butchering a moose

[gutpile]

Anyone butchering a moose or any big animal by yourself in grizzly country , do you do that
or do you avoid grizzly country when hunting by yourself ? that's the problem i have ,
Can't really avoid grizzly's when hunting moose !

[Bubbacanuck]

Friend on stand by with a loaded 45-70

[gutpile]

Remember by yourself !

[264mag]

Just keep your gun loaded and take your time, breaks every 5 mins to check your surroundings constantly. Any way you slice it, not the best situation.

[swampthing]

I have done I think two moose now on solo hunts in grizz country. Grizz were spotted every second day or so. Its definitely a new sense of awareness! One was above treeline so I had a pretty good view around me. It did take 5 days of packing meat to get it off the mountain! As I peeked over the ridge at my meat pile on the last day I spotted a wolf carrying off one of the last two bags of meat. I was already cursing having to carry meat and a wolf hide as I dropped prone into a shooting position. I grinned as I picked him up in the scope! It was a wolverine! I let him left him to be with his new found bounty. I thought it was strange that a wolf would have touched a game bag. The second was in the same area but in the timber of the valley bottom. I peed all around and took a crap just downwind as well before I started the knifework. I was fairly vocal as I parted that bull out. I was able to get half of that bull out the first day and all was well when I returned the next day to finish up. Oh, just remembered another one. I was done hunting for the evening and was riding my quad back to camp right at last light when I happened across a bull I just couldnt pass up! It wasnt really a hunt but I was able to use the quad to pull him right onto the road edge. I donned the headlamp, built a quick fire and got to it. A logger passed by shortly and stopped, told me I was nuts and dove in to help me part that bull out into manageable pieces. I was happy to have the help! It was about 2am when I finally relaxed in camp with a well deserved rum n coke. In short, keep yer wits about ya, leave all the stinky human scent you can and remember, them bears are more scared of you than we are of them!

[srupp]

Hmm make your weapon safe but instantly accessable!
Clean and quarter the animal.
Remove the edible portions 300 yards..separate from gutpile.
Keep your head on a swivel.be aware.
Place LOTS of flagging tape on around gutpile..so OTHERS don't stumble in on a feeding grizzly .
Do the same for your game meat pile..or better yet hang em high.. put tape ALL around your meat so you can tell if the game meat has been hit.place game meat where you can see it for 100 yards..glass the game meat...intact ? Or scattered tape intact ?
Just assume bears on gut pile and meat stash..
On each trip SCAN WITH OPTICS..ensure no bear has claimed your moose.
A 500 pound grizz is extremely quiet..keep looking around while cleaning the moose..stop rehydrate..look continue quartering bagging.a moment of caution versus a lifetime of grief or worse.
Here in the Cariboo..Bears do not associate a rifle shot with a dinner bell..some places they seem to.
Keeping the bagged meat hung high and located where you can see it clearly with optics from a distance.
Srupp
Hmm the caloric jackpot in fall over rides a bears disdain for humans..yes pee lots around game meat..leave a sweaty undershirt..however fall grizzlies NEED to put on the pounds..it over rides natural fear/ caution.
If forced to work into the dark.. a fire closeby.

[Ron.C]

I enjoy hunting alone sometimes have went solo when I could of had a partner. I just enjoy the solitude and have had far better success for elk hunting on my own. But I hear ya, sometime in Griz country it would be nice to have a partner, especially when an animal hits the ground.

It would be easy to sit here on the couch and say you don't need to be concerned just put your head down and get the work done. But that would be complete BS. Its very risky by yourself and not something that I enjoy doing and to be honest, I have been pretty nervous and uncomfortable at times doing it.

I've done 4 elk by myself. The only issue I've had was on my Roosevelt elk (not grizz country). I had a medium size black bear show up right after I got the first quarter off. Scared him off easily enough but he lingered and kept sneaking back in. Ended up putting the run on him 4 more times and he still remained within 75 yards of me the entire time. I would not of been that ballsy with a Griz for sure. In hind sight, would of been a great time to test my bear spray, but it was in my truck.

