Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Other Big Game => Topic started by: benhuntin on August 23, 2012, 09:05:45 PM

Title: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: benhuntin on August 23, 2012, 09:05:45 PM: And he is uphill from the truck :chuckle: :chuckle:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: 6x6in6 on August 23, 2012, 09:08:12 PM: DUH!!!!!!!!!!!
:chuckle:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Fowlweather25 on August 23, 2012, 09:10:09 PM: Uh yeah.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Miles on August 23, 2012, 09:10:35 PM: No.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: ghosthunter on August 23, 2012, 09:12:15 PM: Yep

Not only this one but everything. There is always something else to hunt.
Title: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: sirmissalot on August 23, 2012, 09:35:56 PM: Definitely pass on that little dude
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: bobcat on August 23, 2012, 09:37:43 PM: That bull is plenty big enough for me. I'd take him for sure. Unless I had a bigger one spotted before the season that I thought was a sure thing. But chances are about 99%, that I'd be taking the moose in the picture. Best reason of all is that it's uphill from the road.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: wildweeds on August 23, 2012, 09:38:25 PM: I'm with you................. negative ghostrider the pattern is.............. full

Quote from: Miles on August 23, 2012, 09:10:35 PM
No.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: actionshooter on August 23, 2012, 09:45:55 PM: Nope, lots bigger out there.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: CAMPMEAT on August 23, 2012, 09:49:28 PM: Ok, raise your hands if you've actually seen a bull moose or even a cow moose? 22 for me. Next !
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: carpsniperg2 on August 23, 2012, 09:52:05 PM: I would have a hard time with a bow not letting the air out of him!
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Bob33 on August 23, 2012, 10:02:13 PM: Not with an OIL tag.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: jackelope on August 23, 2012, 10:03:28 PM: Quote from: actionshooter on August 23, 2012, 09:45:55 PM
Nope, lots bigger out there.
:yeah:

He's a young pup. He does have some nice brows though.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: sebek556 on August 23, 2012, 10:23:48 PM: Nope the one that try to stomp on me last week was bigger than him.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: rebal69972 on August 23, 2012, 10:42:15 PM: im a bow hunter if he was in range he would be taking a dirt nap :chuckle:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: huntnphool on August 23, 2012, 10:54:51 PM: Nice potential and brows but if you are looking for score then you have to pass that one. If you are looking for a decent bull for the wall and limited on time and money spent then he would do. :twocents:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: actionshooter on August 23, 2012, 11:03:10 PM: I looked again, and still no. With a week of season left, ya probably. :chuckle:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: dscubame on August 23, 2012, 11:10:12 PM: Pass on that dink.
Title: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Ridgerunner on August 24, 2012, 06:38:17 AM: With four or five days a guy could do a lot better than that bull. Pass no question
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: D-Rock425 on August 24, 2012, 06:52:00 AM: Ive never even seen a moose so i probably would have shot. I guess when i get drawn in about 15 years if im lucky I'll have some moose experience by then.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: DIYARCHERYJUNKIE on August 24, 2012, 07:27:49 AM: Ive seen 3 and with a bow i let er rip.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Hyde on August 24, 2012, 07:42:58 AM: It's the last day of your hunt, you've already spent all your vacation time, hundreds in gas and other expenses, and the significant other is getting a little tired of this 5 month obsessed odyssey of yours with moose.... then Yes. First day... no way.

The best advice I ever got when I had my moose tag was to not shoot a dink. I passed on a few bulls like that one the first day, and one that was quite a bit bigger with weak paddles. Remember, you have 2 months to hunt. It's not a matter of IF you will tag a moose. It's a matter of WHICH moose you will tag. If that's your moose, then so be it. He's one to be proud of for sure, but there are bigger guys out there.

