Shiras moose hunting tactics

[DidIDraw]

A couple of questions about how to best hunt shiras moose in Utah.

* When is the rut likely to start?
* How does the behavior of the bulls change once the rut begins (i.e. that start roaming a bunch or the herd up with cows and stay there, etc.)?
* How sensitive are moose to hunting activity from archery hunters, muzzle loader hunters, general season elk hunters?
* With a Sept 17 hunt start date when will the moose start to show up in the spots they are likely to be on opening morning (i.e. when will scouting become most effective)?
* Are moose similar to deer and elk in that they are most visible at first light and at dusk? Is middle of the day hunting effective?
* Anyone hunting deer and/or elk in the East Canyon unit during the early seasons that would be willing to text me if you see a decent bull moose

Thanks everyone

 

[Zeke]

I not a "professional but I have a few moose on my wall and have learned a few things from the school of hard knocks and from my old friends who know more than me.

East canyon is not a place I frequent so I'll be no help there but I'll take a stab at your questions.

The rut is usually in full swing by October 1st and the bulls will start travelling before that looking for a cow (usually not a herd of cows but that doesn't mean you won't see multiple moose together).

They might be "locked down" with a cow while they breed, much like whitetail but they'll still be around early and late in the day but they won't be making long treks like the bulls do pre-rut.

Calling (and listening) will work well pre and during the rut so it's more than just a game of seeing them.

Moose are not as sensitive to pressure and deer and elk but they can be displaced with too much activity of any kind.

It's impossible to say when moose will move into the area that you'll be hunting on the 17th but they're always around somewhere so go find them. Remember that the pre-rut and the rut changes the game so the patterns will change. They might be in the same area or they might be over the mountain.

First and last light is usually best but during the first couple weeks, as the bulls move, they could be travelling around much more than just early and late in the day.

I hope that helps.
Have a great hunt and don't let the pressure get to you. It's supposed to be fun!!!

Zeke

 

[littlebighorn]

My limited moose experience is very similar to Zeke's.

Here's my additional 2 pennies.

Remember moose are big and black so they don't do well in the heat. Once the sun starts cookin, they find shade and cover. Cool cloudy days keep them out longer.

I spotted my bull with cows the day before the hunt but every time I went back he was not with his harem. I kept checking the group for 3 days before he finally showed himself again with the ladies. A fatal mistake for him.

Once the rut starts, keep checking on pockets of cows that you know about, in case a bull shows up.

One other thing I learned on my hunt was to keep pretty mobile and become very friendly with elk/deer hunters. When they are in the field, they will see moose you know nothing about, and most are very willing to give you exact locations of their sightings.

Be patient and it will be a great time. Best of luck

 

[Tikka]

We've pulled 3 140" plus bulls out of East Cayon over the years. That unit along with all Shirus units in this state took a big nose dive in the last ten to fifteen years, but on the bright side they are coming back a little every year. Send me a pm with your phone# and I can give you all the info I know on the unit.

 

[DidIDraw]

Thanks Tikka. I sent you a PM with my cell number. Looking forward to talking with you.

 

[grizzly]

Congrats on the tag. If you are able, get some cameras on water now so you can get an idea what is out there. Bulls this time of year could be anywhere from the creek bottoms to near tree line and anywhere in between.

My wife got her bull (159 B&C) last year on the Idaho side of Bear Lake on September 25th. That day was record-high temps and it was over 90F by the time we got the truck back to pavement. We got lucky and were able to get him on ice quickly, but if the bull would've made it into timber before expiring we probably would've lost the meat or cape, or both. Be very careful about hunting in high temps. A big bull moose seems twice the size of a bull elk once its on the ground and they spoil quickly. I made a big mistake by even hunting that day and I wouldn't even try it again. We flat-out got lucky we didn't lose the whole animal.

Her bull stuck his head out of the timber to grunt at a cow feeding in the sage about 9am and we were there to see him, but when it is that hot they don't want to spend much time in the sun.

The season is long and will usually get better as it goes, but a few bulls can start dropping antlers by the end of October so keep that in mind if the season goes that long.

