The Moose Thread (As Canadian as it gets)

Ardent

Ardent

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North America's, and the world's for that matter, largest cervid likely doesn't get the respect it deserves. I know I've been guilty of avoiding them, and this is the one species in my family where a hunting history exists over several generations. For whatever reason I find other species much more interesting, I'm sure it has something to do with where Moose are often found and the work involved. The excuses don't really make sense as I don't shy away from a Bison hunt. When I go to Africa, the guys that know hunting there are fascinated by Moose, saying they've heard they are "THIS TALL" with hand gestures, racks that can span just shy of two metres, weighing more than 500 kilos. I have to concede that's true, and then sheepishly explain my lack of interest in them while I try and deflect their curiosity sharing photos of other game. Perhaps we're just spoiled in this country for Moose, and even more accurately, a lot of folks will not share my lack of enthusiasm for the species and I'm on my own here. I plan to change that and get back into Moose, hopefully will bag the big fella next year, it's become quite a challenge for me and settling on the smaller one (who was "only" 850lbs hanging in quarters) rubbed that in this year. My family's Moose hunting was always meat focused, so while I've been around a lot of Moose, I have yet to properly explore this species for a good wall hanger.

I have my grandfather's .30-30 that he used, I've yet to take a Moose with it myself, but will try and get a bead on a 60"+ class brute I've been chasing unsuccessfully for three seasons, and what better rifle to do it with. More on my thoughts for guns and Moose shortly and I'd like to hear yours, doubtless a few will scratch their heads at ".30-30 + 60" plus bull". This season, as mentioned I settled for a 50 1/8" bull while out hunting the king of the area. I couldn't ignore the temperature was right with us having got the first chill, and I had stalked him initially believing he was the big guy in velvet going by glimpses through black spruce. The stalk went wonderfully despite the wind being entirely wrong and figuring out he was not the big guy. When I stepped out into the clear lane to shoot, the bull spotted me soon as I exposed myself, and he perked up immediately so there was a split second to decide, no time to glass and hum and haw. He may not have been the bull I was after, but he is in fantastic condition and will be fine fare at the table being early season. The shot found the heart and crumpled him where he stood. I was once well within a hundred yards of the big guy calling, and saw nothing more than flashes of him in thick spruce, he knows what he's doing. One day...

Moose are very "soft" from my perspective, and horsepower doesn't seem to matter a whole ton, this year's bulled dropped on the spot to a single 7x57 launched 160gr TSX through the heart. It is probably the only big animal I wouldn't pack my beloved .375s for, again a curious change from anything else I hunt, for some reason I don't give the Moose the appreciation he deserves. Will work on that.

I know some monster Moose, and some good stories lay within this forum, would love to see them. It's a species we share clear across the country too, which is interesting. I hear Douglas has a 65" bull on his wall, hopefully featured prominently in the new room! This said, I'm just as impressed by a nice 40" bull from the East, as it's a different flavour.

This year's fellow, a "Canadian" / non-Yukon Alaska subspecies 50".


 
I have to somewhat agree with you in that Moose have never gotten their true due from me. For me they where always a freezer filler, did not get the attention as a "trophy" that matching wits with a nice Mulie got. The limited entry draws in the south of BC have done little to help numbers. Fuel costs to the North is a issue for me. From Langley to south of Fort Nelson for me was 23hrs of highway driving loaded for complete independence as our area was 200+ km's to anything more than a overpriced fuel stop.

For flavor i always rated Elk the best, followed by Moose, and Deer. Somewhat jaded when it comes to Deer, as i have tried to eat too many swollen necked Bucks that would have been better as pepperoni.
 
now for some real fun get a calf moose tag,

Nothing like knowing that there is one really pissed off cow moose somewhere behind you while your gutting her calf to keep your level of excitement up.......

Bull moose well thats just a big gutting job, not bad if you have friends, but I find myself solo hunting a lot
 
There's no hunt as exciting as calling in a trophy bull moose, in my opinion, especially if you hear them from miles away and they don't break cover until they're in close proximity. One that comes to mind is a mid 50" bull that I was playing with calling for about 2 hours. The first time I heard him he was close to 2 miles away. He broke cover at about 8 yards, I was on a rock outcropping by a river and he came from behind. Hearing those antlers raking and brushing against willows, listening intently for a twig to snap periodically , cursing the wind as it picks up and muffles sound as the morning progresses, the bull's grunt that's quiet but travels for miles. It's my favorite hunting, and I'm fine with not shooting, the thrill is in listening to all the noises made by nature on a cold,crisp fall morning. There aren't many places on this planet where your ears ring from the silence.
I know quite a few guys that just boat hunt up and down rivers, they have no idea what they're missing.
 
