Shiras Moose Packout vs Elk

[Huntnnw]

I shot a big Shiras moose in WA and I had 640 lbs of meat in my shop with bone in quarters. I had 450 lbs total after processing. The hind quarters with bone and no hide were 134 and 138 lbs

 

[197]

I shot a big Shiras moose in WA and I had 640 lbs of meat in my shop with bone in quarters. I had 450 lbs total after processing. The hind quarters with bone and no hide were 134 and 138 lbs

Depends on the moose! An average bull moose will be the size of a mature 6X6 elk with regards to quarters, but will have bigger backstraps and neck roast. I think they are pretty comparable unless you get a monster than you might need to add a few trips. Are you planning on packing one out solo from a wilderness area or do you have help or horses? If solo, you will remember it for sure!

 

[Coveyleader]

Depends on the moose! An average bull moose will be the size of a mature 6X6 elk with regards to quarters, but will have bigger backstraps and neck roast. I think they are pretty comparable unless you get a monster than you might need to add a few trips. Are you planning on packing one out solo from a wilderness area or do you have help or horses? If solo, you will remember it for sure!

No horses, but my goal is to find a nice bull so the Wilderness area isn't out of the question. I'm thinking if I have a trail, to access that 3 miles would be do-able. Maybe a bit more if the hunt gets into October.

 

[Ralphie]

I’ve only been around one bull moose, my Wyoming bull from last year. 41” 4.5 year old bull. I’ve been around lots of Wyoming bull elk including a fair amount of 340”+. My moose was significantly bigger than any bull elk in Wyoming ever dreamed of being.

 

[Pontius]

No horses, but my goal is to find a nice bull so the Wilderness area isn't out of the question. I'm thinking if I have a trail, to access that 3 miles would be do-able. Maybe a bit more if the hunt gets into October.

Just to emphasize, Colorado will require you present the whole, unfrozen head for inspection at a CPW field office. With a cape it will be north of 100 awkward pounds. With that effort already invested, just keep driving straight to the taxidermist and let him handle the rest.

My CO Shiras bull was in a Wilderness Area, 3.5 flattish miles from the trailhead. I cached the meat on a glacier to ease the time pressure and packed it out solo. Took me 4 days. 7 trips. 49 miles. Hardest physical thing I ever did. Same year my coworker whacked his moose within sight of the truck. I guess the lesson is, be careful where you scout. That said I loved the adventure.

 

[Coveyleader]

Just to emphasize, Colorado will require you present the whole, unfrozen head for inspection at a CPW field office. With a cape it will be north of 100 awkward pounds. With that effort already invested, just keep driving straight to the taxidermist and let him handle the rest.

My CO Shiras bull was in a Wilderness Area, 3.5 flattish miles from the trailhead. I cached the meat on a glacier to ease the time pressure and packed it out solo. Took me 4 days. 7 trips. 49 miles. Hardest physical thing I ever did. Same year my coworker whacked his moose within sight of the truck. I guess the lesson is, be careful where you scout. That said I loved the adventure.

Thanks for the info, good stuff. FYI, I located a few bulls this weekend, one about 3.5 miles in, one about 100 yds off the road, and he was a nice one. Sorry, I'm not shooting a bull like that. That's not a hunt at all for me. I didn't wait all this time to shoot one that watches you walk up to him from the road.

Nobody remembers the easy packs, its the hard ones we remember.

 

[strousek]

I shot my B&C CO moose last year 2 miles into the Indian Peaks Wilderness. I also helped pack out another smaller, still P&Y, bull in the same unit a week later. It will take 9 backpacks to get a shiras moose out if you are doing it right and picking the bones clean and taking the hide for a shoulder mount. They are far bigger than an elk! That said I wouldn't have changed my hunt for the world so go as far back as the big moose are. Don't be discouraged and limit yourself to bulls closer to the road.

 

[Coveyleader]

That is a beauty! Thanks for the info.

 

[strousek]

Find a bull you like early August and stay on him. I had one bull disappear on me but the rest of the bulls stayed really close to the same willow patches from mid August until opening week. We watched my bull shed velvet two days before season started hints the weird color pattern on his antlers.

 

[Pontius]

Take another long look at strousek's pictures. There's actually lots to learn in these images. First problem, a sea of willows, they can be 5-7 feet tall. Good luck stalking or shooting through them. Note the proximity of trees, they indicate some blessed dry ground that might actually be navigable to close the distance to bullwinkle. Note the elevation, just a smidge below treeline, higher than folks expect.

He's also right about staying on them. I was able to spot my individual bull the preceding September, June, August, and immediately pre-season. Still had to battle deep into that archery season to finally connect.

 

[RTMatkins]

4 quarters skinned/lower leg removed/ bone in were 300lbs hanging weight off my CO Shiras last year. That doesn’t include neck meat, loins and tender loins.

What was the spread on your rack?

 

[cowboy300]

My bull taped 49” being broke. Not broke easily 55”

 

[Coveyleader]

Take another long look at strousek's pictures. There's actually lots to learn in these images. First problem, a sea of willows, they can be 5-7 feet tall. Good luck stalking or shooting through them. Note the proximity of trees, they indicate some blessed dry ground that might actually be navigable to close the distance to bullwinkle. Note the elevation, just a smidge below treeline, higher than folks expect.

He's also right about staying on them. I was able to spot my individual bull the preceding September, June, August, and immediately pre-season. Still had to battle deep into that archery season to finally connect.

Noted, and finding animals now. Still lots of areas to cover.

 

[Elk Packer]

I shot my B&C CO moose last year 2 miles into the Indian Peaks Wilderness. I also helped pack out another smaller, still P&Y, bull in the same unit a week later. It will take 9 backpacks to get a shiras moose out if you are doing it right and picking the bones clean and taking the hide for a shoulder mount. They are far bigger than an elk! That said I wouldn't have changed my hunt for the world so go as far back as the big moose are. Don't be discouraged and limit yourself to bulls closer to the road.

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What he said !

 

[wytx]

This bull tasted just as good as my 1st bow kill, and I loved the pack out .
Remember you'll want all of that moose meat, I wouldn't turn down an easy harvest on a good bull .

 

[npm352]

My Idaho boned 40 inch bull moose took 6 man trips, including skull. Could have been done in 5 man trips, but we had horses lined up so me and my buddy just took skull and back straps on trip back. Turns out it was too steep for horses so we went back in with 2 more guys and got the rest.

As a reference for boned out animals I do a cow elk in 3 man trips, a mature mule deer in 1 man trip, and a bull elk in 4-5 man trips, depending.

Best of luck. Moose are neat!

 

[npm352]

This bull tasted just as good as my 1st bow kill, and I loved the pack out .
Remember you'll want all of that moose meat, I wouldn't turn down an easy harvest on a good bull .

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Yes! No truer words have been spoken.

I shot my moose 5 miles from where an ATV could go. My wife drew the next year and got one near a gravel road.....I preferred the road and I generally do not like hunting that way.