Moose Hunting Guide, Tips and techniques
to help you hunt moose better.
Here are some good tips for moose hunting. We also
suggest you read AND listen to our moose calling guide, that will show you how to
effectively call moose towards you.
Habitat:
For the most part, moose habitat is generally quite diverse including swampy areas as
well as mixed forested higher ground. Summer will find them feeding more on aquatic
vegetation, while during the fall season their diet shifts to include more leaves and
shoots of hardwood trees and shrubs. Fresh or second growth areas are a favorite during
the fall. Moose will still enjoy frequenting spots around lakes and swamps where yellow
marsh "hay" is abundant.
Movement:
During the summer, moose tend to spend most of their time within one or two square
miles of "home territory". This begins to change somewhat during the fall, where
bulls tend to be the greater wanderer, traveling up to 4 miles from their "home"
area in search of a suitable mate.
The following moose hunting tips are
a good guide, you should also remember that if you are hunting during the Moose rut, that
you should call the moose towards you, or make sounds that will attract him or her to you.
That includes pouring water out of a cone into water to copy the sound of a moose
urinating. You can also take a canoe paddle and rub it against branches to emulate the
sound of a moose's antlers rubbing against a tree. Those are the 2 main sounds that are
used apart from calling the moose with your voice.
Moose hunting
tips:
1. Bull moose will thrash branches to signal
their presence to rivals; they’re also attracted to thrashing from other bulls. The
more confident—and larger—the bull, the louder he will thrash. Hunters can
likewise thrash branches to entice hesitant bulls out from cover.
2. Bulls create rutting pits by scraping out
small depressions and then urinating into them; they then splash the urine-soaked mud onto
their bells and antlers to help attract cows. Cows are also lured to the pits by the odour
and will at times fight over them. Hunters locating an active pit would do well to hunt
the area thoroughly.
3. Since shots are not typically long when
hunting moose, the best choices for riflescopes include 1.5-5X and 2-7X variables. These
provide the necessary magnification for extended shots and the low power needed for close
cover.
4. Spot-and-stalk hunting is at its best when
snow, rain or wind helps dull a bull moose’s otherwise keen senses.
5. Moose rely on their acute sense of smell to
alert them to predators, so it’s imperative that hunters pay close attention to wind
direction. Just remember that old adage, “Wind in your face and sun at your back.”
6. Burned-over areas and clear-cuts are good
places to hunt for moose, as they offer considerable amounts of young deciduous growth
that moose love to feed on.
7. Beaver dams are also potential hot spots for
moose. That’s because many of the food sources that beavers rely on are also
important to moose.
8. When camping in moose country, try calling
for an hour before going to bed. This can bring moose into the vicinity, thus producing
quick results during early morning calling.
9. When looking for a place to set up camp
along a river, choose a spot that offers an early morning calling opportunity.
10. Tracking means moving, so be certain to wear
outer garments that reduce noise as much as possible. Fabrics such as wool or fleece are
recommended.
11. Post-rut is the best time of the season to
track bulls since they tend not to move much.
12. Recoil-sensitive shooters should consider
adding a muzzle brake to allow them to shoot the .300 magnum and greater calibres needed
for taking down large game, such as moose.
13. Opt for one of the heaviest bullet weights
available in the calibre selected. Premium bullets designed for maximum penetration are
best.
14. Moose hunting is definitely not for the solo
hunter. The difficulty of extricating a downed bull requires at least two people,
preferably more.
15. A downed moose will float, so if you harvest
a bull on or near the water, consider towing it either to camp or to a place more suitable
for eviscerating.
16. If you’re float-hunting by canoe, make
sure you have enough room to take home a quartered moose and its rack.
17. Don’t forget to remove the tenderloins
from the inside of the rib cage in the process of eviscerating your moose, as these are
the choicest slabs of meat. Some hunters overlook them completely, while others wait too
long and risk having them dry out.
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