Moose weather - what is warm?

[ddavis_1313]

I’ve been trying to keep an eye on the projected weather for the area where my wife and I will be float hunting starting next week. It’s pretty remote making it kinda tough to get the exact forecast so I’m pulling the weather from the nearest villages.

As it stands it looking like high in the mid 50’s and lows in the low 40’s with a few sunny days and the rest partly cloudy days to start out the hunt. However, it’s not our first trip to Alaska so I’m well aware that this could change quickly!

I’m completely new to moose hunting but I do understand that like elk moose do not like warm weather. I wouldn’t either if I had a winter coat on. lol. If this was my sept elk forecast I’d be in heaven! It’s usually 70’s during the day where I used to elk hunt.

With that being said, what is “warm” to a moose? And if this is “warm” to a moose, what would be some strategies for mid September locating/calling for moose?


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[Buckshotaz]

I have found that moose, like most game, move more early and late when it’s warm.
Last year the leaves were still green on the trees, and didn’t see much for moose until after the 10th when the leaves started to turn yellow

 

[ddavis_1313]

I have found that moose, like most game, move more early and late when it’s warm.
Last year the leaves were still green on the trees, and didn’t see much for moose until after the 10th when the leaves started to turn yellow

Well…. We are looking for 2 moose so I was hoping to have 1 down by the 10th. Lol. That only leave me 5 more days.


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[Buckshotaz]

Be in your glassing area early and stay late, you can get it done

 

[FAAFO]

You’re asking questions no one has the answer.

Some of the biggest bulls I’ve seen have been mid day running around when it’s over 70.

Hunt sun up to sun down. Don’t spread your scent all over. Keep a quiet camp. Take naps. Keep a quiet camp. Take books to read. Keep a quiet camp.

Some of the best moose hunting is the beginning of sept, some years it’s better than the end of the season.

Good luck, don’t be a rockslide Randy and be worried about miles walked and elevation gained. Don’t spread your scent around and keep a quiet camp.

 

[ddavis_1313]

You’re asking questions no one has the answer.

Some of the biggest bulls I’ve seen have been mid day running around when it’s over 70.

Hunt sun up to sun down. Don’t spread your scent all over. Keep a quiet camp. Take naps. Keep a quiet camp. Take books to read. Keep a quiet camp.

Some of the best moose hunting is the beginning of sept, some years it’s better than the end of the season.

Good luck, don’t be a rockslide Randy and be worried about miles walked and elevation gained. Don’t spread your scent around and keep a quiet camp.

I’ve e-scouted and have pin drops on elevated benches and hills close to the river for glassing. We are taking a sill tarp to set up if the weather gets sideways. The furthest hike is maybe 800 yards. Most are 300yards or less giving an elevation gain of 150-250 feet above the river based on topo maps. Each glassing spot has 3-5 miles of river in between. The most walking will be done around the river when fishing or checking sand bars for tracks. If we do move around it will be up high in order to get different vantage points along the river.

What was shared to me is that the usual hunters in this area are successful each year and they primarily hunt the main river and call bulls to them. So, that’s kind of my plan. Even though there is some really moosey areas 3/4 of a mile off the river that appear to be a swamp/bog. It be of the glassing spots should give me a vantage point into that area as well as along the river.

Camp will stay quiet. My wife and I are used to elk hunting in Colorado and camping in the area we hunt. We’ve camped and killed elk within 1000 yards of a waterhole several times during archery season. And have seen multiple elk around camp over the few years we’ve gone. So, we will for sure be quite fully understanding that we’re are in their environment. I’m a bow hunter at heart so I know what it takes to avoid the nose of the game I’m chasing even though I’m taking the very looonnnggg bow on this trip! As is my wife!


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[Larry Bartlett]

Below 50F is prime, between 50-60F is warmish. above 60F is warm.

 

[ddavis_1313]

Below 50F is prime, between 50-60F is warmish. above 60F is warm.

Thank you Larry. You are wealth of knowledge sir! One would be lucky to spend an extended amount of time with you on the river. If you ever need a tag along…. lol


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[Larry Bartlett]

Dude, we're all family here IMO. Share what you know when you can, everyone wins a little.

 

[OXN939]

Below 50F is prime, between 50-60F is warmish. above 60F is warm.

Just had a client cancel the 4 days after labor day and was trying to forecast how effective calling would be with temps forecasted to hold right where they are now. Good time of year, but wish temps would drop another 5-10 degrees.

How much of a connection do you see between photoperiod and rut activity? Anecdotally, temps and photoperiod both seem to have an effect for most deer species I've hunted, but moose obviously pretty unique

 

[Cowbell]

Dude, we're all family here IMO. Share what you know when you can, everyone wins a little.

