting & Calling' audio cassette series of several
years ago, because now we get to see it all in action.
As always, your field research, camera work and editing is a
benchmark to which others may only aspire. Thank you
for your dedication to animal and hunting research.
As a bowhunter of over 30 years I have long appreciated your excellent work and have repeatedly recommended your work to my clients. I will certainly be recommending the Moose Madness Series! Footnote: Lowell Thill is a well-known hunting consultant/booking agent who enjoys hunting of all types. He can be reached via Email at llthill@earthlink.net |
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Alex: Just letting you know how pleased we were with
the results of our calling, learned from your dvds. Almost
too good! The picture attached is of one bull shot at
about 9 yards by Matt Lorge - it scored 159 1/2.
Another bull, a 46 incher, was shot by Ron Tilot at 3 1/2
yards.
Talk about action! In all we called in seven different bulls in four days of hunting. No doubt we were in good country but the reactions we got using your calling methods were phenomenal. This is one instructional hunting dvd series that more than delivers -- well worth the price. Thanks Alex! John Tilot |
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Alex: I received your DVD Series last Friday,
and I have now watched all four DVDs. They are very
interesting and highly instructional. I could see that
your call is very good, and that you are a teacher by
profession. You have some beautiful moose footage
backing up your talk, and the Moose Madness Package is the
most complete for hunters I have ever seen..... VERY WELL
DONE!
Footnote:
Jean Luc Martin is a well
known New Brunswick professional moose hunting caller/guide
and is shown here on the right with a bull he called in for
a 2007 client.
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Hi
Alex: I would like to congratulate you on the making of the
Moose Madness Series. Your years of hard work have paid off,
and you should be proud of your accomplishment. I
can't begin to tell you how much I enjoyed watching the
series. The Moose Madness Series is worth every penny,
and I have recommended the series to all my moose hunting
friends.
I have been hunting moose for ten years, since receiving the moose madness series I have been successful two years out of three. In the 2007 season I harvested my largest bull moose so far -- 4.5yrs old with a 45.5 inch rack. The fact that I was able to call this bull in to 60 yards was my biggest thrill. Alex, you have brought much joy to many hunters. Congratulations again on all your hard work!
Bob Strojwons |
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I received
the "MOOSE MADNESS DVD SERIES" by
Alex Gouthro last week and I have to say that the four
videos are top-notch. Alex is very thorough in his
teaching methods and in describing the scenarios that you
will encounter while hunting moose.
Growing up in Northern Ontario there is not much to do in the fall and winter, so you need to find a passion or hobby. For as long as I can remember I've been a avid hunter and have been guiding Moose and Bear hunters for the past 13 years. When I started guiding I had to learn from listening to the more experienced guides about what happened and what they did while harvesting their moose. I also gained knowledge from trial & error and learned quickly about what worked and didn't. However, after watching these videos I am now certain that if I had these videos much earlier I would be leaps and bounds ahead of where I am today. While in the field hunting and guiding I've seen a lot of moose and sometimes I never fully understood why some moose did the things that they did. After watching the videos I now have a much better understanding of moose behaviour and have learned a lot. People are competitive by nature and feel the need to succeed at what they like to do. This is why I looked for these videos; I wanted to be better at what I love to do. It proved to be a wise investment. The "Moose Madness" videos provide both new information for the veteran, and step by step guidance for the novice, and I highly recommend them to any veteran or novice alike. Thanks Alex for all of your help! Footnote: Greg's outfit provides fishing and hunting opportunities through both Northumbrian Resort and Patricia Fly-in Outpost Camps -- http://www.northumbrianresort.com |
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Alex
Thanks! I bought your Moose Madness Series this year,
and the series was not only thoroughly enjoyable, but it
fully prepared me for my '07 moose hunt. I used what I
learned to help take this great bull. I can't wait to
get back out there.......
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Alex: Thank you for the excellent video series you
generated on moose hunting & calling. I am very
confident in stating your video was a HUGE factor in the
success of my hunt. Before we purchased the video I
didn't know a lot about moose or moose calling.
After watching disks 1-3 of the Moose Madness Series about five times, not including rewinding the calling section numerous times, I felt confident I wasn't going into the hunt clueless. If one is serious about moose hunting and has never went on a moose hunt before I would recommend buying the videos a minimum of 6 months in advance and continue to watch the DVDs. Every time I watched them I gained more knowledge.