The other 3 were in the East Koots in prime Grizzly country of which 2 were shot at last light. My bull last year was one of these. I shot him just before legal light ended and was about 4km from my truck down in a draw. It was hot as hell out and dressed him in the dark and spent half the night packing him up to the nearest road, then walked about 2.5 km out to get my truck.

Before I started dressing him, I threw up my pack alarm about 60 meters downwind in a 100 meter U shape. I talk to myself constantly, sang a few songs and frequently pop up to look around and listen. Rifle was always at an arms reach. I carried each quarter about 100m upwind as they came off the carcass and before I started ferrying them out, put my alarm around the quarters I needed to come back for.

[wildcatter]

Remember by yourself !


I have done a lot of solo hunting when I was younger, but not anymore, not in grizzly country anyway.

[Ferenc]

Remember by yourself !

Don’t leave it over night.

[gutpile]

Hmm make your weapon safe but instantly accessable!
Clean and quarter the animal.
Remove the edible portions 300 yards..separate from gutpile.
Keep your head on a swivel.be aware.
Place LOTS of flagging tape on around gutpile..so OTHERS don't stumble in on a feeding grizzly .
Do the same for your game meat pile..or better yet hang em high.. put tape ALL around your meat so you can tell if the game meat has been hit.place game meat where you can see it for 100 yards..glass the game meat...intact ? Or scattered tape intact ?
Just assume bears on gut pile and meat stash..
On each trip SCAN WITH OPTICS..ensure no bear has claimed your moose.
A 500 pound grizz is extremely quiet..keep looking around while cleaning the moose..stop rehydrate..look continue quartering bagging.a moment of caution versus a lifetime of grief or worse.
Here in the Cariboo..Bears do not associate a rifle shot with a dinner bell..some places they seem to.
Keeping the bagged meat hung high and located where you can see it clearly with optics from a distance.
Srupp
Hmm the caloric jackpot in fall over rides a bears disdain for humans..yes pee lots around game meat..leave a sweaty undershirt..however fall grizzlies NEED to put on the pounds..it over rides natural fear/ caution.
If forced to work into the dark.. a fire closeby.I heard human pee and camp fires doesn't keep bears away !

[Sitkaspruce]

I do the gutless method and have done a few by myself.

Gun is loaded and is either leaning on the animal while I quarter or a tree right beside me. The gun follows me every where.

I also sing, yell and let go with the air horn every once and while.

It takes a little more time because I stop and look around a lot.

I have never had an issue, but when I did this one, a few times my hair stood up and I "felt" a presence. I was 4 k from the road and the closest cell service was 15 k away. My partner had to hike the 4 k back to the quads, then run 15k to call in the troops to get the beast out. He was gone 3 hours....3 hours that I sang and screamed and danced and moved my gun so many times that it wore down the grip! But wouldn't change it for anything.

https://i.postimg.cc/JzNWfbbC/IMG-5323.jpg (https://postimg.cc/nXh579R3)

https://i.postimg.cc/SNQKDPg3/IMG-5350.jpg (https://postimg.cc/JtgmhpV5)

If you do have to leave the animal, I always find a tall branch/stick/tree top and wrap a bunch of flagging on top and stick it through the ribs so you can see it well before you get back. Have had a bear and a wolverine hit the carcass in the past and the flagging saved a lot of problems.....

Cheers

SS

[mpotzold]

See #35 –went hunting alone –had my 303 loaded & ready close by.

#3- this huge one was shot a few years later in the same general area but there were 3 of us

The Germansen area always had grizzly bears & we had a few close encounters.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?152867-Moose-hunting-pics!/page4&highlight=germansen+moose (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/showthread.php?152867-Moose-hunting-pics!/page4&highlight=germansen+moose)

[stoneramhunter]

Spent many years hunting in Grizz country. Hunted by horse and on foot. When I down an animal and prep it for packing. I always place a long stick 8 ft or so into the meat with flagging or a plastic bag on top. When I return for another load I can check to see if the pole is moving or down. You can observe this from a safe distance.

