Montana Moose

[Highground]

Well I was fortunate enough to draw a Moose tag in Montana after applying since I was a teen. I am beyond words with excitement and have spent the last several days on could 9. I plan to spend as much time as possible in the unit this summer and will be setting up trail cams sometime in the next month or so. I have never been on a Moose hunt so this is new territory for me and a bit stressful considering I have a full time job and will only have about 2 weeks of paid time off banked up by the time season opens. I am trying to plan my time off as efficiently as possible and must plan way ahead being that I manage several departments at work. One nice thing is I am off by 3:30 everyday and am only about an hour or two away depending on where in the unit, so it may be possible to get some "last light" hunts in after work.

If you had two weeks to hunt a once in a lifetime tag, how would you break it up? I appreciate all and any advice anyone has to offer. I haven't been very active on Hunt Talk for several years but I plan on documenting this entire hunt so I can enjoy the memories into old age and share them with my grandkids someday.

Private messages welcome!

 

[kiwi hunter]

The old American saying
Even a blind squrril must find an acorn sometime.
Hard work does pay off, im positive that a moose will be stting on your wall as a result.
Good luck as well because that helps.

 

[Montana_Wanderer]

Congrats! You will have the time of your life. I don’t have any knowledge of that unit, but if I had your schedule I would hunt every weekend and evening you can until the last week or so of September. Then take two weeks off work and hunt the end of September and early October. I had great rut hunting then when I had my moose tag.

Someone else with more knowledge of the unit may chime in. Don’t forget to post up stories!

 

[MMS1919]

Out of respect for others remove the unit number and replace it with some made up names that are obvious for those that would know.

 

[Montana_Wanderer]

Out of respect for others remove the unit number and replace it with some made up names that are obvious for those that would know.

I agree in most cases and hate unit numbers being published, but a moose unit with one tag it’s really not a big deal. Unless he kill’s a booner and publishes it everywhere I doubt odds will change.

 

[Rack Daniels]

Good luck this fall! Hope you get a booner and publish it everywhere!!!!!

 

[Hawk Tuah]

Congratulations. I hope you get a big one.

My 2 cents: I'd take advantage of those evening hunts as much as you can anytime you can... but if I was dedicating two weeks, I'd consider a week in the rut beginning of October and then again in November in snow when the leaves are down.

I'd caution against burning them all too early.

In southern Idaho, where I hunt, I'd rather hunt two days in the rut or late season than a week or two in early September...unless you have one coming to a pond on camera or something.

Have fun and best of luck.

 

[Mule Kick]

I had a moose tag last year and like others said I had the most action the last week of September and the rut was still going strong til Oct 9th when I killed my bull. Don’t have any experience with your unit.

Congrats on the tag and keep us posted!

 

[Sask hunter]

September 25 to two week after if it was me. Moose will be cruising looking for cows. Personally have seen way better moose movement in the morning then the evening

 

[2ski]

Hey FYI, you are one of two people that have tags. If you look at the drawing stats for that unit there were two people that were successful on their 1st choice, that district. The quota of 1 that you see means only one of you gets to harvest a moose. So I would maybe plan on the first week of the season and then maybe follow these other guy's advice as to when to take another week.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but thats the way I read and understand the quotas.

 

[Montana_Wanderer]

Looks like there was one tag available this year (quota 1) in the regs. The quota range is from 1-5 which means fwp can vary the number of tags each year from 1-5 based on the population.

My guess is that fwp can make changes to the tags given after the regs are published based on the population and that’s why the regs say one tag and the drawing stats say two. If so, this really screws up the drawing odds we research before applying.

 

[JMG]

My son drew a moose permit several years ago on his 4th try. It's likely the only moose hunt I will ever have gone on. I have been applying for a long time like many others (now have 25 points). IMO, I would get familiar with the unit (obviously). I would pay attention where the cow moose are and then hunt the rut. You can rifle hunt starting Sept. 15 which is right before the rut. Find the girls and you will find the boys. Once you are successful ... the real work begins. I recommend having a "come-a-long", cordless reciprocating saw (DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc.), and plenty of rope/mule-tape (just in case needed). Don't get too stressed out ... be sure to stop and smell the roses. They are awesome animals.

 

[Highground]

Thanks a ton for those who have offered some words of advice. I fully plan on reporting back with pictures and stories and can't wait to start seeing Moose. I will remove the specific unit in case that offends anyone. I did think being I was the only tag holder and a OIL tag it was less of an issue, but will remove either way. Thanks again for the advice guys!

 

[jpc01101]

Unit for a moose tag feels like a non-issue. Hard to get advice without a unit.

 

[MMS1919]

Coming from a guy that creates AI agents for work, I would still change it. Nice job OP.

 

[Ben Long]

I drew a moose tag a few years ago and got great advice from Hunt Talkers. I didn't get a moose, but that's tnot Hunt Talk's fault. I just ran out of time. I split my 2 weeks into early October for rut and mid November for tracking snow. October was lovely, weather was warm, but the rut seemed to have run down. Tracking snow never showed up in November. I hunted 10-12 field days (not including travel time). Turns out I needed 13 to get a moose. I have seen moose the last two elk seasons, in that same unit. Go figure. Make it fun.
Also, LMK if you want a moose call. I have mine and am happy to send it to you.

 

[brownbear932008]

Don't forget to talk and communicate with the deer and elk hunters while out in the field. Stop by and chat at camps almost every single hunter will gladly fill you in on the big bull they ran across and exchange numbers. Lots of guys are very helpful on basically a OIL tag. I had a cow tag in Maine once and seen a big bull. The next day we helped the guys get him to the road.

 

[Hams42]

Step on contact the fwp biologist. Step two contact the forest service biologist if there is one. I burned my time up the last 5 days of September and the first 5 of October. I wish I would have started on Oct 5th. It was still in the 80s and not great for hunting. Then like mentioned above I would hit it the last week of season if you haven't filled it.

Moose are lazy and like to sleep in most of the time I was seeing moose was around 9 am.

Least important if you want to shoot a booner typically if it has 2 brow tines on both sides it will be a book bull.

 

[Hams42]

My family has hunted 5 moose tags on your side of the state so pm me and I may be able to help you some more.

 

[elkrchr]

For what's it's worth, myself and three friends all drew moose tags in SE ID in the late 90's/early 2000's and all of us shot our bull moose on Oct. 5th. We didn't see many moose prior to the rut, but that first week of October had them cruising, visible and vocal.