MODERATORS PLEASE NOTE: In addition I did send a PM to Pat to okay this post, and he said I could. Now first, I realize and understand the controversy that is thrown around here about weapons other than the compound bow, but I felt this situation was a bit different, as it involved an animal that the tag numbers are swiftly dropping, and only RARELY obtained through the general drawings throughout the country, plus the fact that it took me 13 years to draw a tag. Lastly it was for a unit that isn't on the radar of most hunters, and, the primary point of the post is just how quickly it all unfolded.
Now for the naysayers, I have heard the old, "post these gun kills, or,,, other weapon kills, on other sites," but the fact of the matter is, this is the only hunting website that I frequent with any regularity, and I know more guys here than I do anywhere else, I also have gotten an abundance of help, made friends, learned things, and etc. So, that is the reason why I post here.
Also, if this does offend you, please simply back out and grumble to yourself - I do apologize and really wish that Pat would separate a few areas for "other" hunters. What I mean by that is, I hunt with all weapons - as do a large percentage here -, including a couple of recurves, as well as a flintlock that I built from a kit. Basically I enjoy all types of hunting weapons, BUT, archery is my favorite, which is why I started coming here, and I continue.
Now, with the lengthy apology out of the way, I will make this brief. Which honestly I do not need to abbreviate much, due the actual "abbreviation" of the hunt itself.
To start, I began applying for numerous tags about 14 years ago. Along the way, I have drawn some great tags, as well as remaining in "line" for a bunch more. Anyway, I had wanted to apply for Wyoming moose beginning about 16 years ago, but as many here will remember, in those first three or four years, you had to submit the full fee, and I simply couldn't swing it, SO, I began applying as soon as you could remit $7 for a point. Then everyone has known what has occurred since then. But I stuck in there, feeling like I would eventually draw. Another given is that the demographics have shifted dramatically since then.
But as everyone knows the history and the dwindling tag numbers, I will refrain and continue on my actual experiences. For added information, I post this, not because I was an exceptional hunter, nor due to the very fleeting circumstances that occurred during the,,, hunt, and I use the term hunt, lightly - you will soon understand why I make this statement.
So, at the beginning of this year I began to once again ponder on, "which moose unit should I apply for?" With the tag numbers continuing to dwindle, talk of increased fees in the near future, in addition to the bottle neck of point holders increasingly attempting to get out of the game, I chose a unit that I had asked about on here about 3 or 4 years ago. At the time, Warren Hatcher - a bowsite member - reached out to me and give me an abundance of advice. I cannot thank Warren enough, and he is an additional reason why I enjoy the company of the guys here so much. For these reasons, that unit weighed heavily on my mind. Obviously the primo units were well out of reach, and even the "second tier" units, always seemed to stay about a point or two out of reach. So I took the plunge.
It didn't take long to find I had drawn a tag. Then I started getting excited and doing what ANY successful tag drawing hunter would do. I began to make calls to biologists, wildlife officers, as well as research on the internet, buying maps and perfecting equipment. I decided even back then that I would hunt the last few days of archery season, and then pull out the rifle if it was necessary. I even told my wife, when she asked how long I would be there, that I would be there until the end of the season, or until I filled my tag. At that time, she said, "if you stay until the end of October, you might as well just stay there!" Obviously I didn't want to go there, so I left in hopes of tagging out within a couple of weeks.
I left home driving - because I love moose more than any other game meat I have eaten and I wanted to bring it all back. So after three days of driving alone, I made plans to meet Warrant at a local gas station. The plan was to drive up to my hunting area, about 18 miles away, and then set up camp, at which time, Warren was planning to show me around, give me some marked maps, and make certain I was settled in and comfortable with the situation. Easy enough, and over the top for Warren, who helped for nothing more than a handshake and also, I am certain, the joy of helping an easterner reach his dream of a Wyoming moose.
After a quick conversation and fill in on some details, we headed to the area that Warren had felt would make an ideal campsite. The area was beautiful, and I was really excited. This is where things began to really "change." So about 10 or so miles later on a dirt road, Warren crested the hill in front of me, and I happened to glance down in a small drainage with adjacent willows, and low and behold, there stands a bull moose, as big as life.
