What do I need to know about Moose
- Thread starter Ben Long
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Hawk Tuah
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Congrats on the tag! Only been in on three Shiras bull kills. Don't get discouraged if you go in Sept and don't see much. The rut is like a flipped switch. And also post rut is good when leaves fall.
They are big but not giant if you've packed out a fully mature bull elk. I killed mine 5 miles in the backcountry with a buddy with me, thankfully in Oct with a foot of fresh snow. We thought we had horses lined up so our first load was light. I carried the rack and my buddy took tenderloins and backstraps. My buddy with horse bailed when he found out where the bull was... apparently too rough to get a horse into. Went back in that afternoon with four of us total on foot. We boned and carried the rest out, got off the mountain around 2am. Like fun, but different.
My wife shot hers 30 yards from a road. Better idea.
My daughter's was a mile from road so not too bad.
If you track in snow, make sure you know the difference in bull and cow. I did not. I tracked a cow most of a day in a foot of snow (never caught up). The next day, the day I killed mine, I crossed a bull's tracks and remember thinking I'd wasted a day on a cow thinking it was a bull.
Keep shooting. I shot mine broadside at like 25 yards with a .300 win mag. It stopped and looked at me so I shot it again. It walked 20 more yards and stopped. I put two more into it. It walked another 20 and laid down with it's head up. I shot it again. All shots through both lungs.
Have fun. They are a neat animal.
They are big but not giant if you've packed out a fully mature bull elk. I killed mine 5 miles in the backcountry with a buddy with me, thankfully in Oct with a foot of fresh snow. We thought we had horses lined up so our first load was light. I carried the rack and my buddy took tenderloins and backstraps. My buddy with horse bailed when he found out where the bull was... apparently too rough to get a horse into. Went back in that afternoon with four of us total on foot. We boned and carried the rest out, got off the mountain around 2am. Like fun, but different.
My wife shot hers 30 yards from a road. Better idea.
My daughter's was a mile from road so not too bad.
If you track in snow, make sure you know the difference in bull and cow. I did not. I tracked a cow most of a day in a foot of snow (never caught up). The next day, the day I killed mine, I crossed a bull's tracks and remember thinking I'd wasted a day on a cow thinking it was a bull.
Keep shooting. I shot mine broadside at like 25 yards with a .300 win mag. It stopped and looked at me so I shot it again. It walked 20 more yards and stopped. I put two more into it. It walked another 20 and laid down with it's head up. I shot it again. All shots through both lungs.
Have fun. They are a neat animal.
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
Did mark shoot that top one??
The Hedgehog
Well-known member
I’m no expert but I’ve had 2 shiras permits. My advice is to scout hard knowing where they are (bulls) in august - it likely very near where they’ll be sep 15. But soon they’ll start roaming. Hunt hard the 1st month and call a lot- it’s very fun. Later in the season, tracking bull moose in the snow is fun too. Good luck!
I drew an Idaho unit 59 tag, Im in a similar spot where I have solo packed out several elk but know very little about moose hunting other than I see them all the time when archery elk hunting in Montana. Thanks to all that have posted in this thread, there is a ton of great info.
Ben Long
Well-known member
So many of you wished me well in my moose hunt, so you deserve an update. Sadly, it's tag soup. The FWP stats in that unit say a hunter puts in an average of 17 days to get a moose. I didn't have that kind of PTO but I put in a solid 10 days, not including travel time. I didn't see a moose, even though there was a ton of sign and I always felt I was close. I hunted a week in early October for the rut (65 and sunny) then a week in November for the tracking snow (0 degrees and mostly sunny.)
I think the highlight was an evening in October when I called back and forth to a bull who was hidden in a willow jungle. But tracking in the snow in November was also a lot of fun. I learned a lot about moose, which is to say I learned exactly how little I know about moose. They led me on many Wild Moose Chases. There was no shortage of moose sign and I was on many hot tracks when I thought I might find my target at any moment. But no.
