wyoming moose hunt

[huntnmuleys]

well, I got to go on my moose hunt here in Wyoming. now, we've all seen those threads or articles where the hunter draws his dream tag, scouts all summer, and shoots the biggest animal around.

this isn't quite that type of story.  there was no scouting this summer.  due to a new job, a bunch of overtime, and life happening I had to go into this one ill prepared.  a local friend helped a lot, but moose numbers were way down.  an ominous start in beautiful country

[huntnmuleys]

after a long drive coming off of a night shift (ok, so I napped while my brother drove and dad co-piloted) this is the first basin I got to hunt on my moose hunt.  there was some sign in there, but no moose.  I did kick a cow elk out of the creek bottom, but she decided she wasn't very photogenic and left the scene.

[huntnmuleys]

the next day, we found this scrape (or rut pit as a guide in Canada once called it) near a lake.  looked fresh but a call set up produced nothing.  some more sign around, but nothing too fresh.  no moose sighted, no moose heard, and no fresh sign.  I really figured that it would get much better....

[huntnmuleys]

but try as we might, over the next few days it did not get better.  old sign. rubs.  but nothing to chase. lots of calling set ups that yielded negative results.  

 

however, we did find one heck of an uprooted tree lol.

[huntnmuleys]

this one creek bottom showed consistent fresh sign.  we were always just one step behind the bull.

   

I swear, everyday in there we'd find a new rub.  and no moose.  in fact, other than a cow and calf in the road in Utah while we were exploring one day, we were getting shut out.

 

I wonder if the fella that built this did better than we were doing?  what a crazy thing to find clear back in along a marsh!

[huntnmuleys]

In the middle of all of this, we were trying to contact the local game warden and biologist for advice (stuff that needed done this summer but to say my life has been a tad rough lately would be an understatement).  the game warden finally called my brother back, and the news wasn't the best.  he said numbers were WAY down, and we were doing good things.  if we stuck with it, MAYBE wed find a bull.  

ummm, MAYBE?  these tags are one or two in a lifetime!

finally, we saw a moose.  well, kinda.  we were actually exploring in the middle of the day and were on a two track road running through a VERY thick quakie thicket.  a black image appeared through the trees!  a moose!  just a cow, but I snuck in and discovered she had a HUGE companion.  BUT, it was thick enough I couldn't see the beasts head.  nor could I have gotten an arrow to it at 20 yards even if I had.  so thick.  when the moose finally bolted, I was certain I heard antlers hitting trees.  dang it!

I came back the next day and still hunted the area, but this little muley was the only thing sighted.  

 

[huntnmuleys]

frustration was setting in to say the least.  we did manage to locate one cow with a radio collar hanging out in a basin, but that was it.  there were just no moose around.

my local friend wasn't having any better luck locating moose (or elk for himself) either.  they just were non-existent.

finally, one evening I was hunting a large basin. I had been in there looking for the beast that I thought was a bull from days prior, but while there was some fresh sign in the area no moose yet again.  we were in desperation mode by then.  all three of us "hunting" different basins with optics trying to locate a moose.  and that night, I happened to be in cell service when a call came in.

the biologist id left a message with.  maybe good news???

umm no.

the biologist informed me that while our efforts were certainly good, it would be a miracle if we filled the tag in bow season.  he said the bulls were rutting and traveling 12-15 miles a day.  I mentioned the one I thought I saw, plus the fresh sign in that one basin and was told those bulls were likely in Utah.  he said our best bet was drive roads incessantly all day and hope a bull crossed, and get out and shoot him.  first and only time a game and fish employee has recommended road hunting to me.  he did say if id just come back in late October or early November after the leaves were down and the rut over, I should have no problem shooting a good one with a rifle from the road.

im dead serious.

I asked about bowhunting later, and he said it was possible but remember snow gets crunchy so bring a good range finder.

I was sick to my stomach.

