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Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

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Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 1]

Back in February I posted in the gear/weapons section letting you guys know I was going on a DIY moose hunt using a big game transporter and asking for advice on my limited 40lbs of gear. While the seven months I had to prepare seem to crawl by it was nice to have time to dial in gear, fitness and the details for getting my moose home from Alaska. With hours and hours of time spent looking through forums, I feel like we came up with a pretty good game plan. With the plans of being successful we each Amazon primed 5 coolers, duct tape, rubber tubing and cellophane to the transporters hanger. For fitness I started walking to and from work with no weight. 4 miles each way. Once the no weight started to get easy, I slowly started to add weight till I was up to walking with 110lbs. I'am glad I did that! For clothing I ended up choosing Kuiu, really happy with the Yukon rain gear it performed well. Rifle was tikka t3 300 win mag. The time had finally come to fly out, our wife's and kids dropped us of at the airport and before I knew it we were at his hanger. He told us some weather was going to be moving in so if we want to get out that day we need to hurry. With a few last minute gear checks we loaded the plane and headed for moose country. I was pretty green on the way in and didn't get to enjoy the sight seeing or wildlife viewing. As we were arriving at the destination my buddy woke me up. He landed the plane in a spot I wouldn't have thought was big enough for a RC plane to land. He's a very impressive pilot. Once on the ground we threw all the gear out and off he went. Kind of a uneasy feeling knowing there is nobody to help you if something were to go wrong. We set camp up in a hurry so we could do some glassing before dark. Found a decent bull that night but you can not shoot the same day you fly in. The next morning we found multiple really nice bulls. One was two miles away across the creek on the other side of the draw, he had cows. Found one more with cows that looked good at 4 miles walking away from us. We decided to try and get a closer look at the one that was two miles away. We hadn't made it more than a couple hundred yards and my buddy spotted two more bull moose. We put the spotting scope on them. One of their bodies was at least 20% bigger than the others. We sat and watched them fight for awhile, the one with the smaller body won the fight. He was really aggressive. We watched the bulls part ways and both started heading towards the bull with cows two miles from us. Once they were out of sight we waited a little bit and the smaller body bull showed up and bedded down near the bull with cows. So we picked up made a quick tent stop for supplies and started making our way to the bull with cows. Our chosen path turned out to be a little thicker with willows then expected. After fighting our way through, we spotted the cows running but not the bull. We kept watching and the smaller bull came behind chasing the cows. We kept looking and couldn't find the bigger bull. The smaller one was about 750 yards away with the cows. We thought he might be 58 wide with narrow paddles and with two possibly three nicer bulls around we didn't go after him. Keeping our eye on the hill side where the bigger bull was we caught movement, it's him, so we thought. On the move again we cross the creek make our way up the draw doing our best to keep the wind in our favor. We crest the hill and get eyes on him. He's meandering around as we keep the wind right and stay low moving in on him. We got as close as we felt comfortable getting. My buddy ranges him for me, 300yds, I have the shooting sticks out, click my scope to the yardage. Using my pack to stabilize my elbow and with the sticks in the front I felt stable. Heart pounding I found the moose in my scope, brush in the way. So I move, re set up, brush again. He's in a willow patch. He starts to walk into the clearing I'm on him my buddy says let me know when you want me to stop him. He takes a couple steps, now I'm in the vitals I squeeze, boom, thwack. Sounded good. I Jack another one in. He's still standing so I shoot again. Down he goes. We watch make sure he's not moving. We high five and start heading that way. We walk up on an enormous animal just under 2 miles from the landing strip. What were we thinking. We high five again and start to move him to get a better look. He's not the original bull we were after it was the bull that lost the fight to the smaller bull. After pictures it took us roughly three hours to break him down and get him on the tarp. Closing in on dark we each throw a front quarter on and head for the landing strip. I can't remember exactly how long it took but I would say roughly 2.5 hours. Exhausted we head to bed. Wake up the next morning go back and grab the rear quarters (heavy). One more trip that day for the loose meat. I think each of those were about 4 hours round trip. Day three, go back grab the head and cape. WOW, what a work out. My whole moose is to the landing strip. It's mid day now, grab a little to eat and I told my buddy to go glass and I'll get the water and everything else that had been neglected ready at camp. He heads out. I forgot my pack up at the landing strip ( about 75 yards from our tent) so I go to grab it and a moose is standing right next to the strip. I take a look at him my guess was about 45 inches. Not a shooter. I watch for a little bit grab my pack and head back to the tent getting stuff ready. I hear my buddy outside say there's a moose on the landing strip. I told him yeah I saw him he's not a shooter. He asked if I was sure, I said lets go take a look. We walk up there look for a little bit and I spot the moose behind some willow trees. My buddy had to side step about twenty yards to get into position. He takes a knee the moose takes one step I see the safety come off, boom thwack he jacks another in boom thwack, down goes the moose. We high five. I thank the lord its so close to the landing strip. We walk up on it, not the moose I saw when I went to get my pack. It was the original moose we were after on day one. He made his way over to us. We broke half his moose down that day and got all the hide off. Finished breaking it down the next morning. Got it caped out ready to go and my buddy saw two little pieces of meat on the head, went to cut them off and stabbed himself in the hand. I looked at it and could see a blood vessel sticking out blood everywhere. He's applying pressure as I'm trying to get the duct tape and mole skin out to patch him up. It was pouring down rain and the duct tape wouldn't stick. Luckily he shot his moose right next to camp so I ran to the tent got the first aide kit. Wrapped him up with gauze and tape. He wasn't feeling so good do he went and laid down for a while. I worked on getting his moose up to the strip. He came out and help with the last of it. 4 days and two big moose to the strip. A trip of a lifetime. We had a in reach to text the pilot, sent the text that we had two moose to the strip. Because of weather and other hunters we sat there for five more days. Not ideal but what do you do. So, we got the moose out and to a butcher up there. Mine was 580 lbs of meat. I told them I'll take what ever fits in five coolers and donate the rest. 360lbs fit in the 5 48qt coolers. We covered the antler tips with rubber and duct tape them up wrapped them in cellophane and Boxed up the frozen cape. Off to the airport. With everything checked I had nine pieces. Everything made it back to Seattle in one piece. Had my wife pick up some dry ice before she got me. We put that in the coolers everything made it home fine. Moose meat is delicious.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 2]

