Think of the rut as a gradual build up, to a peak - then it falls off a cliff. Once the cows are done the bulls move into the thick stuff for winter and don’t move, so hunt real hard starting sept 20. Peak in AB is Oct 4. Good movement to about oct 10.
Don’t be stupid about antlers for your first, especially with archery (I was…twice
)
99% of the time they circle downwind in cover if you’re calling. I call, deploy scent and move downwind to a spot with shooting lanes.
Moose seem to know the difference between scent left behind, and scent coming directly from a hunter. They don’t bugger from old scent the way whitetails do, but they don’t hesitate for a second if they wind you.
Since you’re hunting prairie/farmland, if you find a cow that has taken up residence in a spot, keep checking on her with optics from a distance.
Tracking a moose in bush is almost pointless. They instinctively j-hook and watch their back trail, and are gone before you get anywhere close.