2024 AK Moose Prep

[Mev002]

18 days till I head to Alaska myself. First moose hunt, beyond excited and ready to get it going.

 

[Robinhood21]

18 days till I head to Alaska myself. First moose hunt, beyond excited and ready to get it going.

So awesome! The first one is special and also the most nerve wracking leading up to it.

One of the best pieces of advise I can give is be patient & always ready. A big bull can show up at anytime, especially when things are looking bleak.

Good luck!

 

[william schmaltz]

Good luck to you all. I wish nothing but great adventure, big bulls and mild weather for everyone (surely it won't be as wet as 2022!!)

I dumped 4+ inches out of my rain gauge last night. I think I saw we’re the third wettest year on record so far and we had snow at 3500 feet late last week! Hopefully whoever was playing Jumanji has finally wrapped it up!

We had a call with our 2024 hunting guest last night to make sure she had everything she needs on the list. That finally put me into moose mode. That and the pushki has turned yellow, fireweed is turning red, a few yellow leaves on the ground, and I could see my breath reading on the back deck last night.

Good luck to all!

 

[ddavis_1313]

It's getting close guys...I'm exactly one month away from fly-in. This evening I could feel some coolness in the air. Autumn is coming!!

The very best to all of you for safe and wonderful adventures...and thank you Robinhood21 for starting this thread.

Im hunting 5-15. Hoping I can get some bulls to come in to calling/raking. This is my first ever moose hunt so I’m as green as green can be. lol


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[AKDoc]

Im hunting 5-15. Hoping I can get some bulls to come in to calling/raking. This is my first ever moose hunt so I’m as green as green can be. lol

Calling bulls to me has been my year after year game plan...and shooting them close to camp and on dry ground.

Early season I call conservatively...raking, busting brush.

As rut is beginning, I switch to cow calls...always calling into the wind and calling more aggressively as rut progresses (longer calls and more "moans" in it..kind of hard to explain, but when you hear cows doing it, you'll get it...lol!!). Morning, noon and evening...and before going into my tent at nite. I call three times in a set, wait for 20-30 minutes, and do another set.

 

[Robinhood21]

Calling bulls to me has been my year after year game plan...and shooting them close to camp and on dry ground.

Early season I call conservatively...raking, busting brush.

As rut is beginning, I switch to cow calls...always calling into the wind and calling more aggressively as rut progresses (longer calls and more "moans" in it..kind of hard to explain, but when you hear cows doing it, you'll get it...lol!!). Morning, noon and evening...and before going into my tent at nite. I call three times in a set, wait for 20-30 minutes, and do another set.

Great info, thanks Doc!

 

[Robinhood21]

Hopefully whoever was playing Jumanji has finally wrapped it up!

HAHAHA! That's a good one... I hope so too!

That and the pushki has turned yellow, fireweed is turning red, a few yellow leaves on the ground, and I could see my breath reading on the back deck last night.

It's pretty wild how much change there is during the season. Everything is pretty green when we show up and by the time we leave, it's all yellow and red. Love seeing it!

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

Airplane neck pillows work very well. Plenty compact and lightweight for moose camp. Inflatable pillows are too flat for me and not comfortable. Couldn’t find a small pillow that was high enough or wouldn’t compress down to flat. Neck pillow fits the puzzle!

Thanks for that tip. I bring a big pillow but I live where I hunt. This year I’m in new territory so need to minimize what I can.

 

[medvedyt]

I dumped 4+ inches out of my rain gauge last night. I think I saw we’re the third wettest year on record so far and we had snow at 3500 feet late last week! Hopefully whoever was playing Jumanji has finally wrapped it up!

We had a call with our 2024 hunting guest last night to make sure she had everything she needs on the list. That finally put me into moose mode. That and the pushki has turned yellow, fireweed is turning red, a few yellow leaves on the ground, and I could see my breath reading on the back deck last night.

Good luck to all!

fireweed in my place just north of town are almost done ... just the top remaining and here it means snow in 6 weeks ... i willl imagine and not be surprised if im seeing on the peaks a lot of snow once clouds base gone ...

 

[ddavis_1313]

Calling bulls to me has been my year after year game plan...and shooting them close to camp and on dry ground.

