Guide or no guide for washington moose?

[Pete112288]

Every year I think about starting to put in for moose tags. I am 24 and have a family and am just getting off my feet so I thought it would be a shame to get drawn for a once in a lifetime tag and not be able to afford a guide. I would most likely put in for spokane area hunts because I know I have a free place to stay there. I want to start building up points but if by chance I get drawn in the first couple years I put in then will I be SOL if I cant afford a guide. I would only be able to maybe make it that side of the state to scout a time or two over the summer if I am lucky and can afford it at the time. I have been reading a lot of threads on here and it seems like its not as impossible to do unguided hunts successfully as I originally thought. What would everyone say about this? I wouldnt be holding out for a huge trophy. I would be happy with some of the pictures I have seen on here that everyone has been calling small bulls. I may not be able to pull off too much as far as getting time to scout. I would probably take a week maybe week and a half to dedicate to being over there hunting if I was drawn. Opinions anyone?

[Houndhunter]

Keep putting in, than when your 90 start worrying about guide.

[Alan K]

Slam dunk, no problem guideless unless you' decide your looking for a monster.  In that case, eyes in the field over there scouting would be more beneficial than a personal guide IMO.  Both my dad and younger sister have drawn Mt. Spokane in the past.  It's as easy or as tough a hunt as you want to make it.  Passed bulls basically every day. Most of the other guys we saw were tipping over the first Bullwinkle they laid eyes on.  Calling is fun, and would definitely be advised for a better bull. Doesn't take too long to figure out. Once you're tired of that you can find one just driving around if you wanted.

All this said, your odds of actually drawing are slim to none for your lifetime, especially if you're just now starting to put in.  Someone's got to draw though! 

[Pete112288]

Haha, yea, thats about what I figured, just with my luck Id be the only one out there to ever get it on the first year but then not be able to afford to hunt.
And by the way, when I said I would be happy with what others call small bulls. Honestly it would be hard for me not to pull the trigger on one of the "small bulls" in the pics that bearpaw posted here http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,127762.0.html

[Alan K]

In my experiences over there on the two hunts I've been on, you'd be tagged out the first morning if you were ready to pull the trigger on those first two bulls on the first day. The bull actually taken in that thread would take some time to find but is definitely doable!

[Alan K]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,45448.0.html

There's the story of my sister's moose from a few years back if you want some reading to let you know how easy it was to get just any bull.  She wasn't worried about holding out for a monster, so it was a pretty quick hunt.

[huntnnw]

If you dont see a moose in any of the Moose units everyday your either blind or didnt try. Every moose hunt I have been on I have seen multiple bulls a day

[Dan-o]

I drew an antlerless moose tag about 10 years ago.   Never hunted moose before.   Never even been in the unit for anything else.

found all the help I needed by asking around politely.    Saw a couple decent bulls, but as stated I was on an antlerless mission.

Having said that, if I drew a bull tag and could possibly afford it, I would seriously consider a guide.   it is OIL, and a good guide can do a lot more for me that I could ever do for myself over there.

[Bob33]

Worry about it if you ever draw. Just apply.

[starbailey]

Apply, apply, apply.

[Ibcnurun]

Having said that, if I drew a bull tag and could possibly afford it, I would seriously consider a guide.   it is OIL, and a good guide can do a lot more for me that I could ever do for myself over there.

[huntnphool]

Get the tag and everything else will find a way to happen, no guide needed.

[dis_pat_]

It's somewhat an economics thing.  Can you take sufficient time, if necessary, to get the job done without a professional?  Can you even afford a professional regardless of how much time you have?

I know not all guides are the same but my experience with guides is that they're often just wranglers, not expert hunters.  They might think they're expert hunters because the live in Montana, or Wyoming, or some rural remote jobless craphole in any state, like that conveys hunting expertise automatically.

[Curly]

I knew practically nothing about moose in WA until message boards like this started popping up.  So, I didn't apply until reading about moose on message boards.  So, I only have about 10 points for moose now; I wish I would have started applying earlier.

My point is, just start applying.  You will likely never draw anyway, and if you do it will be probably be 30 years from now anyway (if the wolves haven't wiped all of them out by then).

[lhrbull]

you can always put in for ghost points and at least your points will start to build I had to do that this year because I have another hunt already booked at the same time frame back at it for real next year