44hunter45's 2024 backcountry Idaho Moose semi-live hunt thread.

[Elkmagnet]

I am always triggered by folks who draw a MSG tag and are lackadaisical about it. Why even bother? Get out of the way for someone who values the tag.

This guy gets it!

 

[Elkmagnet]

My work makes PTO in November pretty tough. My fantasy is bagged,tagged, and in the freezer by Halloween.

If I ate another deer tag I wouldn't suffer for it. So regular tag it is.

Shoot for early October then. On the only moose hunt I have been a part of. The first part of October was good hunting with lots of moose rut action then the early part of November was awesome when the leaves fell off and the moose were easy to glass. Before taking my advice you may verify that moose don't migrate out of your unit in late October.

Small sample size but Ive heard it holds true for a lot of units.

 

[seeth07]

Shoot for early October then. On the only moose hunt I have been a part of. The first part of October was good hunting with lots of moose rut action then the early part of November was awesome when the leaves fell off and the moose were easy to glass. Before taking my advice you may verify that moose don't migrate out of your unit in late October.

Small sample size but Ive heard it holds true for a lot of units.

The unit we hunted in Idaho was difficult to find moose the last week of Sept. In 7 days of hunting, we only saw 5 moose with 4 of them happening in the last two days all clearly rutting. Too much green to really locate them. We did kill the final one we saw and it ended the last day of the hunt.

We returned 3 weeks later with an elk and deer tag to the same area and most of the leaves were now on the ground. We saw 3-5 moose every single day of that hunt and we really regretted having the moose tag filled as we saw some really big bulls.

 

[Elkmagnet]

The unit we hunted in Idaho was difficult to find moose the last week of Sept. In 7 days of hunting, we only saw 5 moose with 4 of them happening in the last two days all clearly rutting. Too much green to really locate them. We did kill the final one we saw and it ended the last day of the hunt.

We returned 3 weeks later with an elk and deer tag to the same area and most of the leaves were now on the ground. We saw 3-5 moose every single day of that hunt and we really regretted having the moose tag filled as we saw some really big bulls.

That's good Info to have when a guy only gets to hunt them once in a lifetime.
The year we hunted the leaves fell the beginning of November. But a lot of years the will be off the last week of October.

 

[44hunter45]

That's good Info to have when a guy only gets to hunt them once in a lifetime.
The year we hunted the leaves fell the beginning of November. But a lot of years the will be off the last week of October.

I remember watching this happen on the Clearwater near Kamiah back in the 1980's. Late October. I was WT hunting on the mountain behind my sister's place. Couldn't find a deer for trying.
Within about two days, all the leaves dropped. The does stood out like beacons in the alder.

 

[sneakem]

Just some general observations being I put in absurd amount of time chasing moose last year (Not that I'm an expert). You'll hear that you're wasting your time getting out early, can't tell how big a bull really is until late, they'll be in different areas, wait until you're closer to the rut... blah blah...

I started out early and although you couldn't tell how "Big" a moose was, the older bulls were way more developed at every point in the season. This point in the season mature bulls are growing paddles, dinks barely have horns protruding from their heads. While you may not know whether a bull is a trophy or not, you'll know which areas to focus on following them back to the high country and not waste your time following dinks and instead mature bulls.

The seasonal observation is that the bulls coming out of their wintering areas focus on the green up in the early spring and usually move low and into some more open areas, more glassable type stuff. Generally they will bachelor up to some extent once they loose horns and stay together until they get closer to rut. I find that as the season went on, bulls would progressively follow a drainage back up (or not far from) to the summer grounds. They follow the optimal groceries up in elevation, willows, aspens, broad leafed forbes. They love north facing tree slopes that open to food sources. They hit the summer grounds and generally stay relatively close to their favorite area. Then about the last week of August, beginning of September, the larger bulls will rub, they will grow less tolerant of each other. They'll posture, and kind of establish a pecking order among the bachelor group and eventually disband. (early-Mid spetember) They'll wander a little and seemingly disappear, but likely won't be too far +/- a couple miles from the summer grounds. When the rut starts, they'll go...anywhere 10+ miles a day looking for love and they are almost impossible to turn up unless you know where all the cows are, which is usually much lower and near riparian areas.... Post rut they bachelor back up and return to their wintering area and repeat. Knowing the yearly cycle is huge to pin down a good bull, as they are somewhat patternable at stages, even being nomadic by nature. I think understanding how they move and advanced scouting year to year puts you at a huge advantage vs just showing up...