Early season I call conservatively...raking, busting brush.

As rut is beginning, I switch to cow calls...always calling into the wind and calling more aggressively as rut progresses (longer calls and more "moans" in it..kind of hard to explain, but when you hear cows doing it, you'll get it...lol!!). Morning, noon and evening...and before going into my tent at nite. I call three times in a set, wait for 20-30 minutes, and do another set.

Thanks!


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[medvedyt]

well that is it ... snow on the peaks around whitehorse. might not stay as they are calling for +28c in the coming days but all my thought to the hunters in the heights now.

 

[medvedyt]

Calling bulls to me has been my year after year game plan...and shooting them close to camp and on dry ground.

Early season I call conservatively...raking, busting brush.

As rut is beginning, I switch to cow calls...always calling into the wind and calling more aggressively as rut progresses (longer calls and more "moans" in it..kind of hard to explain, but when you hear cows doing it, you'll get it...lol!!). Morning, noon and evening...and before going into my tent at nite. I call three times in a set, wait for 20-30 minutes, and do another set.

Ted our local moose expert taught me the same and it is working so good.

 

[KU_Geo]

I am 30 days out. Excited and on final gear prep mode. And lots of practice at the gun range and on my calling skills.

 

[ddavis_1313]

Calling bulls to me has been my year after year game plan...and shooting them close to camp and on dry ground.

Early season I call conservatively...raking, busting brush.

As rut is beginning, I switch to cow calls...always calling into the wind and calling more aggressively as rut progresses (longer calls and more "moans" in it..kind of hard to explain, but when you hear cows doing it, you'll get it...lol!!). Morning, noon and evening...and before going into my tent at nite. I call three times in a set, wait for 20-30 minutes, and do another set.

What are typical dates for rut to begin?


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[VernAK]

They usually start responding to a call about 9/10 but full rut is later.

 

[medvedyt]

They usually start responding to a call about 9/10 but full rut is later.

normally full rut should be 3rd of september but it i depending on many factors that none of us control ... phasis of the moon, cold weather so on and whatever needs to be asked to the cows lol ...

 

[AKDoc]

What are typical dates for rut to begin?


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Vern gives a helpful and short answer above. I think it's a good date marker.

It's hard for me to be specific regarding a date for the beginning of rut. That date can and does vary to differing degrees from year to year. Also, as we all know, rut is a progression...starting with the bulls following/chasing the evasive cows, then grouping up cows and keeping them grouped up...and then when the cows come into estrous the cows become the boss and run the bulls ragged.

I typically see early rut progression behavior occurring during the second week of September...sometimes a little earlier.

My ideal date preferences for the location where I hunt is to be in the field for the second and third weeks of September. I like getting into the field when the rut progression is early. I've found it to be very challenging to call a bull to me when he has worked hard to have a group of cows....the bulls will rake and grunt in response to my calls but won't usually come far from his grouped-up cows. During that more advanced rut progression it is common for satellite bulls to come to my calls (bulls that have no cows or have been chased off by a bigger bull). There have been exceptions.

 

[medvedyt]

and do not forget that as @AKDoc wrote it is a progression and you might see a second or a third rut period depending on the sucess of the chase ...

 

[VernAK]

I've also found that bulls don't respond well in warmer weather. They are fat and growing a winter coat so the warmer days discourage exercise. Let the sun go down and they come alive. I once called two bulls into my area but they wouldn't climb the hill to an open spot where I could butcher them. Five hours, I played with those bulls until the sun went behind the mountain and they both trotted out to stand in the open at 60 yards..

 

[MtnW]

I personally don't bring a soft-shell jacket for moose hunts.

I pretty much live in my Kenai jacket and rain coat....in fact, I always bring a back-up rain coat (plus other stuff). I also have a down parka that I can put on after last light (if it's not raining). I like to sit outside our tents at the end of the hunting day (in the dark) with a warm Peak meal "cooking" under my jacket, enjoying the remote solitude.

I hope you have a great adventure!!

Doc,
Do you wear your Kenai jacket in light rain? Does the Kenai dry out pretty fast after getting wet? Do you use the Yukon for your main rain jacket? Same for your rain pants? Have a blast on your upcoming moose hunt and best of luck.
MtnW