Calf Moose- Concern

[MightyMiss]

Has anyone had any experience hunting calf moose? The license and tag specifies that it has to be this years calf so I am assuming that the cow moose will be present. I have personnaly seen the cows charge logging trucks and even trains after they killed the calf. Didn't go well for the cow but I really don't want to have to face down a mad momma moose.

Does anyone have any tips on how to keep the cow away while the calf gets field dressed?

I will be contacting fish and games to find out what they suggest.

My husband and I will be going out this weekend.

[ishootbambi]

i have shot a few.... all in the wainwright base. because of the accessablilty, once the animal was down, i went and got the truck and parked beside it for field dressing chores. i always have my partner watch where momma went and keep his head on a swivel. only once did i think she was coming. she had her nose up more out of curiosity than a head down threatening posture, but she came within 30 yards. finally i waved my arms and yelled and ran at her and she bolted. she then stood back at arond 100 yards and stayed until we left. i didnt feel that great about it at the time....but once the steaks hit the BBQ i was ok again. cant wait...27 more days till i can do it again.

[MightyMiss]

An aquaintance of mine shot a calf two years ago and had to take out the cow as well...

I guess finding out how the wildlife wardens would percieve that would be a good place to start. That way I would know for sure not to get so far into the bush that getting out quickly would be difficult.

It may sound weird but moose are to this date the only animal that scare me...but man are they good eating. I would rather face a cougar or a grizzly than a moose. Especially a momma moose.

[crazyfish]

One of the hardest things about the calf tag, is getting the calf to be clear of the cow !!!! Seriously, i've had them numerous times stand right behind her and look over her back at us !THe meat is great by the way !

NOw for the scary part, of the 3 calf tags i've filled, 2 of the cows charged us. Both times we just gave her a few minutes and some space, then all was good. The best thing you can do after the shot is to let the cow have a few minutes (1/2 hr), she will relax and move off or leave ! 1st time i jumped in immediately and got chased off just as fast ! Time is all it takes for her to settle, but do be vigillante and watch ! Enjoy !!!

[greatwhitehunt]

I would take crazyfish advice! Its best to give her some time. I've never seen a cow charge but I definetly kept my rifle close.

[Sigma]

We hunted calf moose for years. Only a few time have we seen a cow get agressive. The best thing is to let the cow settle down as meantioned in the previous posts. It may take an hour. If the cow has twins, she will likely take care of the survivor and not bother you. We have on occasion thrown a rope over the calf after we chased the cow away and dragged it to a new location before gutting it while the cow is not looking. She would only go back to where the calf was last seen. I am not sure what she would have done if she saw the calf getting dragged. Generaly, we make lots of noise to scare the cow off.

Sig

[sco22]

I have some experience too and I can't see why you would have to shoot the cow. Don't get me wrong - I am not trying to bash anyone. I am sure people have been charged, but it is just like Crazyfish said - give it some time. The last time we shot one, we gave it a good 30 minutes and the cow stayed about 60 yards away in the bush the whole time. We made a small fire beside where we were working and that seemed to help.

It is all about time. She will move away if you are patient.

Cheers.

[Dark]

but she came within 30 yards. finally i waved my arms and yelled and ran at her and she bolted. she then stood back at arond 100 yards and stayed until we left
x2

[Fisherpeak]

I got a calf a few years back and the cow was hell bent on killing me,lucky I could get the truck close,hooked it to the back and took off down the road a mile or so,loaded it whole and dealt with it 15 miles away.I would not have shot her though,just left and tried again in a few hours.
Be carefull if you get an big mean old cow,they will stomp a grizz.

[MightyMiss]

Thanks,

I just wanted to know what the people here found was effective in handling momma moose. I think it has more to do with what I personally witnessed and my own personal fear of moose than anything. I was very nervous about going hunting for my calf this weekend.

I had actually asked my husband if he would rather deal with the guts or the cow and he said he would watch the cow... That was a huge relief for me.

I'll take the guts any day!!

[Arn?Narn.]

From my experiences I have seen the cow stand right at the calf ....
and as the hunters, the emotion of the moment swas not lost on us.

We had our calf on the ground, all was good, so we gave the cow a good 20 minutes to settle. We fired a shot and yelled a bit then and she retreated to about 200 yrds and watched and just hung around....

Most I have seen run off, look back to see the calf is down, and don't come back but watch at about 100 yrds or so.

I can't think of a situation I have experienced where a cow would have to be hot to get access to the calf.

[Cal]

If she's mad just take your time, you've got quite a few hours before the meat is going to spoil if you need it. The only reason a cow would need to get shot is impatiance on the hunter's part. As good as the meat is and as much sense as calf hunting makes conservation wise, I just cant feel any pride in the hunt after dealing with the cow and will not hunt calfs.

[MightyMiss]

Originally Posted by Cal

As good as the meat is and as much sense as calf hunting makes conservation wise, I just cant feel any pride in the hunt after dealing with the cow and will not hunt calfs.

Thank you all for the advice.