Don't get discouraged, it's not like you'll see moose every time out. Look for fresh sign. When those bulls are on green groceries it's not pelletized, it's like a cow pie. If you're finding dry pellets, you're in the wrong place, but keep in mind that it may be a place they use at some point in the year. Look for fresh stripped willows, leafy forbes browsed off. Lots of the time you won't see moose that are actually there, but if you look close enough there will be fresh sign.

I'm in the camp of... if you put in enough time, there will never be the regret of... maybe I should have tried harder. It's easy to get hung up in the success of the hunt, but really try to enjoy it for what it is... an opportunity to have a moose tag in your pocket, which already makes you a winner. Hope you have a great hunt and hopefully a moose in your freezer at the end....

And also... no matter if you think you have enough people helping, there's no such thing as having too many people to haul meat, they're enormous animals... Best of luck, can't wait to see how this goes for you!!!

 

[txco]

Good luck! It can be a fun yet mentally exhausting hunt! Happy to help share ideas based on what I learned about moose last year.

 

[44hunter45]

Good luck! It can be a fun yet mentally exhausting hunt! Happy to help share ideas based on what I learned about moose last year.

If you have non-GMU specific observations, put them up here. Everyone will be interested.

If you are not comfortable with that, hit me with a DM, please!

 

[44hunter45]

It's official. I'm going guided. I was in the unit this weekend and got my butt handed to me.
Deposit goes in next week. I was the first to reach out to the outfitter so I get choice of dates.

 

[44hunter45]

Lot of gear prep going on right now. Heading to Seattle next week to redeem my 35 Whelen from the gunsmith. Then to get it set up to start break-in and load workups.
Reached out to @schmalts for some new glass to top it. Pictures when it's all together.

A couple of pics from my first trip to the unit. Grainy, yeah. A couple of cold nights, but then it froze down here at home this week as well. Days were perfect hiking weather.

 

[Matthew57]

Looks like beautiful country. Did you throw a line in the water by chance?

 

[littlebighorn]

Thanks for bringing us along. It's the only kind of Moose hunt most will experience.
Keep em coming!

 

[44hunter45]

Looks like beautiful country. Did you throw a line in the water by chance?

It was really high. I will get back in there in a few weeks.

 

[44hunter45]

This real, the outfitter cashed the deposit. I moved money to checking to cover expenses.
I have my farrier coming to spec up my horse so I can harden up my tenderfoot backside over the summer.

@schmalts - DM coming soon!

 

[brymoore]

This real, the outfitter cashed the deposit. I moved money to checking to cover expenses.
I have my farrier coming to spec up my horse so I can harden up my tenderfoot backside over the summer.

@schmalts - DM coming soon!

We hunted Cushman’s moose around the first week of October. I watch Gerald Martin call a bull easily from mile away. Lots of moose moving at that time.

Good luck!

 

[44hunter45]

We hunted Cushman’s moose around the first week of October. I watch Gerald Martin call a bull easily from mile away. Lots of moose moving at that time.

Good luck!

So the trick then is to fall asleep in a camp chair?

Watching a ton of videos to work out my shoot-don't shoot standards.
Never pass the first day what you would shoot on the last does not apply for this hunt.

 

[brymoore]

So the trick then is to fall asleep in a camp chair?

Watching a ton of videos to work out my shoot-don't shoot standards.
Never pass the first day what you would shoot on the last does not apply for this hunt.

At Jonh’s location, yes. There was a spring above camp and the moose loved it. There’s a pic somewhere of a moose in camp after the hunt.

 

[cgasner1]

We hunted Cushman’s moose around the first week of October. I watch Gerald Martin call a bull easily from mile away. Lots of moose moving at that time.

Good luck!

I met @Gerald Martin once I’m not sure that dude could call in a pizza

 

[44hunter45]

I went back to the Dr today. They said my ongoing issues are lingering Shingles. I was due for my second vaccination shot today but they want to wait 3 more weeks.
They cannot guarantee I will be symptom free by opening day. I'm in it to win it. MRS45 asked if I would return the tag.
Nope, committed and money spent on this rodeo now.

 

[44hunter45]

Oh Boy! I got tracking info for a couple of items from Predator Optics. Thanks @schmalts !
If this is once in a lifetime, I am going to treat it that way. Needed new glass for some re-born rifles.
Pics to come.