The guide was also was a huge factor in the success of
our hunt. I couldn't have asked for a better guide. He
was very knowledgeable of the area and was an awesome
caller. His recommendations were much the same as your
recommendations in the DVD set.
However, the morning I shot my moose I was alone -- the guide was with Cory, my hunting partner. Following your advice I called in my moose and made the shot on my own - an awesome experience ... Thanks again!
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Received your video, and all I can say is...WOW! The information presented and level of detail on the topics covered was nothing short of incredible. I've hunted moose up here in Alaska for over 20 years now, but I'm yet another example that it actually IS possible to teach an old dog new tricks!
I
managed to pull a nice 54" bull out of a swamp during this
past 2007 season using passive calling, but he held up about 400
yards out and wouldn't come any closer. He'd just stand there &
thrash the brush. I even tried your "really agitated" cow call,
which made him move closer, but he eventually retreated back to
the edge of the brush. After about 30 minutes, he started
moving back into the woods & out of desperation I switched to
aggressive calling & brush thrashing myself. That got him
turned back toward me. The one specific thing I remembered
about your video was that after each thrashing session, a bull
would stop and listen for a response, and this guy was living
testimony. I was watching him through the binoculars, and sure
enough, every time he'd thrash, he'd stop, raise his head and
listen. All I had was a large stick, but I used it to beat the
brush each time he'd stop. Each time I stopped, he'd move
forward grunting to the next patch of brush & work it over, then
listen again. We played this posturing game until he was within
160 yards with no more brush between him and me, and I figured
it was time to take the shot.
There's
no question in my mind that your video played a part in my
success this year. I realize now that in the past I'd never
paid close enough attention to the specific interactions taking
place as a bull is being called in. I'm convinced that had I
not finally "synched" with this bull's thrashing, he'd have
faded away instead of coming forward.
Anyway,
an outstanding job on your video series...my hat's off to you on
a job well done!
Thanks
Again!
Footnote: Brian's bull was shot with a T/C Encore handgun - chambered in Winchester 300 Magnum. |
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Hello Alex:
This is my 50-inch bull I shot out of Vahalla Lake while
hunting with Howey Bay Resort - It scored 175 2/8.
I am just learning the sport of moose hunting, and the
information in your DVDs about moose habitat, moose rut
behavior, shot placement, and the field dressing section
all supplied me with much needed valuable information.
The Moose Madness Series was definitely a big help for
me. Thank You
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Alex Gouthro has done first-time moose hunters and old veterans alike a great service in putting his years of experience on film in his Moose Madness DVD series. After giving you a full understanding of the moose rut and teaching you how to call moose, he provides in-depth explanations backed with easy-to-understand diagrams so that someone who has never moose hunted before can quickly learn how to pinpoint the best spots to hunt and then set up in ways that will stack the odds in their favor to connect. Learning to call is only half the battle in harvesting a moose because so much can, and does, happen after that bull starts headed your way. Alex’s instructions take you well beyond the first grunt, explaining how to handle various responses and coax that bull in, how to handle shot placement, and even how to process the downed animal. And most entertaining of all, he backs it all up with incredible on-film responses from wild bull moose. If you are looking for a video filled with kill after kill, Moose Madness isn’t for you. But if your goal is to learn practical techniques and tactics to find and call in your own bull, and how to handle that bull once he is coming in, Moose Madness is without question the best instructive tool money can buy. I only wish I had this information before I went on my first hunts. Footnote: Kevin is an avid hunter and is shown here with a huge bear he harvested while in his favorite moose hunting country - just before guiding moose hunters near Red Lake, Ontario. |
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Alex: Just wanted to let you know that my son and I had a very enjoyable and successful Minnesota moose hunt. Thanks to Moose Madness series we were fully prepared and harvested our moose on day 12 of the hunt. For your information the weather during the first days of the hunt had been warm and while we go some vocal responses at that time this young bull came in to our calls only after the weather turned colder. Regards, Kent & Darren |
