Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game I drew a cow moose permit

Moose is excellent eating - I've had moose shot between August 15 and the end of October, calf, dry cow, young bull, old bull and this one from last year which my friend shot at the peak of the rut:



They were all excellent eating, although the bigger rutting bulls take a bit longer to cook. I threw a couple of chunks of ribs and brisket into the smokehouse for ~8 hours or so and then into the oven at ~290 for another 7 or 8 hours in a cast iron dutch oven and it came out like this:



But one thing you really must do after getting one on the ground is get that hide off ASAP! The thick skin and hair retains heat very well and the meat can spoil quite quickly in warmer weather.

I've killed 20 bulls, no cows. Boned out freezer weight will vary with the size of the animal from about 45% live weight for yearlings (15 mo old), to about 55% for the big boys 7 or older. I'd guess these percentages would hold true for the cows, also, although there can be individual differences in size due to genetic/environmental/nutritional differences.

Cows that don't get bred until they are 3 will be much larger than those bred younger. Little buggers really take it out of a young cow.

I drew a November cow tag for Maine this year! Woo -hoo!
Can you call in a cow in November?
Any tips for that time of year?
I have hunted moose in September and October but never November and never in Maine....yet!

Moose meat is excellent but tends to be tough - lots of hamburger and roasts. Shooting one with a bow should be lots of fun. Took my one and only bull in unit 66 about 20 years ago - great hunt. Would love to do that again.

Cow moose are good eating, but I prefer to take calves when hunting with an anterless tag. Even better eating, and shooting a calf has less impact on the population. Have fun on your hunt and bon appetit!