Moose, better than elk?!?!

[Poke 'Em]

All the other responses would indicate I got unlucky, but my moose was the worst tasting big game animal I've ever taken.

 

[buckhorn10]

I think a young bull moose is hard to beat for some fine eating , old bulls I have killed was not as tender . Same for Elk, younger animals better table fair

 

[ThunderNocked]

I lived in AK for 15 years and the only moose I harvested were cows. The bulls get pretty rank if you're hunting after the rut starts. They're also really reactive to anybody getting close. Numerous friends have horror stories of being charged.

Nice. I've been in Alaska 10 years and been hunting Moose 5. I've harvested 2, had opportunity on a nice big bull that never got a shot on. Then my buddy passed a 270 yard shot on a nice young bull. Last year hunted a new area and saw 0 bulls. I'm excited for this year!

 

[Dakotakid]

I have moose and elk in the freezer, wife says they are pretty close taste wise, but moose is harder to cook. I think moose( young bull) is more tender and a little more sweet in flavor.

 

[JEL]

The only moose I have eaten is a 4.5 yo bull I shot in MT. It was very good. Better than any elk I have taken.

 

[tdoubled]

I shot a moose almost a decade ago, but it was my wife's preferred game meat. She's a non hunter and didn't grow up eating game meat. She found moose to be the least "gamey"

 

[FeartheTurtle]

Hey guys, I just finished watching the latest YouTube upload on the MEAT EATER channel; “ Yukon giants, northern Alaskan Moose part 2”.

Spoiler alert… They got a good size bull.

But that’s not the reason for my post. The reason is that I’ve never actually eaten moose meat, and I hear that it is absolutely delicious. Apparently, some people love it more than elk!

I really wanna try moose meat and the only way to do it is to harvest a moose. My resident state is Utah and that’s basically a long climb to get a moose tag.


Would anyone have any suggestions for someone with no points harvesting a younger cow moose sooner than later AND which states would be best to try to accomplish this?

Ideally, if I could go the self-guided route that would be better. I’m not really interested in spending a ton of money… The experience of a self guided hunt is what makes harvesting the animal so rewarding for me.

I would put cow moose first (in the freezer right now, but going fast) with cow elk close behind. Pig, mid-west whitetail, and doe antelope are also way up there. Bull moose/elk and buck antelope eat just fine too (tenderized) and in our family we enjoy the differences in each meat, some stronger and richer, some more mild. Mule deer is the only meat we don't really like so that goes straight to jerky & summer sausage. Strange how a bag or two of jerky or a sausage seem to disappear each week after our adult kids come for Sunday dinner.

 

[Muley_Stalker]

I'll take elk over moose as long as i've shot it and taken care of the meat.

 

[shootbrownelk]

Moose over Elk for me and the wife. Bighorn sheep is the best wild game meat I have ever eaten.

 

[WAres]

Moose ranks at top in our house. It’s incredible meat. Elk is right there too.

 

[Robinhood21]

Moose reigns supreme with me! Before I had moose I wasn't sure if anything would pass antelope but our Alaskan moose was absolutely phenomenal!

 

[lastlight]

My 3 yr old shiras from ID is not good. Edible for sure and we eat it every other night. But doesnt come close to elk or mule deer!

 

[BearFoot]

40+ years, my kids, grand kids, raised on moose meat. Young bulls, mature bulls all good. Most years we get one bull, sometimes two, occasionally three bulls. Field care and handling determine the quality of meat. Each time I travel out of Alaska, I'm asked "bring some moose"

 

[BZNHNTR]

Have had two moose in the freezer over the years, one young bull that was excellent and an older one that was tough but good flavor. Both were killed by vehicles during the rut, a friend works for the county, best way to get a moose in MT if you don’t mind butchering on the side of the road at 4 in the morning! To hunt one I would go to AK (moose is on my list still), shipping meat back is not as expensive as most say if you process yourself, get it deboned and frozen and check it for smaller game like caribou; for a moose register as a shipper with Alaska air beforehand and it will save $’s.

 

[noharleyyet]

Moose and axis are on my list. Elk's gonna be hard to beat.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

40+ years, my kids, grand kids, raised on moose meat. Young bulls, mature bulls all good. Most years we get one bull, sometimes two, occasionally three bulls. Field care and handling determine the quality of meat. Each time I travel out of Alaska, I'm asked "bring some moose"

I wonder why you can shoot a bull in rut and he stinks, yet fine eating.
I've never had a bad piece of moose meat...the old timers are tougher but still great eating.
Yet shoot a caribou bull in rut, and terrible eating.

 

[CBender09]

My moose from here (Montana) last year was great. I’ve never had elk steaks go as fast as those moose steaks did (3-4 months MAYBE). My dads a while back was too.
I have heard it’s a little hit or miss, either really good or really bad. Mine seemed to hang out in the willows and in the creek bottoms year round, so maybe that was part of it too, instead of higher up the mountains.
I think Montana has some cow only options, but can’t say for sure. Don’t know what odds are either, compared to the either-sex tags. may take a while

 

[NoKidsAfter40]

Moose is yummy. We have elk and moose in our freezer right now. The moose inventory gets raided long before elk.

It’s the same in my house! Moose and younger bison is my favorite. Elk is up there too.

 

[mxracer317]

It’s the same in my house! Moose and younger bison is my favorite. Elk is up there too.

I’m so new to western hunting. I’m literally only interested in getting a cow moose just for the meat.

I hear it’s really difficult to draw a cow moose tag and that it is a once-in-a-lifetime in each state?

Am I getting incorrect advice?

 

[Bowhuntrben]

I’m so new to western hunting. I’m literally only interested in getting a cow moose just for the meat.

I hear it’s really difficult to draw a cow moose tag and that it is a once-in-a-lifetime in each state?

Am I getting incorrect advice?

Check out Colorado. At least historically it hasn’t been overly difficult for a nonresident to get a tag. Could be getting more difficult as time goes on though. Not once in a lifetime for cows. Spendy tag though.