Use a big gun. She had a .300 WSM that she wasn't comfortable with so I had her use my trusty 7mm since she is more accurate with it. That bull took 5 shots to the vitals at only a few yards and stayed on its feet. They're tough animals. Keep shooting until they're down.

And lastly, have tons of fun. Most guys are lucky to even hunt them once so enjoy the ride.

(PS. The story of her bull is in Eastmans that comes out in a few weeks so you can see the pics if you get that magazine. As always, big thanks to jshutah for the help he and his son gave us getting that bull loaded up and to the meat locker in time. We wouldn't have made it without you guys.)

Grizzly

 

[DidIDraw]

Thanks for the advice Grizzly.

You mention that the hunt will get better as time passes but also to get some cameras out. Was it your experience that the bulls were in the area(s) you hunted throughout the summer?

I saw a bull near Bear Lake that was filmed with a drone on youtube - it was HUGE - is it the same bull your wife got?

This hot weather has gotten me thinking about how to get the meat out and cooled off quickly. That will add a little wrinkle if I don't have some help along I'll have to be pretty selective about when and where I hunt.

Looking forward to seeing the story of your wife's moose.

 

[Packout]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-26-16 AT 10:10AM (MST)[p]I'm no expert, but I've killed a handful of Shiras bulls and helped on a other hunts. The bulls will generally stay put until the 20th-ish of Sept and then they can go travelling. So if you find a bull scouting then you might be able to kill him before he takes his walk about to look for ladies.

But I think the best time to hunt them in Utah is the last 2 weeks of the season (mid Oct). The leaves are off the trees and you can glass more. The bulls can still be traveling a bit, but they can also be tending cows. Moose in Utah don't seem to be wary so you can walk within 20 yards of them in cover and they might not even get up.

My advice is don't wear yourself out the first part of the hunt and miss the best hunting later on. As Grizz said, having a moose dead in 85 degree heat takes the fun out of the experience very fast.

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www.sagebasin.com
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[grizzly]

I haven't seen the drone video so I don't know. Here is her bull on the hoof...

The bulls didn't stay in the same place once the rut started and wandered miles looking for hot cows, but at least we had an idea of the size of bulls in the area and knew what to expect.

We actually never saw her bull before the morning she got it, but we knew from the trail cam pics that it was the biggest one we had seen.

If you catch one on camera, you might have a chance at it before the rut starts if you can hunt it early in the season. I talked to a few guys in our unit that had killed bulls opening morning that they had found during scouting so that could be an option for you too. Good luck.

Grizzly

 

[DidIDraw]

That is a great bull. Do you have the mount back yet?

Here is the link to the youtube video:

Looks like a different bull - it has a bit of a drop point off the front left side and the video was published on Oct 19 likely after your wife's hunt.

 

[huntin50]

LAST EDITED ON Jul-26-16 AT 12:30PM (MST)[p]two very good bulls. Obviously different bulls. The bull filmed at the summit has a drop tine on left antler. Both bulls were hanging out near our cabin at one time.

There are not many moose on the unit compared to the past, but a few good ones.

Any moose like those two in East Canyon I would be pulling the trigger.
Good luck.

 

[LoneWati]

I have been unfortunate and not been selected to hunt Shiras here in Colorado yet and maybe never. That has not stopped me from learning them. I have been out Muzzy hunting elk for the sole purpose of scouting Moose if that makes any sense at all. They were rutting in mid Sept and had a big bull with a cow and 2 satelite bulls in the wings. I play around with calling and making Moose sounds with my mouth and have called in 6 bulls before and 3 at one time. There are videos out there that can teach you how to call and I would use that and maybe even a decoy as long as you are very careful of other hunters out in your area. The ones I have patterned seem to have a 3 day schedule cycle and make their rounds and be back on day 3. If you get them figured out they will be generally very prompt. Usually within a couple minutes. They are better at keeping their schedule than any other critter I have patterned. I wish you the best of luck in your venture and hope to see your pictures and story on here in a couple months.

 

[DidIDraw]

Thanks LoneWati

Are the moose that regular with their schedule before and during the rut?

I hunted moose in BC years ago and the guide taught us how to call. It was a fun experience.

Thanks for the well wishes.