[fuzzybiscuit]

I have done a lot of solo hunting when I was younger, but not anymore, not in grizzly country anyway.

We've all seen how scared the Covid vaccine has got you so I can't imagine what being out where the Grizzly's roam would do to you...:lol:

[BRvalley]

I heard human pee and camp fires doesn't keep bears away !

in my experience once a grizz knows there is food there, he won't stop coming back

we defended our moose from a grizz a few years back, while celebrating we were caught away from the guns and had a bluff charge, never make that mistake again.....we had 3 of us and could get my lifted truck close to kill site and drag it to a better flat spot....headlights on, 2 fires, 2 people on moose, 1 person with loaded gun guarding, the bear circled us from sundown to 2 am when we finished, could hear him huffing and popping his jaw, beating on bushes and trees...was a fun night! left all my gear on the ground and came back next afternoon, bear was still on the hide, gutpile was pretty much gone by then

shot another moose in the same spot this past year, with lots of fresh bear sign we saw through the day, just 2 of us this time....we confirmed moose was down and left him for sun up

I have always said I want to get a pack alarm, I think it would be handy for dealing with a moose by yourself, possibly give yourself a couple extra seconds to be ready

[Downtown]

Anyone butchering a moose or any big animal by yourself in grizzly country , do you do that
or do you avoid grizzly country when hunting by yourself ? that's the problem i have ,
Can't really avoid grizzly's when hunting moose !

***************

Happens all the time by Hunters which actually hunt off-road. I assume you need to pack the Moose out on your Back no Horses no ATV.
Keep your Rifle loaded with Shell in the Chamber within feet of your worksite. Gut and pull Gutpile 10 ft. away. Take one Quarter off and onto the Packboard. Tie Rope around Moose Antlers and tie to a decent Tree so if Mr. Grizz shows up he cant drag Moose into thicker Bush. Cut 2 saplings 15 ft. long and peel off Bark. Stick one Sapling peeled section up vertically into Moose and Ground. Stick the other Sapling peeled section up into the Ground some 50 ft away. Leave your underwear on top of Moose. If possible Piss and poop within 50 feet of the Carcass.


When you come back to get the 2,3,4,5,6 load you should easily see from a good distance like 200 yards the peeled sections from both Saplings. If one is gone its likely Mr. Grizzly is on your prize and perhaps one or 2 more circling in the distance hoping to get in on the action.

Most of our Moose hunting is done in remote and prime Grizzly country. In over 40 years no Grizzly has ever hit our kills if Underwear or Socks where placed on Carcass within 15 hrs. before returning.

Cheers

[gutpile]

I was thinking of pooping on the moose , that should help !

[CheesyLimper]

Can't hurt. I'd suggest taking your tropy pic beforehand though...

I was thinking of pooping on the moose , that should help !

[srupp]

Hmm few years ago on a fly in hunt out of Atlin..heand a LOT of shots at around 3 am..hmm sounds like trouble
Couple years go by heard from the hunters who did the shooting.
Grizz came in for the 3 Alaskan sized moose that were hanging up..grizzly took 10 of the 12 quarters..pulling them down off into the brush..back for the next quarter..the shooting did not deter the grizz..ruined 2 1/2 moose !
Off Teslin had a huge Silvertip claim the gutpile..I did get to keep all the meat..only because we took it all on day 1
Srupp

[Gateholio]

I've had a few grizzly problems but none has stolen my meat :)

Although once I was cutting up a nice blacktail deer in November and looked up and there was a pretty good sized blackbear eyeballing me from about 40 yards away. Grabbed my rifle and mentioned to him that I still had a bear tag.

Once he saw I was on to him he retreated but he didn't go far, always lurking about a bit. It was only a deer so doing gutless he was in my pack pretty quick and I left him the carcass but sure checked my backtrail for awhile. He was pretty ballsy.

Reminded me of the time PG66 and I were eating lunch by a cliff and when we went to leave saw fresh bear tracks in the snow- he had crept up behind us. We always wondered it had just been one of us if it had tried to put the jump on. He was pretty ballsy. We did follow up and he was a good sized 6 footer but not giant bear. So neither of us wanted to pull the trigger as it would have been a horrendous pack out for a bear :)

[Neckshot]

This is a great thread, some of you guys are seasoned hunters and it shows. Really appreciate the input here.

