Early Huckleberry Bull Moose tag drawn!

[HillHound]

My son drew an Early huckleberry any bull moose tag. 
 He is super excited and I am just as excited. He drew with 11 points and wasn’t even on his radar of being a possibility. We were just hoping his 10 cow elk  points would get him a tag, which they didn’t. And now we are glad so he can use all his free time away from work this fall hunting Moose. I got a 49degrees north bull in 2018 and My brother and I got moose on a self guided Alaska float hunt last year and we can’t believe we get to go moose hunting again! We thought it would be years before we even got to tag along on one. The plan is to be there the first week at least and then a couple long weekends followed by another week at the end if needed. We have shot deer and bear in the unit so we do know our way around some of it. But if anybody has any pointers they want to share or real time sightings during the season please send me a PM. I will update this post as we start our scouting trips. Good luck to all those OIL tag holders out there

[greenhead_killer]

Congrats on the draw! Should be a great time for all involved. Good luck and keep us posted at the end how it went.

[hunter399]

My son drew an Early huckleberry any bull moose tag. 
 He is super excited and I am just as excited. He drew with 11 points and wasn’t even on his radar of being a possibility. We were just hoping his 10 cow elk  points would get him a tag, which they didn’t. And now we are glad so he can use all his free time away from work this fall hunting Moose. I got a 49degrees north bull in 2018 and My brother and I got moose on a self guided Alaska float hunt last year and we can’t believe we get to go moose hunting again! We thought it would be years before we even got to tag along on one. The plan is to be there the first week at least and then a couple long weekends followed by another week at the end if needed. We have shot deer and bear in the unit so we do know our way around some of it. But if anybody has any pointers they want to share or real time sightings during the season please send me a PM. I will update this post as we start our scouting trips. Good luck to all those OIL tag holders out there

Haven't done a lot of scouting this year myself
If I see anything during season,getting firewood,I'll hit ya with the coordinates.
Heck ya, congrats....goodluck!

[HillHound]

Thanks. I would appreciate that hunter399

[hunter399]

Thanks. I would appreciate that hunter399

No big deal.
I've seen a few small bulls ,so far this year in your unit.
I haven't been in the unit this year ,as much as other years.
Was in 49 yesterday, fishing.
If I see a giant or something in your unit.I'll let ya know.👍
I fish now ,instead of trail cams .....lol

I go up there for firewood,target shooting,few things.
There has been an explosion of people up there.
Just a lot of peeps recreation. That's ok or whatever.
Usually hunting wise ,I'm not in the unit too much.
I can't walk far enough up there,to get away from everyone....lol

[CJ1962]

I spend a good amount of time in that unit.  I will send you a PM.

[HillHound]

Thank you.
We got it paid for today over the phone to make sure to beat the price increase.

[HillHound]

We are starting the process of figuring out Moose Camp 2025. 
All the planning, prep, and anticipation is almost as much fun as the actual moose hunt. We have a motorhome and a camp trailer that I am trying to decide which I should bring, or if I should bring both depending on how many people end up coming for Support. When I had my 2018 tag, I had found a guy that let me leave my camp trailer over there so I didn’t have to pull it back-and-forth for all of the scouting and hunting trips. He has since built a house and shop on the large gravel pad he let me park at so that is not an option anymore. We will probably drive the motorhome and the truck pulling the side-by-side each trip. If I can find somewhere or somebody that has a spot I could use or rent to store it between trips I may pull my trailer over there in August or September to go scouting as well as some bear hunting and archery deer hunting. Then leave it there to be picked up for future scouting trips and moose camp.
So if anybody has any leads in the Springdale,Chewelah, Addy area let me know. Looking for somewhere hopefully the tires will still be on it and the windows not broke out when we get back to it. I have a couple ideas on camping spots We have used in years past, but if anybody has any great ideas on that front, I would also be interested in case someone beats me to my first couple planned spots.
Thanks

[HillHound]

My son got his Moose tag in the mail today. He is super excited to have it in his hands. Definitely feeling real now

[HillHound]

We are going to swing through the unit for a day next week on our way to Montana. Probably hang a couple cameras in a few spots I’ve hunted before and maybe check out a new spot or two that a couple members have PMd me. If anyone knows any farmers in the huckleberry unit with big bull moose causing them fence or crop issues let me know. I would love to get in contact early if there is any so I can see if there is anything we can help them with, or if they like spring chinook or a favorite whiskey, etc in exchange for access.

[HillHound]

Anybody else on here have or know someone who has the huckleberry early or late or cow tag? Seems like huntwa members got 75% of the 49 degrees N tags but crickets on any other huckleberry tags. Would be nice to exchange contact info in case one of us needs a hand packing meat or sharing moose intel if your hunting cows or tagged out early.

[HillHound]

Does anybody know if inland Empire or the other private timber companies will come open the gate and take you in to retrieve animals like Weyerhaeuser, port Blakey , etc. used to do? How about anybody with pack horses for hire in the huckleberry unit? I’m hoping we have enough packing help but who knows how many people actually show up. Sure they say they will now but once October comes life gets busy and everyone else has hunting seasons going too
Thanks

[benhuntin]

Does anybody know if inland Empire or the other private timber companies will come open the gate and take you in to retrieve animals like Weyerhaeuser, port Blakey , etc. used to do? How about anybody with pack horses for hire in the huckleberry unit? I’m hoping we have enough packing help but who knows how many people actually show up. Sure they say they will now but once October comes life gets busy and everyone else has hunting seasons going too
Thanks

The gates that are open can be driven. The locked gates you need a pass and then you get a key. I believe.


