Solo moose hunt

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Bowtech55

FNG
Joined
Jan 19, 2022
Messages
24
I appreciate all the replies and support! Unfortunately the transporter will not allow guys to go solo so I had to rebook for another year…
 

SliverShooter

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jul 30, 2018
Messages
220
Location
Bozeman, Montana
I appreciate all the replies and support! Unfortunately the transporter will not allow guys to go solo so I had to rebook for another year…


No surprise most transporters will not take a solo hunter. I went three times with my pilot before he agreed to let me go solo.
 

brn2ryd

FNG
Joined
Jul 23, 2018
Messages
10
Location
Norhtern BC
The best advise I can give is to embrace the suck... because it will suck. But with the right mind set, you will create great memories and reinforce your love of hunting.
I have harvested two moose while solo. The first was was harvested 1 km from the road. It took me three days and 8 trips to get it out in rough terrain and think alders. The second moose was more than 5km from the road and took me 5 days and 8 trips to get it out. The math says that's over 80km of hiking with all the trips in and out. Cool weather was key to making this possible. I've done both, but prefer packing quarters out with the bone in. Yes there is a weight penalty but I found I could distribute the weight better, and it's easier to hang later.
I actually had a hunting partner for the second moose, which was harvested an hour or so before last light. We stayed up most of the night butchering and slept under a tree in our rain gear. It made all the difference having having someone there as I have never felt comfortable field dressing an animal after dark in bear country. My partner had to leave in the morning and took a load out with him. I relayed all the meat to a half way point before packing it all the way out. This allowed me to keep the meat above snowline and made each trip easier, at least mentally.
 

Vek

FNG
Joined
Sep 19, 2013
Messages
33
You'll have to get creative flipping it over, and you'll need to do some creative body positioning to get various hip joint muscles tensed for separating the hinds from the carcass. Otherwise not a "huge" deal. You have a chance of packing a bone-in AK moose in 6 loads depending on terrain... but only if you sandwich a front quarter on a ribcage for a single load. If you're bringing out the cape and skull, kiss the 6 trips goodbye. Any sort of distance or bad walking and you have to resign yourself to two heavy trips with the hinds and spreading everything else out a bit to reduce weight.
 

cumminsbassguy

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 1, 2016
Messages
251
Location
Chugiak, AK
Seen you got bumped out a year. Looking forward, make sure your pack can handle the weight and it's semi comfortable. Cross the straps on your trekking poles and stick a leg in there to help hold it up. And you can work it higher up the leg as you cut it.. It works wonders when you're on your own (personal experience) I had my moose half done before my buddies showed up to help with the packout ( 2.5 miles )
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Messages
1,422
I’ve never killed a moose. Hell, I’ve never hunted one.

But if I was confident in my strength endurance and trained like an animal I’d 100% do it.

In fact, it’s a bucket list for me.

Moose/elk solo.

But I’m an idiot, so…. Lololol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Jul 31, 2022
Messages
16
I processed my first one alone with a jet boat. It’s doable just be careful where you shoot it is all. Use lots of rigging when butchering to keep meat clean and maybe bring some extra tarps.
 

COJoe

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Nov 22, 2023
Messages
278
Location
Southern Colorado
I shot my cow moose a couple feet from a clear water slough down river from Fairbanks many years ago. She took a couple steps forward and dropped right into the water on the edge. It was miserable trying to get her quartered up so we could carry them to the boat only about 200 yards away as fallen trees over the slough prevented us form getting right next to her. I had a cheap come-a-long and bent it up so bad I couldn't use it and my rope I had was repelling rope that stretched, which I didn't realize. I had chest waders on but had leaches all over my arms! My buddy and I had only shot whitetail before so we had no real clue just how big and heavy a moose would be. We were dumb enough to think we could carry one hind quarter with the pelvic bone still attached.... It was all we could do to make it to my boat. The point of my post is do your best to not shoot a moose in or near water, lol. We had passed up others in water before. I went solo hunting a few times before that but never shot anything which was probably a blessing due to my ignorance of moose.

Sorry your hunt didn't happen and hopefully you'll regroup and have the chance again in the near future.
 
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