Idaho moose.

[Dogdude]

Nice

 

[kestump]

That's a great bull! Any more of the story?

 

[WAres]

That's a great bull! Any more of the story?

Here is the story from my 4th trip over. I took 3.5 weeks off after feeling a little or really defeated and needed a break. I had just finished fall fishing and placed top 10 at the King Of the Reach derby. We fished hard and found great success. It felt good to take a break and my excitement came back bigger than ever. During that weekend of the derby it snowed 1-3ft of snow in my unit. I was so jacked to get back now. Finally some weather in our favor. This trip wasn’t even on the books. I literally made it last minute. Only my dad could go but I knew I had to hunt the snow. My dads neighbor offered to his his side by side for the trip. I was even more excited since it was going to be cold. It was a quick trip. Go over Wednesday night and come back Saturday mid day. My dad went over early Wednesday and scouted for road access and along the scouting a guy told us an area two bulls are living. So we figured Thursday we would check it out. Well Thursday morning we found the road. 3 miles outside my unit. So we turn around and head back to the hotel to get the side by side. It’s about 9 at this point but it was cold. We are about 45 mins to the hunt area and my dad realized he forgot the keys to the side by side in his truck. So back to the hotel we to. Finally at about 11 we are in the woods. We wanted to go to the place we found that bull last time but ran into the 3 roads that led there to be either closed for logging or too much snow to get there so we had to go the back way which was about 8-10 miles behind the gate on some nasty roads. We get up there and it’s a moose highway. Sign all over the place in the snow and fresh. We were super excited. It was mid day and we went back down to the truck for lunch and were planning to go up there in the evening. We get back up there at 3:30 and go to the first place and there’s calf poop on top of our tracks so we knew they were moving. We went to the ridge to glass and stop and the ATV is overheating and dumping antifreeze everywhere. We didn’t panic but knew it wasn’t good. No cell phone service and 10.5 miles to the gate. We let it cool down and I went for a walk. I found a big bull print right where we were last time and was really excited. We get the ATV running and don’t even make it 1/4 mile and it’s spraying antifreeze everywhere. Thank god for snow since that was the only source of water we had but darkness was coming and knew we had to get out of the Woods. We weren’t really paying attention since the possibility of walking out became more and more clear as we couldn’t go far without it overheating but a cow and calf crossed in front of us as we were leaving. It gave us more hope but we knew we might be done with that area since the ATV was breaking down. We get out of the woods that night and we were feeling defeated. We knew our only chance to get one was up there and now had no access to there. We get back to the hotel that night and called the neighbor and all he said was easy fix, hit the water pump with a hammer. Boom! It worked. We had it ideal for an hour and it was working like magic. We had our hope restored and couldn’t wait for Friday. Friday morning comes and we left super early. We get going on the ATV and it’s working great. Hit mile 6 ans no issues and mile 7 no issues. Mile 8, steam is coming out of the engine and back to square one. We were close enough that I just started hiking in to the spot but knew today wasn’t going to be good. About an hour later my dad catches up to me and it seemed better and then we got to the top and the whole radiator basically emptied out. We did bring 2 gallons of water and 2 gallons of antifreeze so we were prepared for the most part but now we are down to our last gallon. There was no fresh sign from the night before and thought us breaking down every 1/4 mile spreading our scent didn’t help. There was one road we didn’t go down the day before. Things were looking bleak. After this trip I had no access to 4 wheelers or anything off road. More snow is predicted, my wife is starting to wonder what in the world I’m doing since we aren’t seeing anything. I hit my low point. I told my dad, this was it. I’m going to walk down this road by myself and just have a moment to reflect on this experience and how much went wrong. I had walked this road in early October and saw a bull scrape and some bull sign. It split the ridge where we had been seeing sign all over. It was a long road, about 2 miles. I told my dad, I’m getting to the end of that road and I’m burning my tag and we are done. I just didn’t have any faith in road hunting and didn’t want to have a once in a lifetime hunt by driving around in snow in the truck. It was a long dark walk. I reflected and felt I literally gave it my all and still failed miserably. I knew there was an opening and there was a log that I was going to take my break and burn my tag. I kid you not. Right at that opening as I turn the corner. My bull is standing next to the log I was going to sit. He was facing me. I didn’t care, I shot him facing me. I think I just hit his front lower leg. He turned broadside, I put one in him and he was still standing and I put another one in him and he fell dead there. At that point another bull stepped out and than off. I literally blacked out for a second on what I couldn’t believe just happened. I went up to the moose and kneeled by it and was just in awe. A dream to hunt and harvest a moose had came true at my lowest point. I had given up which isn’t like me at all but everything just kept happening and was building and it overflowed to this point. In shock still, I knew I had to get it out. I fired some rounds in the air for my dad since I was about 1.5 miles away from him but at that time wolves were howling by him and he though some dude was shooting at them. So I ran in 8in of snow back. My adrenaline was insane. I get back to him and he said the ATV is barley working. I said we have to try. We crept where my moose was shot and were able to drive up to it. Now I’ve only killed whitetails my whole life ans never quartered an animal. My dad is disabled, so it was a chore getting the quarters off but overall it wasn’t bad. Then we knew it wasn’t going to be one trip. I sent my dad with two quarters the head and sent him on his way. I shot him at 9:45 and my dad was making the first trip out at 10:45 on the dot. I was drenched in sweat and gave my dad my coat and everything. It was going to be a sunny day so I knew I was good. Or so I thought. If he was going to make it straight out without issue would be 30-40mins down. So I figured 1-1.4 hours top. Well it’s now 1:15 and I’m sitting on top of a mountain with half a moose and a big storm is coming. It’s raining side ways. I’m soaked and feeezing at this point. I told myself at 2pm. I have to hike out and leave the meat since something went wrong. Well 1:40 he makes it back. We ran it harder than ever on the way up and it ran great but putting out, he had to stop 4 times. The rain had made the roads a mess but we got it all off the mountain and back to the truck at 2:30. At that moment. My dad and I just sat in the trailer a drank a beer and stared at the moose. We didnt say anything for a good 5 mins. Then we talked about how cool it was just my dad and I. Then many upon many beverages were had. 5 months in the making and literally minutes from being done and it came to this. We’ve never had an experience like this and looking back, we wouldn’t have it any other way. We earned this one.
$2350 for the tag
New gear for the trip $1500
4 trips with all the broken parts$2000
A shoulder mount going on the wall-$1700
A once in a lifetime tag filled with my dad-there is no price you can put on that. I would do all again just not this next month. Moose are an incredible animal and I have nothing but respect for them. Idaho also is some of the most beautiful country I’ve ever hunted and met nicest people you will ever meet. This memory will last me a lifetime.]

