My Montana Moose Hunt

After 27 days in the field of my Montana Moose Hunt, perseverance finally paid off. On Cyber Friday, I got my bull! I figure I covered close to 200 miles on foot for the entire hunt.

(Story and photos first person account submitted by Ralph W.)

Without horses to make to pack easier, I'm not sure how I could have done this hunt.

Of all the hunt days, part of them (I was hoofing it all the time) were spent on a 5 day trip in the back country using a drop camp. I’m 71 years old and this was my first, and likely last, moose hunt.

Me with my moose. It was a tough hunt but super rewarding.

I got lucky finding two bulls together in a cutting, a young 3 year old and a lead older bull heading for the timber because they had spotted me. They were 215 yards upslope and the lead bull stopped behind a tree just long enough for me to get my shot off. I had no idea just how big he was until I got to him.

I had no idea just how big he was until I got to him. The only other moose I saw the entire hunt was a young two year old with baby paddles.

I spent much of the day and evening until 9:30 at night processing the moose alone, but got hold of a friend with one horse, and another wrangler friend, to come in the next day and help with the final processing and getting it out 4 miles in 8 inches of snow.

Thank god I connected with them because I could never have gotten this animal out alone, even with just meat and antlers. This guy has a 48” spread, 8x7 tines, 8-9” paddles, and has beautiful chocolate brown antlers. I estimated the live weight at around 1,100 pounds.

It was a long, but great hunt.

On a side note, I’ve seen every fur bearing mammal in North America with the exception of one, and that would be a Fisher…I got to see one up close and personal 20 feet away one day. You do have a great moose call!

I thought the highlight was going to be my Fisher sighting 20 feet away, but the moose did get first billing after all.

A Fisher poses for a photo. A Rare Sighting!

The atmospheric river that came through here 10 days ago left huge amounts of snow in the Cabinets Mountains. I was hunting in 18 inches down to the 4,000 foot elevation. The high country had 3 feet.

That said I started hitting wintering areas because they were all I could get to. This area where I got the bull I had hunted two other times earlier in the season and I saw lots of sign from last year, so I was hoping the moose had moved in from the high country. And they did! It was a good hunch!

Home away from home. My tent while hunting moose in Montana.

About the Montana Moose Hunt

Montana is one of the few lower 48 states that is not a once in a lifetime permit, although it does have a 7 year waiting period. I really do believe had a bull been in the area during the rut I would have been able to bring him in to me with your fiberglass moose call.

Prime Moose Habitat

Montana has 7 major moose hunting districts in the far northwest corner of the state, around the towns of Troy, Libby, and Eureka. There are approximately 60 permits total for all districts issued at the present time. Moose populations have been dropping in recent years and the number of permits have followed suit. My district was 104 (West Cabinet Mountains) having only 5 permits, but my home is inside this district. The fewest permits per district are 3 and the most are 12. Draw rates range from less than 1% to 3%, not counting bonus points.

Success! Montana Shiras Moose

If you buy a bonus point with your permit entry and don’t get drawn, that year's point is added to your total points. The summary of points are squared for each entry in a given year and the squared result is the number of times you are entered in the drawing. Example…I had 12 purchased bonus points for not drawing 12 years in Montana. I had put in for moose in other states for 40 years and never been drawn. That aside, for this year’s drawing I had 12 points squared equalling 144. That is the number of times I was entered in the drawing. Looking at other people with bonus points and comparing theirs to mine, I had a 15% draw rate for getting my permit. You can easily go 20 years in Montana before having a reasonable chance of getting drawn. I know only one person my age who has lived in Montana all their life and has drawn a moose permit twice. The purchase of bonus points for non-residents is much more expensive compared to residents.

Most all of the moose hunts in northwest Montana are mountain moose. Their habitat ranges from 3,000 to 7,000 feet and is mostly small alpine lakes, elk wallows, bottom shrub wetlands, and disturbed early successional brushy sites resulting from wildfire and/or timber harvesting. They are extremely difficult hunts and finding a moose is like finding a needle in a haystack. That’s my insight for you.

The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks website contains more information regarding the Montana Moose Hunt.