Late season Montana moose

[CWeeks]

Realize I probably won't have to worry about it, but I drew an archery elk hunt in Az and would have to hunt the end of the season if I got lucky enough to draw a Montana moose tag too. This would give me time to go back to work and see the family for a few weeks before hitting the road again. I've got a moose in Alaska and Wy during the rut/prerut but not sure how tough it would be to hunt the last part of the season in the northwest corner of Montana. Thanks for any input.

 

[BuzzH]

I drew a late moose tag in 1995 in Montana...I applied for it because it had the worst draw odds of the 3 available hunts in the unit I usually applied for. The hunt was from Nov. 15- Dec. 15.

Where I applied, the snow conditions were tough, getting to where the moose were was a problem. I also know that some of the better bulls were already dropping antlers.

I ended up with an average bull, but at least he had both antlers and it was in an area that I could access without a snow-go.

IMO, and very limited experience, late season moose in Montana are not easy. I know I wish I would have drawn an early tag.

 

[Goldtip]

Kind of depends on the type of hunting you want to do. Moose will still respond to grunting later in the season after the rut, question is whether or not they will respond by coming your direction, but it will give an idea of where they are. Generally later season hunting for moose is a spot and stalk endeavor. Cruise the clearcuts and lots of glassing. As Buzz said, as the calendar passes into late November, some bulls will be dropping their horns also. Certainly late season hunting for Moose can be a succesful endeavor, however my best advice would be to come to NW Montana and hunt the rut if it can be done.

 

[Selkirk]

I've found a good number of moose in N Idaho and NW MT through November as the snow pushes them down to prime feeding areas. The biggest bull I've see was during the rut, but the most 'good' bulls I see are consistently early/mid-Nov. Anyway, that's just my experience.

 

[CWeeks]

Really like that early season but need that bonus point, so I guess I'll just put in and hope I don't draw. Now that sounds mighty silly doesn't it.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Some bulls are dropping by the last week of the season. The latest I'd feel really good about would be until about Mid- November. If you get the tag you can figure out how to do it when the tag gets there.

 

[thecrittergitter]

I wouldn't worry about drawing a tag.... course thats just me, the guy who can't friggin draw crap.

 

[CWeeks]

Realize odds stink, but I did draw an Az strip tag and Mt goat tag in the same year. Couple years before that I had a Co sheep tag and a Wy moose tag. And for some reason I didn't put in for the lottery either year. Regardless of when(not if) I draw, I really wanted to get opinions of when was the best time to find a big bull. My Wy moose was a cool hunt and got him with my bow, but he was only a 2 1/2 year old bull so I wanyed to make my Montana tag produce. Thanks for the help.