Paterning moose

[live to hunt]

So i am not a very experienced moose hunter and have been trying to fill a antlerless tag this year. I have found a couple of cows on the property i have permission on.

The question i have for you more experienced moose hunters is can cow moose be patterned like a whitetail can be? I have found one big cow in the same general area and have just not been able to get close enough for a clean shot.

If i continue to hunt this area properly and not push her i should be able to harvest her. But i was wondering if she will move a lot or will she be pretty easy to pattern.

Thanks for your help

Ty

[Walleyes]

Cows are the easiest to pattern.. They live, give birth, breed do it all in an area they are comfortable in.. Its the bulls that travel around and service the cows..

If you have a couple cows in your area stick with them you will get your chance,, that is if your smart about it and don't spook them out of the area.. Take your time and stalk in..

[KegRiver]

Nope. A Moose is like a drunk, it never knows which way it will go next.
However.

Walleye is right. They can be predictable.

As he said, they do tend to stick with areas they like,,, for a while.

When traveling they can be predictable as well. I've seen it done but I don't know how it was done.

Something my dad taught me. When a storm is immanent, Moose will start to feed. The worse the storm, the more they will concentrate on feeding.
Dad used to say that if a Blizzard was about to hit, you could walk right up to a feeding Moose and it would not hear you, because it is too busy feeding.
They will stay put and feed until the storm lets up. So if they are in heavy cover, that is the best time to hunt them. The trick is to figure out where they will be feeding.
Look for willow flats or second growth. Also, the closer to water, the better.
For a Moose, water is not just something to drink, it offers some of their favorite foods. And it is often their protection. A Moose can't outrun a Wolf, but they can stand in water a Wolf has to swim in to get to them.
This give a Moose a huge advantage, in the water.

If you want to find a Moose that is out exploring, hunt the fair weather.

I would agree with Walleye. If you have two cows spotted, hunt them, they are your best choice. He is right about another thing. If you spook them they will move out and if you are close they just might scare the poo out of you. A spooked Moose can roar like a Lion. At close range the volume is incredible!

[Walleyes]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

Nope. A Moose is like a drunk, it never knows which way it will go next.
However.

Walleye is right. They can be predictable.

As he said, they do tend to stick with areas they like,,, for a while.

When traveling they can be predictable as well. I've seen it done but I don't know how it was done.

Something my dad taught me. When a storm is immanent, Moose will start to feed. The worse the storm, the more they will concentrate on feeding.
Dad used to say that if a Blizzard was about to hit, you could walk right up to a feeding Moose and it would not hear you, because it is too busy feeding.
They will stay put and feed until the storm lets up. So if they are in heavy cover, that is the best time to hunt them. The trick is to figure out where they will be feeding.
Look for willow flats or second growth. Also, the closer to water, the better.
For a Moose, water is not just something to drink, it offers some of their favorite foods. And it is often their protection. A Moose can't outrun a Wolf, but they can stand in water a Wolf has to swim in to get to them.
This give a Moose a huge advantage, in the water.

If you want to find a Moose that is out exploring, hunt the fair weather.

I would agree with Walleye. If you have two cows spotted, hunt them, they are your best choice. He is right about another thing. If you spook them they will move out and if you are close they just might scare the poo out of you. A spooked Moose can roar like a Lion. At close range the volume is incredible!

Good stuff Keg.. But keep one thing in mind,, these boys are not hunting moose where you and I hunt moose.. They are hunting them on the prairies where the game has limited cover and preferred territory.. Kind of like shooting fish in a barrel.. If said hunter has a couple cows scoped out it really is not much of a challenge,, spot, stalk and shoot..

[ishootbambi]

i dunno guys....im kinda getting the feeling this guy is bowhunting. i cant imagine finding a cow moose and having a difficult time getting in rifle range. you guys are right though....they shouldnt stray too far. as for patternable, i have my doubts. they dont follow a timetable like a whitetail, but are a little more nomadic...like a mule deer.

[HunterDave]

I've been watching a bull, cow and calf off and on since May. They're staying in the general area but tend to come out of the bush all over the place so figuring out a pattern would be difficult.

On the other hand, a few years ago I was hunting deer in a field and the same cow would go in and out of the bush at the same spot. She must have had about a dozen sets of tracks in and out of the bush in that spot.

If you're bowhunting maybe see if you can find a certain area that they seem to frequent, setup and put out a little curiosity scent out for them.

I always put in for bulls so I can bowhunt them with a bow before rifle season. IMHO They're easier to hunt when you're calling them in during the rut.

[live to hunt]

Thanks guys ya i am bow hunting this time of the year and i have been smart as not to spook either of them or push them. Was out last night again and heard a bull in the thick bush about 100-150 yards from a large swamp i have been hunting around. I think he had her in there last night as he was really vocal all evening.

It was just too calm of a night to try to stalk in as the leaves are making it really noisy in the bush right now. It is foothills and large saddles with marshes and lots of willows. It is moose heaven just have to close the distance another 20 or 30 yards next time.

I will let everyone know how i do.

[KegRiver]

It is possible to stalk to within easy bow range of any game, even on a clam day with freshly fallen leaves on the ground. The trapper that taught me this, could do it, I can't

It takes some knowledge and huge huge amounts of patience.

The knowledge part is, move into the wind - hang your hunting suit outside, preferably in a spruce tree for a week or more before hunting. ( not totally necessary.) - move one step, then look all around very slowly, then another step. ( if it takes you an hour to travel half a mile you are moving way too fast.)
If you can hear yourself, you are making too much noise. Keep all movements slow and smooth.
- ease your foot down with each step. ( toe first in dry leaves - slip you foot forward under the leaves as you put your foot down.) Heal first on wet leaves or bare ground. (it much easier then toe first.) ( heal first and toe first means your heal/toe touches the ground first.) - wear wool or fleece clothing. Indian Moccasins if possible, if not running shoes will do.
And last but not least. Never ever step on even a small twig.

Sounds easy doesn't it? LOL it's twice as hard as it sounds. But it does work. There are a number of things to learn that I did not include, anyone who wishes to try this method will soon learn all the tricks without instruction. If they practice first.
It is best to not try this on game you wish to bag. Your first few attempts might be quiet disappointing. When you get it right, the results can be spectacular.
I have walked across an open field to within 50 yards of Deer in broad daylight using this technique. And once, only once, I walked up to within twenty yards of a bedded cow Moose. I hope I never do that again.