Montana Moose & Mental Fortitude

[BeartoothFront]

After a day of refreshing the Montana FWP website, my eyes must have been too big and grin too wide for my wife to ignore. “What? Did you draw a moose tag or something?” It was part sarcasm, part annoyance. Only 2 years prior, after drawing a mountain goat tag, I explained to her how difficult the big 3 tags are to draw. She’s a little less trusting now...

Learning of another friend’s luck of drawing a moose tag, we quickly planned workouts as well as sharing moose tips we heard from seasoned moose hunters. I definitely forced my 2 kids to watch hours of Youtube videos of moose. I will say, my daughter has a pretty killer bull grunt for a 3 year old.

A summer of scouting turned up some solid bulls but two really nice ones. The summer of balancing family and scouting flew by. Next thing I knew it was Sept 15 and it was time to track down some moose.



@Roadgoat and I spend days and days during the rut walking and calling, covering lots of country looking for my #1 bull. At this point I am convinced he is a ghost, a figure of my imagination. @Greenhorn said it best, “It can be a real time suck and roll of the dice.” The bulls will travel and cover so much country, there is almost no way to keep track of them, especially in thick timber.




After weeks, I was physically and mentally broken down. I needed to take a break for a few weeks, spend time with family and get away from these big stinky critters. Spent some great time playing with my kids, spent time with friends, and went to a couple playoff baseball games with my wife. Go Phillies. It was a great reset, I was ready to get back and give it another go.

 

[ccbrockett]

@BeartoothFront
Keep us posted on the rest of your season, not much of it left!

 

[BrowningCitori]

Can't wait for the update

 

[BeartoothFront]

(My lowest point: Mentally Broken and soaked)

My brother flew in for his non-res elk hunt and I was able to use that as an excuse to get back to my unit to “help him.” The morning we were supposed to leave, my curse of the children hit again. 2021 Goat hunt: bee sting and ambulance ride for my daughter... 2022 Breaks Rifle Elk: Son to emergency room with RSV... 2023 Moose: son fell or was pushed, jury is still out, into a coffee table splitting his eyebrow open. This resulted in a visit to the urgent care to get glued back together.

We arrived in time for a very brief evening hunt which turned up nothing but wind. The next morning I headed to some high meadows I thought one of the big bulls we had been chasing would be recovering post rut. I turned up next to no fresh sign in the morning, found an old bear skull, and relocated a few cameras. The afternoon lead me to climb a ridge overlooking a large blowdown creek basin complex. I slowly worked down the ridge glassing along the way, finding no moose but what seemed like fresh poop I was optimistic but no tracks in the patchy snow.

I had asked a friend to check another drainage for a different bull we had been keeping tabs on. That night I received grainy pictures from his flip phone of the bull feeding in a pond we had seen him in prior. After a 14 mile day the day before, a good chat with @Roadgoat and @YoungGun , and my wife putting me on a pseudo shot clock, I decided to go see if I could turn this bull up the next day.

I went in solo for a casual morning hunt and turned up nothing. Sliding back into my beat down mental state, I went back into town to fuel the car and regroup. After a quick chat with Jake @YoungGun I was excited to get back up there and stomp around in the willows. He said he could join for a couple hours but only had crocks and his 2 dogs would be coming also. He showed up with real boots and no pups in tow.

We decided a moose drive along the opposite side of the creek was in the cards, yet we couldn’t find a place to cross without getting soaked. Well, looks like we’ll work the timber above the willow bottom. Good enough for me. As soon as we started working up the hill we found piles of fresh scat, it just go fresher and fresher.

With Young Gun about 100 yards up hill we slowly started our walk. After coming over a small ridge I looked over and not 15 yards from me stood the bull. Between the thick timber, winds, and raging creek, I couldn’t see or hear Jake. Without a care in the world the bull slowly walked off. Confident he would stay there I scrambled around trying to find Jake, he had somehow gotten across the creek and downhill from me.

We looped back and located the bull in a small chute. We stood there at 25 yards for at least 20 min watching and listening to him feed and finally bed. Once the decision was made, I worked out into the chute threaded one shot through some pine limbs into his lungs, stepped out from behind the big pine to put one final shot through the top of his heart. He walked around a huge rock and all we could see was the top of aspen trees thrashing, looking around the rock I could see his feet in the air kicking, then finally laying flat. We walked up to him and immediately realized he was bigger than he appeared.