I freaked out and began shaking. I quickly called Warren, and said, "man there is a bull moose standing down in this drainage." I wanted Warren to look the bull over. It looked small to me, but I had only a small idea of the quality in that area, plus I am not the best at trophy judging, so I thought it best to let a more experienced hunter look him over. After driving across the hill to meet Warren so we could return and take a look, I had to jump out and change out of my shorts and flip-flops that I had driven west in.
Actually, I hate to end the tale at this point, but I need to get to work. So, I will add the pics and finish the hunt later. Sorry for being so long and thanks for anyone interested. Thorough explanation is generally the only way I know how to relay events.
Anyway, check back and I will finish up the VERY SHORT hunt.
Shorts and flip flops would have made for an interesting picture:)
Congrats
Rick M
I had a story and photos pulled from here because on a caribou hunt I recently went on because I used a gun.. I have 8 bows sitting in my garage that I can no longer shoot because I have sublaxation of the clavical..In layman's terms, my collarbone pops out of joint when I try to shoot my bow......it feels like someone shoved a knife through my shoulder when it goes out... I had full intentions of using my bow on this hunt and thought I could fight through the pain, but just couldn't do it.. Age takes it's toll........
Congrats on a nice critter...should be some great eating there also... More photos???
Great story thus far but to leave us hanging right there is rough.
Also, tatonka, I agree with what you said. I too have been made aware of the, "other than pure archery options" in the past. That is why I contacted Pat first. Actually, I highly respect anyone who can say, "I will only hunt with a conventional bow, and have a respect that is unbelievable for those guys who do it with traditional equipment - which to me is the only true bowhunters to me anyway. But for the record, I really wanted to avoid the whole, mine is bigger than yours rhetoric and simply wanted to share my experience, as I felt it was,,, shall we say, unusual.
Anyway, after seeing the bull and going across the hill out of sight, I changed clothes and grabbed the crossbow. I had taken my bow, but felt that with the terrain the shot could easily be 50 to 60 yards so I grabbed the crossbow. So after going back over the hill to take a look, Warren said, "that's a good bull." And though I felt like the bull was a bit small, I let Warren make the call, as I had very little experience with moose in general and had zero experience with the area.
We quickly made a plan to go back across the hill out of sight and I would make a stalk. I got only about a 100 yards from the road when I saw Warren come back across the hill. After arriving back at the truck Warren said that a couple of antelope had spooked the bull and he had seen him going over a ridge and down a drainage. So we moved to the bottom of the drainage in an attempt to get past the bull. I quickly walked to the creek bank in hopes of getting ahead of the bull. But as soon as I got there I saw the bull moving around about 150 yards past my position. Then I heard him calling for a cow. So I started calling back. He would look my way, but didn't seem to want to come back. After a minute or so, he hooked around and began to make his way up the adjacent hillside that was just on the other side of the creek. I think he was wanting to get up high to look down into the creek. I attempted to stop him to get a distance with my rangefinder, but he wouldn't stop, so I ranged up ahead of him and as soon as he came through the opening, I let out a loud cow call. He stopped and I took aim and pulled the trigger. At the shot, instantly I could tell I hit him high - the first shot is in the first pic, on his right side. The instant the shot hit, I felt horrible as I felt like I had a wounded bull on my hands. Also at the instant of the hit, the bull swirled around and came charging down the hill. I had no arrows as I had left my quiver in the truck, and the only thing that flashed through my mind was the video of Dwight Shcue, shooting the bull moose that after the shot, it ran right past him.
For that reason, I ran back about 10 yards and turned to look back. The bull had ran right up to where I had been standing. A perfect shot opportunity, but again, I had no arrows. After about 15 seconds, he turned and ran off. I was feeling pretty bad about the shot, and Warren had watched the whole scene unfold and said he felt like I had a good shot. But we had to move quickly to make certain he didn't get out of sight. Fortunately the large hill he was on, was pretty much bald, with only an abundance of sagebrush, so we quickly spotted him. We could see the blood on his side and it looked high, as I knew, but it looked pretty good with a good pinkish blood. Unfortunately he kept going and didn't even attempt to lay down.
