I’m intrigued by the idea of a moose hunt, meat hunt not looking for horns. What’s the best way for a guy from the southeast best go about doing that on the cheap? Rifle hunt only btw.

I have the gear/gun/transportation thing covered. Just ignorant about best way to make it happen. Guided, diy? Which states with saving $$ being a priority

Any help is greatly appreciated!

Happy New Years and Roll Tide!

A Wyoming Moose Hunt: Wyoming used to be and maybe still is the best location in the lower 48. No guide needed as most areas are fairly easy public access. Possibly have friends to help pack meat. About 15+ years of Preference Points. Lobby really hard to remove all wolves from Wyoming which has almost decimated our Moose population. Moose numbers are way down as are the licenses available for hunters!

Good Luck! memtb

Moose tags of any kind in the lower 48 are tough to draw, even cow tags...let alone for non-residents. Idaho is a non point option but you'll be buying a $100+ license just to apply, so that doesn't really fit in well with the saving $ theme. All other western states with moose have a point system I believe, and (maybe) the New England states too. Wyoming has some random draw moose tags but they're super tough to draw.

Have you considered a guided hunt in eastern Canada? I don't know if they even offer cow hunts over there but if so they'll be cheaper. You're likely not going to be moose hunting in the lower 48 for quite a while, even if you start building points now and apply in any non-point states.

B C. used to offer a driving guided moose hunt for bulls. A few years ago it was $4600. I thought of going, but other things always go in the way. Check out eastern Canada as T suggested. Hunt Nation used to offer some pretty fair hunts, but I never used their booking service! It is not getting cheaper or easier..

I'd spend $6500 and go to Newfoundland. I don't see spending $25k for Alaska/Yukon, etc and NF is supposed to be a real fun hunt. I want to go myself, and was in fact booked last year but COVID obviously shut that down.

Google Maine Moose hunt.
Good luck.

In the east there are a couple of options.

you can try to draw a Maine, NH, VT, or New Brunswick tag, if you get lucky and draw a tag you can put together a reasonably priced hunt. If you have a the tag even a guide isn't much in those areas. I have been in the draws for nearly 20 years and drew 3 tags, one Maine and two in NB

Newfoundland- $6-8K will get you a very cool guided hunt, without needing to draw.

Ontario- lots of outfitters sell hunts and provide the tag. A many of the outfitters are fly-in fishing services and they will put you in a fly-in cabin, give you a boat and motor for a week. Its nice because you don't need to organize everything, have reasonable accommodations, but the hunt and meat prep are typically on you. We went this last year it was `$7K for 3 guys, we had two tags. We called in several moose and killed a 40 inch bull. The other tag was a cow tag and we didn't fill that one. (although we didn't try too hard for the cow, the bull was plenty of meat and we had a blast fishing). Its a different hunt than Newfoundland, maybe a slightly lower odds of success, but the satisfaction of DIY.

Moose aren't hard to hunt, but if you haven't hunted one before and haven't handled a large animal before a Newfoundland hunt is really a good place to start. You will likely learn enough to do DIY on future hunts. Its fun hunt and the meat is excellent.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^


THIS

I’d throw Alberta into the mix.

Likely a bit less than a Newfie hunt.

I can vouch for this guy - I wolf hunted with him and know he has great success on moose.
I don't think he spends much time updating the website (his efforts/updates are more Facebook focused) but he's a solid, solid feller and his wife can hunt circles around a lot of dudes.
https://www.wolfhuntinadventures.com/

I’ve been drawn 3 times since 1984 here in Maine as a resident. Been subpermttee 4-5 other times. Your odds as a NR aren’t good.

The suggestions of Newfoundland or other Canadian provinces is probably your best bet if you want to go soon. NF is on my short list now

Newfoundland is the easy button. We got 2 in September.

What do you mean when you say you have the “transportation thing” covered?

I'm glad I got drawn in VT and NH before the population crash. I always intended to keep after Maine to try for the hat trick but I haven't put in for some years. And I think I'm ok with never getting to hunt them in Maine now

444, not to be a downer but if there was an easy way to get a moose tag in the lower 48, let alone an any weapon tag even if for antlerless, it would only be easy for one season.

