Our 2024 Moose Hunt Adventure – New Brunswick

In 2024, something amazing happened — both my husband and I got drawn for moose hunting in our home province of New Brunswick! We couldn’t believe our luck. It was like hitting the lottery for hunters. We were beyond happy and immediately knew we had to prepare ourselves for the season of a lifetime.

That summer, we decided it was finally time to build a cold room. We’ve always processed our own meat, and with the chance of bringing home not just one, but two moose, we needed a proper place to hang and store the meat.

I also made a big decision: I told my husband I wanted to harvest my moose with my compound bow. As soon as I found out I was drawn in July, I committed myself to practice every single day. I wanted to be confident and ethical. I was solid at 20 and 30 yards, and even comfortable at 40 — but I told myself I wouldn’t take a 40-yard shot unless I was 100% certain. The last thing I wanted was to injure a moose and have it suffer. I owed it to the animal to make a clean, respectful shot.

By mid-September, I was ready. My bow was tuned, my confidence was high, and just in case, I had my rifle prepped too. I felt strong, focused, and excited.

Finally, the week arrived — September 23rd. Moose season in New Brunswick runs for five days only, from Tuesday to Saturday (September 24–28, 2024). We drove out to our hunting camp and met up with our friends who had their camper set up. We unpacked, got organized, and visited all of our trail camera spots. Since July, we’d seen lots of promising bulls on camera. We had tried different scents to attract them — especially bull scent, hoping to provoke some territorial responses.

Monday evening, we had a hearty meal, shared stories, and went over our plan for opening day. I also took a few final practice shots with my bow, just to calm the nerves. I could barely sleep that night — it felt like Christmas Eve when you're a kid! I was so excited, tossing and turning all night.

Day 1 — Opening Day

The alarm went off at 5 a.m. I jumped out of bed, got dressed in my gear, packed my backpack full of snacks (a must!), and by 5:15 I was standing outside, bow in hand, ready to go. Yeah, I was that excited!

That morning, we headed to a perfect little spot we had picked out — ideal for bow hunting. The air was crisp, the kind of cold that makes you feel alive. We stayed put for two to three hours, calling and listening. We heard tons of gunshots in the distance — it was wild! Then, we heard coyotes howling non-stop. It was eerie and incredible all at once.

Despite all the calling, nothing showed up. Eventually, we decided to move and check out a few other spots. Moose hunting in New Brunswick is no joke — there are so many hunters and so much movement, especially on opening day. As the sun rose higher, it got hot, which made things even tougher.

By the evening, we were tired, and as the light faded, we packed up the guns and started heading back to camp. And wouldn’t you know it — on the drive back, we saw a moose! A small bull, maybe a four-pointer, standing right there like he knew we couldn’t do anything about it. We laughed and said, “See you tomorrow, bud!”

Day 2 – Hoping for the Best

Still buzzing with excitement, I grabbed my bow again and hoped that today would be the day. We decided to switch things up and head toward an area that had been cut the year before. It looked promising.

Sure enough, we spotted three moose in different locations — one cow with a calf, and another smaller cow alone. They were all too far for a clean shot with my bow, but we still tried calling in case a bull was nearby. No luck. The cow and calf disappeared into the woods, and the lone cow ran in the opposite direction.

Even though I didn’t get a shot, just seeing moose out in their element filled me with hope. It was a beautiful day, and I was grateful just to be out there. We wrapped up the day and headed back to the camper for a comforting meal — nothing beats that after a full day in the woods.

Day 3 – Trusting My Gut

The alarm rang, and something inside me told me to leave the bow behind and take the gun instead. I don’t know why, but I trusted that feeling.

We left camp around 5:30 a.m. and were in the woods by 6:00. Not even five minutes into the drive, we spotted a cow moose — a big one. With two tags to fill (mine and my husband's) and only three days left, we decided to go after her.

Of course, she was on top of a hill, so we had to hustle. As we got closer, she started to walk away, then broke into a run — and suddenly let out a barking sound. I had never heard that before! It was strange and kind of cool at the same time, but I quickly realized she was warning other moose to get out of there. Well… at least I learned something new that day!

After that, it rained on and off all day — that cold, damp, miserable kind of rain. We didn’t see anything else. That evening, I was completely drained. I told the boys, “I’m heading straight to bed. See you in the morning.”

 Day 4 – The Big One

The alarm went off, and yep… still raining. I groaned. I hate hunting in the rain. At this point, I was starting to lose a bit of hope.

We went out anyway. As the sun came up, the rain finally stopped, but everything was soaked. The woods were silent — almost too silent.

We drove around, checked a few spots, still no luck. The rut didn’t seem to have started yet, which surprised us all. Then our buddy suggested we go back to a spot we had already been.

As we drove through a hardwood area, I found myself gazing out the window, admiring the changing leaves — vibrant reds, yellows, and greens. It was stunning.

Suddenly, I saw a moose running through a strip cut from previous years. Luc, our buddy saw it too. We jumped out of the truck and started walking toward where it entered the woods. I took one trail while my husband Kevin and Luc took another. Luc started making grunting calls, and I kept walking quietly.

Then I stopped.

I heard something — trees cracking, antlers scraping against bark. My heart skipped a beat. That's a bull…

He was getting closer.

I froze and listened, barely breathing. Then I heard my husband and buddy saying, “It’s just a deer…” But at that moment, I saw a flash of antler through the trees.

Nope. Not a deer.

He stopped — he must have heard them talking. I immediately started grunting to keep his attention. I lifted my gun. My knees started shaking — anyone who’s experienced that kind of adrenaline rush knows what I’m talking about. It's unreal.

He began walking toward me again, and then I smelled him.

Oh. My. God. The rut was on. He stank! He was MAD and had no idea why I was there. I saw one antler, then the other — he was huge. He shook his head slowly, side to side, like he was saying, This is MY territory.

He was about 15 yards from me. I took the shot.

He dropped right in his tracks.

I was in shock.

My husband and our buddy came running over, not even sure what had just happened. I looked at them with the biggest smile ever and said, “One down!”

We were all celebrating when, out of nowhere, a huge cow moose came out — and my husband took her cleanly. Two moose down by 8 a.m., only 50 yards apart.

We couldn’t believe it. Everything had come together in the most incredible way. When I walked up to my bull, I was in awe. He was massive. A 51-inch spread. My biggest bull ever.

It took us nearly four hours to gut and haul both moose to the trailer. And yes — the trailer was full!

Lessons from the Hunt

This trip taught me something important: never give up. Even when things feel slow, or the weather's bad, or you’re tired and frustrated — anything can happen, and it can change in an instant. Trust your gut, stay patient and be ready.

That’s the magic of moose hunting in New Brunswick.

About Annick

Annick is an avid outdoorswoman from New Brunswick with a strong passion for fishing, hunting, and conservation. She’s a proud member of Team Just Hunt, where she helps promote ethical outdoor practices and community involvement. She volunteers with a local Hunting and Fishing Committee and is always eager to learn and grow in the outdoor world. Annick recently passed the New Brunswick Guide Exam and is now a licensed hunting and fishing guide, committed to inspiring the next generation of hunters and anglers.