Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Drew a Montana moose tag

Great news JB, about time I'd say.
I hope you have a great hunt and let me know what red wine I should bring.

Congratulations. I drew my moose tag last year after 46 years of applying. I harvested a medium sized bull, and the meat is excellent. I hope you have better luck than I did getting access to hunt. Seems like all the out of staters buying up the ranches don't think anyone but them should be allowed to hunt there.

Hello friend, buddy, pal.

Mule Deer: Congratulations on the drawing and best of luck and enjoyment on your Hunt!
I have never been drawn myself but have been along on several Moose Hunts with friends here in Montana.
Moose are HEAVY!
I have no advice for you other than I filmed a "Buffalo Hunt" whereon one of my lifelong friends kill't a 3 year old mature Buffalo with 1 (one!) shot from his Ruger pistol in caliber 45 Long Colt.
Again congratulations on the tag and best of luck on the Hunt.
Keep us all advised on the scouting and the Hunt.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

Looks good!

We've put at least part of six moose in our freezers over the years. The first was a BIG Shiras bull one of our friends got in Montana, which Eileen helped butcher. It was taken in November, after the rut, and he got around 40 pounds of the meat for helping. It tasted fine but was pretty tough, partly because the bull wasn't hung very long before butchering. So she learned something from that.

Consequently when she drew her bull tag in 1989 (on her first try), she wanted a younger bull, and after some lucky scouting took a 34" 4x5 early on opening day, when it was still cool. We aged the meat several days before butchering, and it was great.

Then I started getting frustrated about not drawing a tag, so started hunting moose in other places. Got a 58" bull in Alaska in 1996, on the 3rd of September, when they were just starting to rut. This was also back when airlines still shipped meat for free as checked baggage, which Delta did with my several boxes. After a few days of aging it was also great.

My next "non-drawing" bull was a big one taken in northern British Columbia on the 6th of September in 2002, also before the rut, on the first full day of a 10-day hunt. It aged for the rest of the hunt, and my 2-day drive back home to Montana, and was also excellent.

My third "non-drawing" bull was taken in central Alberta in 2006 on November 7th, after the rut. It wasn't as big as the BC bull, but still probably weighed 1000 pounds. Eileen went along to supervise the field-care, and after aging for several days it was also excellent.

Have heard that bull moose can be not-so-great to eat in late September/early October, like rutting bull elk, but so far haven't killed or eaten one taken during that period. But have yet to hear of the rut affecting cows, so am looking forward to September 15th, when the firearms season begins--and runs through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. But Montana also just started a "heritage" muzzleloader season, for traditional rifles only, for around 10 days in mid-December, which I believe also applies to moose. So there's that possibility too.

Might also mention that Montana allows hunters to apply again for moose seven years after they draw a tag, which is how Eileen got to draw two tags. (She's a LOT luckier than I am in drawings!)

We don't have any problem with access, since there's plenty of public land holding moose around here. In fact Eileen's two moose were taken on public land, both state and Forest Service, and we've encountered plenty of moose in the same areas, as well as local public land in my unit while hunting other game from upland birds to deer, elk and black bear.

Glad you finally got your tag, John. Shooting moose in MT with a slug gun; I never would have imagined.

40 years is a very long time. If I start applying now and get a tag in 40 years I think I will be about your age now.

Have you done any articles on slug guns?

Good luck out there!

Take lots of pictures.

So 40 is the magic number. I am at 30 currently. Only ten years left to wait.

Congratulation and I hope we see a story and pics.

Can you carry the 870 and the Bisley? If you get to use the Springfield, or whichever weapon, an article will be in order so the rest of us can vicariously hunt with you!

Outstanding! Congress on the opportunity

LIKE!

A Lot of others LIKE it too, JB. Congratulations on your persistence and final good luck.

L2S

I retract my previous "big B-Tag rifle" recommendation in favor of the Bisley!
Good luck, John. We all look forward to hearing the story.
Rex

Thanks Rex--and luv2safari!

Must say I am tempted to use my Griffin and Howe Springfield when hunting on Forest Service/BLM land, but that's one of of the constant conflicts of hunting-gun loonies....

I think you should kill'em with B-S, John.

Bruce,

That's always the problem with rifle (and shotgun and handgun) loonies: Which one should I use?

There's also a 16x16/8x57R Sauer drilling the safe, which you are familiar with! It would also work fine on the Forest Service land where we have often found moose--partly because we often find ruffed and blue grouse there. In fact, when you hunted with us a few years ago, one of the first mountain-grouse places I took you to was also where we've found moose! Though we didn't find grouse or moose that day, it's still a perfect piece of habitat for both....

John

JB, I am happy that you are happy. I have only shot one moose. It was a 3 year old bull that I shot in northeast Washington in 2008. I found the meat rather bland. I prefer elk, bear and deer meat personally. I hope you have success and an enjoyable hunt that will fill your freezer.

Rufous,

Thanks!

Interesting you found your moose meat bland--but wild animals do vary!

In 2002 I killed a 6x6 bull elk in northern British Columbia on the 12th of September, during the early rut--which was cow-called into 75 yards in thick riverbottom cover. It turned out to be the blandest elk either Eileen or I have taken, and we've killed some young cows. In fact she whenever she cooked some, she eventually decided to "season it up."

Which is why she lists a bunch of animals and how they tasted in SLICE OF THE WILD, her cookbook about big game from field to table. They're not cattle, all raised and fed the same way.

John

John,

I would like nothing more than to see you with a grouse and a moose, both taken with that drilling. It's a pretty straight shooting 8X57JRS, a good moose killer.

As to your affliction, "looniephrenia", I can't help you. I suffer horribly myself. Which drilling??..which SXS??. But HAH! I solved my problem when I got my drilling that handles and shoots like a fine SXS and lets fly with 7mm missiles right where I point them.

We'll all be anxious to see what you chose, and a premature Waidmannsheil! (hint)