Moose Hunt Adventure

Finally drew my first lifetime tag for Moose in Utah. I had 25 points going into the draw. Over the years I have been putting in for Ogden, Wasatch, and North Slope. I decided to go with the unit I am the most familiar with, North Slope Unitas. I have been hunting elk and deer here off and on for that past 15 years or so. The thought of packing into the high county to find a bull is more my style of hunting.

The hunt started when I found out I was successful. I have got a good group of guys I have been hunting with that will be a big help. We have made a few trips already, setting up cameras, clearing trial, working out the horse gear, and glassing. My game plan is to spend as much time in the unit, spotting, monitoring cameras, and clearing trail until the end of July. Come August 1st I hope to pack into a couple of areas with an archery tag in my pocket.

Still putting up cameras and glassing different basins. Getting all kinds of cool pictures. It will be an adjustment pulling down cameras earlier then I have in the past, no big deal though. I will still be out glassing and hunting the archery elk.

I went back to a place I hunted elk for the first time, fall of 1983. It was cool to go back funny how past memories come back. I remember driving up the road and seeing a rag horn 5 point the weekend before the hunt opened. Took Dad’s teepee and setup in the meadow. This was back when Utah had 200 limited high county buck permits, I think is what they called them. Saw lots of moose, but never saw any elk on that hunt. I remember helping some older hunters pack out two mature bucks.

Spent the weekend glassing, checking cameras, visiting with other hunters out scouting and a little fishing. Seeing a few nice bull moose and getting a good idea of areas to check out.

No big deer or moose showing up on the trail cameras, one ok bull elk, lots of cows and calves. Getting some cool bear pictures. I learn a lot about an area with the trail camera, interesting to see a pictures from June 14 with snow.

I had a few hunting buddies join me this weekend and who will be helping me with the moose hunt. We were on the trail early Saturday but didn’t see much as far as critters goes. We road into some new county and ended up putting in a 20-mile day. It is a good area, and we will be going back.

It took a full crew three days, 120 mile in the buggies, and 30 miles on the horses, but we managed to get all the cameras pulled. Learned a lot about some area I have never hunted.

Purchased the multi season elk tag and I am looking forward to the bow hunt in three weeks. Lot of elk showing up to get their picture taken with a few nice bulls.


Also rode up on a few elk a couple miles down the trail.

Still looking for two “ghost” bull moose other hunters have told me about and shown me pictures of. Lots of small bulls and cow/calf showing up to get their pictures taken.

I have been looking back at on some old pictures of moose I have collected over the years. Trying to figure out field judging a big bull, width, number of points. First look will be at the brow tines and the overall sized of the bull. I want to take my time with this one, with a full month to look, little hunting pressure and after 25 years of putting in, I don’t want to rush or get caught up in the moment.

This is what I am looking for. This is a bull from last year, July 2, at the cabin.



Twelve years ago, a cow was hit on the highway, her young calf hung around the place that first year, then would show up from time to time over the years. This was the last time I saw him.

Nice opening weekend of archery season. My hunting partner took a spill on a dirt bike three weeks earlier. He got bruised up and has some rode rash but did something to his ribs or chest and it is too painful to pull back his bow. He helped me pack in camp and clear trail on the horses the weekend before the opener.



Opening was a solo trip for me. The hike into camp I saw a couple of bull moose and just at dark had a small group of elk come through my camp. I was already in the tent, it was dumping buckets, buy the time I got the door flap unzipped all a saw was a few bodies crashing thought the timber, good sign.

Super quiet opening morning didn’t even hear any other jokers blowing on their bugle. I was just going through the timber slow and about 10:00 am opening morning I drew back on small 3 or 4 year old bull that was quartering down the hill toward me. I had him at 30 yards, but he didn’t stop in the open where I hoped he would. Never let one fly. Happened fast, didn’t count points, all I can remember was he was a good bull that had the velvet all stinging off. All I had time for was to knock an arrow and draw. Looking forward to the rest of the season. Didn’t see or hear another hunter all weekend. I am sure a few guys will show up later in the season.