And Cal, if I wanted your opinion on my my choice to hunt a legal target for meat, I would have asked for it. Please in the future refrain from giving me your opinion on a matter unless it is asked for. I really don't care if you will or won't hunt calves. I don't hunt deer. That is my choice to make, I will never judge anyone who does it. It was not a part of the thread and in turn should not have been brought up.

[MightyMiss]

Sorry if my last post seemed a little snotty...

I really do appreciate the advice on how to deal with the cow. I have just seen so many threads hi-jacked in the last little bit that I snapped a little.

Cal, you made a very valid point in the first part of your post and I do appreciate it. I don't like killing anything, so if I do manage to feed my family I will feel pride in overcoming my personal reservations about killing no matter the circumstance (as long as I do it safely and cleanly). I'm sorry I snapped at you and after this hunt I very well may never hunt a calf again. I'll see how it goes.

[echo]

Originally Posted by Cal

If she's mad just take your time, you've got quite a few hours before the meat is going to spoil if you need it. The only reason a cow would need to get shot is impatiance on the hunter's part. As good as the meat is and as much sense as calf hunting makes conservation wise, I just cant feel any pride in the hunt after dealing with the cow and will not hunt calfs.

i have to agree with you,i have only shot one calf and will not shoot another,that's just my choice.

[MightyMiss]

Please keep this thread true to the purpose for which it was intended. I was nervous about hunting my calf moose and was looking for ADVICE on how to deal with the cow and information on how cow moose generally react when the calf is killed.

I don't care whether or not you will hunt calves. I will make my own choice on the matter. Please refrain from inputting your opinion on whether or not you would hunt the calves.

Thank you. Your respect is appreciated.

[brandycourt]

I was wondering if you ever got ahold of F&W. I too will be going for calf moose this weekend in 510 and I plan to give momma some time then rope the calf n get outta there and do my field dressing elsewhere. I will be doing my hunting solo, with friends in the area, but they are going for deer.

[Young Eldon]

Bear spray may be effective on moose as well. Some elk ranchers use it on mad cow elk when they are trying to ear tag new born calves. Rubber slugs from a shotgun may also work but not particularly handy in most settings.

[MightyMiss]

I haven't spoken to anyone at fish and wildlife yet. I will try again tomorrow.

When I was younger a cow calf pair of moose used to eat our hay bale and i would have to get my german sheppard to get the moose, but momma cow usually charged the dog and the dog led her away long enough to get the horses fed. Since hunting with dogs for big game is illegal There is no hope of keeping momma distracted with a dog... besides my dog (lab) would bring her right to me...lol.

I am thinking that giving the cow time seems to be the concensus, but I will still be contacting F&W to see what they suggest.

I think I would be much more comfortable field dressing elsewhere too..

[ishootbambi]

im not sure anyone is looking to hijack the thread miss.....just offering opinions, and im not sure they were offensive opinions? good luck with your hunt and let us know how it turns out for you. have fun out there.

[stephen189]

I agree with your husband. It sounds like dealing with the momma moose is the lesser pain of the two mad cows. Way to snap out on someone offering an opinion on a matter you brought up. If you don't want to hear it, don't post. Simple.

[ABwapiti]

Over the last forty years i have shot four calf moose and the mothers all took off i had no problems. I wouldn't worry about it...

[echo]

Originally Posted by MightyMiss

Please keep this thread true to the purpose for which it was intended. I was nervous about hunting my calf moose and was looking for ADVICE on how to deal with the cow and information on how cow moose generally react when the calf is killed.

I don't care whether or not you will hunt calves. I will make my own choice on the matter. Please refrain from inputting your opinion on whether or not you would hunt the calves.

Thank you. Your respect is appreciated.

Ok so here goes,you see a cow and calf you shoot the calf the cow is now mad and unhappy because you shot her calf she will either leave or defend her calf,either way it is now your job to retrive the animal you just shot,there is no need to shoot the cow because you do not have a cow moose license,and if you fear for your safety don't apply for a calf license and maybe apply for the cow license,and if you don't like this suggestion maybe stay home!

[fordtruckin]

Originally Posted by echo

if you fear for your safety don't apply for a calf license and maybe apply for the cow license,and if you don't like this suggestion maybe stay home!

x2
haha. It never ceases to amaze me that someone will post a question in a public online forum, and when it weaves a little left or right of the OP go ballistic because of memebers being "disrespectful" for throwin in their .02.Who really cares. Grow some thick skin and realize this happened, and will always happen, its part of what an Online Forum is!

[buckman]

If your scared of momma moose dont hunt for calves.Wild animals with young are unpredictable.

As for the critics of shooting calves I tent to agree with them.I hunt for the experience and challenge more than the meat,lets face it hunting is not cheaper than buying meat,as for wanting organic product rather than intensivly farmed, thats out there as well.

Go ahead and shoot your calf,as for me I would rather let them live a little.You cant expect everyone to agree with your personal choice,I respect your and you have to respect theirs.

[MightyMiss]

Originally Posted by echo

Ok so here goes,you see a cow and calf you shoot the calf the cow is now mad and unhappy because you shot her calf she will either leave or defend her calf,either way it is now your job to retrive the animal you just shot,there is no need to shoot the cow because you do not have a cow moose license,and if you fear for your safety don't apply for a calf license and maybe apply for the cow license,and if you don't like this suggestion maybe stay home!

