Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Moose hunt questions

I know almost zero about moose hunting so i thought i would bounce this off the folks on here.

I went on a moose hunt last year north of Ft St James sept 19th -26. I paid the outfitters higher price to hunt during the rut but the moose weren't playing and I didn't see a bull,(saw one cow). No complaints against the outfitter as I think they run a quality operation the moose just weren't playing And thats hunting, you never know. He is offering me a discount to go back but I am debating about going later towards the end of October.(starting the 20th) It a quite a bit cheaper hunt. My impression is that if you miss the timing on the rut.... you have just gambled a chunk of change on hitting the right week and if you gamble wrong the hunting isnt that much better. so... my basic question is... If I don't hit the actual rut, am I any worse off to go in Oct?

I understand moose numbers are down all over BC and that may be part of the problem. I really want a moose but do not have the funds to keep doing this over and over. What are everyones thoughts on the best chance of success?

I would be looking at the the last few days of September into the first week of October to be in prime time. I would say the dates you went on would have been slightly early. They can be in rut by that time but a bit later is better. October 20th is post rut and can be harder to find animals, they do occasionally come to the call at that time but in my experience the rut is done by then for the most part.

And yes moose numbers are way down unfortunately............

The fact that the outfitter offered you a discount on another hunt tells me you are dealing with a quality operation. I've been guiding professionally for over 30-years now. Heres the deal with moose and the rut.

There are basically three stages to the moose rut. Best times are early in the rut, and again later on. Once the big mature bulls pair up with cows they are extremely hard to call. They get back in the thick stuff and you won't even know they're around.. Best tactic during this period is to get in close, and challenge them. I take moose every year this way but its a lot tougher. Your guide will have to really know the country well to be effective, especially if its bush country.

Although its a bit early I've seen bulls paired up with cows by the first of September. During your hunt from the 19-26th they were certainly paired up. So you were hunting during the toughest part of the rut. Once most of the cows are bred, the big bulls are on the move a lot more and much easier to call. This will start happening by the first of Oct. and sometimes a bit earlier. I bet if you asked you would find out the hunt after yours was successful. The best week in every area I've ever hunted is Oct 1st through about the 9th. Keep in mind outfitters have to sell hunts...when they tell you you are booking a rut hunt when you book earlier, they are right....its just not the most productive part of the rut. I've called bulls as late as the first part of November... but I wouldn't chance going much later than the 15th of Oct. Try to get in on the first part of Oct.


The first part of September can be really good too....right after the bulls have rubbed their velvet off, but before they pair up. This is my favourite time to hunt up high above treeline as you can see those antlers from a long ways off. Good luck!

Yukon,

Is there a difference in the meat quality of a Bull in the thick of rutting say vs early September.?

Your outfitter really should be able to predict when he can best put you on a successful hunt.

Make a list of detailed questions for him.

I can't speak to what goes on in BC or the Yukon, but in Northwestern Ontario you would have been hunting prime time. I have killed 11 different moose on Sept the 20th. I know a lot of local guys who went to archery simply because the rut is mostly over here by the time rifle season opens. They will still come to the call even into November but they get real sneaky about it--don't answer or display much. I have gutted several bulls in late September that had absolutely nothing in their rumen.

Worst time to try and find a moose hereabouts would be from about the 15th of October till the end of November. They don't move hardly at all--I think they are recovering from the rut. End of November till season close on 15th of December it gets good again as the moose tend to group up in small herds of 4, 5 even 6. I used to tell people that if I only had 5 days to hunt it would be the last 5 days of the season. But snowshoeing thru waist deep snow is a young mans pursuit --I quit doing it shortly after I turned 65.

I used to process a fair number of moose per year. Suprizingly some of the best meat has been from big old bulls. Of course cow meat is always better but the last moose meat I want is off a young spike bull. Them young bulls are just tougher than hell.

On how meat tastes during the rut depends on a bunch of things but I will say that it depends on what area you shoot them. For example Moose from north west B.C. tend to be gamey when shot in full rut but in my area of west central B.C. I have never had a bad tasting moose. We have eaten big bulls and 2 year olds and they have all been good. I'm not sure why that is but will speculate that they eat different foods in the two different areas and that is part of what's happening.

Bulls taken early in Sept have more fat and are in general better table fare, but if taken care of properly, moose is good right through the rut. Caribou however are not.

Thanks guys, for the input.

The reason I ask is, I took a young bull awhile back ( an early September kill) that was Both tasty And tender. More receintly I took a good size Nefoundland Bull in mid Oct. That one did Not get aged and although the Flavor was excellent the meat was tuffer than a $2.00 steak. Why..?

That's good info, thanks for the write up. I'm headed up Sept 24th through Oct 4th next year, after it got cancelled this year. I was scheduled to do a late hunt this year but got snowed out. Thank god for honest outfitters....

Moose meat during the rut has very bad reputation. Moose rut is not time for hunting Moose.

It only has a bad reputation in some circles.....if taken care of properly moose meat is fine table fare right through the rut. My freezer is full of it every winter.

Judman, good luck on your hunt!

The 5 day moose hunt lands right in the middle of the rut here in NB.

I've never had any issues or heard of any issues with the meat taken here based on the timing of the rut.

I'm with 358wsm here. Newfoundland young bull taken early September was some of the greatest meat I've ever had and an October bull sure strengthened the jaw mussels to eat even-though it was all consumed. Where I hunt the outfitter (Westwoods Outfitters) picks up the Moose with a track vehicle and sends it out the next day to the processor. I like that because the hunt is for my enjoyment and processing a bull is a little more work than I'd like to tackle. I'm getting lazy and my 78 years may be contributing to it. Raised on an Adirondack farm we always aged our yearly Angus and venison to improve quality.

Are you guys, who hunt for meat, ageing your moose or are you processing it soon after the Kill?
If you are aging it, does that really make a difference?

Thank you for all the input! It sounds like I really need to be earlier than Oct 15 if I want a bull.

So what are the thoughts about hitting it from about Sept 10 to the 19th? I think my outfitter is also doing a pre rut time and that's about when it would be

The 10th to the 19th can be good....but I would want to be hunting high alpine country where I could see a lot of country.

Most of the hunting with this outfitter is lake hunting, calling, some hunting clearcuts

outfitter is booked this year for prime rut. So i either go around Sept 10-19 or After OCt 20th. Those date are much cheaper but sounds like my odds are way less also...
I may be waiting another year i order to get my moose or take the risk. easier decision to make if it wasn't such a big investment!

Wait another year...