Advice for First Time Moose Hunter

[sapper]

Okay, let's try this again. My thread was one of the ones that was deleted.
So, my 2 buddies and I were successful in our Shared Hunt LEH for bull moose in region MU 5-1 for Oct. 15-31.
While I'm not looking for advice on honey-holes pointers towards an area will be gladly accepted via PM. I will be doing extensive online (Google Earth) scouting and plan a few trips this summer and in September too for on the ground scouting.
Having been a deer hunter for the last 5 years (one buddy 2 years and the other a deer hunter of 10+ years) we're primarily interested in advice on moose hunting.
What should we pack that we might not normally think of when hunting deer? What methods have you had most success with? Any pointers you wish to share would be most appreciated.
Thanks in advance and thanks to 835 who already gave me some great advice.

[recoil]

Saw a few moose in 5-1 last year all cows/calfs. They were spread out all over, my advice is cover a lot of ground, get off the beaten path and find some swampy/small lake areas and do some calling, they may still respond around the 15th. The windy mountain area can be a gong show, i have seen more game in the interlakes area...

[srupp]

Good advice above..they STILL will respond to calling especially the younger ones who havnt had a chance to breed yet..they STILL want to try..even worn out warriors who have bred multiple times will respond..

areas that you can see over a HUGE VISTA first thing in am call..dont be shy LOUD AND PROUD...watch..watch watch..dont bail too early some will take time to come in..LISTEN ..watch ..

some cows have not been bred..they make exellent decoys..and the best attractant..some will come into a second heat also..hmm there are a few good spots in there left.

cheers
Steven

[Downwind]

WHEN (gotta think positive right ;) ) you drop your moose and you're field dressing him out split the sternum all the way up. Cut everything loose and you can put it right out the back end. That way you only have bloody hands instead of blood right up to your arm pits!
Might not be advice with the area but dressing out a moose is a lot different then a deer.

[markt308]

read up/ watch vids on quartering an animal. a chordless sawzall is a sweet tool to have in the truck to go up the spine haha! otherwise make sure your hand saw's are well built! knife sharpener is absulutely key for skinning! you will probs have two guys skinning and 1 guy just sharpening and passing you knew ones. A quad or a packboard for getting your quarters out is nice. if you take your time and glass i'm sure you guys will see something! go get 'em

[doubled]

Good advice on the sharpening and hand tools. Make sure you have the right equipment when the "fun" starts.

[835]

15-30 was the draw we had last year, different area though! We had our bull down on Day 2. Called the morning with a good reply,,,, dog busted us. Went back at 4 pm had him spotted at 4:10 and dead at half past.

I only cow call, my call is very different from what you see on tv, but its a cow. When they are just out of view but you know they are there,,, and i mean just out of view.... I seal the deal with a soft ( pointing at the ground ) bull grunt. It gets them from 200 right in to 50 in a hurry. But you gotta sound like a pathetic young bull about to get some.

I dont like the bull calling and bush whacking and all that only because i am not out for a trophy. By this i mean i dont want to sound too big for a 30" bull to come into. If you are acting like a big shitkicker you will call in only a bigger shitkicker..... where as if you act like a cow who wants it you will get all the bulls.... You may miss the BIG guys because late season they may need some extra encouragement. But i personally aint a guide but doing what i said i have called in a lot of very nice bulls and a lot of 30" ers too..... Sucks when you are looking for Bullwinkle though, and a 45" goes by at 50 yds!


here is me with My partners moose from last year....... this thread needed a picture!

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/00718.jpg (http://javascript<strong></strong>:;)

[markt308]

great advice 835.

[ElliotMoose]

There are still pockets up that way that hold a decent amount of animals. As Srupp mentioned, the younger bulls who have been kicked away during the early stages of the rut by the big boys will still be responsive as they want to get in on the action. We were still getting responses from the little guys after october 20th last year.

I have a couple hundred acres of property up there that is located in and surrounded by prime habitat. I'd be happy to point you in the right direction. PM me as to where abouts you will be staying or which areas you are familiar with and I'll help you out as much as I can.

As for now, I would get on google, youtube, or even purchase a video on moose calling techniques. It is truly an art and if you can master it the results are very rewarding.

Chris

[sapper]

Thanks for the moose photo, 835. It will provide some additional motivation.
Great advice, guys. Thanks. Keep it coming.

