If you wanted to hunt Moose...

[Guy5858]

If you were in your low 30s (with no existing preference points) and wanted to hunt Moose on public land in the most economical way (but have a really good chance at pulling a tag at some point), what state would you target? PS. Do not care that much about trophy quality, just seeing Moose.

Thanks

 

[utah400elk]

Idaho

 

[Trial153]

The most economic way to hunt a moose is to stop wasting money on points and draws and then book a hunt in Newfoundland.

 

[LopeHunter]

Idaho has around 1 in 30 odds for a bull tag for NR. You have to figure out if the expected 30 years of costs to apply and then pay for the tag cost are a good strategy for you. Likely the cost will be more than 30 x 2019 cost as most states are finding ways to extract more from NR at a rate faster than inflation while sometimes reducing the tags allocated in the draw to NR. Utah, NM and AZ have done this with NR big game tags in the past decade. WY seems to tinkering with this.

Another option to get a bull moose tag in hand would be to look into Canada while skipping all moose draws in America. Would only take a few years of skipping all moose draws to be ahead of the game financially with a bull moose tag in your pocket. Add up cost to apply in ID, CO, UT, WY and MT would be around $1000 if are only applying for moose.

The moose seem to get bigger as go from Eastern provinces to Western provinces and the price seems to go up as well. You may have to use an outfitter but likely will be on public land.

 

[brownbear932008]

New Foundland or AK. Drawing out west and the few eastern states that have them is very very tough.

 

[cascadehunter]

You can hunt moose in Alaska with no guide. I went with 2 buddys, got a super cub transport out of Tok. Cost per person was $2500 +$1000 to transport moose out. Lic, Tag, travel there & shipping meat home prob cost me 7K. Thimk it could be done for less if a person drove there & didn't spend $1500 on shipping meat& antlers.
Got a 60" bull, had a blast, saw wolf, griz & a lot of other moose.
I would do it again, but am concentrating on a big mule deer that keeps eluding me....haha!

 

[sneakypete]

Idaho, if you can draw. I've been on two moose hunts in northern BC. I drove both times. I found a great outfitter and I am thinking of a third hunt. Driving you can bring your trophy hunt with the meat! Do your reasearch!

 

[BrentD]

Hands down, Alaska.

Might as well go where the big ones grow.

And you don't have to buy points or wait. Just go.

 

[sbhooper]

Just go kill one in Newfoundland. You won't have wait for a permit and you will kill a moose. It won't break the bank, either.

 

[model81]

Alaska Moose

Glad to read your post Cascadehunter. I have decided on an Alaskan hunt myself, and would be very interested in a few details concerning yours such as: was it a float hunt, hunting method, time of year , how many days, ect..

Thank you

 

[Guy5858]

thanks all

 

[Magnum Sherpa]

I have a friend who did a moose hunt in Newfoundland 2 years ago. It was reasonable for a moose hunt (about $6000), but the bull he shot was tiny. I don’t know if he got an itchy trigger finger, or if his moose was truly representative of moose in the area. I know size of the animal does not define the hunt, but this thing had antlers more resembling a whitetail than a moose. I would have been embarrassed to shoot it. I would personally look farther west for the larger moose subspecies, but that is just my preference.

 

[Bowhuntrben]

Just another thought...cow tags are pretty easy to get if you want to stay in the lower 48 and aren't worried about it being a bull. Still not cheap, though.

 

[ScottP]

Just another thought...cow tags are pretty easy to get if you want to stay in the lower 48 and aren't worried about it being a bull. Still not cheap, though.

^ This if you just want to see and harvest a moose. There are some easy draws to be had...

 

[PrairieHunter]

This is a similar situation to sheep and goats.

Do you truly love moose? Spend a lot of time in moose country even without a tag? Have photos of moose you have watched over the years? Moose gear around the house? Plan non hunting trips to go be around moose?

Or do you just want a picture with a dead bull moose to show people?

I hate to be a jerk about it but that's the reality, there are 2 kinds of moose/goat/sheep guys. Those who truly love and respect the animals, spending time around the animals, think about them constantly, etc, and those who just got into hunting and have not killed much as far as other big game but suddenly like to think they have the fever to go kill a sheep/moose/goat because it looks cool on social media.

Once you decide which one you are then you can plan accordingly. If you truly love hunting moose that much moving to Alaska should be on the table as it's certainly economical compared to other choices. Move up there for a few years while you are young and hunt hard.

 

[Bullshot]

This is a similar situation to sheep and goats.

Do you truly love moose? Spend a lot of time in moose country even without a tag? Have photos of moose you have watched over the years? Moose gear around the house? Plan non hunting trips to go be around moose?

Or do you just want a picture with a dead bull moose to show people?

I hate to be a jerk about it but that's the reality, there are 2 kinds of moose/goat/sheep guys. Those who truly love and respect the animals, spending time around the animals, think about them constantly, etc, and those who just got into hunting and have not killed much as far as other big game but suddenly like to think they have the fever to go kill a sheep/moose/goat because it looks cool on social media.

Once you decide which one you are then you can plan accordingly. If you truly love hunting moose that much moving to Alaska should be on the table as it's certainly economical compared to other choices. Move up there for a few years while you are young and hunt hard.

Ha ha! Not a jerk Prairie, and I respect your principled stance, but there ARE likely to be living, breathing 3rd kinds of moose/goat/sheep guys who are generally experienced hunters unconcerned with social media but that were not raised in the woods by a moose and never weaned off moose-milk as kids! At least I'd like to think there are - cause I want to someday experience it and I don't fit in either of your 2 categories!

 

[mdhunter]

Idaho. Look at the units with wolves...much better draw odds and they haven't eaten them all.

 

[Huntin' Fool]

Idaho's non-res draw % is close to 10% - Moose numbers down in many units - This fall - 560 bull tags - 74 cow tags

 

[kimbersig]

Idaho has around 1 in 30 odds for a bull tag for NR.

your numbers aren't quite accurate but you are much more realistic than many "consultants" lead people to believe. in 2018 863 NR applied for bull tags and drew 62 tags. so right at 7% is what NR are up against for the NR quota. some units show much higher draw odds but in reality NR true odds are somewhere between the 7% and what the IDFG website shows. and this year it will be even worse since they cut a lot of moose tags.

 

[blueridge]

Do not care that much about trophy quality, just seeing Moose.

If that's your priority, here's a great way to improve your odds: you and some buddies apply individually and go together if one of you draw. If three of you apply, 7% turns into 21% odds that one of you will draw. I like spending time with my best friends: my brother-in-law (who I only see once a year) and my son. I don't care which one of us actually pulls the trigger. Actually, getting one is just a bonus. . . . Just a thought.