I had a tag in ID a few years back. BLM cattle were in the unit and left there beyond the allowed end date so lots of black things with 4 legs milling around during my hunt. I hunted rut briefly but roads got greasy from days of rain and bulls were quiet. I vowed to outlaw all black cattle on moose units.
Returned many weeks later when roads froze plus most of the leaves had fallen off the deciduous trees which made it simple to glass into and just above the riparian zones.
Saw several bulls in two hours of driving rutted, two-track roads and picked a bull to drop near the road. I walked to 75 yards or so from broadside bull before shot and only stopped as was “lumpy” ground to walk. Boom, boom, boom, boom. Soaked up 4 lethal shots but turns out unless spine or take out front legs a moose has lots of lungs to deal with things. I double-lunged to reduce meat damage. Amazing how little the moose reacted until got wobbly around Minute two.
Used a hand winch with the anchor one end to a close by stout-enough, biggest tree (4” diameter, maybe) and other to hind leg to quarter. A lot of work for one guy as quartered. An acquaintance helped pack the meat 100 yards or so through spongy riparian turf to my truck. Took 7 hours from rifle blasts to closing truck’s tailgate.
Good-eating meat.
Coming to a forum near you....