So the best plan was to get ahead of him once again and wait for him to come through. That is exactly what happened. I got ahead of him on a point where he would come through a narrow gap. Fortunately the planned worked perfectly and as soon as I got to the point, I saw the bull coming. I waited until he was as close as possible, then called again. He stopped and I took the shot, which this time, hit perfectly. He then only ran about 50 yards before laying down.
I was extremely excited, obviously, but I was also a bit bummed. I mean after 13 years of anticipation, my "hunt" was over in less than a couple hours of meeting a friend who was going to show me where to camp and where to hunt.
Another beauty of the hunt, pure luck really, I was able to drive to the bull and pull him up onto the trailer with the winch from my four wheeler. Then away I went.
Feelings were very mixed, I was excited and happy, but the actual hunt wasn't the prettiest - but from what I understood, riding around and glassing was a primary method of hunting, which isn't my cup of tea, but as they say when in rome, do as the romans. Also, the only word that came to mind was "anticlimactic." I didn't even unpack the truck. I was too concerned with the moose meat, so after skinning and cutting the bull up, I began my trip home. So, I would believe I would hold the record for the shortest moose hunt. Sadly, I will most likely NEVER draw another moose tag in the state of Wyoming. I did meet some new friends and saw some beautiful country. I also have a lot of the best meat that can be had, plus a beautiful mount. So I would say that there could have been a lot more outcomes that could have been had, that would have been much less exciting or fruitful. So for those that are still trying to get a tag, hang in there. It can happen, and happen quick, so be prepared.
As a brief sidenote, I had to tell you guys. I went to a local hotel after killing my bull and the lady checking me in saw my bull. She offered congratulations and said, "that is a nice moose." I said thank you, but that everything seemed anticlimactic. Without skipping a beat the lady said, "yeah, it is pretty cold around here." Ha, ha, I thought okay, but simply replied, yeah, I'm from North Carolina and it isn't this cold yet.
Anyway, for anyone interested, the bull was 36 inches wide at it's widest point. So though I could have possibly found one larger, the fact was, which was affirmed by a couple other hunters I met, I could have easily hunted for two weeks and not found anything larger.
Again, sorry for the long post, but it is tough to paint a picture without using a variety of colors.
Thanks for reading, I did feel like this hunt/long drive/shoot was pretty interesting, so I thought I would share.
Congratulations!
I know exactly how you feel, I shot my NF moose 15 mins into my hunt two weeks ago. I feel fortunate to have tagged along with my buddy and watch him get his on the second day.
Caribou, I would have gladly left some meat for Warren, and actually felt bad that I didn't, but honestly it all happened so quickly that I didn't think about offering, and Warren was off on an elk hunt bright and early the next morning.
Boothill, actually I was able to just load it onto my trailer, but no tarp was used. Yes it was easily visible, but basically it was a remote BLM road that ran down into town. So after spending the night at the hotel, I was fortunate enough to have met another guy who had me to bring it to his home where we were able to skin and quarter with ease. Also, due to the CWD crap, I also skinned the head and cut off the skull cap, which put me in adherence of the law.
XMan, so you know how I felt. But for you at least, you got to join your buddy, which kind of offered up an additional hunt. I didn't have that. Actually if I had not been concerned about the meat - which in hindsight, I should have taken it to a processor, then hung out and camped for a few days. Maybe some fishing, or coyote hunting, or maybe even attempted to help other moose hunters that were coming in around October 1. But again, so much was going on that my mind wasn't really clear.
Thanks guys for the responses. I believe the primary reason that I though the story is so interesting is that I have read of others moose hunts in recent years, and some really struggled. And with mine, I had a VERY long drive, after a long wait on a tag, then basically get out, and shoot a good moose. Over the years, I have shot animals, in the first hour of the hunt, as well as the last few hours, but never during an undertaking of a trip of this magnitude that ended so quickly. Though I did take a cape buffalo on the first evening of a 14 day hunt back in May - but that is another story.
DJ
Great bull and congrats. Remember the hard hunts and appreciate the "easy" ones.