[The Dawg]

Posted it yesterday, will post it again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36q8sHC6Kg4

http://www.moosecaller.ca/index.php?option=com_tip&ItemID=62&catid=1&id=3&action=more


As for gutting and skinning, its the same as a deer. But much bigger.


Bring ropes to hold the legs open (tie to trees) so a couple of you can get in there and make it easier. Dont be afraid to quarter it to get it out either.

And if you have access to a quad or chainsaw winch, bring it.

[cameron0518]

good advice 835. i haven't yet but the cordless sawzall is the way to go with 2 batteries and a WQOD cutting blade. Make your shots count and keep popping until they drop. Every step they take is a step further you have to take em out. Know where the vitals are located.

[Moose Guide]

Forget about quartering and sawzalls unless you eat the bone!!!!! Just learn the gutless method, it is quicker in the long run and all you lose is the spine(soup bones) and the rib bones! Leave most of the bones in the bush, no smell of guts in the air to attract bears and use you chainsaw to prune off the antlers, less equiptment and a faster job is a win win imo!!!

[Jelvis]

MU 5-01 in the north you find Canim Lake and in the south of 5-01 is Bridge Lake. This area in between and betwixed is moose and deer habitat through out the whole MU 5-01.
The best mule deer hunting is found in the south eastern section of MU 5-01. South(lowest) eastern(right side)
Bucking up to Region 3 Mu.
The rest of the unit has pretty fair mule deer and moose hunting country.
Access to this funtastic game rich MU 5-01 goes like this:
From Highway 97 from 70 Mile via the Green Lake road, this road goes through some back woods cabins when starting in but as you go you see a lot of hunting country, from yellow grassy, some deciduous, and watered ponds all the way up as far as you wish to explore, some buddies of mine thought it was good enough to go back again.
Another access is Hwy 24, through Lone Butte, sounds good eh! Put your Spur roads on. Gorgeous.
Another ... The Eighty Three road and
From 100 Mile House,
Thee Canim Lake system of roads.
You can see big bull moose below Canim Lake if you want to go in that far.
Or stay down lower in the MU 5-01 and road hunt early morning up til noon, then take a coffee break and lunch, then head out til dark driving by swamps, meadows and newer cut blocks, watch the edges.
Warning: Do not shoot moose when it is standing in the pond. You will blow your cool trying to work that bull moose in water, you would only make that mistake once and do not shoot a moose down a valley with no access.
If you do? Take a frying pan along and eat the moose on the way out. lol.
Jelly ( MU ) 5-01 Bull Moose and Four Point Muley Bucks or Any Buck Octobers ville? Check GOS regulations for 5-01
Mule deer season opening and closing dates. Bag limit. Any restrictions. Have a barrel of fun.

[Taurusguy]

When ya Quarter the moose out ... a cordless sawzall is a MUST. Bring an extra battery or some extension cords for one that is not cordless if ya got a generator .. bring a generator to the kill site if you want to not run out of power while you do your gutting and quartering. WHen your about the do the split down the spine on your quarter DO NOT CHEAT OUT and cut down one side of the ribs... try and cut as close to the middle of the spine as possible, it helps keep the chunk alot more solid for packing out, especially if you have to drag it. ITs going to take quite a while .. so some flood lights may come in handy too. If you have to drag the meat out a come along is good.. if your truck is only a few hundred yards and you got a winch .. tie on a wack of ropes to your winch cable and bring it down with you as far as you can to the kill site. This way you only have to drag the quarters to the end of your rope and have someone operating your winch at the truck in communication by radio and the other guide it along. Works great if you tie a small tarp around it .. helps it slide on the snow.

I could be wrong on the time part but i guess THAT depends on where you shoot it at, but when my old man and I got our moose down in 2007 .. we knocked it down at 7:30am and we spent the entire day until about 9pm there getting it out from WAY down at the bottom of a clear cut between two mountains. We could see the truck from our kill site but it took forever to haul up 1 quarter at a time with only myself and my out of shape dad.