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[Limhangerslayer]

Does anybody know if inland Empire or the other private timber companies will come open the gate and take you in to retrieve animals like Weyerhaeuser, port Blakey , etc. used to do? How about anybody with pack horses for hire in the huckleberry unit? I’m hoping we have enough packing help but who knows how many people actually show up. Sure they say they will now but once October comes life gets busy and everyone else has hunting seasons going too
Thanks

inland would be the only one that might.  Others you’ll be packing.  Plus there’s a couple timber companies that don’t allow any access whatsoever

[MMCCAULEY]

Inland says in their rules, "Gated or blocked roads are closed to motorized traffic and
will not be opened for packing game out." 

[HillHound]

We have been over twice now. We have seen six moose, one bull that wasn’t anything to write home about. Lots of grouse, turkeys, and deer. A few of my old stomping grounds have been logged in the last couple years so that switched up a few plans on spots I was going to hang cameras. I did get a half dozen out on some good sign so hopefully a few don’t grow legs and we have some pics to look at when we go back this weekend. Going to be pulling cards and scouting a different area than I have been in for a while on this trip so our hopes are high for finding some good moose sign and maybe even spotting another bull if we can get the cooler temps forecasted. PM me with any big bull or large groups of cows spotted in the Huckleberry unit.

[jrebel]

Haven’t seen him this year…..hope the wolves didn’t get him.  The unit has a few nice bills still running around, but the wolves are moving the around pretty good.  We had another stud bull in our area for a couple years…..then the wolves showed up and he left town.  Never seen him again. 

[jrebel]

If this guy is still alive…..he would be an absolute stud.  He was approx 6 years old when this was taken and the wolves ran him off 3 years ago. 

[HillHound]

Dang that is a nice one. Let me know if he or his off spring show back up

[baldopepper]

Have seen that bill, or one very similar, a couple times this year. Unfortunately he's always on the vaagen posted property when I've seen him.

[jrebel]

The first pic or the second pic.  They are different bulls.  Have you seen the wolves lately. 

[HillHound]

If you see one that looks similar to either remotely close to land we can hunt please PM me. Lots of people have leads on where they see moose but many turn out to be where there is no open ground to hunt them on. Sounds like I need to find someone who has an in with the Vaagen Bros

[WAcoueshunter]

LFG!!!

Your tag, a few years ago.

[trophyhunt]

Great looking bull, man i miss moose hunting!! 

[MMCCAULEY]

Please send grouse waypoints lol. 

[HillHound]

About nine out of 10 Creek bottoms I’ve been in between Home and Northeast Washington have had good amounts of ruffed grouse. And I have ran into quite few blue grouse on the ridge tops. Of course it’s a bit easier to find them now with all of the ripe berries they are concentrated on

[MMCCAULEY]

Right on.  Well didn't mean to derail the thread haha.  If i see a moose while grouse hunting i'll report back. 

[HillHound]

We were back over for a couple days and saw 4 moose and a bear. Tried to get my wife on the bear but he saw us first and was on the move. Found some more promising area, scratched some off the list. Still no big bulls spotted

[baldopepper]

Nephew reminded me of the big bull they saw a couple times last fall on the top area of Locke road south of where it connects to Addy/Cedonia road. Don't know if you've looked around that area  yet. Can't find the pic he sent last fall,but it was a nice bull.

[HillHound]

Thanks, I have been up around there. I will keep it on the list of places I should be scouting

[baldopepper]

Could also add it's very unusual to go wandering around above Fruitland early in the am without seeing at least one or two moose. Can't say I've seen any bruisers but see them virtually every time I go up that way.

[HillHound]

Thanks. We have been down that way on our  first trip over and plan on revisiting it on our next trip over. Although this heat still makes it tough to do much but look for fresh sign and learn roads. Might catch a moose out in the first or last couple hours of light and then they bury themselves in the willow draws. Saw one last trip only because we jumped a bear that ran into a draw and the moose came running out in front of him.

[baldopepper]

If you get in a bind I have 20 acres just north of Hunters I could probably let you park your trailer.  Locked gate entrance.  Probably be kind of a boon docking thing, but I have available water.

[HillHound]

Awesome! Thank you. For now, we do have a place we are keeping our trailer so we don’t have to tow it back-and-forth every time. It is about 45 minutes from where we plan to camp, but still a lot shorter than pulling from the house every time. We were over for the weekend and saw a few moose. One okish bull, that was exciting. Only one month left!

[baldopepper]

Ran into this guy up Harvey Creek
  Not sure if he'd do or not

[jrebel]

That's a nice bull.   

[HillHound]

Dang, that would definitely do. I am assuming last hunting season since he has no velvet?

[baldopepper]

Yes, that pic is last fall, but pretty sure I saw the same bull (I think) up there last week. Just got a quick look before he popped back into cover. Same general area and looked like could be the same bull.  Another one with him but couldn't get a good look at it, but seemed smaller.