One thing I have found to be true without a doubt - Moose hunters are much more willing to share info and help one another than any other group of hunters that I have ever been around. It's refreshing!

 

[ddavis_1313]

Just had a client cancel the 4 days after labor day and was trying to forecast how effective calling would be with temps forecasted to hold right where they are now. Good time of year, but wish temps would drop another 5-10 degrees.

How much of a connection do you see between photoperiod and rut activity? Anecdotally, temps and photoperiod both seem to have an effect for most deer species I've hunted, but moose obviously pretty unique

I’m sure Larry will chime in but I’m with you. I sure would like to see a 5-10 degree drop starting mid week next week. The projected forecast thru the 12th has it mid 50’s every day. I don’t see any sunny days in that forecast so that’s a plus but some consecutive days in the 40’s starting at the end of next week would be nice!


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[Muskykris]

We always like it colder, but we deal with the hand we are dealt. We have shot moose when it’s 65 before dawn.

 

[OXN939]

I’m sure Larry will chime in but I’m with you. I sure would like to see a 5-10 degree drop starting mid week next week. The projected forecast thru the 12th has it mid 50’s every day. I don’t see any sunny days in that forecast so that’s a plus but some consecutive days in the 40’s starting at the end of next week would be nice!


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Exactly what I'm thinking- with the cloud cover keeping things on the cooler side, I'm guessing we should still have a decent opportunity for the first few hours of each day when it's still in the mid 40s. Area I'll be hunting is 1500-2500 MSL too, so could even be a few degrees chillier than that forecast

 

[ddavis_1313]

Exactly what I'm thinking- with the cloud cover keeping things on the cooler side, I'm guessing we should still have a decent opportunity for the first few hours of each day when it's still in the mid 40s. Area I'll be hunting is 1500-2500 MSL too, so could even be a few degrees chillier than that forecast

I would think the afternoons should be good as well. At least the last hour and a held as the sun starts to set if its cloudy. I’m hunting an area that is a small remote river system and at the widest it’s about a mile but mostly less than a mile. Past that is tundra looking terrain and I’m not seeing much for tall vegetation via Google earth so I would expect that the moose would be along the river where there is shade. With that said, I’ve never hunted moose so I’m basing that assumption on if I were a big animal and wanted to get away from the heat.

I’m hoping the few elevated areas I have pin dropped closer to the river gives me some good vantage points looking over the trees/river. Most of these spots show 100-200 ft of elevation gain and less than 600 yards off the river. There are some spots that I may be able to see between patches of trees for 600-1000 yards. I’m hoping those are boggy areas/grass and not tall willows or alders so maybe I can catch moose moving.

Other than that my plan is to beat the bushes with my bull horn, a boat paddle, or a moose scapula I bought on eBay and start the season with bull grunts sparingly. Closer to the 10th I’ll start adding in cow calls or sooner depending on what I’m seeing and how things are reacting. That’s about all I have come up with after hours and hours of watching videos and reading forums. lol


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[saskhunter]

Moose will still move around when it's hot out, they just do it early or later in the day.

The biggest thing with hunting a moose-sized animal in warm weather is having a plan for if you do get one.

 

[ddavis_1313]

Moose will still move around when it's hot out, they just do it early or later in the day.

The biggest thing with hunting a moose-sized animal in warm weather is having a plan for if you do get one.

Game bags, meat pole, citric acid, and tarp set up in the shade is my plan. Dont know what else to do past that.


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[ddavis_1313]

Dude, we're all family here IMO. Share what you know when you can, everyone wins a little.

Quick question for you, sir. Is there a way to preserve organs while on a remote float hunt? Most specifically the liver. I’m not a fan of liver per se but my brother does raw liver smoothies for breakfast (part of the carnivore diet I guess) so if I can salvage the liver he would be happy to have it.

Thanks!


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[OXN939]

Quick question for you, sir. Is there a way to preserve organs while on a remote float hunt? Most specifically the liver. I’m not a fan of liver per se but my brother does raw liver smoothies for breakfast (part of the carnivore diet I guess) so if I can salvage the liver he would be happy to have it.

Thanks!


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Sounds like everything you've got is spot on. One more thing via meat preservation... remember that the ground is a big heat sink. I've used Larry's meat cache technique a few times, which was basically putting quarters on top of a series of larger rocks so that the rocks pull heat from them and they also have air flow underneath. Simple tarp over top to keep sun and rain off, and this has worked great. Much preferable to sinking meat in trash bags, even if you had to use logs or something else instead of rocks.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

1-2 days for liver preservation IF refrigerated (39-43F). Can be frozen and preserved for 9 mo to 1 year.

Unless you got a bull the day before you leave the field, I wouldn't chance organ meat for longer than 2 days.