Contributors to this thread:
My wife told me that I got something from CO DOW in the mail today and I was 100% positive it was my moose refund since my points were updated to 3 plus 1, which is exactly what it is supposed to be. You can imagine my surprise when I opened up the envelope and instead of a refund check I had a tag for an antlerless moose in unit 28. I thought I had no chance in the world of this actually happening so now I'm not sure what to do. I'm totally on cloud 9 right now, and know I have a lot of work to figure out how to get on a cow this fall. I've never moose hunted before so I am absolutely jacked up right now.
Per the backdoor method I drew my 1st choice elk tag and I'm already planning on heading out there September 15-24, so what I'm kind of thinking right now is trying to do the moose in early September (season opens September 6). If anyone has any experience with moose hunting that time of year for a cow please give me any information you can share.
I'm still in disbelief that I drew this tag and didn't even burn any points. Man I hope I can pull this hunt off!
You really should post on the Colorado forum. Couple of guys that are active on Colorado forum have hunted that unit.
Thanks Oldgoat - I appreciate the suggestion...
congrats. That would be a great surprise.
Wow, that is amazing... congrats!
Congrats ! Hope you score a pile of venison !
What you will find is that the best way to scout is use all of the other hunters......
Go around the other camps and tell them you have a moose tag, you will get all sorts of accurate info. If you start asking about elk, they will clam up....
No advice to give other than shoot straight! Good luck and God Bless
What Beendare said x2...
Joe
Good tip Beendare, much appreciated.
Does anyone know what a typical cow will weigh?
There are plenty of cows in easy to pack out areas. Elk hunters will be your best friend and there are plenty of them out there. Be sure to chat with any and all of them Look at the old harvest stats and hunt those drainages. On my cow hunt I saw 6 bulls before I saw a cow on day 2 and shot her at 38 yards with a 338 WSM.
I think my 28 cow yielded 330 lbs and my 28 bull 487 lbs bone in meat at the buthcer. If you use the meat=40% of live weigth rule my cow was about 700-800 and bull about 1100-1200. My cow was larger than any bull elk I've had down. For comparison my last cow elk wsa 172 hanging at Steve's Meats.
Sanddrew
Bill V - thanks for the PM, I shot one back to you.
Sandbrew - great info, thanks. When you were hunting 28 did you get into the SW corner of the unit at all? Looks like a pretty good number of them have been killed just up from the East Branch Reservoir. That's the area I'd like to concentrate on, but if there's better areas I'm certainly willing to check those out too.
