Bull Moose

[jmedical]

Getting ready for my first Bull Moose archery season and I am trying to plan for game time. I already have a couple target moose in mind and am wondering as we move into the rut how their territory changes? I understand it can be up to 20 square miles and will follow the cows. Any way to predict it, or do they have preferred bedding spots that I should keep an eye out for?
Any advice is appreciated.

[Sitkaspruce]

If in the rut, find the cows and hunt them

Don't go chasing bulls as they can move a lot.

Learn to call. Bulls have amazing hearing and can come a long way, so be patient.

Good luck

Cheers

SS

[Steyr Luxus]

This is just my opinion from what I have observed over my moose hunting adventures so far. You have already figured out the bulls will seek out the cows and have a couple of target moose in mind. Moose establish a home range in which to live and move about. In this area look for sources of browse with a water source nearby and continue to monitor/scout the area looking for tracks, signs of browsing, and bedding areas. I don't think you can predict the preferred bedding areas. However, a bull moose, not in the rut doesn't travel very far in a 24 hour period. Although the movements of bull moose increase dramatically during the peak of the rut, the movements of cow moose decrease. Later in the rut bull moose travel increasing distances. During the rut hunt near water sources as this is where the cows will be. If you see or hear a moose just before or after dark, leave the area quietly and return early the next morning. The moose, will likely still be in the area and try some calls to entice a response from Bullwinkle. It is the cows that will determine the bull's territory during the rut as they seek out the cows into their estrous cycle often breeding them several times before seeking out other receptive cows. These moose movement areas can vary considerably from season to season and from region to region. In summary, find core sources of food and water. Always monitor the direction of the wind with the thermal cycle in hilly terrain. When air cools at sunset, it falls and settles in the lowest terrain available being valleys, cuts, and draws. Conversely, as the sun heats the air in the morning, the air draft rises and pushes back to the ridgetop above.

[Phil McCracken]

Some good advice given so far.

When scouting, also look for fresh rubs and scrapes.

If you find these fresh signs, I guarantee their is a bull moose in the area.

Have called them (grunt) out near fresh/wet pizz holes before. They can get pretty upset when they find out there is another bull in "his" area, and things can get pretty exciting real quick when they come out.

Good luck.

[58thecat]

Once your in the area act not only like a cow as in long calls, bull grunts, walk in water, rake trees and branches….and always be ready as some come in with pin point accuracy very fast and some tend to poke around….good luck and get ready for a complete rush!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[DiabeticKripple]

I’m a rookie moose hunter too.

I’ve done lots of scouting, found lots of moose in a handful of places. I have a few decent bulls on cams to find come season.

From what I can see, if you find the cows, the bulls are there too. They aren’t together but they are in the same places. Quite often I have bulls following cows a few hours later.

My tactics will be centered around hiding in the bush downwind of some water and cow calling, hoping a bull will show himself and then I can make a play on him.

[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

rake trees and branches

I am not even close to being any good at moose calling, but that ^ works wonders. Had them come in when elk calling and kicking some brush, checking a trail cam above the brush, etc. A bull has to be fairly close, relatively speaking, to hear it, but they will come in more often then not to something as simple as standing in one spot and kicking bush around with your feet. Start gently, take a pause, give it some good kicking, snap a branch or a few, take a good pause, repeat. With elk, when they are quite and not responding to your calls, but you know they are there, this will often result in a bull doing the same, ie rubbing some brush. Moose usually just come in, sometimes fast. Last year, a good size moose ruined my elk hunt because of this “technique”, likely by a mere minute as I had my target bull coming in and I had him in my scope but didn’t have a shot (last time I saw that bull). The moose showed up out of nowhere all riled up and spooked my bull away.

Not sure about the territory, but when I used trail cams, I usually had the same bulls hanging around year round (at least when they are carrying antlers).

They will have their water sources, but other than that probably one of the most random animals to figure out the movement and whatnot, rut or not. But if there are cows, there are definitely bulls around.

Should probably be mentioned, this is all in the bush experience, not sure if it works the same elsewhere.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by fishnguy

I am not even close to being any good at moose calling, but that ^ works wonders. Had them come in when elk calling and kicking some brush, checking a trail cam above the brush, etc. A bull has to be fairly close, relatively speaking, to hear it, but they will come in more often then not to something as simple as standing in one spot and kicking bush around with your feet. Start gently, take a pause, give it some good kicking, snap a branch or a few, take a good pause, repeat. With elk, when they are quite and not responding to your calls, but you know they are there, this will often result in a bull doing the same, ie rubbing some brush. Moose usually just come in, sometimes fast. Last year, a good size moose ruined my elk hunt because of this “technique”, likely by a mere minute as I had my target bull coming in and I had him in my scope but didn’t have a shot (last time I saw that bull). The moose showed up out of nowhere all riled up and spooked my bull away.

Not sure about the territory, but when I used trail cams, I usually had the same bulls hanging around year round (at least when they are carrying antlers).

They will have their water sources, but other than that probably one of the most random animals to figure out the movement and whatnot, rut or not. But if there are cows, there are definitely bulls around.

Should probably be mentioned, this is all in the bush experience, not sure if it works the same elsewhere.

I got a old boat paddle that I carry...rake the trees and thrash a bit of bush....if one comes out across an opening I will put it up to give him a look at a pretend antler...plus I use it as a walking stick too

[Phil McCracken]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

I got a old boat paddle that I carry...rake the trees and thrash a bit of bush....if one comes out across an opening I will put it up to give him a look at a pretend antler...plus I use it as a walking stick too

I use an extendable aluminum handle/plastic paddle. Fits in my quad box. Extend it when out. Raking sound is very realistic. Plastic is tougher than one would think.

Works for me.

[buckman]

Moose are usually easy to call in my experience.I find the first two weeks of October the best time.

They respond well to cow calls, and bull rut grunts. Both are fairly easy to imitate with your own voice. You can combine this with a decoy and a piece of anything you can carry shaped like an antler.

Get the wind right, pick an area with good sign and call.Be patient they can take time to come in.You will most likely hear them before you see them.

Good luck.

[Bushmaster]

I called my first archery moose to a water hole....

[Sooner]

My friend has some land that we call moose heaven. My son had a tag and got a 54 incher in Nov of 2017 and lots of close calls with the bow in calling season.


I had the tag the next year and again, some close calls with the bow and nada chances except a tiny guy in the rifle season who got to live another day to get bigger.


The land owner had the same experience as me 2 yrs later and got a sighting of a monster in late Nov but it was too far in the scrub. Yet we all seen multiple bulls in the calling season. Best bet is in the calling season.


What my trail cams told me was we should have sat in one or two known areas where the bulls use them as travel routes instead of stinking up the whole place sneaking around, when we would leave one of those routes, the next day checking cams told me a big buggar walked right by sometime after we left.


Pre rut: walk and call while you gauge the sign and where they might be. My son had 2 medium bulls that we called into bow range in and around sept 12th. The smaller ones are already looking for a chance. But we had some tanks on cam & it was a hot day(no access to a cooler), so he waited for the main rut to kick in.


Rut: get where your best chance is and call like a horny mama. Wait, then wait some more. If nothing, sneak to your next place, repeat.


Post rut: Now your waiting on the bulls to rest and replenish(at my friend's place they disappear to somewhere else to do this). You basically have to find their food source and hope to see one.


By Nov, the cold and hunger get them coming back to old haunts that have lots of food and cover. And mother nature helps big time in spotting those black spots in the bush.


Good luck, were back in the tag rotation in 2 yrs. Can't wait.