A Summer of Moose and Mosquitoes
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I've lost track of days spent in the unit, but I think it's somewhere north of 20.
It's amazing how much drier the unit is each weekend. ponds that had 10" trout in them a month ago are dry now. What little water there still is getting ransacked by cattle. Elk and deer sightings in the forest have gotten few and far between, the deer seem to have headed over the divide, and the elk are congregating down low on the private.
I have grown madly in love with this valley, and am very thankful this tag has motivated me to spend so much time in it. I'm oddly still optimistic also, despite the lack of moose sightings.
It's amazing how much drier the unit is each weekend. ponds that had 10" trout in them a month ago are dry now. What little water there still is getting ransacked by cattle. Elk and deer sightings in the forest have gotten few and far between, the deer seem to have headed over the divide, and the elk are congregating down low on the private.
I have grown madly in love with this valley, and am very thankful this tag has motivated me to spend so much time in it. I'm oddly still optimistic also, despite the lack of moose sightings.
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Seems like everywhere I go other than my unit I run into moose. I've seen 5 in the last couple weeks, all while hunting other species or fishing. They aren't impressed with my calls.
I wasn't able to be in the unit this last weekend when it was covered in snow, would've been nice to drive and look for tracks. Hopefully fall being in the air will get them out in the open more often.
Season opens one week from today.
I wasn't able to be in the unit this last weekend when it was covered in snow, would've been nice to drive and look for tracks. Hopefully fall being in the air will get them out in the open more often.
Season opens one week from today.
7mm08mo
Well-known member
Good luck. Getting in touch with your inner bear spirit should help.:hump:
ElkHunter11
New member
Glad I stumbled upon this thread. It has been quite enjoyable reading through all the posts and pictures this morning. Randy, you have found some beautiful country, especially that "glassing perch". Good luck once season starts; I will be anxiously awaiting more great pictures.
MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
It's on.....again.
The Big Hole Valley is never going to be the same once we're done with it.
SPOTTED OWL
Active member
Keep hitting it hard and best of luck. I hunted hard 12 days last year for my bull in NE Washington.
The best luck happens late in the season!!!
Stay safe
The best luck happens late in the season!!!
Stay safe
The first day of moose hunting is in the books, and it seems moose hunting is much more productive than moose scouting.
At first light my brother crossed a moose track on our way to our glassing perch. It was incredibly fresh, and headed down drainage. I thought there was a road that went to an overlook of the lower section of that creek, so off we went.
As we pulled up the overlook, something exploded out of the clearcut below heading down drainage. It was the moose we tracked, and it was a "bull". Legal, but barely. Finally, a moose spotted. And a bull at that.
The rest of the day was pretty slow with checking out tons of area for sign and glassing unsuccessfully.
At last light we were headed down a main willowy creek bottom when we jumped a cow. After watching her for a bit we noticed a calf a bit downstream.
It was getting very dark at this point, but I decided to call in case a bull was in the area. As I bellowed, a third animal jumped through the creek maybe 100 yards downstream of the cow and calf. We never could turn it up in the binos, but I'm planning on being back at that spot in 9 hours to see if it was a bull.
Things are finally looking promising!
This is looking down the drainage the mini bull escaped to-
At first light my brother crossed a moose track on our way to our glassing perch. It was incredibly fresh, and headed down drainage. I thought there was a road that went to an overlook of the lower section of that creek, so off we went.
As we pulled up the overlook, something exploded out of the clearcut below heading down drainage. It was the moose we tracked, and it was a "bull". Legal, but barely. Finally, a moose spotted. And a bull at that.
The rest of the day was pretty slow with checking out tons of area for sign and glassing unsuccessfully.
At last light we were headed down a main willowy creek bottom when we jumped a cow. After watching her for a bit we noticed a calf a bit downstream.
It was getting very dark at this point, but I decided to call in case a bull was in the area. As I bellowed, a third animal jumped through the creek maybe 100 yards downstream of the cow and calf. We never could turn it up in the binos, but I'm planning on being back at that spot in 9 hours to see if it was a bull.
Things are finally looking promising!
This is looking down the drainage the mini bull escaped to-
Schaaf
Well-known member
Now it's gets exciting.
Good luck guys!
Good luck guys!
duckhunt
Well-known member
atleast you are finally in the animals. Its going to happen for you.
TheJason
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2024
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Good luck!
First light found us back at the creekbottom from last night. No luck on locating the cow, calf, and mystery animal. They must've wandered in to the timber before light.
Mid day we got a lead from an elk hunter on a young bull they just saw from the road. We went to the area after lunch, and did locate his tracks. We followed him until he wandered into an impassable burn, never did glass him up.
Pretty slow day.
This is the cow from last night. You'll notice the willows in the process of dropping leaves. This makes me happy.
Mid day we got a lead from an elk hunter on a young bull they just saw from the road. We went to the area after lunch, and did locate his tracks. We followed him until he wandered into an impassable burn, never did glass him up.
Pretty slow day.
This is the cow from last night. You'll notice the willows in the process of dropping leaves. This makes me happy.
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MinnesotaHunter
Well-known member
7 days....gonna be a long week....
