Moose!!

[pdugie]

Guys,

I'm going on a Moose in October and we are starting a packing list. I was wondering if there is something you forgot/wish you had but never thought to bring it??

Thanks
Pat

 

[FOTIS]

Camera

 

[DrMike]

Ammunition. It happens to all of us eventually. Fotis is correct that forgetting a camera is more common than you might imagine.

 

[JD338]

Pat,

Where are yo going on your moose hunt? Are you driving, flying in or horse back?
This may help assist in what you need/should bring.

JD338

 

[pdugie]

Maine, on the Canadian border. Everything will be done by trucks. We have trailers, chainsaws.....

 

[gerry]

A good packing frame to carry meat, if you have a cordless reciprocating saw with two batteries and some long 12" blades, they work great for quartering moose. We most of the time just use a sharp handsaw but the recip saw is pretty slick.

 

[sask boy]

Extra pair of boots incase you have to get wet dragging out that BIG BULL

Blessings,
Dan

 

[gerry]

Extra pair of boots incase you have to get wet dragging out that BIG BULL

Blessings,
Dan

Good point, chest waders with a good belt around your waist is a good idea if he gets into the deep stuff. Also a headlamp with extra batteries is a good idea if you bag a bull late in the day. Some big ziploc bags are great for packing out the heart and liver, we just let them cool off with the bag open untill we are ready to haul the moose out.

 

[cloverleaf]

Well I never did this sorta thing but..... I'd bring a come-a-long and a couple good nylon tow ropes. Sometimes a winch wont work. I have found a good headlamp light you can wear with/ over your favorite hunting hat is worth a fortune somtimes.
The one guy I know who shot a moose (with a bow) had to float it to shore berfore he could get it to the four wheeler to pull it over and start butchering. You know, come to think of it, it would be just as easy to have the Army Corps of Engineers on standby.... :lol: (yes I know, I'm a smart @$$) Can you put water wings on a Moose....? (OK,OK, I'll stop....) Good luck with your hunt! CL

 

[6mm Remington]

A good packing frame to carry meat, if you have a cordless reciprocating saw with two batteries and some long 12" blades, they work great for quartering moose. We most of the time just use a sharp handsaw but the recip saw is pretty slick.

On that note, I've heard of guys that drain out the bar oil in their saw and run through it a couple of fillings and let the saw run till the oil is out using heavy cooking oil. Then they can use that chain-saw for cutting up a moose really quickly. I have not personally tried that yet............but I bet it would work slick! The cooking oil won't contaminate the meat. My grandfather was a butcher and some of the saws they used although electric, cut like a chainsaw. There is always some bone chippings around the cut, but the it rinses off and you cut away bad stuff and trim meat anyway.

You can also do the boning out without even quartering him, just doing it as he laying on his side, one side at a time. I've done that on elk and it works pretty well.

Scent free baby bottom wipes to clean you face, hands, bum, etc during the course of the hunt. They are wonderful! Extra socks.
David

 

[DrMike]

I've used a chain saw filled with cooking oil to cut moose. It does make the job easier.

 

[gerry]

David, we have used a chainsaw in the past too, it does work I guess it depends how far from the road you are, if a ways out I still like a sharp hand saw. Good point on the extra change of clothes, it sure is nice to get out of those dirty clothes and into something clean.

 

[6mm Remington]

David, we have used a chainsaw in the past too, it does work I guess it depends how far from the road you are, if a ways out I still like a sharp hand saw. Good point on the extra change of clothes, it sure is nice to get out of those dirty clothes and into something clean.

You are correct in that Gerry on "close to the road" on the chainsaw. I would not want to pack a 10 pound saw a couple miles although putting it on a pack frame would not be horrible. My pack every day last fall with the rifle tucked inside was 36 pounds.

 

[DrMike]

I keep waterless hand cleaner and unscented baby wipes in my truck. I also keep a box of latex gloves. I appreciate every help in avoiding getting too gory when cutting moose and elk. Anymore, I'm often within a mile or so of the road, so hiking back to pick up some particular gear is not out of the question. Obviously, when hiking in some distance, many of the conveniences are no longer available. Still, the one time I used a chain saw, it was a bonus. We brought it in on a quad from a few miles out of the valley we hunted.

 

[6mm Remington]

Mike it obviously would take a lot of room to even put a small carton of wipes in a pack so I use a sandwich size zip-lock and put about 15 or so of them stuffed inside. I'll usually put two zip-locked bags of these in my pack and always have some in the truck. I start the seal and go to just about the edge and then squeeze all the air out and finish sealing the bag. They stay moist that way and if they do dry and you have a bit of water, all you have to do is wet them a bit to refresh them. They are great to freshen you face up with too after getting all hot and sweaty. Many uses for them. When it's really cold in your pack, they will stiffen up and freeze, but just holding them in your hands will thaw them out quickly. Never found that to be a huge problem.

 

[super-7]

A cordless sawzall is a great edition, with an extra battery, and you need the long blades. Also a come long as mentioned very helpfull, even just to hold a moose on its back while you gut. we would bring a come along and 20' to 40' of light chain or cable. Moose have real course hair so you need a couple good sharp knives and a stone or a steel . Or a cutco knife haha, i prefer to use a seperate skinning knife and gutting knife. Ya really never realize how huge a moose is till you have one on the ground.lol

 

[Tnhunter]

Congrats on getting selected for a coveted Maine moose tag! Some Maine residents have waited 20+ years to get selected. I've traveled to Maine to hunt many times in the past and will be there a month prior to your hunt for a bear hunt. I am all up on most all suggestions thus far, among them good waterproof boots plus good chest waders (lotsa water there, eh-up!) I have found that a combination of unscented Baby Wipes (already mentioned) and paper towels carried in different zip-loks weighs next to nothing and can become important for a number of things. A battery powered Saws-all and handy sized chain saw (as already mentioned!) could prove to be worth their weight in gold, as you admire your downed bull.

From people I've talked to who have taken big bulls in Maine, a good winch on an ATV and on a powerful 4WD drive truck are also great things to have. Many Mainers hunt close to logging trails exclusively, when it comes to moose. Not unusual to see one dress at 800-900 pounds. I've seen some moose up close up there and it's pretty exciting. I hope your hunt proves enjoyable and fruitful. The joy is in the hunting and we all know when the work will begin on a successful moose hunt!

 

[CatskillCrawler]

I've found that the most useful tool for moose hunting has been a log skidder. Hard to pack but it sure beats the heck outta come-alongs, ATVs, and vertebrae for getting that bull out of the bog.

I've found these things come in handy while field processing/recovering your moose:

two knives, some rope to tie up a leg or two so you don't have to hold it up while quartering, some game bags, a few flashlights(headlamps work best), a 8x8 tarp, hip boots, and a few friends.

Best of luck this fall!!