FSJ / Pink Mountain Moose Rut

[ElliotMoose]

Afternoon guys/gals,

Looking for some local insight on the moose rut in the FSJ/Chetwynd/Pink mountain area. We have went up the last 3 years normally from Sept 30ish to October 8ish. The weather has been warm during that time the past few years aside from a few cold snaps. We rarely see game in the first half of the hunt and then all of a sudden around October 3/4 it seems to explode and we call bulls in every day. The only issue is they all seem to be sub-prime bulls and in a lot of cases they are travelling together.

Last year we ran into a couple older fellas who have hunted the watershed we are hunting for over 30 years. They say the rut up there is Oct 5-15 which surprises me as that seems more in line with our local moose rut (100 mile house) and I thought it would be quite a bit earlier that far north.

I'm asking those with experience in the area if you think that we are timing it right and that's just the luck of the draw or are we possibly hitting the second estrus when it is mainly small bulls trying to breed and the prime breeding bulls have already done their part and are holed up. We call bull after bull in and they come hot but nothing over the 40" mark and nothing legal. Lots of small paddle bulls.

Look forward to some insight as we are just planning our trip now after another unsuccessful year on LEH.

Chris

[huntingfamily]

I live in the area. Matter of fact the moose hunting in my M.U. is closed to rifle oct 1-15 due to the rut. Further north around Pink Mtn isn't but the main rut up here is the first couple weeks of Oct.
The smaller size of bulls you are seeing up here is very typical. Lots of hunting pressure. If you want bigger bulls you have to get further off the beaten path unless you're very lucky.

[buckshot]

What the old fellers were telling you is something that I have experienced myself up in that country as well. One year I shot a bull on the 25th of October that was scrapping with another big bull when we caught up to them. There was a foot of snow on the ground and by the mess they made, you could tell that they had been at it for a while.
October 3 to the tenth is when things seem to pick-up north of Wonowon.

[DR.DOUG]

Been hunting that area for 30 plus years and the old boys have not led you astray. Oct 1-15 prime rut

[Huevos]

I'd plan anywhere from the last 10 days in september to the first 10 days in October. You will get action anywhere in there. Rut is going to be about the same up there as where you are. If the moose breed earlier, they drop calves earlier. The further north you go, the less desireable that is. Lots of times it is hard to call a bull in during prime rut because he is already with a cow. Once the cow is bred, they are back on the prowl. Iv'e had really good luck calling bulls in during the last 10 days of September. I'd say about equal to the first 10 days in october. Good luck hunting.

[Arctic Lake]

This moose rut question comes up over and over and I can see why . I use to moose hunt 1 hour North of Prince George for years , 2 nd week of October and that is when we had the best luck calling ,we went later and it was not good .
Now A lot of fellas say that the last week of September-is prime rut where I try to put in for LEH moose which is 7-25
I do know this , the rut is triggered by the shortening of daylight hours . Temperature might play a factor in animals movement though .
Arctic Lake

[Darksith]

what you guys talking about lol.

The rut is earlier than Oct 1. Google the studies. And you want to hunt pre rut, thats when the bulls will be moving looking for the ladies. Once the rut is on, the bulls are cowed up and not moving much. Most of the moose in north central BC are bread Sept 28...proven fact
Kamloops rut is Oct 1-4
Burns Lake Rut is Sept 25-30
Dease probably Sept 20-25

[huntingfamily]

In the Peace region my cams show moose activity picks up the last week of September to the third week of October.
If cows aren't bred in the last week of Sept & first week of October, they go into a 2nd estrus.
I see they closed a few more M.U.'s up here during the first 2 weeks of October for rifle. I wonder why...

[canishunter22-250]

My cameras in the peace show a drastic increase in bull activity the first 10 days of Oct it seems like. Good luck finding a legal one though. I had 14 bulls on camera last fall in the rut. One was legal.. barely.

[Agent Orange]

They changed the regs to bow only from Oct 1 -15th in these regions: 7-20, 7-21A, 7-32 to 7-35, 7-44, 7-45, 7-57, 7-58, So be aware of that while planning your hunt. It seems to coincide with what the old timers are saying

[338edgehunter]

I live in fort st John have been here for close to 10 years now the rut usually starts the 3rd week of September and moves into the 1st and 2nd weeks of October last year was unusually warm but ended up getting a nice 51" bull just north of town.