Good luck...but realize what you're wanting isn't realistic unless you're open to the guided Canadian thing, and even then you're going to be dealing with COVID restrictions and are a few years out, unless cancellation hunts are in the mix.

They're not like elk where you have several options.

Unfortunately this is likely very correct.

The only "easy" way I ever knew of was to win an Auction tag. I did that in 09. I wanted to hunt VT for a 2nd time before the Moose mostly disappeared as they were quickly waning even then due to ticks. It cost me $4K but I bought a tag. I found an adult Cow and I took her. The Pickens were slim though unlike how it was when I was drawn for the same unit in 03 and Moose sign was plentiful

Sorry to derail 444

I believe, but not 100 percent certain, that the Maine Moose auction tags went between $23,000 and $25,000 in 2021. Not exactly affordable and no [bleep] way.

I don't see a realistic way to a "cheap" moose hunt of any type. Only options I see for "cheap" are to draw a cow tag in some of the western states, but that requires a whole lot of luck. If you're not lucky it doesn't take too many years to get outside of what I consider "cheap".

I've been to Newfoundland several times moose hunting. For the $5k you spend it is the best bang for the buck. Tags are guaranteed and success rate is about 65% from what I've seen. Some outfitters boast even higher success rates. It takes me about 2.5 days to get there including the 10 hr ferry ride. If it wasn't for that, I'd go every year. We always had a great time there.

You can also do a combo moose/bear hunt with some outfitters. I tagged both one year.

Newfoundland is solid. The bull racks are shi*t compared to Alaskan/Rocky Mountain animals but meat is meat. Been there 1x and had a great time but walking is a booger. Work on leg lifts. Lots of moose there. Get a cow tag - bulls aren’t worth it - I had a bull only tag & kept passing till I got a nice rack - didn’t shoot anything despite over 65 miles across various bogs on foot. Came home empty which I’m ok with but coulda shot 30 cows and had something for the Big Green Egg.

The VT/ME/NH moose lottery is very low odds - Grammy puts in with the boys every year.

Newfoundland.

Another idea - go on a cow elk hunt. Great meat & no waiting to draw

East coast Newfoundland hands down
West coast southern BC Alberta

So - we had the same idea from the Virginia area - seven hunters booked in Feb 2019, hunt executed in Oct of 2021 with six hunters, and five moose taken.

One hunter didn't make the trip (me) - had a COVID positive test a week before the PRC test for the border.

Two pick-up trucks, one with a 14 foot trailer, three freezers, one small generator, and every large capacity cooler we could beg, borrow or steal to go with.

We had about 1500 quarts of storage, and used most of it - the guys on the trip were very happy with the results, the outfitter, and most of the travel arrangements.

All of our hunters have re-booked for 2024 - I'm carrying over my deposits with the outfitter, he's been very accommodating with the arrangements.

I solved the cow moose meat hunt riddle after 20+ years of trying to draw moose tags in 4 states.
I just arranged things to hunt cow elk in adjoining states to fully fill the freezer.

Don't get me wrong tho...still puttin' in for those ever lovin' tags...

That sucks but I am glad to see you're making the best of it.

I have 3 out of country hunts lined up this year and dread getting the test results back so close to crunch time. It sounds like you had a non standard test done before the official PRC test, which can be no older than 3 days before entering Canada correct?

Yes - we had an exposure to the family early the week prior to the border PRC test (yes, must be within 72 hours of Border crossing), so the spouse and daughter tested - they were positive...so, I took one as well.

For the other 6 - we all scheduled PRCs through a local clinic in the late afternoon before travel, and had the results e-mailed to us on the road, and printed the results at the motel for the first overnight.

From VA - 14 hours to Maine, RON on the US side - crossed the border at first light, then up to near the ferry crossing, RON - arrive at the ferry crossing early-ish the next day.

Cross the channel on the midnight ferry, and drive to near the lodge and RON - we built an extra day in for the ferry crossing - based on advise from other hunters going the same route.