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"Old Dogs – New Tricks" Because I own an archery shop, for years I wasn’t able to go moose hunting. It is my busiest time of year. However, I did put my name into the moose draw with a group of very successful moose hunters from my area with the agreement that I would go if I got drawn for a tag. Four years ago this happened -- I got drawn for a bull tag and went up to Northern Ontario to hunt with the group. That hunt was a bit of a nightmare. It rained for 10 days and snowed on the eleventh so we were miserable and cold and wet most of the time. In spite of the inclement weather, we got a nice bull moose -- the 17th for the group in 17 years. I was hooked! Now moose hunting takes priority over work in the Fall. I’ve known Alex Gouthro for quite a few years – in fact, we attended Bob Folkrod’s Bowhunting School together some years ago. So when he came out with his Moose Madness Series I agreed to sell them – starting in 2006. When I reviewed the DVD Series I couldn’t stop watching them -- I never fell asleep once during the entire four DVDs which for me, means they had to be fascinating. However, I couldn’t get my hunting buddies much interested in watching them -- after all, 17 bulls in 17 years – with success like that what could they learn! Last fall the time came for our 2006 hunt. After a 17-hour drive we found a good spot and set up a comfortable camp. In the evening before going to bed, I decided to review some parts of “Moose Madness” on my portable DVD player. My friends declined the offer to join me. The next day after scouting, hunting sites were selected and tree stands were set up – tree stands being the normal way of moose hunting for my friends. This year I opted for a ground blind as Alex suggests in his DVD series. My friend Rick Foss set up at the edge of a small meadow and I set up in another meadow about 200 yards from him. Rick started calling and after several fruitless hours, he called me on the radio and suggested I give it a try for the last 20 minutes. Using Alex’s method of calling, I started cow calling. Rick called me on the radio to say a bull had answered and suggested I keep calling. The bull went past him and into my meadow but by then it was past legal shooting time so we quietly left the area. We were back early the next morning and I started calling. On the first call I got an answer from a bull about 500 yards away. I kept calling and he kept answering and coming closer until he got to about 20 yards from me behind some brush, grunting and raking his rack on some alders. He hung up there because about 100 yards out in front, another bull was grunting and raking alders with his antlers. A third bull came out to stand in the meadow to observe and listen to the other bulls, occasionally throwing his own grunts in just to make it interesting. Eventually the bulls all retreated and slowly disappeared. There were no shot opportunities that evening but, wow, was it exciting! When I got back to camp and told the story, everybody decided that it should be a movie night to watch the “Moose Madness” DVD’s. They wanted to know what I was doing to get such great response..... By the end of the week all of us were using ground blinds. Following Alex’s directions new calling techniques were being practiced and we were hunting areas and using hunt setups we hadn’t even considered before. I personally called in nine bull moose that week and saw five of them. Our combined total for the week was 29 bulls called in, with 17 actual moose sightings. On Friday morning Avard Brown called in a big bull and Tony Sousa made a great lung shot at 25 yards. The 1100 lb 54” moose traveled only 70 yards before dropping. The rest of day was spent cutting up and carrying moose. Fortunately it was only about 125 yards to a roadway so the job was not all that difficult and we all made it out of the bush safely to break camp and return home. Alex Gouthro and his “Moose Madness” DVD Series played a huge role in our success this past year and I am sure it will continue to do so in the years to come. The Moose Madness Series is a great investment for any moose hunter -- Old Dogs Can Learn New Tricks! George
Wagner is a dedicated and successful bowhunter from Waterloo,
Ontario who has hunted with a bow since 1978, and who has owned
archery businesses since 1980.
He has
been the owner of The Bow Shop at Shooter’s Choice in
Waterloo since 1984. |
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Having just
reviewed the entire Moose Madness Series, I want to compliment you on a
very thorough treatment of moose and moose hunting. |
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I received the
Gouthro's Moose Madness set, and haven't stopped pouring over them.
I have an extensive collection of VHS tapes relating to moose hunting
that I have acquired over the years. They are elementary compared
to the Moose Madness Series. I'll recommend this set to anyone. |
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From Moose Hunter,
Norm Monaghan I have moose hunted many areas of Ontario and Quebec since the early 60's --From a canoe on Muscegoo Lake near Foleyet to walking the railroad tracks between Pagwa and Savoff in the early times. Even we old-time
moose hunters can learn and benefit from the Gouthro’s Moose Madness
Series. This DVD series is packed with subtle tips that are all helpful
in getting the "King of the Boreal Forest" to come within range to be
harvested by eye, camera, bow or firearm. Great Job! |