[huntnmuleys]

that night, my brother, dad, and I discussed our plight in great detail.  we decided that we would pull stakes, come back mid October (hopefully before the snow got crunchy), and hope for the best.  I REALLY did not want my likely once in a lifetime moose hunt to be a rifle road hunt, but the fear was in my mind.  we decided the next morning after a quick check of all of the glassing points wed found, wed pull stakes and head for home.

nothing.  not a surprise, but I was really hoping for a last day miracle.  nothing.  we got back to camp with intent of tearing tents down, when we realized we hadn't taken any camp photos!  now, I usually use a good pocket camera for these but also wanted one on my phone.

there was a message on the phone...

the friend of mine that lived out there had called a couple local ranchers to see if any of them had seen any moose, and hit pay dirt. moose are not well liked by a lot of these ranchers, as they eat a ton of hay!  I actually had obtained permission from a couple places out there, with one of the land owners even taking my number and promising to call if he actually saw a moose!  as I said, numbers in this area were way down.  when I originally researched areas years ago, this place sounded good. tags have been cut in half since then, actually the cut was this year.  I had applied before I heard this news, or I likely wouldn't have applied there to begin with.  anyway, my friend called a few ranchers he new, and one of em said he had a bull living in one of his creek bottoms, and I was welcome to try for it!   my friend didn't promise a big bull, but said he had went out and spotted it and it really was there. maybe, just maybe, we would see some antlers this trip after all.....

[huntnmuleys]

it took several hours of spotting to locate the bull.  dang those willows are tall!  when he finally showed himself, we all agreed that he was no monster but I didn't even bat an eye.  I was stalking a moose!  playing the wind, I entered the drainage a few hundred yards from the bull and made a good stalk. however, when I got to where I thought he was, there was no moose.  I was worrying about him getting downwind of me and leaving but just couldn't locate him.  he had been feeding in this cut, and now nothing!  I kind of felt I was rushing my decision here to move forward to spot, but with that dang wind I just felt I had no choice.  if he winded me and left, I was done.

so, I started sneaking forward.  and by that, I mean two steps.....

and that's when I noticed antler tips in the tall grass in front of me. RIGHT in front of me!  things looked sooooooo much different in the basin, I just hadn't picked up that I was in the right place.  and the bull had rebidded, and I had unwittingly stalked to within 15 yards of him!
a glance at his rack suggested that he was actually laying quartering away from me, but when I made a noise to get him up for a shot I realized his head had been turned and he was actually facing me head on!

talk about intense!  a moose, standing head on giving me a staredown, at maybe 15 yards!  it was one of those deals that felt like it lasted forever, but likely was only a few seconds.  then he turned to walk away.  I picked a spot, and...........

[Walt Francis]

Great start, keep it coming.

[huntnmuleys]

you know, ive day dreamed about this a million times, and each time when I shoot the arrow buries clear to the fletching behind the shoulders.

that isn't what happened at all.

my arrow completely disappeared, my 57 lb Yellowstone "Half Breed" put the arrow through the heart of the moose and on out the other side!  he scampered about 50 yards and went down in sight. what a turn of events!  I thought I was done.  I thought I might be a rifle hunter.  I didn't want to be a road hunter.  but instead, I did it my way.  no, considering who is reading this, I did it OUR way!!!!!

 

a dandy bull

 

my brother and dad were excited too!

 

[huntnmuleys]

couple more of the pack out.  ive heard of hooves looking like this, but check out this front foot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

my brother enjoys cutting em up

 

sorry I don't have the usual support pics, but animals were a mite hard to come by!  we heard one bull bugling (actually brother heard another as well), and we saw one by camp one night in the headlights.  many days we saw nothing. talk about lemons into lemonade!  im eating good this winter

[KAZ]

Woohoo, well done to all involved in your hunt    Thanks for sharing  

[stickhorse]

Have been waiting for this!!!
Nice job, going to be some very good eating.  

[JakeD]

Well done and congratulations! Way to stick with it and take home a great bull.

[Bernie B.]

Wow, that was exciting!  Congratulations on a well earned bull!  Bernie

[snakebit40]

Congrats!!! I'm glad you got it done the right way! (Not road hunting)

[elkken]

Very fine story and congrats for sticking with it on a tough hunt.

[CRM_95]

Way to stick it out. Congrats!!

[Hud]

Congratulations, definitely a difficult hunt, great story.