I had a great tipi-camp in October then rented a cabin for November. Plenty of friends elected to join me, even if they had no moose tag themselves. Several of them saw moose, which of course will drive you nuts. In fact, the biologist staffing the check station saw a moose trot by the check station an hour before I stopped by for a midday chat.
I put all my hunting eggs in the moose basket this year. No regrets. I really enjoyed following moose tracks in the snow. I learned so much about what they eat and how they spend their time. Basically, they have no sense of purpose in life. If I had a GPS tracker on following a moose trail, it would just look like a giant scribble. They just lollygag around, nibbling on twigs, then wander through deadfall hellholes just for kicks. Still it's hard to catch up with them, with their long legs.
Another highlight of the hunt was following lion tracks. I saw these drag marks in the snow. I thought a human hunter had dragged out a deer, but there were no boot tracks and no blood. But paw prints. So I followed them into a cluster of downfall to find a half-eaten, half-hidden mule deer. I did not see the lion, but that doesn't mean it did not see me!
I think the highlight was an evening in October when I called back and forth to a bull who was hidden in a willow jungle. But tracking in the snow in November was also a lot of fun. I learned a lot about moose, which is to say I learned exactly how little I know about moose. They led me on many Wild Moose Chases. There was no shortage of moose sign and I was on many hot tracks when I thought I might find my target at any moment. But no.
I had a great tipi-camp in October then rented a cabin for November. Plenty of friends elected to join me, even if they had no moose tag themselves. Several of them saw moose, which of course will drive you nuts. In fact, the biologist staffing the check station saw a moose trot by the check station an hour before I stopped by for a midday chat.
I put all my hunting eggs in the moose basket this year. No regrets. I really enjoyed following moose tracks in the snow. I learned so much about what they eat and how they spend their time. Basically, they have no sense of purpose in life. If I had a GPS tracker on following a moose trail, it would just look like a giant scribble. They just lollygag around, nibbling on twigs, then wander through deadfall hellholes just for kicks. Still it's hard to catch up with them, with their long legs.
Another highlight of the hunt was following lion tracks. I saw these drag marks in the snow. I thought a human hunter had dragged out a deer, but there were no boot tracks and no blood. But paw prints. So I followed them into a cluster of downfall to find a half-eaten, half-hidden mule deer. I did not see the lion, but that doesn't mean it did not see me!
Bwillig
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Sorry you didn't harvest a moose, but it sounds like you had a great experience!
Red-Team 98
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Jet Sled XL with Camo cover
And put Skid rail kit on it
I put large Eye bolts with Fender washer in front for pulling
Drilled and put small eye bolts with washers on sides for lashing down quarter.
Use a pulling harness belt/vest to pull.
Use 2 short yellow 1” straps attached by D ring quick snaps to sled and harness.
Much easier than pack frame .
This is how I get my Moose and Caribou out especially when I take the frighter canoe .
And put Skid rail kit on it
I put large Eye bolts with Fender washer in front for pulling
Drilled and put small eye bolts with washers on sides for lashing down quarter.
Use a pulling harness belt/vest to pull.
Use 2 short yellow 1” straps attached by D ring quick snaps to sled and harness.
Much easier than pack frame .
This is how I get my Moose and Caribou out especially when I take the frighter canoe .
Last edited:
Ben Long
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I want to see a picture of this setup.
Red-Team 98
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My Jet Sled
Red-Team 98
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Red-Team 98
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Much easier than packing out game on your back. I put my camp in it set up camp then use this to transport moose quarters back to canoe.
Red-Team 98
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Posted Ben
Ben Long
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Nice. What kind of terrain? Ground conditions?
Red-Team 98
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Alaskan Terrain woods/tundra/rough/smooth all types of terrain really works great for Caribou after quartering the whole caribou in one load. I have not used a back frighter in years. Never will go back to back frighter.
I have one small one and this XL one for moose. Highly recommend the Jet Sled.