Good luck with your hunt!
Title: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Ridgerunner on August 24, 2012, 08:02:29 AM: Well spoken Hyde. The biggest thing with a moose tag is you don't have to worry about just seeing one legal animal like with deer or elk for most guys. You will see bulls if you hunt so why not be a little choosy and get a really nice one. Plus all bulls look big even the ones that aren't really that big. It's OIL make the most of it, enjoy the experience pass some critters and enjoy a great hunt here in Washington.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: shanevg on August 24, 2012, 08:52:31 AM: What about this guy:

Big bull moose feeding in lake at dusk - Glacier National Park - August 2012 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03ybsBp2Izg#ws)
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Woodchuck on August 24, 2012, 08:54:11 AM: :bfg:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: DOUBLELUNG on August 24, 2012, 09:14:00 AM: My 6 year old bull was delicious but tough. My friend's 2 year old bull was delicious and almost fork-cut tender. I might pass him up in search of a 2 y.o.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: piledup on August 24, 2012, 09:52:31 AM: Definitely pass for an OIL tag. You can do way better for 2 months if you are willing to work for it. :twocents:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: BOWHUNTER45 on August 24, 2012, 10:08:42 AM: Quote from: 6x6in6 on August 23, 2012, 09:08:12 PM
DUH!!!!!!!!!!!
:chuckle:
:yike: :yeah:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: jackmaster on August 24, 2012, 10:12:31 AM: i would in a heartbeat, but thats just me, i have always told a friend of mine that if i draw an oil tag or a awesome deer or elk tag that he will have to carry my rifle and tell me which animal to shoot, as i can get pretty trigger happy :chuckle: the only animal i can truly judge is a blacktail deer, and to me that moose in your pick would be on the deck and the uphill from the truck is just awesome, could you imagine one of those monsters in the back of the pick up whole.....oh hell yeah..... :chuckle:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: boneaddict on August 24, 2012, 10:22:06 AM: In two years, that bull will be a heart attack bull! WOW on genetics. I think I would be looking for his Daddy. He would be shot by 85% or more of the tag holders though. Even a dink bull looks big at close range, and generally there is alot of adrenaline on board. There will be MANY smaller bulls shot this year.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: WAcoueshunter on August 24, 2012, 10:31:42 AM: Quote from: huntnphool on August 23, 2012, 10:54:51 PM
Nice potential and brows but if you are looking for score then you have to pass that one. If you are looking for a decent bull for the wall and limited on time and money spent then he would do. :twocents:

That's my take as well. Awesome brows, and I like the look of his frame, but he's not that wide and his paddles are a bit thin to score well. If I had time I'd keep hunting. Particularly given the first day - unlike others, I am not a believer that you shoot on the first day what you would shoot on the last day. I want to enjoy that OIL hunt when it comes!
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Kowsrule30 on August 24, 2012, 03:39:28 PM: I would probably shoot it if I couldn't hunt much or didn't know if any bigger bulls were in the area..... If vacation worked out along with scouting then I wouldn't.... Half or more of the moose tags are filled with bulls smaller then that one.... To most people it won't matter.... Remember the younger the bull (or cow) the tenderer the meat with less chance of cyst infection....
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: MtnMuley on August 24, 2012, 03:44:36 PM: Pass. Great brows and potential. Needs a couple more years. If it was the last couple days, I wouldn't be disappointed though. I like character way more than score. :twocents:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: stickbuck on August 24, 2012, 03:53:35 PM: Definitely a shooter first day! :tup:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Austrian Hunter on August 24, 2012, 04:04:08 PM: I would not shoot him! I have been chased by much bigger bulls than him!! No doubt he will be a monster in a couple of years. I second Bone, look for daddy!!!
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: bobcat on August 24, 2012, 05:13:02 PM: If I went moose hunting, I'd be hunting for meat, not antlers. So pretty sure I'd take that one. Like I said, being uphill from the road is the best reason for taking him. If that bull was downhill and a smaller bull was uphill from the road, I might consider passing on the bigger bull and taking the smaller one. Besides, as someone else said, the younger/smaller animals will taste better. I wouldn't be putting a moose head on the wall anyway, no matter how big a bull, so why does it really matter what I shoot? A freezer full of good meat would be my main priority.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: benhuntin on August 24, 2012, 07:30:36 PM: Quote from: boneaddict on August 24, 2012, 10:22:06 AM
In two years, that bull will be a heart attack bull! WOW on genetics. I think I would be looking for his Daddy. He would be shot by 85% or more of the tag holders though. Even a dink bull looks big at close range, and generally there is alot of adrenaline on board. There will be MANY smaller bulls shot this year.
His daddy is about a mile and a half away, he has the same brows and will push 50". Thats the one we will be lookin for. :tup:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Miles on August 24, 2012, 07:53:17 PM: Quote from: bobcat on August 24, 2012, 05:13:02 PM
If I went moose hunting, I'd be hunting for meat, not antlers. So pretty sure I'd take that one. Like I said, being uphill from the road is the best reason for taking him. If that bull was downhill and a smaller bull was uphill from the road, I might consider passing on the bigger bull and taking the smaller one. Besides, as someone else said, the younger/smaller animals will taste better. I wouldn't be putting a moose head on the wall anyway, no matter how big a bull, so why does it really matter what I shoot? A freezer full of good meat would be my main priority.