Good luck on your hunt!
http://i39.tinypic.com/9gammh.jpg - my 2007 moose and me sitting on it. We hauled it up to the 3 big wood piles at the top of the pic. Took FOREVER! *rolls eyes*

[835]

WHen your about the do the split down the spine on your quarter DO NOT CHEAT OUT and cut down one side of the ribs... try and cut as close to the middle of the spine as possible, it helps keep the chunk alot more solid for packing out, especially if you have to drag it. *

Yep this one is big, not only to keep the quarter rigid but it is huge for the meat factor too. There is all your steak meat right there, stay right down the middle of the spine and you wont blow your steaks.

[sapper]

Yep this one is big, not only to keep the quarter rigid but it is huge for the meat factor too. There is all your steak meat right there, stay right down the middle of the spine and you wont blow your steaks.

any Youtube vid's you guys would recommend for quartering and gutting? My experience with deer has not necessitated quartering.

[835]

I have never looked. My dads been killen moose all my life i had hime beside me barking "Let the saw do the work" And " Dont you go off center boy!" Well he never called me Boy but i learned how to quarter things when i was quite young..... I think he was excited to have a boy,,, not so he could hunt with me but so i could do all the gutting quartering and packing! But on the bright side, i learned it.

im sure youtube will have something

[sapper]

well, my 8 year old daughter is quite excited about me being able to "catch a moose" this year. I've tried explaining there is no shoot and release option. In a few years she'll be able to be out there with us.

[Taurusguy]

haha 835 .. i hear those words from my old man too! worth it though :) Stay up all night picking hair off the carcass, cutting out blood shot and wiping it down with a wet rag with a bottle of whiskey to keep me warm :)

Oh also have several knives with you. Moose hair is nasty for dulling your blade fast.

[835]

Its the greates, Those times with my dad kept me out of a pile of crap later in life. Right when i was going to do something stupid i would think about loosing his respect. My dad did stuff with me, he always made time. Course that time usually had me gutting stuff but hey! what'er dads for. You gotta take your kids. I dont have none yet but you bet, they'll be hunting.

[Taurusguy]

Yup .. DEF great to get the kids involved. MY daughter got her full hunting licence this year and she is stoked to see me down my doe. She shot and gutted 3 grouse last year (shes 14 and son is 8 8) )and was hoping to win a doe since they are so easy to find for her first big game. BUT she is coming to assist with mine! The kids at school call her katniss! (after the hunger games character). Son wants to kill a deer too... but I think he will start with grouse when his time comes.

Back to gutting moose... have a bucket of hot water for your knives to help stop the blood from colagulating and sticking to your blades in between sharpenings.

[Moose Guide]

any Youtube vid's you guys would recommend for quartering and gutting? My experience with deer has not necessitated quartering.

Gutless field dressing an elk with Jay Scott, I'm watching it now. No need for saws, or winches, I can take out a full moose by myself in six or seven pack loads. Remember, a moose has a huge amount of meat on the ribs and belly, and even the tenderloins can be taken without opening the gut cavity!

[Moose Guide]

haha 835 .. i hear those words from my old man too! worth it though :) Stay up all night picking hair off the carcass, cutting out blood shot and wiping it down with a wet rag with a bottle of whiskey to keep me warm :)

Oh also have several knives with you. Moose hair is nasty for dulling your blade fast.

The trick is to not cut the hair. Make a small hole in the hide, then slide your blade under with cutting edge up and cut up from under the hide, your knife stays sharp longer and you cut loose less hair so the meat stays cleaner!!

[Gr8 white hunter]

get back to the tool crib i need a head lamp.

[Jelvis]

Cut the hide with a sharp knife from the inside of the moose when dividing quarters, then you get minimal hair contamination on the rich red moose meat.
Try using your imagination and think what it would be like driving on a forest road, in MU 5-01, with a valid any bull moose tag, and you look out the window and see a five point bull moose standing there by the edge of the swamp only seventy yards away?
Put yourself in different scenarios of seeing moose, when your out in 5-1 driving along, by water sources with yellow swamp grass, with some spruce trees with moss hanging down from the branches.
Or coming around a corner and seeing a bull in the middle of the road. Whaaaaa?
JElvis .. Imagine for yourself, what would I do if I was in 5-01 hunting and I saw some moose? Then imagine.
If you do this, it will help you when you are hunting bull moose and actually see the huge beast standing or running.
Good luck and please take at least ten pictures to show and tell after you score a Bulls Eye!

