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 and hour or two away depending on where in the unit, so I 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'll be hunting unit 126 and am the only tag holder for that unit so competition isn't much of a concern fortunately. 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.

 

[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