This year, I was fortunate enough to draw a central Idaho moose tag. The unit I got isn't famous for producing giants, and it has a low moose density, but I was quite familiar with the area and had seen some good moose there before. The season stretched from August 30th to Thanksgiving, giving me ample time to find the right one, especially since it was just an hour's drive from where I could hunt.
The season started off slow with limited action. I spotted some young moose, but none worth considering for harvest. After the first week, I went on about five trips without even seeing a moose, which was quite disheartening. Nevertheless, I had a strong support system that encouraged me to persist and keep going.
I started hearing about a big bull moose in various areas, but every time I followed these leads, I couldn't locate them. This might have been due to the rut being in full swing, causing the bulls to move restlessly in search of a hot cow.
A couple of weeks went by, during which I pursued these leads and assisted my dad with his tags. I was still without a bull, but I wasn't overly concerned since the season extended into November. However, I started feeling the pressure as I was over halfway through the season without finding a mature bull.
Then, over the weekend, I received some tips on the whereabouts of some moose. I knew the place and knew it held moose, but I had been avoiding it because most of the area was on private land, with a blue ribbon trout stream running through it, attracting a lot of traffic.
The first morning I ventured into the area, I spotted five moose within about 300 yards of each other, as expected, all on private land. I spoke to the landowner, who turned out to be a really cool guy, but unfortunately, they didn't permit hunting on their property. However, I managed to secure permission to hunt the land south of there. If the bulls moved even a few hundred yards in any direction, they'd be on public land or land I had permission to hunt. After observing the moose for most of the morning, it was clear that they weren't in a hurry to leave. I had prior commitments and had to leave around noon. Later, I learned that those bulls moved onto public land, but unfortunately, I couldn't make it there that afternoon, so I knew I'd have to try again the next morning.
The following morning, I returned to the hill overlooking where the bulls had been the previous day on private land. It didn't take long to spot the two bulls and nine other moose within a 500-yard area. It was refreshing to see so many moose after a slow start to the season. After watching the bull all morning, it was evident that they weren't in a hurry to move. Six of the other moose had moved onto public land, but not the one I was after. I tried calling the bull onto public land, but he didn't seem interested. After the moose bedded down, I decided to drive north and retrieve my camper trailer, which I'd left where I spent the weekend. My plan was to return and observe them until evening, hoping they'd decide to move onto public land.
About three hours later, I was back on the hill overlooking the creek, only to find that the bulls had moved about 30 yards. At that point, I had no choice but to wait. As I sat there, I noticed some women on public land inflating their paddle boards. I thought it might be too good to be true. Could this group float down the river and scare the moose onto public land? I was excited at the prospect. It didn't take long before the group had reached a point about 10 yards from the two bulls standing by the creek. The bulls watched them float by without much concern. My heart sank, and I thought, "There's no way these bulls are going anywhere."
However, about 30 seconds later, I noticed that the paddleboarders had passed a cow and calf. Unlike the bulls, the cow sprinted toward public land. My heart raced as I watched the bulls follow in pursuit. For anyone who has seen a bull moose run, you know they can cover a lot of ground quickly.
I jumped into my truck and sped to the public land as fast as I could. The problem was that the creek lay between me and where I anticipated the moose would cross. I didn't have waders, but that wasn't going to stop me at this point, so I waded into the creek. I soon realized the creek was deeper than I'd expected, and the water level reached up to the bottom of my pack. I had to hold my pack over my head to cross, and the water even reached up to my neck at its deepest point. Thankfully, my adrenaline was pumping, so I barely noticed the cold.
Once I reached the other side, I climbed the bank, expecting to see the moose. But there was nothing in sight. Did I not get in front of them in time? There was a dense patch of willows near the property line about 500 yards away, and I hoped they were in there. I carefully moved over there and heard the two bulls calling back and forth to each other within the thick willows. I grunted a few times to try and draw them out for a shot. It didn't take long, and one of them was charging toward me. I lay down in the grass and waited. He emerged about 10 yards away, but I quickly realized he was the smaller of the two bulls, so I decided to wait for the larger one.
As the smaller bull moved into the willows, I kept advancing to where I'd heard the other bull. When I rounded the edge of the willows, I spotted the big one. The only problem was that he was still on private land, about 50 yards away. I lay down in the grass and let out a couple of grunts. The bull immediately turned and headed toward me. He paused for a moment on the fence line, and I worried he wouldn't jump. However, after about 10 seconds, he leaped the fence. I waited for him to step about 10 yards onto public land and then took my shot at 30 yards. I fired two more times quickly to prevent him from running back onto private property.
