Utah Wasatch Moose Hawg

[grunt_smacker]

The story will be forthcomming, depending on if it will be published or not.
I was lucky to bag this monster Shiras Moose in the Wasatch unit of Utah.
I was lucky to draw a Once in a Lifetime tag with only 5 points in the draw.
I would like to thank Scott Mackintosh for making this a true Once in a Lifetime hunting experience!
We rough scored him at about 180
51 inch max spread
9x13 points

 

[wilecoyote76]

WOW! What a great first post! First off, Welcome to Moosie's place. That, my friend, is a great bull moose. What's the story on this brute? Thanks for the great pics as well.

 

[csutton7]

awesome job...........what a pig........chris

 

[choc dogs]

congrats, there were some moose there when I moved, but I don't remember seeing any that big.

 

[Moosie]

That, is a NICE moose !!!!! Congrats !!! WOW.

 

[1_pointer]

WOW! I've seen a few nice ones in UT, but nothing like that. Congrats.

 

[grunt_smacker]

The date was Friday the 13th and I had just met a gentlemen on a hunting web site a few days earlier. After emailing back and forth and then talking a bit on the phone we met for the first time at about 6:30 that morning.
He agreed to show me a few areas that he had seen some nice bull moose earlier in the year.
Along for the ride was a cousin Randy Patten, and new friend Scott Mackintosh.
We arrived in the area that a nice moose was seen just days before, but we had no luck in finding him. We continued to the other location where there sightings and immediately ran into a nice bull. I decided to wait and see what else this canyon had in store for me, and we continued up the trail.
Another nice bull was spotted and we watched him for a little while. Not being what I wanted we passed him up and searched up even higher in the canyon.
Nothing was found up higher even after a nice little hike to some meadows where moose frequent.
After receiving a crash course on shooting a bow (I haven't shot a bow since I was a boy scout, and with that it was also a recurve) (plus I am left handed, but learned how to shoot right handed because that was the only way I was taught) I was able to stick 4-5 arrows into a paper plate target at 20 yards.
Now I got to say, these new bows are fancy and easy to maneuver and easy to aim.
I was possibly going to try shooting the first bull we spotted with a bow if I could get within the 20 yards and get an easy broadside shot.
On the way back down the canyon we stopped where the second bull was spotted and we walked around to make sure nothing else bigger was close by.
We got a little to close to this smaller bull, who decided he would show us how tough he was and charged us.
I have never seen three grown men scatter faster for their lives than this.
This bull only took a few steps towards us, but was enough to make us understand he didn't appreciate us bothering him.
After following the trail down a few hundred yards we ran upon a cow feeding. We again hiked around her glassing and checking to see if any bigger bulls were around. With no luck spotting anything by her we went down the trail another couple a hundred yards.

Scott was in front of us on the trail hand wide apart and stretched for the heavens like his favorite team had just scored a touchdown!
I knew exactly what he was telling us, and when we got to where we could see the bull, I had to stop and pick my jaw up off the ground.
There about 180 yards at the edge of the meadow stood a monster bull moose.
Randy was filming everything of the day, and didn't miss much from this bull. It was like he knew he had to get everything on film.
The bull was broadside, but before I could shoot he turned and started to walk away.
After watching him and waiting for the right moment The bull stepped out only to walk into a big bunch of willows.
All I could see was his antlers and head, no good shot was present so we just waited him out.
Randy was filming, grunting and calling to the monster to see if he would take a few steps out of the brush, but nothing was working.
After what seemed like hours of having him in my scope and my vitals had returned to somewhat normal he decided to take a few steps out.
The butterflies immediately returned to my stomach, but not quite as bad this time.
I put my cross hairs behind the front shoulder and let the first shot go.
After 2 shots he went down only to get back up after about 2 minutes so I shot again, nothing!
My fourth shot ended up dropping him and it was finally over.
I knew I had just taken a wonderful huge Shiras bull moose.
Not until we actually got to him did we realize the true size of this hawg.
He ended up being 51 inches wide with a 9 by 13 points.
I am so proud to find such an animal, and have the opportunity of taking something so nice.
We roughly scored him and came up with about 170-180 gross before the official drying period.
I would like to thank Scott Macintosh for making this a true Once in a Lifetime hunt and for his big heart and willingness to help out another fellow hunter get a trophy of a lifetime.
Also I would like to thank Randy Patten for playing camera man and capturing this all on video.

 

[4XHOSS]

WOW!! Congrats, I don't think i could have passed up any bull if it was once in a life time.

 

[schmalts]

WOWSERS! thats nice

 

[carbonarcher]

That there is a stud bull, congrats to the lucky hunter!

 

[danr55]

Great Moose.. Is that a Shiras?

 

[Dangerous Dave]

GS, That is a Shiras bull of a lifetime!! Those transplanted bulls must have finally gotten older and started growing some really impressive racks. All the bulls I ran into during a mule deer hunt 5 years ago in the High Uintas (Utah) had very small antlers.

 

[280]

nice moose

 

[Cameron Hunt]

Grunt Smacker. You da man !!

That should be all I have to say, but I cant. Wow great bull. That guy is the twin brother of one my buddy and I had at 22yds 2 years ago in the NE corner of Washington. I wish we would of had the camera, you wouldnt believe how much they look alike. The Wa. bull had a huge bell though.
Got any more pics to share?

 

[Cameron Hunt]

Grunt Smacker. You da man !!

That should be all I have to say, but I cant. Wow great bull. That guy is the twin brother of one my buddy and I had at 22yds 2 years ago in the NE corner of Washington. I wish we would of had the camera, you wouldnt believe how much they look alike. The Wa. bull had a huge bell though.
Got any more pics to share?

 

[jkhunterid]

Fantastic moose, congratulations and thanks for the pictures.

 

[cjcj]

Awesome Moose, thanks for the pics ,,,and welcome to Hunttalk.

 

[Kyhunter42]

Great pics. That is a a great moose.

 

[Hiker]

That is one great Shiras. Congrats!

 

[grunt_smacker]

Got my score back on my moose
Net 163 3/8
Gross 168 7/8
not a new state record, but puts him in the All-Time Boone and Crockett record books