Ruby River moose beware!

[ismith]

My parents had their camera along and they took pictures of the excavation so Ill post those pics when I get them. My mother found a couple vertebra that had weathered out of the bank and asked me if they were moose or cow bones. I found another one in the bank and on a hunch starting digging, not really expecting to find anything. Well the horse flys were eating my dad for lunch, I hadnt found anything in about 15 minutes of chipping away at the bank and I was just about to stop when I found more bone. I pulled a big clod of clay away and he was just sitting there smiling at me! It took about another 30 minutes of careful digging before I pulled him out of the ground. I do want to take the skull in and have professionals look at it, not sure if MSU or UM have any bison people but I guess I can make some phone calls. It was about 2 feet down in the bank and the creek was probally 15 feet lower in the drainage, so id bet the ranch its pretty old. The horns are 24 inches tip to tip, 10 inches eye to eye, and the skull is 22 inches long. Its definately the coolest thing Ive found in the woods!

 

[Lawnboy]

Awesome find!! If that guy could talk I bet he's got some stories. My friend found a giant bull elk preserved in some mud in the Snowcrests. It ended up scoring just over 400" The mud preserved it really well similar to your buffalo buddy. Cool

 

[ismith]

Im not sure why, but on the way home I was imagining bison everywhere!

 

[JCS]

Great find. I found a buffalo skull here in Eastern Montana about 20 years ago. It was in a wash out around 10 feet under the ground. I had never done anything with it. It still sits in my garage.

 

[BuzzH]

ismith,

Heres a photo I took of a bull moose that was on the ranch you took the bison photos on. The ranch owner was looking for this bull and his larger companion on opening day with a Governors tag in his pocket...they didnt find either one. Dont feel too bad...he killed a decent one on his other ranch near Bozeman.

 

[ismith]

Great find. I found a buffalo skull here in Eastern Montana about 20 years ago. It was in a wash out around 10 feet under the ground. I had never done anything with it. It still sits in my garage.

Id love to see a picture of it. Ive put in for bison every year since they started the bison hunt back up, but now id like to hunt them even more so. A buddy at work drew a tag a few years ago and ended up with a very nice bull that scored 110. The skull that I found has the same horn core tip to tip spread and horn core shape, but has heavier horn cores.

 

[ismith]

ismith,

Heres a photo I took of a bull moose that was on the ranch you took the bison photos on. The ranch owner was looking for this bull and his larger companion on opening day with a Governors tag in his pocket...they didnt find either one. Dont feel too bad...he killed a decent one on his other ranch near Bozeman.

Thats a great bull! Thanks for sharing.

 

[JCS]

I cant seem to upload any pictures. I will keep trying. The skull is 27' wide (tip to tip) by 23" long.

 

[ismith]

Sounds like a nice one! Mine is 25" wide by 22" long. Have you tried using Photobucket?

 

[JCS]

If I wasnt such a computer retard I could figure it out.

 

[jcalloway]

Good luck! Thanks for sharing your adventures!

 

[Horn Seeker]

Cool Find! I found one over here on the STillwater River in 08'...left it to come back for it... never got back. I 'll try and dig the pics up! Had to excavate it out of the stream bank...

 

[Horn Seeker]

 

[ismith]

Very nice! Im definately going to be keeping an eye out for more whenever im out in the hills.

 

[elk4me]

love the pics good luck

 

[mthunter]

I get to hunt with a friend who drew a bull moose tag also! He was stoked to find out. Only took him ten years. We will just be to the West of you. Using archery only.

We have scouted a few times, and we have seen moose trip. Talking with a few people, they are telling us that the big boys will start coming out of the high timber around the end of August. They will hang out in the creek botoms and willows during the rut. Some big bulls have come out of this area.

Even though i'll be running the camera, I can't wait for the season to get here. Only a month away!!!

 

[JCS]

ismith-been looking for any moose? My moose tag is for the West Yellowston area. A buddy of mine from that area has said he has seen a few bulls around. The hunt is just around the corner.

 

[Horn Seeker]

JCS, you have someone spending some time scouting for you? That can be a tough tag... is it in that 362 stuff north of Hebgen? (I dont know which moose number that is, 362 is the deer/elk number)..

 

[mdunc8]

Sweet find HS. Mthunter, I buddy of mine drew a moose tag south of Bozeman last year and we were finding all of the moose up high in cutovers. He saw a nice bull and a few cows prior to the season in some bogs, but nothing down there during the first week when we were hunting. He ended up shooting a nice bull that was trailing a cow relatively high on the edge of a cutover. Funny thing, we had been hiking back in about 3-4 miles each day to a couple ponds and bogs. We got sidetracked with an elk on our way out there on day four and stumbled into his moose 1/4 from camp. Heard him grunting (not sure if that's the right term for moose) before we even saw him. I actually see most of my moose in cutovers when I've been scouting or hiking. Not saying they're not down low, but don't over look other areas.

 

[Ridge Runner]

That skull is a cool find for sure. Could be a sign that the hunting gods of tribes past are looking down on you for a great hunt. Very cool indeed.