TheHuntHC
New member
Washington moose
Last weeks pictures
- Thread starter TheHuntHC
- Start date
AZ402
Well-known member
Cool, how hard is it to get that tag in WA???
ashersdad
Well-known member
Nice looking moose. Love to hear details of the hunt.
TheHuntHC
New member
I have been putting in for the moose hunt for almost 20 years.
I was drawn for a Selkirk Moose hunt this summer and had everything lined up. I had three buddies who lived within ninety minutes of the hunting unit who would help me. I was planning on taking the bull with my bow but that did not work out. Here is the story…
I was ready to head out September 30th (The truck was completely packed.) when my wife got a phone call that her Dad was having heart issues. Two days later he had a pacemaker installed and is doing much better. I had to go to Florida for business on the 5th of October and did not get back until the 13th. I had to catch up on my regular work which meant that I could not get heading out to hunt until the 20th and I had one week to make it happen. I was hunting alone as my pre-scheduled help had to go back to work. Pressure was ON!!!
The rut was over and it was spot and stalk hunting. The State Biologist told me to draw my focus of my hunt on the lower elevations which I did. I did my homework in early months and felt confident even though the fun part of the hunt was over. I get there and the first three days I stayed low in elevation and saw some tracks but no moose. The fourth day it snows four inches up high and I went high to see if I could have some better chances. I crossed many moose tracks and started seeing moose. My first encounter was classic… I see a cow, then another, then another; I am moving fast and looking hard through the blow down looking for the bull. There is a little bench in the hill side which I targeted and pressed harder and pick up the pace to get there. I arrived to see a cow in front of me and I am looking for the bull. I looked for about 10 minutes which I then turn to my right and there he is, a shooter and he had been looking at me for who knows how long but by the time I put the rifle to my shoulder he had enough with me and turned and ran down the hill. I took chase trying to cut off his cows, I just want to let everyone know that those things can out run car thief. So I lost that battle.
I headed down another finger and ran into another set of tracks more cows and their friends up the hill told them to run from me. So the track race was on and I lost another battle but I had a blast.
The next morning I was driving up high and I had informed many of the deer hunters that I had a moose tag which was nice. They would let me know of anything they see. I was rounding a corner to a 700 acre clear cut and Scott (deer hunter) was stopped in the road pumping his breaks. I get out ran down to him and there is a cow just heading over a hill into the cut. I get out my binoculars and we start picking out cows. Then at the bottom of this cut/ bowl, I see a cow then the bull.
I look at the hill side and estimated the wind and plan of attack. I was fighting the brush and bumped a small bull that took off up the hill. He did not stick around at all. I pushed to the other side of the finger and found a great trail that leads me to the bottom of the cut. I started to move towards where I had last seen the moose and started finding moose roads. I kept checking the wind and within a few minutes I had five cows in within seventy yards of me. I slowed way down (dropped my day pack) as I could hear the bull growling in front of me as he was raking his antlers but I think he was just moving his head trying to eat in that thick brush. I waited for about five minutes and out popped a cow in an opening. Then here he comes but his vitals are still covered in brush. I ranged him at 118 yards and readied my rifle. He stepped out in the opening and I pocket shot him. The bullet was a complete pass through and destroyed the bottom half of his heart. I have a picture of that but will not post.
The bull took about five steps and fell down then he got back up and I chambered another round. Which the bull took another three steps before the final fall. But his back half was in a water/mud pit.
From tip to tip it was over 52 inches. But at the widest spot it is a little over 57 inches. As you can see the paddles are not very wide and the bull will most likely will not make book.
There are a few other stories that happened which I will not post for everyone but are pretty funny. One sad note was a hunter that crashed his quad on the road and was not wearing a helmet. When he was taken away after 55 minutes of being unconscious he was still not awake… Please wear your helmets!!!
If anyone gets drawn next year I do have that place dialed in and will help you all I can...