bearkilr said:
There's no hunt as exciting as calling in a trophy bull moose, in my opinion, especially if you hear them from miles away and they don't break cover until they're in close proximity. One that comes to mind is a mid 50" bull that I was playing with calling for about 2 hours. The first time I heard him he was close to 2 miles away. He broke cover at about 8 yards, I was on a rock outcropping by a river and he came from behind. Hearing those antlers raking and brushing against willows, listening intently for a twig to snap periodically , cursing the wind as it picks up and muffles sound as the morning progresses, the bull's grunt that's quiet but travels for miles. It's my favorite hunting, and I'm fine with not shooting, the thrill is in listening to all the noises made by nature on a cold,crisp fall morning. There aren't many places on this planet where your ears ring from the silence.
I know quite a few guys that just boat hunt up and down rivers, they have no idea what they're missing.
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This describes exactly the events I had calling the big guy, your heart is absolutely racing, and you haven't seen a thing!
 
Moose is my main table meat for the year so I prefer to shoot a younger bull, nothing special about shooting one just meat for the freezer....they don't seem hard to kill but I also think that a lot of other game animals don't require as big of a rifle as some say they do. :)
 
Not a trophy hunter, a spiker is fine with me. On a rare occasion when I get a either ### licence, a young dry cow is preferred. To many stories around here with Americans coming up and only taking the head for its trophy value. Don't get me wrong, many americans come here and leave with every scrap of meat.

One of these days I may consider bagging a trophy for the wall hanger, but for now quality meat is the preference. Had a 16 point bull a few years ago that based on size and bone mass should have went 165 lbs per q, weighed in a 125 lbs a q and tasted - well - like game. On the good size my jaw got an excellent exercise while eating it, heck even the gravy was tough.
 
hawk-i said:
Moose is my main table meat for the year so I prefer to shoot a younger bull, nothing special about shooting one just meat for the freezer....they don't seem hard to kill but I also think that a lot of other game animals don't require as big of a rifle as some say they do. :)
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Yep.

For rifle/caliber: .308, .270, .303 British, .30-06 are the most common round here.
 
I've always had a weak spot for moose, even if my luck hasn't been exactly been stellar. Over the years it has eventually got to where the "family meat moose" has got to be a couple hour hunt but breaking into the real monsters eludes me. My best so far was from northern BC, guided by friends and that wouldn't be a trophy by BC standards.

Maybe I just don't live right.
 
nowarningshot said:
I have to somewhat agree with you in that Moose have never gotten their true due from me. For me they where always a freezer filler, did not get the attention as a "trophy" that matching wits with a nice Mulie got. The limited entry draws in the south of BC have done little to help numbers. Fuel costs to the North is a issue for me. From Langley to south of Fort Nelson for me was 23hrs of highway driving loaded for complete independence as our area was 200+ km's to anything more than a overpriced fuel stop.

For flavor i always rated Elk the best, followed by Moose, and Deer. Somewhat jaded when it comes to Deer, as i have tried to eat too many swollen necked Bucks that would have been better as pepperoni.
Click to expand...
I have noticed open season has been cut back this year, in an area I started hunting over 25 years ago the calf season has been reduced to seniors only this year. Another area I hunt very close to the usa border holds many moose with increasing numbers each year and there is only LEH available with 1 or two tags. The management is not being done very well IMO from what I see on the ground.
 
I concur with what some say here in regards to the meat quality. Small meat bulls are the way to go for me (Mr. Bulltwinkle, as I get mocked). And it's the best quality meat of any wild game animal I have ever gotten to taste (including young elk and fawns).
 
Big bull meat isn't any worse than small bull meat, I've eaten enough Moose to know that well. There is a difference though, and that is that with big animals like Moose you need to get the skin off fast, guts out, and split down the back of the neck so it doesn't bone sour. The bigger the animal the faster this needs to be done, and of course the reality is the bigger the animal the harder that is to do. This of course leaves out the rut, when the big guys are strung out and fighting.

Early season big bull in prime shape is some of the best moose meat going, they are well fed preparing for the rut, and exceedingly healthy. It's all in how it's handled and how fast it's cooled between a small bull and a big bull.
 
If I actually stated how many moose I have shot, it may raise some eyebrows.

However, while Elk is still my favorite BG animal to hunt and eat, the moose is right up there.

I have taken 2 Canadian moose with 50"+ antlers, but do prefer to eat the spike/fork bulls, or a nice dry cow once the rut is well under way.

Moose are usually not hard to kill. Any decent centerfire puts them down quickly with proper placement.

Even though I have an Elk LEH this year, I will shortly be looking for a "swamp donkey" in our favorite hunting area.

Ardent's comment about cooling is very valid. Anything as big as a mature bull moose has considerable mass, and the hide/hair keeps the heat in amazingly well.

I want the innards out and the meat cooling ASAP, for the best table fare.

Regards, Dave.
 
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