Ft Rich archery moose hunt

[Alaskan89]

Figured I'd start a thread and post day by day results of my archery hunt for bulls on Ft Rich, this is the 2nd time I've drawn this tag and ended up eating the tag on the first one. I'm hoping to score on a nice bull for my first archery moose but won't pass on the first to show his mug.

I'm hitting it hard tomorrow morning and will take pics while out there and I'm hoping to avoid the brown bears and wolves that are so numerous in this area.

 

[Beendare]

Good luck!

 

[Okbow87]

Sounds like fun! Looking forward to following.

 

[SLDMTN]

Oh you're killing me man! That's the reason I couldn't get a subsistence caribou tag this year. Looking forward to your updates. Good luck! Maybe I'll draw it one of these years.

 

[Josey D]

Good luck. They are finally starting to thrash & grunt, the next 10 days should be good. We ended up tagging out on Wednesday as I decided not to pass one up in hopes of a bigger one. Watched a lynx, four bears , and a few coyotes in addition to a few moose over the time we were out. We were on elmendorf side however.

 

[Alaskan89]

Went out Saturday, it was deathly quiet and overcast but a tad warm. I was up in the high country where it's more open and did not see a single moose, not even a cow. No response to brush thrashing/scraping, did not try calling as I think it's still a bit early. I did manage to see 4 sheep and a bunch of grouse.

Going back out this weekend starting Friday. Stoked to get to hunt them during the heart of the rut.

 

[Alaskan89]

Went out again on Saturday to the usual spot, didn't see any moose and once again no response to calling. Tried another spot on Tuesday that I hunted back in 08, got close to the trailhead of where I wanted to hunt but had to go around a cow moose with a calf, she wouldn't let me go by no matter how hard I tried. Seeing lots of sign but not much in the way of bulls, this warm weather can't be helping much in the way of rut activity. Barring it doesn't rain I plan on going out again this afternoon.

There have been 9 bulls taken on Ft Rich so far and 3 on Elmendorf so far.

 

[Alaskan89]

Well I finally managed to call in a bull late yesterday afternoon but as he was coming in a fellow hunter on a bike happened to stop by where I was hunting. I was worried he might wander into the area where the bull was so I opted to walk back out to the road and meet up with him. I told him what I was doing and that I was pretty sure there was a bull nearby as I had seen a small willow being thrashed by this bull when he all of a sudden stopped talking and said he just heard a grunt.

We tried to set up to get a shot but this bull was moving all over the place and I had to keep moving so he wouldn't step on me. In the meantime my newfound friend would call and brush thrash and it was drawing the bull out into the open. He managed to get a look at the bull and said it was a small one so I opted to pass and told him if he wants to try and take the bull to go for it. He also passed as he was a looking for a bigger bull as he has 3 youngin's to feed. All in all this was a short but fun hunt and it was good to see a bull finally respond to my calls. At least now I know where there are some bulls and will give it another go on Saturday.

 

[Hughiam]

I pulled that tag as well. Went up Sunday just to look around. Im going to try and go midweek and miss the crowds.

 

[icb12]

Any luck?

I had this tag this year. I hunted it for a grand total of 7 hours.

Drove up friday morning. Killed bull friday evening.
Home eating moose burgers tonight.

Lots of bulls around, some dandies, definitely coming to calls well, but not getting much to talk back.

Mine was only 35-37" or so... but at 2 or 3 yards I figured he earned the right to enter my freezer.

 

[Hughiam]

I didn't make it out, had friends come in from Sheep hunting early had to regroup. Where were you at? Im going in to look at 411-412-413 next based on a "tip".

 

[Hughiam]

I was all over base the last two days. Not one new track or sign. Nothing responded to calls nor any tracks crossing any dirt road. I walked almost 10 miles on Sunday I think and between 6 and 8 on Monday. Dang depressing! Woods sounded like cornflakes both mornings till after noon with the frost. You could hear squirrels over 100 yards away hoping in the leaves.

 

[blasterak]

Anyone have luck? I'm eating DM424 tag soup this winter. Hunted nearly daily from October to last day with no luck only a few encounters. Hunted most all the TA's except for on North post I didn't spend much time. All moose were hanging up high, very high in the mountains seen some dandies up there. Needed more snow to push them down...I know of one other moose my buddy took in late Sept.