Calling a moose doesn’t always require a traditional call or your own voice.
Willy Archibald uses a chainsaw cover, a hard hat and a metal can and string to create sounds that mimic moose.
A professional moose caller and guide from the Taykwa Tagamou Nation in northern Ontario, Canada, Archibald has been hunting and guiding since he was a kid. His family has passed down moose-calling techniques and hunting knowledge through generations, and he now shares those techniques with nearly 100,000 followers through his Moose Calling 101 social media accounts. His content also includes hunting strategies, gear setups, “Lesson of the Day” posts and recovery and survival stories.
As Maine’s moose season gets underway, here are three of his more unusual techniques.
Raking with a chainsaw cover
Tree knocking and raking with a hard hat
Calling with a metal can and string
Archibald first guided hunters from other nations two years ago. Two groups he guided successfully harvested a big bull and a cow on separate hunts.
Typically, he guides one-on-one with a hunter. But this year, he guided for an outfitter in Alberta for the first time, working as part of a larger operation.
“It’s super hard when you hunt with other people. I’m so used to getting my moose all by myself.”
Now he’s returning to Ontario for his own moose hunt in Cochrane.
“I love what I do,” he said.
Moose Calling 101 app
Archibald is also preparing to launch a mobile app designed to help moose hunters become more successful in the field. It will combine traditional moose-calling knowledge, field strategies and information from the hunting community.
The app is expected to launch by the end of September and will be available to hunters in Canada and the United States on both Apple and Android devices.