[HarryToolips]

in my experience once a grizz knows there is food there, he won't stop coming back

we defended our moose from a grizz a few years back, while celebrating we were caught away from the guns and had a bluff charge, never make that mistake again.....we had 3 of us and could get my lifted truck close to kill site and drag it to a better flat spot....headlights on, 2 fires, 2 people on moose, 1 person with loaded gun guarding, the bear circled us from sundown to 2 am when we finished, could hear him huffing and popping his jaw, beating on bushes and trees...was a fun night! left all my gear on the ground and came back next afternoon, bear was still on the hide, gutpile was pretty much gone by then

shot another moose in the same spot this past year, with lots of fresh bear sign we saw through the day, just 2 of us this time....we confirmed moose was down and left him for sun up

I have always said I want to get a pack alarm, I think it would be handy for dealing with a moose by yourself, possibly give yourself a couple extra seconds to be ready
I can say the pack alarm is great, have not used it for moose but having it setup around a downed animal, or my camp when solo alpine camping or whatever it's nice to have that peace of mind..

[wildcatter]

We've all seen how scared the Covid vaccine has got you so I can't imagine what being out where the Grizzly's roam would do to you...:lol:

Yeah right, I'm just shaking in my boots:mrgreen:

[ElectricDyck]

Not sure I would enjoy moose hunting solo...we always have one guy on watch while the other two are bent over dealing with the moose.

If you re not saving the hide, leave it on the quarters and do gutless, really fast. By yourself that is a huge job!

[gutpile]

I think a dog would help in giving you the alarm and maybe keeping the bear away from the meat for a little while .

[Ron.C]

I think a dog would help in giving you the alarm and maybe keeping the bear away from the meat for a little while .

Depends. Sure, might alert you but then make the situation worse.

Like people, there are some I trust with my life and some that would bail to save their own skin.

Dogs are the same. My old dog Buckley accompanied me on allot of hunts for elk, deer, black and grizzly bears. He was a loyal companion, great nose, and enjoyed the bush. I could tell the difference when he was on the scent of a bear or deer. I was 100% confident he would fight to the death for me.

My current dog, not so sure. She would more than likely run to me (with the bear on her ass) bringing it right to me.

[Huevos]

Done it quite a bit. Never had a problem. Gun is always leaning on the animal. get it quartered and hanging on a pole. Doesn't need to be high as the animals are going to go for the guts first. Obviously it will be multiple trips so the meat will be there when you are gone. I pee lots around where the meat it hanging. One thing I always do is leave my stinkiest, inner most layer with the meat. Be alert, and be safe. I am always more worried about hurting myself while packing out than at the meat site. And if it is possible, hang the meat where you can approach with a view for when you come back.

[Leveraction]

Man your question is literally my thoughts ever time I start to gut an animal.
Srupp is bang on with his advise.
take a few pics and get to work
a safe and loaded gun, very close, not 15 feet away, ….very close.
meat off and in game bags and away from the gut pile.
get all the taking apart done on the first go so when you return for a 2nd or 3rd load, it’s load the pack and your boots in the ground out of there in minutes.
watch kill site from a distance when you return.

[MBHunter]

Hey there. Can you explain the pack alarm and how it works.

[BRvalley]

Hey there. Can you explain the pack alarm and how it works.

it's a perimeter alarm system, run the trip line and setup your perimeter, if any animal/whatever else trips the line, 125db siren goes off

there are a few similar systems, but this is the most common it seems like:

https://packalarm.net/

[Rezpatrol]

Fire is the oldest method of keeping bears wolves cougars ect off meat. As a native hunter my dad and grandfather taught me a long time ago once your moose elk or caribou is down get the guts out then light fire take your time relax but be aware I've slept alone 5 feet from my moose kill in grizzly country several times without incident

[MBHunter]

Thanks for the detail and link to that BRvalley