And just like that, my shiras moose tag was filled. I was thrilled with him, particularly his quad brow tines on each side. After shooting him, I called for backup. We figured out a way to pack him out without crossing the stream again, which made things much easier. I'm not sure about his score or spread, but he's a trophy to me.![20231022_173237[1].jpg](https://forumdata.rokslide.com/file/forumdata/data/attachments/590/590141-78da3d3a224511c605dac21b54916fa0.jpg "20231022_173237[1].jpg")
![20231022_173247[1].jpg](https://forumdata.rokslide.com/file/forumdata/data/attachments/590/590142-a5887b9fe370f95b6a753aa39194cd3a.jpg "20231022_173247[1].jpg")
![20231022_174726[1].jpg](https://forumdata.rokslide.com/file/forumdata/data/attachments/590/590144-62ed278662bcaf12af8cba8f134563ea.jpg "20231022_174726[1].jpg")
![20231022_184343[1].jpg](https://forumdata.rokslide.com/file/forumdata/data/attachments/590/590145-6fd07988e2bba3ef6295b19fdb71853c.jpg "20231022_184343[1].jpg")
The season started off slow with limited action. I spotted some young moose, but none worth considering for harvest. After the first week, I went on about five trips without even seeing a moose, which was quite disheartening. Nevertheless, I had a strong support system that encouraged me to persist and keep going.
I started hearing about a big bull moose in various areas, but every time I followed these leads, I couldn't locate them. This might have been due to the rut being in full swing, causing the bulls to move restlessly in search of a hot cow.
A couple of weeks went by, during which I pursued these leads and assisted my dad with his tags. I was still without a bull, but I wasn't overly concerned since the season extended into November. However, I started feeling the pressure as I was over halfway through the season without finding a mature bull.
Then, over the weekend, I received some tips on the whereabouts of some moose. I knew the place and knew it held moose, but I had been avoiding it because most of the area was on private land, with a blue ribbon trout stream running through it, attracting a lot of traffic.
The first morning I ventured into the area, I spotted five moose within about 300 yards of each other, as expected, all on private land. I spoke to the landowner, who turned out to be a really cool guy, but unfortunately, they didn't permit hunting on their property. However, I managed to secure permission to hunt the land south of there. If the bulls moved even a few hundred yards in any direction, they'd be on public land or land I had permission to hunt. After observing the moose for most of the morning, it was clear that they weren't in a hurry to leave. I had prior commitments and had to leave around noon. Later, I learned that those bulls moved onto public land, but unfortunately, I couldn't make it there that afternoon, so I knew I'd have to try again the next morning.
The following morning, I returned to the hill overlooking where the bulls had been the previous day on private land. It didn't take long to spot the two bulls and nine other moose within a 500-yard area. It was refreshing to see so many moose after a slow start to the season. After watching the bull all morning, it was evident that they weren't in a hurry to move. Six of the other moose had moved onto public land, but not the one I was after. I tried calling the bull onto public land, but he didn't seem interested. After the moose bedded down, I decided to drive north and retrieve my camper trailer, which I'd left where I spent the weekend. My plan was to return and observe them until evening, hoping they'd decide to move onto public land.
About three hours later, I was back on the hill overlooking the creek, only to find that the bulls had moved about 30 yards. At that point, I had no choice but to wait. As I sat there, I noticed some women on public land inflating their paddle boards. I thought it might be too good to be true. Could this group float down the river and scare the moose onto public land? I was excited at the prospect. It didn't take long before the group had reached a point about 10 yards from the two bulls standing by the creek. The bulls watched them float by without much concern. My heart sank, and I thought, "There's no way these bulls are going anywhere."
However, about 30 seconds later, I noticed that the paddleboarders had passed a cow and calf. Unlike the bulls, the cow sprinted toward public land. My heart raced as I watched the bulls follow in pursuit. For anyone who has seen a bull moose run, you know they can cover a lot of ground quickly.
I jumped into my truck and sped to the public land as fast as I could. The problem was that the creek lay between me and where I anticipated the moose would cross. I didn't have waders, but that wasn't going to stop me at this point, so I waded into the creek. I soon realized the creek was deeper than I'd expected, and the water level reached up to the bottom of my pack. I had to hold my pack over my head to cross, and the water even reached up to my neck at its deepest point. Thankfully, my adrenaline was pumping, so I barely noticed the cold.
Once I reached the other side, I climbed the bank, expecting to see the moose. But there was nothing in sight. Did I not get in front of them in time? There was a dense patch of willows near the property line about 500 yards away, and I hoped they were in there. I carefully moved over there and heard the two bulls calling back and forth to each other within the thick willows. I grunted a few times to try and draw them out for a shot. It didn't take long, and one of them was charging toward me. I lay down in the grass and waited. He emerged about 10 yards away, but I quickly realized he was the smaller of the two bulls, so I decided to wait for the larger one.
As the smaller bull moved into the willows, I kept advancing to where I'd heard the other bull. When I rounded the edge of the willows, I spotted the big one. The only problem was that he was still on private land, about 50 yards away. I lay down in the grass and let out a couple of grunts. The bull immediately turned and headed toward me. He paused for a moment on the fence line, and I worried he wouldn't jump. However, after about 10 seconds, he leaped the fence. I waited for him to step about 10 yards onto public land and then took my shot at 30 yards. I fired two more times quickly to prevent him from running back onto private property.
And just like that, my shiras moose tag was filled. I was thrilled with him, particularly his quad brow tines on each side. After shooting him, I called for backup. We figured out a way to pack him out without crossing the stream again, which made things much easier. I'm not sure about his score or spread, but he's a trophy to me.