I was drawn for a Selkirk Moose hunt this summer and had everything lined up. I had three buddies who lived within ninety minutes of the hunting unit who would help me. I was planning on taking the bull with my bow but that did not work out. Here is the story…
I was ready to head out September 30th (The truck was completely packed.) when my wife got a phone call that her Dad was having heart issues. Two days later he had a pacemaker installed and is doing much better. I had to go to Florida for business on the 5th of October and did not get back until the 13th. I had to catch up on my regular work which meant that I could not get heading out to hunt until the 20th and I had one week to make it happen. I was hunting alone as my pre-scheduled help had to go back to work. Pressure was ON!!!
The rut was over and it was spot and stalk hunting. The State Biologist told me to draw my focus of my hunt on the lower elevations which I did. I did my homework in early months and felt confident even though the fun part of the hunt was over. I get there and the first three days I stayed low in elevation and saw some tracks but no moose. The fourth day it snows four inches up high and I went high to see if I could have some better chances. I crossed many moose tracks and started seeing moose. My first encounter was classic… I see a cow, then another, then another; I am moving fast and looking hard through the blow down looking for the bull. There is a little bench in the hill side which I targeted and pressed harder and pick up the pace to get there. I arrived to see a cow in front of me and I am looking for the bull. I looked for about 10 minutes which I then turn to my right and there he is, a shooter and he had been looking at me for who knows how long but by the time I put the rifle to my shoulder he had enough with me and turned and ran down the hill. I took chase trying to cut off his cows, I just want to let everyone know that those things can out run car thief. So I lost that battle.
I headed down another finger and ran into another set of tracks more cows and their friends up the hill told them to run from me. So the track race was on and I lost another battle but I had a blast.
The next morning I was driving up high and I had informed many of the deer hunters that I had a moose tag which was nice. They would let me know of anything they see. I was rounding a corner to a 700 acre clear cut and Scott (deer hunter) was stopped in the road pumping his breaks. I get out ran down to him and there is a cow just heading over a hill into the cut. I get out my binoculars and we start picking out cows. Then at the bottom of this cut/ bowl, I see a cow then the bull.
I look at the hill side and estimated the wind and plan of attack. I was fighting the brush and bumped a small bull that took off up the hill. He did not stick around at all. I pushed to the other side of the finger and found a great trail that leads me to the bottom of the cut. I started to move towards where I had last seen the moose and started finding moose roads. I kept checking the wind and within a few minutes I had five cows in within seventy yards of me. I slowed way down (dropped my day pack) as I could hear the bull growling in front of me as he was raking his antlers but I think he was just moving his head trying to eat in that thick brush. I waited for about five minutes and out popped a cow in an opening. Then here he comes but his vitals are still covered in brush. I ranged him at 118 yards and readied my rifle. He stepped out in the opening and I pocket shot him. The bullet was a complete pass through and destroyed the bottom half of his heart. I have a picture of that but will not post.
The bull took about five steps and fell down then he got back up and I chambered another round. Which the bull took another three steps before the final fall. But his back half was in a water/mud pit.
From tip to tip it was over 52 inches. But at the widest spot it is a little over 57 inches. As you can see the paddles are not very wide and the bull will most likely will not make book.
There are a few other stories that happened which I will not post for everyone but are pretty funny. One sad note was a hunter that crashed his quad on the road and was not wearing a helmet. When he was taken away after 55 minutes of being unconscious he was still not awake… Please wear your helmets!!!
If anyone gets drawn next year I do have that place dialed in and will help you all I can...
Ultrahunter
Active member
Nice Moose!!!!!!!!!! Lets see the blown up heart!!!!!!!!!
TheHuntHC
New member
I need to get the OK from the Moderator...
TheHuntHC
New member
I will let him pull this post if he does not like it.
Here is the picture of the bottom half or third of the heart.
I then layed the heart down and here is the picture.
If your offended I am sorry...
Here is the picture of the bottom half or third of the heart.
I then layed the heart down and here is the picture.
If your offended I am sorry...