[bearhunter338-06]

The best advice that was ever given to me for moose hunt was "Drop em close to the road". One day I hope to fallow that advice.

[Jelvis]

Good advice too for sure the closer to access the better as far as dragging bull moose goes.
One thing to get really into now, now that you have a valid bull moose leh tag in 5-01
Do your homework on MU 5-01 individually, and also along with your hunting partner together planning for this bull moose hunt of a life time. The access road your going to try first, the day your going to plan to start hunting.
Map reading on that spot, Google earth, BC Back Road Map for all the bush roads and water sources ..
The planning is a big part of any big game hunting opportunity and should be shared with hunting partners.
Jel .. Congratulations on you lucky LEH any bull moose in 5-1 .. Plan it out, know your prey and know your land ..
Learn the moose's habits and it's likes, and study the area from maps .. Learn compass directions for the area also
Measure out km distances on the map so you know how far to drive and where the road splits or where a moose pond is situated. Plan it all out with your hunting partner, write things down, mark maps with light pencil.

[hunter1947]

If me hunting for moose pound many different slashes first light and late evenings at that time of the year the moose like the food in them older slashes your scouting will help big time look for water holes moose love them during late summer months ,google earth will help you see the slashes then print the different areas on your printer to take with you ,good luck with your scouting this summer..

[sapper]

Fantastic pieces of advice, guys. Thanks all. Keep it coming. Thanks to those who've PM'ed me too. You've given my hunting partners and I lots to process and ideas on how we should work things.
There seems to be some debate here about whether quartering or no-gut method is best for moose.

[Jelvis]

Work things out among the three guys. What about this and what about that?
How far from home do you want to drive in MU 5-01? Keep it mid to lower imho.
You don't need to go way up past Canim Lake.
Hunt all day from morning to night. Looking, calling, driving, walking a bit, watching for a black stump with light grey legs. Haha
Morning hunts and success work together good, you got the bull moose down and out. Now you can work on it in daylight all the rest of the day.
Evening is iffy for a new moose hunter to take a big moose down, the dark comes quick in the fall, it gets dark fast.
Try to keep the hunts in the mornings, then later in the afternoon drive and look for moose and moose sign. If you do encounter a bull moose at this time, don't pull the trigger, mark spot and come back the next morning to that spot just at daybreak.
Carving up a moose is not easy for a beginner, so think safety first, sharp knives and saws with warm blood on them get slippery. Use knife with a finger guard to stop your hand from slipping forward onto the sharp edge.
Watch your partner if he tries to help cut the moose when you are, this is where a person can get cut by the others blade. Stop cutting let him go, work on holding the deer or moose in a good spot.
Hunt early mornings til noon then scout til dark .. Scout look for moose and moose sign, mark it. Comebackinmorn.
Jeldo ( "Big Data" ) "The Cloud"

[Moose Guide]

Fantastic pieces of advice, guys. Thanks all. Keep it coming. Thanks to those who've PM'ed me too. You've given my hunting partners and I lots to process and ideas on how we should work things.
There seems to be some debate here about whether quartering or no-gut method is best for moose.

When you quarter, you need a saw or sawzall generator and cords (or cordless sawzall and enough battery) that you get to pack to the moose, then you gut(20 min?) then skin and quarter. the 1/4s are then tied to your pack and you get to hump out 5 big loads and an extra load or 2 or 3 for all the extra gear. When you go gutless, you skin and chunk up the moose with a knife, each hip or shoulder fits neatly IN the cargo bag on a frame pack, (no tying or legs sticking out to the side) 6 smaller loads and you won't pay the butcher by the pound for the bone you can't eat! I have not yet met a hunter who has tried the gutless method and not prefered it. The down side is you will probably pack the extra weight of your knife back and forth every trip. Work smarter, not harder!!!

[Ubertuber]

^^^^
What he said. X2

[Jelvis]

Early morning is best like I was saying earlier. Some guys shoot most of their moose by about 11 am.
Drive roads until you see a moose, look for horns and decide quick like what your going to do?
I would suggest if you see a bull take it, don't wait for another different one.
Take care of the bull you got and do the meat up right for the table, from the start to finish.
Nice and clean and fresh.
Jp. Good luck

[Caveman]

A lot of good advice from the guys so far.

