Wow FerretWYO, how did I ever miss that thread??? After reading the thread and watching the video of the moose, I am fired up! I already took my backpack for a 4 mile hile this morning, but now I feel like going home and shooting my bow. I kind of had a similar experience as the shooter in your video, when I killed my Canadian moose in NH. I watched him out in a clearcut and correctly guessed the trail that he would take after trashing a young pine tree. It took an hour but he was standing straight on at 6 yards and I was crouched down in the grass, trembling with a mixture of excitement and fear. Then he took a few steps to his left and my arrow appeared behind his shoulder......
Great question STICKDP and one that must be addressed. I do have a little expereience getting out elk and moose by myself. One disadvantage of solo hunting is not have help when a large animal is down; another is not having help in an emergency. Even though the moose is bigger than the elk, I think I'll have less trouble with the moose if I actually kill one. My moose unit is the lowcountry around Pinedale and looks more like antelope country than moose country: flat to rolling with lots of sage with some willow-choked streams and small rivers. The eastern edge is the foothills of the bridger mountains so there will be aspens and pines there. Access looks pretty good from the maps and I hope to get my truck close to a kill - I'm more worried about high temperatures and spoilage, but I always keep coolers with ice in my truck.
My elk unit looks a lot more rugged and higher in elevation, plus I've been warned to expect lots of grizzlies and trouble if I get an elk down, especially towards evening. I will probably set up a truck camp at a trailhead and pack in several miles to a spike camp. I plan to hunt elk later in September when the temps, and risk of spoilage, should be lower. I have found several drainages that look good on the maps and Google Earth, which have FS trails. The system that I have used for several years now is to take a game cart to haul my camp, food and gear into the spike camp, and then use that game cart to haul out any meat (unfortunately I have not hauled out any meat the last few years). Here is my homemade cart I used on a CO sheep hunt several years ago...
Steve O called this contraption a "fridge hauler" and hurt my feelings, so I went out and bought a fancy Cabelas game cart, which I'll use for this hunt.....
Because of the grizzly bears that are in my elk unit, I am considering 2 other options but so far the costs have been too high: renting pack animals (horses, mules or llamas) or lining up a game packer to come and get out my elk if . Even though I have horses myself, I'm not really a horse lover and would rather concentrate on hunting elk than deal with pea-brained pack animals ever day. If I can find a game packer for $200 or less that I'm sure I can count on, I may go that route. Anyway, I will check out these trails during my scouting trip and possibly meet with a game packer or two. Depending on my game cart will restrict my mobility, whereas if I know I have a dependable game packer with horses or mules, I have the freedom to chase the elk just about anywhere they go.
Topic: Wyoming 09 elk and moose adventure (Read 7281 times)
