Ever since I started applying in Maine, I had been on the lookout for a guide. I ultimately decided to check out an ad I saw for Guy Randlett of Maine Trophy Moose. Randlett is a lobsterman by trade, but he loves moose hunting and scouts for moose throughout the spring and summer. As a small operator, he takes only a handful of clients in a few units. Importantly, he hunts only trophy moose.
When I finally got a permit for Unit 9, Randlett had already booked his two slots for that area. Luckily, Maine allows hunters to swap permits, and Randlett facilitated an exchange for me to get a permit in another unit. My hunt was for the first season in September when the leaves are still up. The area I hunted featured lots of tree cover, and I decided to hunt with a muzzleloader as the conditions would allow me to get close to a moose.
I saw an average of three bulls a day. We glassed numerous smaller moose and I saw some big ones, but too far for me to shoot. Randlett was very selective, and we passed on numerous 45- and 46-inch moose. On the last day of my hunt, a bull answered our moose calls from a distant hill. We beat the brush with a rowing paddle, stomped the ground and used a cow call. It sounded like quite a fight. About 40 yards away we heard a moose approaching, busting through the brush. He was in the alders, so I had to be careful picking a clear shot. My bull field-measured 56 inches.........(continued)