There are so many moose, you could find one with bigger antlers and more meat. A lot of small moose get shot because people think they are looking at a giant and can't pass. If 90% of those people spent even another day in moose country, they would probably kick themselves in the ass more than once...
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: benhuntin on August 25, 2012, 09:01:55 AM: Quote from: Miles on August 24, 2012, 07:53:17 PM
Quote from: bobcat on August 24, 2012, 05:13:02 PM
If I went moose hunting, I'd be hunting for meat, not antlers. So pretty sure I'd take that one. Like I said, being uphill from the road is the best reason for taking him. If that bull was downhill and a smaller bull was uphill from the road, I might consider passing on the bigger bull and taking the smaller one. Besides, as someone else said, the younger/smaller animals will taste better. I wouldn't be putting a moose head on the wall anyway, no matter how big a bull, so why does it really matter what I shoot? A freezer full of good meat would be my main priority.

There are so many moose, you could find one with bigger antlers and more meat. A lot of small moose get shot because people think they are looking at a giant and can't pass. If 90% of those people spent even another day in moose country, they would probably kick themselves in the ass more than once...
How small do you think that bull is?
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Hunterman on August 25, 2012, 09:31:03 AM: I'd have him in the truck..If I want a big bull with tuff meat, I'd go to Alaska, or Canada. Like bobcat said,, I hunt for the meat..I have always said that the horns are nice :tup: but you can't eat 'em, smoke 'em, and the wide wont dust 'em..

Hunterman(Tony)
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Huntbear on August 25, 2012, 09:43:07 AM: Bang!!!! Flop...

then a bunch of grunting groaning, and oh my poor back...

later it would be..

:cue: :cue: :cue: :brew: :brew:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: buckhorn2 on August 25, 2012, 11:43:58 AM: Will hope to see a bigger bull with a 2 month season we will look for bigger.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: elkoholic1 on September 19, 2012, 12:36:40 PM: Quote from: benhuntin on August 23, 2012, 09:05:45 PM
And he is uphill from the truck :chuckle: :chuckle:
would this be a shooter in the north mt spokane unit with a bow????????????????????
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: C-Money on September 19, 2012, 12:44:18 PM: Ya, I am in the 85% that would blast him. He sure has potential if he survives a few more years!
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: coachcw on September 19, 2012, 12:54:18 PM: Quote from: elkoholic1 on September 19, 2012, 12:36:40 PM
Quote from: benhuntin on August 23, 2012, 09:05:45 PM
And he is uphill from the truck :chuckle: :chuckle:
would this be a shooter in the north mt spokane unit with a bow????????????????????
only if I hand you an arrow. NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: elkoholic1 on September 19, 2012, 01:04:09 PM: :tup:
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Holg3107 on September 19, 2012, 01:07:51 PM: For me unless its an absolute monster my OIL hunt would continue. You are only going to get one chance at hunting Moose in WA and I would recomend enjoying it. For me it has very little to do with the kill, an OIL tag is all about the hunt.

Good meat bull though after a week or two of chasing his dad.
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: Dan-o on September 19, 2012, 01:38:07 PM: I'd say no way........ Until I spotted him! Then all bets are off!
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: benhuntin on September 19, 2012, 02:49:43 PM: Quote from: elkoholic1 on September 19, 2012, 12:36:40 PM
Quote from: benhuntin on August 23, 2012, 09:05:45 PM
And he is uphill from the truck :chuckle: :chuckle:
would this be a shooter in the north mt spokane unit with a bow????????????????????
he is in north spokane
Title: Re: Do you shoot on opening day if you had the tag??
Post by: BULLBLASTER on September 20, 2012, 09:55:44 AM: That moose would get a pass until later in season. With the tag numbers WA gives there is opportunity for a booner bull in any unit. Just put in the time.