After sending the news to a few close friends the cavalry was on its way. Jake and I started the long task of quartering. Jake had just returned from his Utah Bison hunt, Make Bison Hunting Great Again, and remarked at how “manageable” a moose seemed. We were half way done by the time friends started showing up. We made quick work and took every piece of meat we could…first shot was 1:57 and we were at the truck by 7:46.

It is funny how full circle life can be sometimes. Having never met him, I tossed Jake some intel through this forum in 2016 when he had a moose tag. Here we were 7 years later, standing over my own bull.

The weeks of suffering and mental misery are over...I wish I could do it all over again!

*No tents were harmed in the making of this adventure*

 

[Gerald Martin]

Wow. Great bull.Congratulations!

 

[MTLabrador]

That’s my dream Montana moose tag, and that’s an awesome bull! Well done.

 

[Sask hunter]

Congrats!

 

[ccbrockett]

View attachment 301654
(My lowest point: Mentally Broken and soaked)

My brother flew in for his non-res elk hunt and I was able to use that as an excuse to get back to my unit to “help him.” The morning we were supposed to leave, my curse of the children hit again. 2021 Goat hunt: bee sting and ambulance ride for my daughter... 2022 Breaks Rifle Elk: Son to emergency room with RSV... 2023 Moose: son fell or was pushed, jury is still out, into a coffee table splitting his eyebrow open. This resulted in a visit to the urgent care to get glued back together.

We arrived in time for a very brief evening hunt which turned up nothing but wind. The next morning I headed to some high meadows I thought one of the big bulls we had been chasing would be recovering post rut. I turned up next to no fresh sign in the morning, found an old bear skull, and relocated a few cameras. The afternoon lead me to climb a ridge overlooking a large blowdown creek basin complex. I slowly worked down the ridge glassing along the way, finding no moose but what seemed like fresh poop I was optimistic but no tracks in the patchy snow.
View attachment 301656
I had asked a friend to check another drainage for a different bull we had been keeping tabs on. That night I received grainy pictures from his flip phone of the bull feeding in a pond we had seen him in prior. After a 14 mile day the day before, a good chat with @Roadgoat and @YoungGun , and my wife putting me on a pseudo shot clock, I decided to go see if I could turn this bull up the next day.

I went in solo for a casual morning hunt and turned up nothing. Sliding back into my beat down mental state, I went back into town to fuel the car and regroup. After a quick chat with Jake @YoungGun I was excited to get back up there and stomp around in the willows. He said he could join for a couple hours but only had crocks and his 2 dogs would be coming also. He showed up with real boots and no pups in tow.

We decided a moose drive along the opposite side of the creek was in the cards, yet we couldn’t find a place to cross without getting soaked. Well, looks like we’ll work the timber above the willow bottom. Good enough for me. As soon as we started working up the hill we found piles of fresh scat, it just go fresher and fresher.

With Young Gun about 100 yards up hill we slowly started our walk. After coming over a small ridge I looked over and not 15 yards from me stood the bull. Between the thick timber, winds, and raging creek, I couldn’t see or hear Jake. Without a care in the world the bull slowly walked off. Confident he would stay there I scrambled around trying to find Jake, he had somehow gotten across the creek and downhill from me.
View attachment 301657
We looped back and located the bull in a small chute. We stood there at 25 yards for at least 20 min watching and listening to him feed and finally bed. Once the decision was made, I worked out into the chute threaded one shot through some pine limbs into his lungs, stepped out from behind the big pine to put one final shot through the top of his heart. He walked around a huge rock and all we could see was the top of aspen trees thrashing, looking around the rock I could see his feet in the air kicking, then finally laying flat. We walked up to him and immediately realized he was bigger than he appeared.

After sending the news to a few close friends the cavalry was on its way. Jake and I started the long task of quartering. Jake had just returned from his Utah Bison hunt, Make Bison Hunting Great Again, and remarked at how “manageable” a moose seemed. We were half way done by the time friends started showing up. We made quick work and took every piece of meat we could…first shot was 1:57 and we were at the truck by 7:46.

It is funny how full circle life can be sometimes. Having never met him, I tossed Jake some intel through this forum in 2016 when he had a moose tag. Here we were 7 years later, standing over my own bull.

The weeks of suffering and mental misery are over...I wish I could do it all over again!

*No tents were harmed in the making of this adventure*

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Brilliant mate. Couldn’t be happier for you. Both of you will have some great stories from your efforts and commensurate rewards this year. Enjoy every second of it!

 

[Mica Man]

Great bull!

 

[EYJONAS!]