Opening day is almost here and I woke up to a bit of snow up high this morning.

I came up a couple of day ago to do some more looking. Have two nice bulls kind of located. Got pictures on the trail camera of one back in July but haven’t been able to put eyeballs on him since that time. The other bull showed up last Tuesday. Another hunter I talked with a couple of months ago told me about him and showed me pictures from the past couple of years. We were not sure if he was still alive until he showed up in the same area last week. I believe I located him Wednesday.



Seeing a few bulls every day. Cow are not yet with the bulls.

Elk are talking but it has been hard to get too serious with elk for now.

I had several friends and by daughter Jessica come up for opening weekend. I have been hunting with some of these guys off and on for the past 30 years. Some of the guys had not seen each other for over 30 years. We had a great time catching up. We also made our game plan for the next day. We wanted to be out the gate by 6 am and split up to cover as much of the area as possible. If anyone located a bull, get a picture, and send a text or come find the others at a meeting point at noon. Weather was super nice for camping but maybe too nice for hunting.




Opening morning four of us road in on horses and split up, the rest of the guys on four wheelers.



That weekend the group found several young bulls.

We also found out five of the tag holders filled their tags. None of the bulls killed were the two we were looking for. “Big Mike” was nicknamed after a great guy and hunter that was willing to help another hunter out. Mike had seen this bull off and on for the past couple of years. While bow hunting elk 10 days before the opener he bumped into him and sent me a text saying he is still alive. The other bull we nicknamed “Wednesday”, the one I found before opening.
This is Big Mike from 2021:

This is Big Mike in 2022:

The other bull we nicknamed “Wednesday”, the one I found before opening.

One area I checked regularly had a mature blind cow. No eyeballs, all grown in with hair. She was with another cow the first week I saw her before the season opened. The following week two small bulls join her.

Three guys in camp had archery elk tags. We saw four or five bulls while looking for moose. The elk were vocal early in the morning and in the evening. I really wanted to get my moose with my bow. I was packing my bow and was packing my 44-40 saddle gun just in case I couldn’t get him with my bow.

I started to hear about a couple of other tag holders in the area. Tuesday I was coming back down the road after looking that morning and saw one of the tag holders I spoke with before the hunt opened. He was a long way from where he was camped. He and his wife had a bull down in the same spot I saw one of the big bulls from last Wednesday. My heart sank as a walked drown through the willow bottoms toward the hunter. To my relief it was not “Wednesday”. It was a very nice mature bull; one I have never seen.

By Tuesday all the other guys had obligations they needed to get back to, which left just me and Jason in camp. First day of fall, day six, Jason and I decided to cover the roads and lookout points together. Same plan as before, stick to the same areas where the two big bulls have been seen.

About eight am we were driving down the road and spotted a bull and cow. I pulled over and grabbed my bow. I got about 20 yards of them, and he started to move out of the timber toward me. I drew back at 12 yards, but he was quartering to me with some other brush in the way. I did not have a clear shot.

I knew he was the one, he was huge and had a small aspen tree in his horns. He took off. I ran back to the side by side, tossed the bow in the back and grabbed my 44-40. He ran downs about 200 yards. I got to within 80 and was able to get a clear shot.



It wasn’t until later that day I realized this was the same bull that was hanging around my cabin the end of July and first week of August. My cabin is in Wyoming about eight miles from the state line. This bull travelled 10 miles to the South where I found him.

We have been cooking moose steaks and ribs, enjoying the beautiful weather. So fun, and super lucky to find him.

60 day drying time is about up and I have time scheduled next week to go get him measured.





Spent 5 days hunting the general season deer hunt. My daughter Jessica found a nice buck.



New horse, Quattro got to pack off his first buck. He is a keeper.

Had my moose scored. Net 173 6/8, gross 185, with a 54" spread.