Solo Moose Hunt in the books.

Wildwillalaska

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
251
Location
Kenai, Alaska
Another kotz trip down,Mathis one went from partnered to solo last minute when a guy who had asked to go for a couple years backed out few days before we were to depart. F(be, I’ve wanted a quiet week and a half alone anyway, and always wanted to try my hand at butchering one by myself.
Trip proved hardest to date as the weather was pure poo essentially the entire time. Nothing was moving or coming to calls. Still had a blast hunting hard each day and just tromped out into the high winds and rain, if they won’t come to me, I’ll try to spot them and see what we can accomplish. Lots of miles, cardio and days later, still nothing. So day 8 decided enough and wanted to hike over to a mountain about 4.8 miles away but options for meat retrieval where I’d seem bulls stacked up last few years flying out. I called one in early last year I thought was mid-60’s and guide bud said at least 68”, so certainly messed that one up. There is a bull last two seasons that went well into the 70’s there and held out hoping to find him and came home empty for the first time in years.

This year the misses said I better not come home without moose meat if I cross paths with a legal bull. No videos of them on the hoof and none without blood. So morning of the 19th after sitting yet again in dense fog for a few hours listening to a bull grunt back and forth, he was clearly moving away, heard him and cow making some racket and right then the fog lifted, found the cow about 600 yards down the drainage, he was about 10 yards past her, and walking away. While the calls hadn’t worked all week and was starting to doubt myself, gave it a whirl. One short but firm,cow call, he didn’t turn his head, it looked like he spun as if a bucking bull and within a few short minutes and few more calls when he’d pause, he was at 48 yards. Knew he was legal, cool looking and massive weight, but nothing spectacular. He has the antler structure that serious hurts these pretty big brow palmed bulls, with long sharp dagger brows. Smaller than the one I passed last year, but heard the misses instructions and since he was in hoof-deep blueberries, looked like a pleasant spot to clean him. Went for rib/lung shot behind the shoulder and he quickly felll. BUT—not before stumbling downhill and what looked like diving off into a thick willow patch that proved to be an actual bit of a hole. Suck! So first solo butcher was Uber fun for sure but honestly not as bad as I originally feared.

found a big Boulder right by his rump and what looked like a dive was prolly more of a trip and flip over the Boulder to end up in the depression. Lots of willow trimming, some videos to get still screen shots with him, that Boulder proved to be my best buddy. just close enough for his hind hooves to snag on them, so top hind hoof went up, easy to skin under and around. After the top side was done, the angle allowed both back straps and part of off neck meat to come out. With hide skinned down, super easy to keep the quarters clean. Ribs out, guts/insrds out, both tnderloins and on to my fear of flipping him uphill. Off hind hoof forced up to the Boulder, then grapple the front hoof and antlers in a combo squat press, lots of,twist, but over he went. Super easy Actually.

Then 1200’ back up mountain, shake snow off the tent and pack up camp to return to main camp. With help of an amazing buddy, we were able to retrieve to extraction point the following day. So much weather, so little sun, so much tent cooking eating oatmeal, ramen, freeze dried meals when I had real food and cam- kitchen with me—-but loved it. certainly not my biggest, but think they are all cool, and made the wife happy. So when he said pick me, happy I obliged. 4FF2BEFE-E481-4673-B8BD-2FF96CE00B21.jpeg32673E9B-C8D3-43CE-9979-1C5EE97BD9F0.jpeg
 
OP
Wildwillalaska

Wildwillalaska

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 26, 2017
Messages
251
Location
Kenai, Alaska
Oh, for questions on size, I measured strait across at 58 3/8”, taxidermist doing the panel mount measured this evening using the door and measuring strait to the widest part and is about a 1/4” past 60”. Either way, super heavy beams and biggest bases I’ve personally seen, just a moose killing, cow breeding 9C10090D-32A8-48EB-B075-2D921445147E.jpeg981EF705-837F-4670-ADDF-EE6B614B7C1B.jpeg1687C334-44AF-4052-BDF8-A64D8CBEA7BF.jpeg320F6E94-D0C7-4D93-B758-6FE7BD6C28B1.jpeg64939834-3571-4A02-AF5E-6E6A4B987796.jpeg365ECF0F-9D65-4D70-B41C-714C073960CB.jpeg56D2656E-5FEB-499F-9DA5-2CF1811D2C89.jpeg6D13E446-8938-4E3A-BCF7-4FFD053E0A99.jpegC3CC3B80-24A0-4543-8BAA-E5DA8389BB60.jpeg
 

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Loper

WKR
Joined
Jul 1, 2020
Messages
899
Great recap! Looks like an excellent moose and a solo hunt is certainly something to be proud of.

And I agree with Kevin Dill on the brows.
 
Joined
Jul 17, 2013
Messages
434
Location
Ohio
Congratulations of getting it done, solo to boot. Much respect. Thanks for sharing your adventure and pictures.
 

Tua

FNG
Joined
Aug 29, 2020
Messages
14
Congrats. A solo moose hunt sounds daunting, but you made it sound totally doable. Thx for the inspiration!
 

USMC2602

WKR
Joined
Sep 16, 2013
Messages
549
Location
Kansas/Colorado
Great hunt, write-up, and pictures, congratulations! Pulling that off solo is more than impressive. I just sent the link to my best friend in the world, who I’m doing a DIY AK bull moose drop in with in Sept 2021. My text was, “I’ll take this bull in the first 30 seconds of our hunt next year, just sayin’!”
 
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