I have hunted a lot of moose here in Washington and in Idaho. Here are some of my observations and recommendations:
1. Scouting: I think the most effective time to scout if you are going to hunt the first week of season is the week before season opens. Otherwise save your vacation time and fuel money for when season is open. Scout while you hunt, you can shoot a good bull if spotted while hunting. If you live close to the hunt area or fuel costs and time are not an issue then scout as often as possible before season opens.
2. Items Needed: Extra help because moose are big, rugged backpack frames, 7 -10 breathable game bags especially if hunting warm days in October, one or two sharp hatchets, sharp knives, knife sharpener, bone saw, 50 feet rope, camera, gps or compass, matches or lighter, headlamp, extra batteries, map, binos, cartridges with good quality bullets or arrows with strong broadheads, water bottle, snacks, elastic gutting gloves and shoulder length gutting gloves, 6x8 lightweight tarp.
3. Where To Look: Moose really like reprod (heavy brush in old clearcuts). Watch for moose rubs (usually chest high on a tree). Don't mistake elk tracks for moose tracks (bull moose tracks are much larger than any elk tracks). Bull moose droppings are about twice the size of elk droppings. You can contact Region 1 WDFW biologists for advice on more specific areas to hunt in the unit where you draw, or you might ask for some advice here on the H-W forum.
4. Calling: If you are a bowhunter, start hunting right away when season first opens while moose are calling or can be stalked without snow crunching when you walk. This is a fun time for anyone to hunt with any weapon, cover ground calling and glassing. Learn how to grunt by listening to videos, I posted some below. Some people buy a call, I just use my mouth as do many other callers.
5. I like to avoid hunting moose during rifle deer or elk season as all the activity pushes moose out of sight and into the bush. If you are moose hunting during rifle deer or elk season, ask every hunter you see if they have seen any big bulls. Other hunters are always willing and even anxious to help a moose hunter.
6. Rifle hunters will see a greater number of moose and can more easily find a bigger bull by hunting in November after leaves have fallen and there is snow on the ground to improve visibilty. Cover a lot of ground glassing.
7. Most hunters cannot resist the temptation to go the first week. If you hunt then, don't be surprised if you don't see as many moose as you thought you would, and if you want a good bull, don't shoot a small bull, there is no reason to shoot anything less than 40 inches unless it really scores well.
8. Judging Moose: If you want a good bull, a quick method to judge is to make sure a bull has lots of points (8 or more per side), wide paddles, and double eye gaurds on both sides. Look at pictures of moose on this forum in advance to get an idea.
9. Photos: When you walk up to your first downed moose the size will be a bit solbering. Try to get him posed for a photo by rolling him onto his belly and if possible fold his legs under and stick his nose into the ground, this will get his antlers up in the air so they look good in the photo. If that is not possible just try to take a picture with the antlers well exposed so they can be seen, getting the sky in the background is usually a good thing if possible. (You will rarely get good photos by standing above the animal and pointing the camera down at the anmal, and remember whatever is in front appears largest, so get behind your animal not in front of it.)
10. Field Dressing: If you have help roll the moose on his back, if you don't have help then tie your rope to a leg and nearby tree and leverage the rope to get the animal on its back then secure the rope. Make a cut from the anus past the scrotum to the sternum being careful to not rupture any guts, cut his scotum off from the hide and pull it back to the anus cutting as needed between the hind legs to get that done. Now make a circular cut around the anus so that the anus and scrotum are loose and can be pulled through with the guts when you pull them out. Let the animal roll to its side and then pull and cut out the guts part way, you will have to reach way up into the chest cavity to cut off the windpipe and pull out the organs and finsh pulling out the rest of the intestines and pull the scrotum and anus through (be careful not to rupture the urine sack). The moose cavity should be empty now. Make a cut in the hide from the sternum on the belly up both sides of the ribs toward the back (these cuts should be behind the front legs, there is no such thing as too much hide with a cape). Now make a cut from the backside of each front knee on each leg down to the top of the armpit and then straight back to the cut up the ribs (these cuts should leave a strip of hide roughly 20 inches wide on the bottom of the chest). Cut the hide around the knees and skin down the legs and each side of the ribs, skin the chest as far up the neck as possible, lay your tarp on the ground and roll your moose over onto it's belly on the tarp and finish making both cuts up the side of the ribs so they meet on the back (now the front half and back half of the hide are completely seperate). Make a cut in the front half of the hide up the backbone toward the head and stop about 4 inches before you get to the antlers. Skin the hide down each side so that it is loose from all the neck, move the head up and down to determine where the ball joint is right behind the head and cut off the head (the front half of the hide will be connected to the head).
Boning: Decide now if you are boning out the meat or packing out quarters. This decision will depend on how far you are from the road and how much you can carry. If you are boning it out, keep burger meat separate from steaks and roasts and put all meat in game bags as you go to keep flies off. When done hang bags on limbs under larger trees to help cool it off and keep it in shade.
Quartering The front: If you are packing out quarters, I usually cut the front half of the carcasse off and split down the spine. Moose have a heavy neck, you may want to cut the neck off in one big piece and then split the front half in quarters. There are a couple ways to split the front, you can use your hatchet and split the spine or you can make a cut seperating the meat from the spine and hatchet the ribs where they connect to the spine (this way you can leave behind the spine). Hang both sides (quarters) of the front in game bags under a tree in the shade.
Back Half: Bone or Quarter the back half and don't forget your tenderloins. Hang in game bags what ever you are not taking out with the first pack to the road.
Caping: Now decide if you need to cape the head or if you want to pack it out with the antlers. If you are caping, make a Y shaped cut, one cut to the rear of each antler, then begin skinning off the cape. Be careful around the antlers, eyes, jaws and nose. Don't forget to put your cape safely in a game bag and use the hatchet or bone saw to remove your antlers.
Bearpaw Outfitters
If you want help with your hunt, I offer cabin rentals, meals, and specific maps showing unguided hunters where to hunt, or we offer fully guided and semi-guided hunts. We know exactly where to hunt in all the Washington Moose Units.
https://bearpawoutfitters.com/washington_moose_hunting.htmlHere are some videos I found on youtube in which you can hear moose grunting so you can practice calling.
Good Luck Hunting
Listen to this Shiras Bull Grunting (turn up volume for this one)
Huge bull moose grunting in lake - Glacier National Park (Sept. '09)A Washington Bull Grunting
Shiras Moose call in 6 ydsWatch this Bowhunter
Crazy moose huntInteresting Video (don't try this, looks like the guy was half crocked)
Nelson & Roger Show: Moose Attack!BE CAUTIOUSEchinococcus granulosus canadensis (EG) in Maine Moose: Suggestions for Dog Owners
https://extension.umaine.edu/veterinarylab/topics/echinococcus-granulosus-canadensis-eg-in-maine-moose-suggestions-for-dog-owners/
Moose hunters in WA need to read this info from Maine, 10 years ago I had never seen an infected moose in WA, now the majority of moose our hunters get are infected.
Check the heart, liver, and lungs for cysts!
top photo: Huckleberry Moose last year
middle and bottom photo: Mt Spokane Moose a few years ago
