How to Miss a Moose Part 1

[steadman]

I happened to draw a cow moose tag for the Uinta mountains here in UT. Now, I've never hunted moose and always thought it would never happen as a bull tag is a once-in-a-lifetime tag and a lot of people put in for it. However a cow tag is not, and so i started playing the game in hopes that the normal UT mentality of "if it doesn't have horns it's not worth shooting" would help me draw a tag. It must have worked!

So I started my scouting in early July, with a talk to the biologist and a drive to the unit, my hopes were high. In the two scouting trips I made, I did not see a single moose, and my hopes were not as high.

 

But the terrain just screamed moose and I kept a positive attitude.

 

[steadman]

This year had been an especially tough one. Both at home and hunting. But my wife always encourages me to be positive, and so do what the wife says. Right    I have had no opportunities to even stalk a deer, or an elk this year. So I have really been looking forward to this hunt.

The hunt opened on Fri the 10th, so my Dad and I arrived Thurs morn and set up camp, and just in time.

 

The skies were threatening, and then the threat turned into reality and I saw my first snow of the year!

 

 

[Izzy]

Come on now keep it coming.Thats some super beautiful country, not the Utah I know.

[ksbowman]

All right Ryan! Lets hear more! Tracy said you had a moose tag, when I asked him about you coming to Kansas this fall. Lets get that moose story going, I know it will be a good one.   Ben

[J-dog]

here we go! a Lamb/Guru special

     

[J-dog]

Beaut country - wish it wuold snow a little round here.

[finq]

whats the price of a male moose tag in the usa?

[steadman]

We woke up to this in the morning!
 

2-3" of snow on the ground. Time to get the cold weather gear!

Dad and I headed to the meadow and he dropped me off. I headed around the meadow just inside the timber. Althoughit snowed it was real loud walking as the snow crunched with every step. I made it around the meadow and looked back to see my first moose of the season! A cow and calf were walking just where my truck had been. So I hot footed it back to the campground to see where they would come out. I can't shoot in the campground, so my plan was to watch them leave and work my way in front of them to get a shot. I lost sight of them as I went through the timber, and when I emerged the cow was staring at me from 60 yards away. She turned and trotted towards the river. I circled around to cut her tracks in the snow, but couldn't find anything. I got back to where the truck was and sat down to see if I could spot them and make a plan. I looked to my left and there was the calf, bedded down!

 

I new mama had to be close, but couldn't see her anywhere. Now I haven't told my wife, but this will probably be the closest thing to a dangerous game hunt I will ever get to do. As those of you who have been around cow/calf pairs of moose can attest. There is also no law against shooting a cow with a calf, and if the calf is big enough I will attempt it. That's just my personal choice.

I couldn't locate the cow for some time and decided to get Dad so he could see the moose.

[steadman]

Ben after seeing the pics of the bucks around Tracy's I'm almost wishing I wouldn't have drawn. Almost!

I'm honored just to be in the same breath as Charlie and Guru! I just hope my story is as good!

I couldn't find Dad so I headed back to the campground to locate the cow, or find where they left the area. I worked my way through the timber to a camp that had been set up. At this point I was just trying to locate the moose. I looked over a truck towards the parking lot where a few trucks and horsetrailers were located and saw something out of place. It was a moose head! Eating hay out of the back of one of the pick ups. I stayed behind the one camp and watched her work her way 30 yards in front of me.

 

I watched her and her calf for sometime. She finally made her way out of the campground towards the meadow. I hurried to circle around them. But I was too late as they worked their way ahead of me out of range.

[steadman]

I decided not to push them as they worked their way into the timber. The sun waas starting to break through and I fgured the snow would melt allowing for some quiter stalking.

That afternoon I headed back to hunt around the meadow and my Dad headed out on a trail where some elk hunters had seen some moose a couple days before.
 

 I spent the afternoon still hunting the timber, and although I was seeing a ton of sign, I wasn't seeing any animals. As the sun started dipping behind the snow covered peaks, I decided to head towards the river and down into the valley. I figured the moose would be up and moving around by now.

[steadman]

As I made my way down through the timber, I could see that there was a meadow below it. As I approached the meadow I could see ears rotating. I puy up my glasses and there, a cow moose bedded not thorty yards away. See had heard me and was now searching the wind with her nose. I nocked an arrow and waited. When hunting deer or elk, when spotted, I generally stay still and wait for them to relax. So this was my first instinct. She layed there for a good minute and a half before deciding something wasn't quite right. She got up and started moving to my right. I scanned ahead to find an opening to shoot through. There! If she passed throughit I would get a shot. With a cedar arrow nocked on my Mohawk longbow, I came to full draw as she entered the opening. The my mind went blurry. I don't remember picking a spot, heck I don't remember even picking the moose. I watched helplessly as my arrow sailed harmlessly over her back! There you have it, I admit to missing a moose, the biggest target in the lower 48      
When the arrow struck behind her she trotted a bit ahead. I hurridly nocked another arrow and hustled toward her. She watched me get 20 yards away, the only problem was she was in thick timber and facing me. No shot. She turned and melted back into the timber. After I quit shaking, I retrieved my wayward arrow.
 

I worked my way down the river back to the truck. The whole time trying to figure out how I missed. But it happens and time to move on. Back at the truck I learned that Dad had seen 4 moose all within a mile of where I was.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Great start my friend!! I'm still smiling after the call and text wishing I could have been there too.    

I've been missing your picks glad you got it figured out.    

Tracy

[steadman]

I had to get back to my son's football game on Sat so we couldn't hunt then. But I've learned a lot about moose hunting in a day. If there is a calf, you need to be cautious for more than one reason. The cows are also a lot more scittish when they have a calf. But a lone cow, I need to be aggresive. I think if I would have kept walking toward the bedded cow, she would have let me get closer, with a better shot. Hunt and Learn! I go back out on the 19th for a week and am confident I will get another opportunity as we saw 10 moose in a day of hunting, all cows and calves. This time I will pick a smaller spot!!
   

 

[just_a_hunter]

Can't wait for the rest..

Awesome buddy!

Todd

[rastaman]

90 degrees here, and you had snow..i feel cooler already!  Good luck when you go back!  Beautiful country.

[Guru]

You'll get one buddy....great stuff!

[jcar315]

Snow?! Holy smokes.

Thanks for sharing the pics and the story. Anxious to hear part 2 after you get back from your next trip.

[Rick Butler]

Pretty cool stuff!  Best of luck in the future!

[hayslope]

ryan,

You've got me hooked!...........can't wait for this adventure to continue.

I drew one of those "cow" permits as well.......but on the opposite end of the country!  I hope the area that I'm going to be hunting them in Maine is as productive as the area you are in!

Best of luck....and I just know you are going to turn things around.........one of those "girls" has your name all over her!

[Widowbender]

 

GOOD Stuff!!