[fishnguy]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

you know why a moose does what it does? because it can

as for tracks being made by a bull or cow some say this and some say that

sorry I am no help but I know you are enjoying your hunt and that is what matters....good luck.

Haha. Yeah, moose being a moose says it all.

Fun for sure, for the most part. Hopefully, the results will come at some point though

Thanks, Cat.

Originally Posted by Bushleague

While I wouldnt call that urine spot 100% conclusive, that is a track I wouldnt give up on after seeing it... especially when tracks are a bit scarce. It does look like it could have been from a bull, a couple things I try to look for when I find a urine spot in the snow:

Is it possible to see from the tracks where the animal stood while it took a whizz? If you can figure this out it will clear things up right away. Any little dribbles and their location relative to the main spot can also help.

Are their any droppings, if so what is their location relative to the pee? Along this line, when I find droppings I look very carefully for any small amount of urine that might have been dropped when the animal crapped. If you can find evidence of pee near the droppings you are most likely on a cow track, if you have some dribbles ahead of the poop it could be a bull.

Thanks for tips, Bushleague. Yeah, it wouldn’t be possible to tell if there were any urine drops before, after, or near that spot. There was definitely nothing next to the droppings, all three of them. Not that I could see. I was amazed the distance I travelled tracking it and to only find one urinating spot.

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Too, watching how the animal moves can help, does it steer clear of tight openings indicating a rack? If it does go through a tight opening can you find evidence of the rack knocking snow off the branches etc?

I did that through out my hike. There was nothing indicating one way or the other on Friday. However, I was back there yesterday. Spend the day looking for tracks in the last bedding area, through out the bush around, on trails, and so on. In the second half of the day, it hit me that I should head to the river (I thought about it before, but didn’t act on it). I was quite a bit down stream and up the valley. I hiked down to the river and followed it up. A while after, I found some other set moose of tracks that looked like from a couple of days ago, pretty close to where I hiked on Friday. I thought it was probably the same moose and that’s where it went after I lost its track. Only later I realized that it couldn’t have been because I lost it on the other side of the river, lol. It looked like this one stepped onto the ice, changed its mind and went back to wherever it went.



It couldn’t have been the same moose, there is no way. Thinking about it now, I should have taken a note of where they were.

Anyway, further down the river, I found fairly fresh (as in likely today’s) tracks crossing in the exact same spot where the moose I followed crossed last time. Gotta be the same moose.



It crossed where it did last time to go to that icy spot half way up the valley it tried to break. I took another look at that spot again yesterday and it is pretty clear there is a spring there that is now frozen.

Anyway, this time it crossed and went by the spring, without stopping by, all the way up the valley and “away”.

So here are the tight openings I was looking for and you mention. To me it was like “Man, I am following a cow”. Even I went around those:





Both are about 5 feet high. It went right through. Likely a womp womp, but maybe a young bull. I’d be completely fine with the latter, lol.

It probably doesn’t matter though because I followed these tracks pretty much to the border with the 523. I then realized that it was super late and started climbing out. Took me over an hour of walking in complete darkness to get to the vehicle, lol. Luckily, I was able to clear most of the bush in some kind of light. Funny thing is, a few trucks of fellow hunters drove by, not one had stopped to ask if I am alright or anything. Not that I needed help, I just thought it was weird: a guy in gaiters, with binoculars on his chest, and a rifle over his shoulder (bolt in one pocket, magazine in another, and ammo in the third) walking on the side of the road, which is a wildlife sanctuary corridor.

Anyway, thinking it may have been a cow all along. Probably that is why it didn’t get shot yet, lol. Who knows. I followed the tracks quite a bit again and not single pee spot again. Weird. It definitely looks like it went to 523 and out of my jurisdiction. It is snowing quite a bit currently, wish I could go tomorrow. Right now and more overnight in the forecast, probably more there:



The past two outings, likely over 40km, combined, lol. Looks like I am making a hobby out of it come November, second season in a row.

Originally Posted by Bushleague

In the end, its about 60% voodoo trying to say for sure the sex of an average size animal if you cant get an obvious pee spot. The last bull I tracked pee'd 3 times and none of them were conclusive, it also went through some tight spots and never knocked any snow down... worst of all I could feel just a tiny bit of breeze on the back of my neck. For various reasons I stuck with the track, tryed to move fast enough that the breeze wouldnt push my scent too far ahead of me whilst attempting to still scrutinize the bush thoroughly... about a kilometer later we had our bull.

Voodoo or not, looks like you voodoo’ed yourself a nice bull there. Good on you. My moose looks like is one that enjoys its walks. Hopefully, something will come together later on.

Thanks for chiming in, man. Anymore to add, you know I am always glad to hear.