So here was the real question...

I know the cow will either leave or defend her calf. The question was never whether to shoot the cow or not to. I know that shooting the cow is out of the question. It was never a thought that actually crossed my mind. An aquaintence did it and I didn't agree with it so I was asking for advice on how to proceed from there.

This is my first time hunting calf moose. I have a fear of moose so be it.

The real question was for advice about how to retrieve my animal, which is my responsibility, safely, and without stressing the cow more than she already is.

Fordtruckin,
There were many members who were able to answer my question without telling me whether or not they would hunt calves. People don't have to input their own personal opinon. They choose to. If someone asks them not to, and to only answer the question that should be a valid choice as well.

If I had asked should I...?, then I would have been asking for the opinion. All I was trying to do was keep the thread on track as many many threads have derailed recently and have become bitter battle grounds over opinion. I am not going ballistic I was simply asking that the thread not stay.

By the way I did contact F&W. They agreed with all the usefull information provided, and also added that they have had instances where the cows are extremely agressive and to contact them if I have any trouble at all approaching the calf after giving the cow half an hour to an hour to calm down.

Moderators,
At this point I believe that the question has been answered and that this thread can be locked.

Thank you all for taking the time to help guide an inexperienced hunter down the right track by providing valuable advice. Your expertise, eperience and guidance is highly appreciated

[MightyMiss]

Originally Posted by buckman

Go ahead and shoot your calf,as for me I would rather let them live a little.You cant expect everyone to agree with your personal choice,I respect your and you have to respect theirs.

I do respect thier choices which is why I don't comment on it. From this experience I may never choose to hunt a calf again. If someone asked my opinion on it I would provide it, but since it was never a part of the question, should it really have been part of the answer.


As for not doing something because of fear...

If I never tried something because of fear, I would never have any amazuing experiences in my life. Personal achievement and pride comes from overcoming those fears and perservering.

[Mxyzptik]

Once about 10 or 15 years back my buddy shot a calf I was helping him field dress the animal. It had been at least half to one hour after the calf was shot we were dressing the calf and she charges out of the bush at us. She took 3 or 4 runs at us getting progressively closer. I grabbed my rifle and stood guard shouting and waving my arms when she came. Finally when I shot a couple of rounds into the dirt in front of her she backed off enough for us to be able to drag the calf to the road.

3 years ago my daughter had a moose draw and we were sitting in a ground blind watching a meadow. Out comes a big light brown coloured cow, she spies our blind across the meadow and comes charging right at us. She was a very large moose and appeared to be in her middle years. She starts to bellow at us over and over again, pacing back and forth about 20 yards from side to side, obviously displaying her size and stature ( it was Mid to late November not the rut) every time she appeared to settle down and go away she would look back at us, then charge, bellow and start it all again. This went on for over an hour.

It was one of the most impressive experiences I have had while hunting and not one that I had ever experienced. So now it's dark and we have to walk about a kilometer back to the jeep, the cow is escorting us down the field false charging and bellowing the whole way.

I didn't have a rifle on me because it was my daughters draw and when I'm guiding her I only bring my shooting sticks and binocs and leave then shooting up to her but I finally told her to give me the rifle and to keep the flashlite on the moose in case I had to defend us.

I have hunted moose for 35 or so years and have shot 15 or so of them. I 've bow hunted them as well as rifle hunted and that's the first time I was ever nervous about a moose.

So for the posters who said stay home if you're to scared, I would say " blow it out your........." Moose are formidable creatures and a fantastic hunting experience. Go and have a ball but go ahead and be careful, wild animals are wild animals and as such always dangerous but that adds to the allure of it all.
I'm pretty confident that a couple into the dirt if the need arose would be all that you'd ever have to do.

[Cal]

Originally Posted by MightyMiss

Thank you all for the advice.

And Cal, if I wanted your opinion on my my choice to hunt a legal target for meat, I would have asked for it. Please in the future refrain from giving me your opinion on a matter unless it is asked for. I really don't care if you will or won't hunt calves. I don't hunt deer. That is my choice to make, I will never judge anyone who does it. It was not a part of the thread and in turn should not have been brought up.

I'm not saying its wrong to kill calfs and I'm not discouraging anyone from killing calfs. I hope you like the meat so much that you never take a bull again Was just throwing in a warning that the aftermath when shooting a calf is ugly and sad, and not much like any other successful hunt. Not for everyone, you've been warned.

[junglejay7320]

my cousin and i knock a calf down a couple of years ago....

momma took off...then momma came back....momma mad....calf still alive and trying to get up.....momma really mad....

if and when i take another calf...i will play my cards a little different....
1....do not rush in....see what momma's gonna do....
2....when i can get to the calf hook on with my quad an drag the calf away...not far but just away from the spot it dropped....
3 this is just my thought...take a calf that is easy....field,clearing,highway....
kidding...the idea is that your not jammed up in the bush or having trouble in the muskeg...an open field, you can see what momma;'s up to and how she's reacting to junior having a sleep....
4 place you shot....so junior's not begg'an momma to come back and help....