I have been pouring over maps of my area and almost have them memorized this past week. I am going to do a drive thru the area tomorrow to start my scouting & revive my memory of the land.
I have some waypoints from the DOW website of previously harvested moose in the area, but they are pretty much scattered from "hell to breakfast", with not much concentration. After some research, it seems that the Shiras rut is a bit different than the northern moose.
Will the moose not be around water as much as earlier in the year? Are open meadows with a stream and willows better than thick willowed beaver pond areas? Maybe some timbered cut areas? Shall I find cow moose and concentrate my efforts in those areas?
Experienced moose hunters please help!
Thanks in advance!
I know it sounds kindof wild but try to think like a cow or bull moose? What would cows be feeding on that time of year? If it is hot, which side of the hill will they be staying cool on? Are there any corridors bulls may funnel through? Will bulls likely be able to hear bull grunts or cow bellows from long distance?
I found a cow & calf and its only May! And I saw a bull about 4 miles out on lowland that has already some nice fronts and paddles growing.
Another pic
There are a ton of "swamp donkeys" in North Park. They sometimes get in the way when we are archery elk hunting. But they arent in the rut early September. They are just standing around looking stupid.
If you stick with October, try to find some elevated glassing points overlooking likely areas with willows and cows. Calling works but not quite as good as it does on the other moose species.
Good luck.