DJ If my full only came in 30 minutes later and we missed our pickup flight. We could have squeezed just a bit more out of it:)
Rick M
As far as appreciating the easy ones, I perfectly understand. I have had terrible luck on almost every hunt for the last four or five years. So, I guess, and I actually said it when this happens, you don't look a gift horse in the mouth, you just saddle him up and go.
I do appreciate you guys that haven't given me a hard time about the crossbow. As a matter of fact, at the last minute, I decided I was just going to bowhunt, cause obviously, I could have hunted with a rifle after October 1. But when I saw the bull, I became so excited, and we thought it would be a longer shot, so I opted for the crossbow. I know it is a touchy subject, and I also appreciate the guys who didn't like it, but refrained from commenting. Believe me, I would have rather have done it with my recurve, but oh well.
I did mention that I was nervous, which is the truth, and I expected a long shot, but there was also another factor. I had asked Warren about other hunters, and he said that I would literally be alone until the rifle opener, so I really wanted to get it done before the influx of others came in. Well, I guess I accomplished that goal. Thanks again to all the positive feedback.
Todd, that was probably the best disclaimer I have seen on Bowsite. I am sure that it has a lot to do with the lack of "bashing":)
It is a tough decision when it takes soooo long to draw a tag like that. There is a lot of pressure to get an animal.
Nice bull and enjoy the meat and memories.
Rick M
I understand you didn't get to "hunt" so then remind me again why you took the crossbow (take a more primitive weapon may have made it more exciting, could care less what legal method of take you used) or didn't pass to set up camp and take the time to hunt.
Also, I tried to be friends with TBM, and have even taken up for him in the past, but it seems he always has something "greater than thou" to share with everyone,,,, even if they really don't want to listen.
Thanks again for all the positive feedback, that is why I wanted to share here, as this site has so many good folks. I hope that at some point, I can give back as much as I have received here on this website, though that would truly be a tall order. You guys are great.
I took my buddy with me and as we neared the area he turned to me and said, "Are you SURE there are moose here?"
He then promptly said, "Oh, that's right you are the luckiest guy ever. There will probably be a moose standing in the parking lot."
5 minutes later as we rounded the bend where we were going to park a giant cow moose with a young bull stood there looking at us.
A few minutes later we were standing over a dead moose.
That was a short hunt!
BTW I have a buddy who guided on his ranch in Oklahoma. He was taking a hunter into his stand during the rut. They had walked up on a bedded 130ish class 8 pointer. My buddy spotted him and told the bowhunter to shoot him. The hunter said, "No. It's too easy." My buddy was baffled. He told the hunter that deer don't normally do that, especially big bucks. He couldn't get the hunter to shoot him. The hunter ended up shooting a smaller buck.
I think sometimes bowhunters like to be drama queens....haha.
Mark
Ask your doctor about... nawww he'll just tell ya you're crazy... =D
Thanks for the story and congrats on the moose.
I'm far from knowledgeable about shiras, but from all I've seen and heard that's a respectable bull. Not like there are monster shiras around every tree, they are the smallest of the moose if I recall.
Most of the time as bowhunters, we spend many hours planning and time in the field with no animal to show for all the hard work. I think that's what it's all about, so enjoy the "easy" hunts because I'm sure you have earned them!
DJ
DJ, As I recall, the fastest (successful) hunt you ever had was in Big Daddy's BBQ joint in Fairbanks.....!
And the trophy was YOU!
Pete
DJ
And believe me, I have endured the very difficult hunts with no success. Also, I was due, or at least I feel I was, cause the past several years have handed out extremely tough out of state hunts. So I am not really complaining, though it sounds like it. The only caveat, is that I would have enjoyed hunting a few days before cashing in. But as has been pointing out, and I am fully aware, we, as hunters, cannot dictate how things unfold, and we must take what we get. So I did, and honestly wouldn't really do anything differently, BUT, it would have been nice to build up to a kill, and felt like I earned it to some degree. What I am saying is, I really do appreciate the easy hunts, but this one was just too danged easy.
Again though, I am happy with the end results, and again for the record, I was just wanting to share, just how quickly this unfolded, after years of waiting and such a long drive. Good luck to everyone.