If at all possible get it out whole, deal with the quartering at camp. Plenty of time to deal with the hair. A quality, sharp knife, a piece of rope, a fold down Wyoming saw, for splitting the sternum and pelvis. try to have the hind quarters lying below the front. Start from just above the pelvis, slipping your knife under the skin and cutting from the underside upwards to the throat. Split the sternum with the wyoming saw. it helps to have a leg or two anchored to a tree to keep them out of your way, or a buddy to assist. Sever the windpipe, with it in one hand cut what ever it is attached to as you peel everything towards the pelvis. Take your time it's not a race, and you don't want to cut yourself. Wild blood in a fresh cut stings. . When you have it separated from the rib cage and the majority of the gut pile laying an the hind quarter, split he pelvis by cutting a wedge from either side of the hind quarters down to the tail bone. Continue to pull the stomach etc., while you cut the the anus, etc. loose. It should roll nicely away. If you need to leave it there, while you arrange to get it out, prop the rib cage open with a sturdy stick between the cut sternum, it helps in the cooling. A quad will generally pull a moose. Tie it close, head first with a half hitch around the snout and horns tied to the rear rack to stabilize.

Early morning is always best. Slashes two or three years old are easy to spot them in. They're looking for willow shoots and the new growth has lots. A water source nearby is a bonus. I like to combine my calling with some brush racking, thrashing. It gets the boys worked up. A woeful cow call will also bring them in, be patient and move slow, sit listen and move some more. If you spot a cow watch closely a young bull may be waiting in the wings, close by

[Jelvis]

When you approach your downed bull moose in 5-01 for the first time, you won't believe how big a bull moose is in real life close up and laying on the ground. It will amaze you.
Put your shot into the bulls boiler room, and don't forget there's six inches of hair standing up on the bulls neck and shoulders. Moose turns sideways put one low behind the shoulder BOOM! Reload get ready aim BANG!
The bull will go down with a vital shot or two in the boiler room the heart area, CRACK!
Don't shoot in the head, even tho it is the size of a coyote a shooter can misjudge the mass and wound it fatally.
Then it will spin and spin and try to move out.
Take a broadside shot about under two hundred yards or less .. when standing still.
Under fifty yards moving, if it goes sideways. Aim right on spot follow, BAM!
Jeldo

[sapper]

Hey, when I first started this post (and before it was inadvertently deleted) someone had responded with a youtube link for a moose caller that they recommended. Found it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36q8sHC6Kg4):Is there is a particular mechanical call people would recommend too?
I'm getting pretty freakin' excited - 3 weeks to go. Scouting trip planned for this weekend.

[sapper]

Well, here it is 5 years later and we are headed back to 5-01 but a little earlier in the season this time. I am just wondering if there are any new pointers that the seasoned moose hunters would like to give a rookie moose hunter: best manner in which to have success, your 5-01 honey-hole :-) and what to do once the bull is down?
Thanks in advance.

[Jelvis]

sap whad the ? It's bin 5 long years since yah got yer first thread, haha what happened for moose in those 5 years our good friend? Talk at us!
Jelly Bones -- 5 long years -- what happened sap in those five with the moose sityah mick ation?

[Jelvis]

It's Sept da twenty turd folks, the moose rut is like ahhhhhhhh you knowww
sap knows where it's at
Jel -- moose rut on and going as we speak baybee.

[Ry151]

I was always under the impression that getting spinal fluid on your meat isn't good so I've always avoided cutting down the spine.

[srupp]

IIf you have to hang a moose for a few days, or transport it home do NOT use gutless method.only if flying it out..all these new cuts allow access to flies and eggs, all these smaller cuts dry faster, allow temperature to get hotter in core meat.
Once you cut 2 pieces of moose meat apart. .they cannot be tossed into one bag to stew together..it causes faster breakdown of the meat and greater acceleration of going g bad.you will need separation between each and every chunk of meat.the pretty rainbow colors tell you when there was no separation.
Citric acid allows proper meat PH..slick meat just prior to lost stinky meat.70% vinigar/water works almost as good.but now you do get a rind over the meat.
Use a sazal" wipe down with vinigar, water, keep 4 big bags..1 per quarter..use top quality bags.
Hang high in the breeze low angle tarp keeps sun rain frost snow off the quarters.still allows air to kept it dry.

Good luck
Srupp