Pics to come.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 3]

Our gear and the plane.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 4]

At the strip!
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 5]

My moose.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 6]

They're big!
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 7]

Impressive!
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 8]

Camp, Backstraps and the pack out.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 9]

Packed up for the ride home.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 10]

Yes! Excellent write up, hunt, and moose mister. A huge congrats. Those straps are epic...
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Swede » 10 01, 2017 •  [Post 11]

Excellent moose and story. Congratulations.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 02, 2017 •  [Post 12]

Thanks! Definitely a trip I'll never forget.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby GoGriz1234 » 10 02, 2017 •  [Post 13]

What a great story! Congrats on the success! If you don't mind me asking, how far out did you have to book the packer and who did you end up using?
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby MTLongdraw » 10 03, 2017 •  [Post 14]

Congratulations! So awesome. Was this a 50" area?
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 04, 2017 •  [Post 15]

We got lucky and booked off a cancellation 8 or 9 months in advance instead of a couple years. Not a 50 inch minimum area.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby BrentLaBere » 10 04, 2017 •  [Post 16]

Great story and pictures. Sounds like an awesome hunt. Glad everything worked out with your buddy and not getting seriously injured. Always need to remind ourselves to slow down and in your case no one is close to make any serious medical treatments. Congratulations. This is on my bucket list of hunting trips
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Roosiebull » 10 05, 2017 •  [Post 17]

freaking amazing!!!!! (besides the stabbing of your buddy's hand ;) ) glad you guys had a good first aid kit.

there is something about these types of trips that make me feel like i'm missing out on "hunting" there is something very pure about these types of trips. I loved the whole story, from the preparation to the hunt, there are lots of layers to a hunt like that.

I really need to make a trip like that in the next 5 years, I think one of the biggest hurdles is finding the right guy to go with, it takes a certain type of character to handle it all, physically and mentally. thanks again for the great read, congrats on a couple beautiful bulls!

was this your first moose hunt? from how it all went down, I doubt it, but just curious....thanks!
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkonthebrain » 10 06, 2017 •  [Post 18]

First ever moose trip. We did a lot of research and asked a lot of questions.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Roosiebull » 10 06, 2017 •  [Post 19]

pretty incredible, you guys sure were squared away for your first moose trip. the story, and details in the story sounded like you guys had done a few of those trips, again, congrats! impressive!
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby ishy » 10 06, 2017 •  [Post 20]

Wow! Jealous doesn't even come close.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby EasternWash » 10 18, 2017 •  [Post 21]

Good job!
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Newt » 10 24, 2018 •  [Post 22]

That is fantastic. Congrats on a great adventure. I enjoyed your story and your pictures.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Lsb » 10 25, 2018 •  [Post 23]

Awesome! Moose is on my bucket list
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Treestandgoatman » 10 25, 2018 •  [Post 24]

Awesome! Thank you for the right up, it might help me fulfill one of the items on my bucket list. Congrats on a well planned, successful trip!

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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Deanmac » 10 25, 2018 •  [Post 25]

Great read, thanks for posting
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby MTLongdraw » 10 25, 2018 •  [Post 26]

Sure enjoyed the story and pictures. Congratulations on a great bull!
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Tigger » 10 26, 2018 •  [Post 27]

A well earned trophy to be cherished for a long time.
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Indian Summer » 10 29, 2018 •  [Post 28]

Great story congratulations. 10 grand is pricey for unguided. Other than the flight in and out of camp what did they provide? I assume that included flying your moose out and getting it to a processor or getting it to a transporter on it’s way to Anchorage for proper care and storage? How did you get your meat and rack to Seattle? Total cost?
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Elkhunttoo » 11 04, 2018 •  [Post 29]

Congrats!!! Well done
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Re: Successful DIY Moose Hunt!!!

Postby Lefty » 11 10, 2018 •  [Post 30]

Great story and write up

I finally finished reading .

Our Idaho moose hunts were much easier
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