I drew a good antelope tag in the SW corner of the state...and this would be the first leg of the hunt.
After fifteen years, I finally drew a Shiras bull moose tag in an area between Pinedale and Jackson Hole. I also applied for and drew a mule deer tag in that same area....just in case I stumbled on a good muley buck while moose hunting.
The following is a photo essay of the trip.
The first afternoon , I sat the blind with Bill, We saw a half dozen antelope on the way to the blind, but only some cool scenery after that.
This blind is nicknamed "Bubbles" due to the bubbling spring that creates the water source.
I sat for more than nine hours without seeing a single antelope.
The first group was a dozen animals, including five bucks. I could see more bucks in the distance working their way in....but none of the bucks appeared to be better than the herd buck in front of me.
Minutes later, my antelope hunt was over.
Made a quick stop in Pinedale for last minute supplies. That is when I heard reports of a strong winter storm moving in.
On the way to Bridger National Forest, the rain turned to ice and snow. After passing three trucks that had slid off the highway, I decided to retreat to Pinedale and spend the night. One night turned into two as the storm continued....but by Friday, I couldn't take it any more. Stopped by the hardware store for one last piece of equipment....a snow shovel....and again made my way north.
This is a photo of camp early in week two after most of the original snowfall had melted off.
The snow continued all day Saturday and into Sunday. On Sunday AM, I saw my 1st Shiras moose....a cow feeding in some willows.
The bull was more interested in the cow and calf he was aggravating than me. He was obviously a young bull and not what I was looking for....but he did put on quite a show.
I did not actually see a grizzly the entire trip....but there was plenty of evidence of their presence.
Weatherman said another strong winter storm was on the way....and by mid-day Wednesday, the snow was coming down again.
They asked what I was hunting and then informed me of a good bull moose that had crossed the Green River about 1/2 mile south of my camp some thirty minutes earlier. I thanked them, grabbed my bow and headed south.
It didn't take long to find the fresh moose tracks in the snow. A short while later, I caught up with a bull moose and his cow. Worked my way into position for a fifteen yard shot. The bull ran about forty yards before tipping over.
It took fifteen years to draw this once in a lifetime tag......but I had my moose.
It was uncomfortable having 300+ pounds of fresh moose meat in camp given the grizzly population in the area. I spent a couple days trying to fill my final tag....for mule deer, but never saw a buck that I really wanted. Just several little guys like this one....
Another year...and another sunset on a fantastic western bowhunting experience.
I followed the antelope hunt but the moose adventure was pretty amazing.
When you camped, were you on national forest? Did you just camp wherever you wanted or did you have to reserve a camping sight?
How did you bring the meat home?
Looks like you are having one heck of a year. Congrats.
I camped on National Forest. Camping is allowed basically anywhere you find a spot.
There were two designated campgrounds in the immediate area, but I did not utilize those. By the time the hunt started, neither campground offered services....so there were no reservations or fees....just first come, first serve. Both campgrounds were amongst large pine trees....hanging full with snow and ice. I was not comfortable pitching a tent under those trees.
Brought the boned out meat home in two 150qt coolers. Due to the grizzlies, I could not leave the coolers open. Put the meat on dry ice and kept it locked up in the back of the truck. Ended up keeping the meat in the coolers for almost a week. I drained the blood from the bottoms daily....and everything made it home in fine shape.
Paul
I sure like your camp set-up.
Congrats on a wonderful Cowboy State hunt.
Good luck, Robb
