Moose scouting

[DeerThug]

Ok jus t back at home form the trip.  What a time.  We saw three moose all bulls.  One we debated on if he was a shooter.  So that is the question for Mt Spokan what is a respectable bull moose.  AND how do you judge  a good bull?  This one had a rack that was wider than his body 2 front forks - maybe 3 on one side.  One side had a paddle that seemed wide to me and the other side was not too wide.  Even thou he was still in the velvet we could not see any points on the paddels.  But it was a good trial run on the real thing.

I don't expect to shoot the biggest on in the state, but I don't want a dink.  any help on how to know a good bull would be helpful

Hey RIc - you should have come with us.  We had a blast!  We found the state land where we could park for free at about 9 Friday night.  Saturday morning we hit the woods.  where we found the moose.  We also got a great whitetail shed that had 4 eye guards (well 3 but one was split).

Saturday night we went to Cabelas - got Matthew a new pair of boots.  If you have seen the size of his feet then you would know why this is a big deal.

 Then we headed to Hooters!  What a time.

The boys got the Hooters song sang to them.  "  You put your right hooter in - you put your right hooter out and your shake it all about.  You put you left hooter in..."  Well you get the idea. 
I am kinda tired but it was worth it.

So back to huntingI did get my permit this weekend.
Looks like a nother good season is on deck>

[carpsniperg2]

hahaha love it! i think any bull is a good bull for what it is worth. but i would hold out for a bull with at least 3 front tines on one side and around 30-35"+ would be a very respectable WA moose

[jackelope]

you could be holding out a long time if you're holding out for a triple brow tined bull. If you are he will likely be more than 35" wide.
 

 

[Wea300mag]

If it were me, my goal would be double brows and 40+" wide.

[carpsniperg2]

you could be holding out a long time if you're holding out for a triple brow tined bull. If you are he will likely be more than 35" wide.
 

 

thats  why i said any bull is a good bull if i had tons of time to hunt and it was me that is what i would be looking for if i wanted a trophy moose. and yes i kinda ment it as either or 35"+ or triple brows. yes the bull would probably be 45+" to have triple brows as well but one of those to would be my standard is what i am saying.

[PA BEN]

Good book, got mine at Amazon. A Boone and Crockett Club Field Guide to Measuring and Judging Big Game.

[Craig]

Early in the season If you need to debate if he is a shooter go find a bigger one. Sure is fun to see them bull moose.

[Ridgerunner]

If it were me, my goal would be double brows and 40+" wide.

  That was my goal and exactly what I got.

Good WA goal to have.  Figure moose are about 30" from ear to ear, even a 2.5 year old bull will have a spread of 35" or 36".  40+ and you are starting to get into the good bulls, 45 the real good bulls and anything 50 or over is a DANDY!

[GoldTip]

My goal last year was something over 40" wide with split brows, finding triple brows on both sides is fairly rare.  I ended up with a 45" bull with triple brows on both sides, just happened to be the bull we called in.  But there is little doubt in my mind that if he'd been 40" with split brows, he'd have still hit the dirt.  I'd passed already on several in the low to mid 30" range, none of which had split brows.  In my research and my hunting I've found that a good rule of thumb for a GOOD bull is anything over 40" for a Shiras, over 50" for a Canadian and over 60" for a Yukon.  I know somewhere in the regs or in the Moose packet they send you you can find the average's for the bulls that were killed the year before.  I think all of the Washington Moose area's average in the 34-36" range.  Now that is cuz a lot of guys simply cruise the roads and look for a Moose that's "easy" to retrieve.  But as you can see from that average, a 40 incher is a darn good Moose.  Good luck and make sure you post up a story.

Also you have to find a Moose that you really like.  I'd much rather have a 36" bull with good paddles and points and split brows than a 46" wide bull with skinny paddles and a single brow, but that's me.

[DeerThug]

Hey guys thanks for the data.  That is what I am looking for.  The 30" ear to ear was the measurment that I was looking for.  You coud see some space between the body and the inside of the horns so this one was close...  I read one place that a bull is 9" from eye to eye, good to know but translate that into how wide the rack is... I can recogonize how wide a mulie is, as well as a good bull and ram.  They live in my back yard and I have spent a lot of time looking at a lot of animals.  I am going back one more time in Sept to see more animals.

Stay tuned!

[PA BEN]

Here's my '08 Bull 43"

[DeerThug]

Cool PaBen - What unit did youget it from.

By the way.  We have anot her cougar in our neighbor hood.  A lady saw it last night.   Night be fore last my dog was going nuts.  Based on his bark when we had one here a few weeks ago - I now think he was barking at this cat.  Next time I hear that bark I am going out with my light and an 06.

[benhuntin]

how many bulls have you seen deerthug?

[PA BEN]

Cool PaBen - What unit did youget it from.

By the way.  We have anot her cougar in our neighbor hood.  A lady saw it last night.   Night be fore last my dog was going nuts.  Based on his bark when we had one here a few weeks ago - I now think he was barking at this cat.  Next time I hear that bark I am going out with my light and an 06.

49

[DeerThug]

We saw three last weekend.  I saw one in the Huckelberry a few years back. and one in Wyoming during an antelope hunt.  Jsut need more exposure to the beasts  to know what a good set of horns looks like,