Huge congrats to you partner! Jake and Isaac are some of the most stand up guys I've ever met. Really happy you were able to come away with a once in a lifetime bull

Thanks for leaving mine for next year

 

[Oak]

Congratulations. That’s a sweet bull.

 

[TheTone]

Super cools bull, looks heavy and massive. Congrats. Dang I really want a moose tag

 

[The Hedgehog]

This is BAD ASS!

Big congrats!!

 

[BAKPAKR]

That is a great bull! Congrats.

 

[BearFoot]

View attachment 301654
(My lowest point: Mentally Broken and soaked)

My brother flew in for his non-res elk hunt and I was able to use that as an excuse to get back to my unit to “help him.” The morning we were supposed to leave, my curse of the children hit again. 2021 Goat hunt: bee sting and ambulance ride for my daughter... 2022 Breaks Rifle Elk: Son to emergency room with RSV... 2023 Moose: son fell or was pushed, jury is still out, into a coffee table splitting his eyebrow open. This resulted in a visit to the urgent care to get glued back together.

We arrived in time for a very brief evening hunt which turned up nothing but wind. The next morning I headed to some high meadows I thought one of the big bulls we had been chasing would be recovering post rut. I turned up next to no fresh sign in the morning, found an old bear skull, and relocated a few cameras. The afternoon lead me to climb a ridge overlooking a large blowdown creek basin complex. I slowly worked down the ridge glassing along the way, finding no moose but what seemed like fresh poop I was optimistic but no tracks in the patchy snow.
View attachment 301656
I had asked a friend to check another drainage for a different bull we had been keeping tabs on. That night I received grainy pictures from his flip phone of the bull feeding in a pond we had seen him in prior. After a 14 mile day the day before, a good chat with @Roadgoat and @YoungGun , and my wife putting me on a pseudo shot clock, I decided to go see if I could turn this bull up the next day.

I went in solo for a casual morning hunt and turned up nothing. Sliding back into my beat down mental state, I went back into town to fuel the car and regroup. After a quick chat with Jake @YoungGun I was excited to get back up there and stomp around in the willows. He said he could join for a couple hours but only had crocks and his 2 dogs would be coming also. He showed up with real boots and no pups in tow.

We decided a moose drive along the opposite side of the creek was in the cards, yet we couldn’t find a place to cross without getting soaked. Well, looks like we’ll work the timber above the willow bottom. Good enough for me. As soon as we started working up the hill we found piles of fresh scat, it just go fresher and fresher.

With Young Gun about 100 yards up hill we slowly started our walk. After coming over a small ridge I looked over and not 15 yards from me stood the bull. Between the thick timber, winds, and raging creek, I couldn’t see or hear Jake. Without a care in the world the bull slowly walked off. Confident he would stay there I scrambled around trying to find Jake, he had somehow gotten across the creek and downhill from me.
View attachment 301657
We looped back and located the bull in a small chute. We stood there at 25 yards for at least 20 min watching and listening to him feed and finally bed. Once the decision was made, I worked out into the chute threaded one shot through some pine limbs into his lungs, stepped out from behind the big pine to put one final shot through the top of his heart. He walked around a huge rock and all we could see was the top of aspen trees thrashing, looking around the rock I could see his feet in the air kicking, then finally laying flat. We walked up to him and immediately realized he was bigger than he appeared.

After sending the news to a few close friends the cavalry was on its way. Jake and I started the long task of quartering. Jake had just returned from his Utah Bison hunt, Make Bison Hunting Great Again, and remarked at how “manageable” a moose seemed. We were half way done by the time friends started showing up. We made quick work and took every piece of meat we could…first shot was 1:57 and we were at the truck by 7:46.

It is funny how full circle life can be sometimes. Having never met him, I tossed Jake some intel through this forum in 2016 when he had a moose tag. Here we were 7 years later, standing over my own bull.

The weeks of suffering and mental misery are over...I wish I could do it all over again!

*No tents were harmed in the making of this adventure*

View attachment 301667
View attachment 301660
View attachment 301658
View attachment 301661
View attachment 301668
View attachment 301664
View attachment 301665
View attachment 301666

Nice Bull!

 

[Art Vandeley]

Niiice, congrats !

 

[JCS]

Congrats on the bull

 

[Hem]

Super cool hunt.
Congrats!

 

[Nameless Range]

Heck yeah. Thanks for sharing.. awesome story.

From the wounded children, to the big bull, to the backstrap that’s longer than you are tall, to the fact that you still have a friend with a flip phone.

 

[Jbotto]

Awesome bull! Great job sticking to it!