MT Moose Unit 104

[sra61]

Man this is a crappy way to spend 20 years of drawings with 15 preference points! I've hunted 20 days now and finally saw my first moose, a cow and calf on day #19! No bull with them of course! I do know that a USFS employee with a moose tag heard that there was a bull hanging in a cut that was still being worked in, and shot him right on their landing! Unfortunately I'm pretty sure it was the bull I was trying to get in to a call in a little swamp just down drainage from where he got shot! That figures. I've talked to a lot of local people and I haven't found one single person that can remember seeing a moose in Unit #104 in years. The place is a dead zone. Very few deer, almost no elk , and very few moose. In 20 days of hunting I never even heard one single elk bugle! I did get to watch a family of five Otters eat the heck out of nice sized trout in Bull Lake one evening. That was cool. They catch fish so fast I couldn't believe it. I'm trying really hard to remember that I hunt because it's fun. This hasn't been very much fun to be honest. I can only hemorrhage vacation time and money for fuel for so long. I have talked to the head biologist for FWP in the Troy area twice and she seems nice. She just keeps saying that it's just so thick and the moose are hard to find. To be honest everyone I've talked to as well as myself just can't understand why there is even one tag in this unit. Luckily there seems to be a pretty good amount of timber sales in the area right now, so that bodes well for the future, but for me and the other tag holders this year that probably won't be much help, although after I heard about the one bull, I checked a new cut that I know was cut this summer and low and behold there was a good fresh moose track coming and going into the area on that new road! Maybe I need to be checking every new cut that I can find. I ain't gonna quit, but I have to get back to work some too. Here's some pics of the moose and stuff. Whatever you do don't put Unit #104 on your choice for moose next year!!!

 

[troydave]

I feel for you since I live in Troy. A few years ago there would be moose come into town during the winters. Not so the past few years. I am surprised that you actually saw a cow that still had her calf as very few calves survive the wolves that long. I could find you a sheep or a mountain goat almost
any day of the week, but it has been a couple of years since I have seen a moose!

 

[sra61]

One thing I have to say is that calf was a brute! He looked good. He was damned near as big as Mom, I know odds are against him, but I sure hope he lives! It was pretty cool, Mom kept coming right at me, He was whining at her, I was a little nervous there for a minute, until she got my wind. She didn't like that very much! By the way thanks again "theat", you were right on about that rd. up drainage from that swamp that's right where that guy got that bull. If I had just had a better knowledge of the area I would have hit that earlier and maybe I would have gotten him. Oh well. There's probably a bigger bull out there waiting for me!

 

[----]

Life's shitty enough without being bummed out over hunting. You're still in amazing country with a once in a lifetime tag in your pocket. Keep at it hard and hopefully it pays off for you.

 

[sra61]

24 days hunting now and just the one cow and calf seen. I did see a raghorn bull elk yesterday and a good amount of elk sign and jumped another bunch with a bull, so at least there's that. I'm gonna go back on Saturday with horses and maybe find a consolation prize. As or the moose that's just going to be a weekend warrior type deal at least until some snow comes hopefully. I need to get down to FWP and buy my unicorn tag and yeti tag. I think I might stand a better chance of success on those, than that mythical moose!

 

[drahthaar]

Don't give up until there is significant snow and you still don't see diddley. Most those tag holders up there just waited til snow killed their moose, at least that is how it was when I lived in Eureka.

 

[sra61]

Don't give up until there is significant snow and you still don't see diddley. Most those tag holders up there just waited til snow killed their moose, at least that is how it was when I lived in Eureka.

Yeah, after talking to a couple of local guys and hearing the same thing, I looked at the map for a while, and about half of the main drainages have the upper halves in Idaho! That really starts to make sense. Hopefully the wolves leave one for me! Praying for snow!

 

[sra61]

I did see a raghorn bull elk yesterday and a good amount of elk sign and jumped another bunch with a bull, so at least there's that. I'm gonna go back on Saturday with horses and maybe find a consolation prize.!

Ok so 26 days in the field looking for moose and still just one cow and calf seen. I did however take advantage of the "Consolation Prize".



I'll post on the elk page, but I had talked about it. Spend enough time in the woods and you might just find something you didn't expect!

 

[kansasdad]

Very cool. Glad you had backup options.

 

[sra61]

Yeah, plan B's looking pretty good!

 

[Goldtip]

I would fully agree with Draht, don't waist any more of your vacation time looking for that Moose up in 104 until the snow flies and the rest of the leaves and trees are fallen. Will really change your moose sightings. Also remember where that cow was, if she had a calf with her she will probably come into a late estrous and may have bulls all over her come mid-late November as she cycles and the bulls will still respond to grunting at that time. Good luck.

 

[sra61]

I would fully agree with Draht, don't waist any more of your vacation time looking for that Moose up in 104 until the snow flies and the rest of the leaves and trees are fallen. Will really change your moose sightings. Also remember where that cow was, if she had a calf with her she will probably come into a late estrous and may have bulls all over her come mid-late November as she cycles and the bulls will still respond to grunting at that time. Good luck.

Thanks, I've been down in there where I saw the cow and didn't see any fresh sign, but planned to check it again. I have been seeing a track where I got into the elk, he seems to be moving around the rds that I have been hunting, I just can't quite seem to be there when he is yet. Now I'm seeing a lot of muley does, and wondering if the buck that shows up might be as heavy and gnarly as the bull elk was. I can't wait to see. I ain't giving up on the moose I'm too hard headed for that. I did get really frustrated and bummed for a while. I hope we get some snow though! Snow Dance?

 

[gwhunter]

 

[Horn Seeker]

Well...you keepin after it or are you just sittin in the garage admiring the two beauties you already pulled out of there???

Hopefully some snow has helped??? Snow there?

 

[sra61]

33 Days now and still not one bull! There is just a skiff of snow up high. There is one spot where there are quite a few tracks right on the road where we saw all of the old moose crap from last winter, so it looks like they are starting to move in a little bit. I may try to work my way up onto the ridge line and see if I can see more than 50 feet. The forecast looks like we may get a good shot of snow, we'll see. I plan to hunt everyday except for Turkey day until she's all over if need be.

 

[double_a85]

Good Luck! Persistence usually pays off.

 

[JohnCushman]

Good luck!! Moose steaks or a smoked roast would be good on the Thanksgiving table

 

[npaden]

Good luck. Hope you can add a nice moose to all the other trophies you've collected so far this year!

 

[Montana4Life]

Heck of a year! Good luck with the moose. Look forward to seeing the pics!

 

[duckhunt]

Good luck. I know your luck will change if you stick with it.