 

[Nontyp]

Great story. It’s never over till the fat lady sings. We killed our groups biggest caribou this yr 1hr before the transporter came to pic us up. I seen a dandy bull in Idaho 2yr ago and may start applying for a tag next yr. We are moose hunting in AK this yr.

 

[mtnbiker208]

congrats on the bull.
but did i read this right, you where taking wheeled motorized ohv's behind a gate?

typically that is against the law.

 

[WAres]

congrats on the bull.
but did i read this right, you where taking wheeled motorized ohv's behind a gate?

typically that is against the law.

We had a side by side and it was legal where I was at if you purchased a Potlatch permit.

 

[MattB]

How was the meat? I've killed 2 Bill's in early Oct. north east of where you were hunting and the meat was really good.

 

[LLB]

Very good story . You had a hellva emotional roller coaster ride . But to have gotten a moose after all that with your Dad is definitely one for the books. Great hunt .

 

[WAres]

How was the meat? I've killed 2 Bill's in early Oct. north east of where you were hunting and the meat was really good.

The meat is incredible. Better than deer and elk. I even smoked a roast and it was really tender.

 

[MattB]

The meat is incredible. Better than deer and elk. I even smoked a roast and it was really tender.

Glad to hear, that is my experience with rutting Shiras.

 

[EastsideHntr]

Is there a lot of access in that area, thinking about putting in for that tag this year.

 

[WAres]

Is there a lot of access in that area, thinking about putting in for that tag this year.

Lots and lots of access. A 4 wheeler or side by side is a must. The moose population isn’t great. I shot the only bull I saw besides the one standing next to it and the other person that had my tag hunted like 42 days until she got it.