Another year without a moose

Thebear_78 · Sep 23, 2013

I got out for my last chance at getting a moose this year. Wet heavy snow and fog awaited me up in the mountains today. Visibility sucked greatly reducing our chance of spotting a legal bull.

I only spotted one small bull moose and a sow griz with cubs. I couldn't get my iPhone to line up with the spotting scope so no pictures of the critters.

This is the second year in a row I have struck out on moose. Hope you all are having a more successful year!

sask boy · Sep 23, 2013

TB that is unfortunate, hope that you still can get a crack at some of the other species of big game in your area.

Blessings,
Dan

DrMike · Sep 23, 2013

Things like that happen. There are those rare years when every tag is filled and we can't seem to lose; then, there are the other years. Still, you got out and saw the animals.

Vince · Sep 27, 2013

I envy you, even though you didn't get a moose, as you got out in God's creation.

Nature in and of itself is beautiful. Not always pretty but beautiful none the less.

Vince

DrMike · Sep 27, 2013

FWIW, bulls are plentiful around here. However, they appear to be nocturnal; all I've seen are at last light and hanging close to the thickest bush you could imagine. Even sitting, glassing the valley floors, during the day, there is nothing. Yet, when I walk the cut lines and valleys, I am finding tons of tracks and other sign. It has been a strange year here.

Thebear_78 · Sep 27, 2013

All the animals have been up really high in the mountains. Makes them easy to spot during the day due to lack of tree cover but weather has played hell with visibility.

I did find one other unit open till the 30th and I'm heading out there tomorrow. I've never been thre before but it's a rough vertical type of terrain. Hopefully I can find something early in the day. I doubt I'll have time the get one out if I don't have him on the ground before 2-3 pm

OU812 · Sep 27, 2013

Good luck on the hunt. Things may have not worked out as planned in the first hunt area but maybe this other area will pay off for you, lets hope as I want to see a picture.

Thebear_78 · Sep 28, 2013

Here are a couple of picts of todays hunt. We didn't get anything or even see a moose but it was partly we were unable to get back to where the animals are. They apparently closed off a large section of the trail we had been hunting to motorized vehicles so we had to hike in about 4 miles. It was incredable brutal when venturing off the trail and the heavy brush left visibilty down to a couple hundred feet.

Even found these tracks across our tracks as we were hiking out. Looks to be a pretty big bear by all accounts.

Thats the toe of my size 15 alpha burly for reference.

DrMike · Sep 28, 2013

Yeah, he looks to be fair size for a mountain grizzly. Rugged country means moose are present. Any sign worth talking about?

35 Whelen · Oct 1, 2013

Just spent 3 weeks up the Talkeetna River and Moose numbers are waaaaaaaaaaaaaay down from years gone by . However with that said Black Bear numbers were behond belief, I have never seen so many bears in my life as we did this year. One day we counted 31 from the same spot! A lot are the same size but we did see a few very respectable ones. They must be at a peak at the moment. Saw two different sows both sporting three cubs.

Guy Miner · Oct 1, 2013

That's a lot of bears!

Nice photo in your avatar too... Wow!

It's funny 'bout you guys in Alaska & Canada, and the title of the thread "Another year without a moose."

Ha! I'll probably go a lifetime of hunting... Without ever hunting moose... Expensive proposition for those of us in the lower 48, or a Very Long Wait for a home state tag... Figure by the time I've got enough points to draw the Washington tag, I'll be in my mid 70's... Hope I'm still interested in moose hunting then!

Best of luck to all you hunters of moose & other game!

Guy

DrMike · Oct 1, 2013

Guy Miner":4329dnm8 said:
That's a lot of bears!

...

It's funny 'bout you guys in Alaska & Canada, and the title of the thread "Another year without a moose."

I agree that thirty-one is a lot. I think the most I've counted at one time was fourteen, though in the course of a day on several occasions I've seen twenty-four to thirty.

Guy, the hunting is God's gracious reward for putting up with the cold and the long winter nights. :grin:

35 Whelen · Oct 3, 2013

Guy,
Thanks for the compliment on the avatar , I have that picture over my breakfast bar and it gets lots of interest. Its a splendid shot taken from the Brooks Range looking NE up the river. Of course the lights can get ALOT more spectacular than that but , it is an interesting photo. 8)

Well of course with that said it is likely that some of the bears that I counted were traveling around thru the alders and poped out again into the open tundra and I counted them again. As I had know way of knowing for sure when they reappear a 1/4 mile away; But even if you said a "dozen of them" were the same bears [and I don't think they were] its still an awful lot of bears to see from one spot! :shock: Seeing that many in a day from a Super Cub is very common but not from the ground!

There is a heck of a lot of bears up the river at the moment, I am guessing around 80% blacks and 20% browns....................... you could shoot a bear any time you wanted to chase after one.

Thebear_78 · Oct 4, 2013

Almost got my moose after all. Had a 60" bull run out in front of me last night while driving my big rig. Didn't have time to stop so I dodged him. Still not sure how I missed him with the tail trailer! During rut is the only time they seem to run around, the rest of the year is more of an amble.

35 Whelen · Oct 5, 2013

Maine moose are in "full rut" here right now! :shock: Out guiding grouse hunters yesterday, and we could hear them talking most of the day!!! I called up a smallish bull,[40"] for the bird hunters to see one respond, late in the afternoon, they couldn't believe how close he came, around 50 yds.
Of course the season is closed this week and next to protect them.................... ah well.

Mighty Peace · Oct 21, 2013

That sucks.

This year was the first time in 22 years that we come home from moose camp with NO BULL MOOSE !! First Time being SKUNKED, and we had three tags in camp this year including me. This year's camp (Oct.6-12). I will post a story later. We still have till end of the month to try and get a bull or 2 or 3. We feed 8-9 families with the moose we get. Good thing we have 4 cow elk tags in our group for November season...I have one !!

Good luck, The Bear_78 on your other hunts.

LD375 · Oct 27, 2013

Mighty Peace":32fw78to said:
That sucks.

This year was the first time in 22 years that we come home from moose camp with NO BULL MOOSE !! First Time being SKUNKED, and we had three tags in camp this year including me. This year's camp (Oct.6-12). I will post a story later. We still have till end of the month to try and get a bull or 2 or 3. We feed 8-9 families with the moose we get. Good thing we have 4 cow elk tags in our group for November season...I have one !!

Good luck, The Bear_78 on your other hunts.

Darren, we just got back from Moose hunt too, SKUNKED as well. My party and I didn't even see a single animal :? ..I still have my bull tag, so I'm considering going back again, or to newfoundland mid November. On the upside though, I still have plenty of moose meat in my frezzer

Lou

SJB358 · Oct 27, 2013

Dang, sorry to hear about that Lou. Hopefully you still get a chance later on. I know you have a couple of rifles that are in need of kills!

akhunter · Oct 27, 2013

Bummer on the no moose this year for you guys! Hopefully next year we all make it happen. I didn't even get out this year for moose which sucks.

Thebear_78 · Oct 28, 2013

Fortunately a farm had a bunch of elk escape near butte and the state claimed they are fair game, no tag required. Looks like I might be out chasing them around next weekend if they are still around!