The border crossing went very easy - but we had prepped all of the paperwork before, and had folders ready to go - everyone was sober, and cooperative.

General comments - shots can be from thick cover under 15 yards to 300-400 in the open, or a "window" shot between the trees.

In October - it's wet...wear rubber boots over treated leather, and multiple sets of clothes needed - under raingear every day.

Moose are big - you truly don't realize how big - until the first one is down...

You may walk - a lot - to get where the moose are, or are not - one hunter covered 15 miles in five days with no shot - it happens.

Look at adding a bear tag - they're inexpensive (to me) and the bears look big and healthy from what I have seen from the pictures.

Both Newfoundland and Yukon hunts were a thrill. The Yukon hunt was three times the cost but I gained 20" in the antler spread. 48" vs 68".

Nice roundoak. I just wanna kill a moose! Who did you hunt with?

Canada will accept any Molecular covid test, not just the PCR test. A same day NAAT test is ok and I got my results in one hour from a local Walgreens drug store. Did it at the drive thru and never got out of the car. The rapid antigen test is NOT ok for entry to Canada. We had everything in order and were at the border no more than five minutes longer than usual. I guess Canada does some random testing of border crossers and that could be a major PIA if a person were to test + then.

Efford's Hunting Adventures Port Blandford, NL

That is probably one of the best NF moose I’ve seen & a beautiful Yukon!

In many of the states with moose you can put in for a cow tag and those are a whole lot easier to draw. You're still hunting moose and still getting a pile of good meat if you score you just don't get a set of antlers and if those aren't important to you then that is a moot point.

Just an FYI with our experience with Effords Our moose hunt

We'll be going back to WestWoods in 2024. https://www.westwoodsoutfitters.com

Wow! Sorry to hear of your bad experience with Efford's. It certainly does not mirror my experience with the outfitter.

When I decided to hunt the rock I was lucky to know some hunters that had great trips with Efford's and gained a lot of valuable information on travel, accommodations and hunting conditions. My first hunt with Efford's was a Caribou hunt and was very pleased with the entire experience. Then got the itch for a moose and went with Efford's.

On both hunts my worst experience was coming thru US Customs.

That's sure a common theme! We'll be driving up next time and taking the ferry and the folks who did that said both customs experiences were fine. I'll never go through Toronto again and a pox on every US Customs agent we dealt with there. "User hostile" is the nicest thing I can say.

We have been driving up to hunt for almost 20 years, with the exception of 2020. We've never really had any problems on either side. One US Fish & Wildlife guy was kind of a jerk, but not horrible. We've always had our ducks in a row, literally and figuratively, and have not had problems. Hope to go again this fall. We tend to cross in rural areas and the Canadian border folks, like all Canadians we've met, tend to be quite friendly.

Pugs, will you be hauling the meat back?

WMR, did you haul the meat back?

No moose (yet) for me. We hunt waterfowl and always bring them back. This year, in part because of this thread, I'll be moose hunting in Alberta and then do some waterfowling, so I hope to bring back both. I've hunted AK DIY the past 2 years and have stories, but no moose to show for it.

JGRaider: MY Black Bear and Elk Hunting partner went with a pack of his relatives to Newfoundland to Hunt Moose this past fall.
They killed 5 (five!) Bull Moose for 5 (five) Hunters!
I kinda wish I had ponied up and went along now?
They were on hold for either one or two years getting into Canada for the Hunt because of the chinese red death flu thing.
He said lots of Moose and maybe the lowered harvesting the previous couple of years helped them?
Good luck wherever you try.
I am into my 24th (twenty fourth) year of applying for a draw Moose tag here in Montana!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

i'm not that desperate to become vaccine damaged just to shoot a moose.

shoulda, woulda, coulda.. water under the fridge at this juncture.

Do you have to be vaxed, or just show a negative test?

as of november 30th, vax or stay home.

TBD. The last two times we’ve had it shipped but in 2024 we will be living in NH so that opens some options

We went to Newfoundland 2018 and 2021 and booked 2023. I will go again this year if there are any cancellations at either of the camps we stayed. $5500-6500 plus gratuities and travel expenses.