Moose hunt someday!

JimP · Mar 31, 2016

For a moose hunt I would just save my money and head north where you can purchase a OTC license. The only problem with this is that a lot of Canadian Provinces require you to hire a outfitter for your hunt so that increases the price.

If you have 20 or so years to wait then by all means start applying for Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, and where ever else has tags available. Another alternitive to the draws is to find a Ranching For Wildlife ranch in Colorado where you can purchase a guided moose hunt, or Utah on a CMWU property. I am not sure if any other state offers these type of hunts.

I personally would bite the bullet and spend the money to head to Alaska where you can shoot a real moose.

Slugz · Mar 31, 2016

You have three pretty good options to pursue IMO. 1. DIY/guided alaska hunt 2. DIY/guided hunt in Ontario 3. Build points in western states (I don't think a waste in Colorado)......all three have varying differences in price and experience....I've done a ton of research the past year to include a lot of great info here on the Eastmans forum. Just search DIY moose and all the old threads will come up. Personally I'm building points for Colorado and will most likely go do a DIY Ontario fly in hunt. I was surprised just how cheap the Ontario hunts were not to mention the ability to combine it with some pretty solid fishing.

Hilltop · Mar 31, 2016

If you start applying in Wyoming now, you will likely spend 2-3k just in preference points before you draw a bull moose tag. On top of this, you will have the tag cost. In 20-30 years that will likely be 2-3k. Total cost for tags and points will likely be over 5k and a lot of years waiting. Or you can go hunt the peace river in Alberta for about the same investment right now. I have found many hunts in the 5-7k range.

Slugz · Mar 31, 2016

bowrunner said:
I'm 26 so I have quite a few years to apply for PP, but I would want to do it soon enough to bring my dad along. He is 60 this year and in very good shape, so maybe ultimately a DIY Ontario hunt is the best option. We are definitely DIY type people, so that being at all possible is definitely a plus. If we can do 2 DIY hunts for the price of 1 guided hunt, its definitely worth it for us to go DIY to be able to make 2 solid trips from it.

Slugs, I will search for the information you mentioned. When you end up doing your hunt up there, if you dont mind keep me posted on your plans. The added fishing is always a plus to me. Just curious if you dont mind me asking, how many points do you currently have for Colorado?

Most likely never enough

(3 with 2 weighted) as the weighted points are now at 14 I believe.....I keep putting in due to the chances of pulling one. You never know....I think chances of marrying one up to another hunter is tough though.....better to just pay for the hunt. Some pretty weird things though happening in the moose draw in Colorado every year so you never know...its a real crap shoot IMO......as evident by last years draw recap.

Look up Thunderhook Outfitters .....http://www.thunderhook.com/

buckbull · Mar 31, 2016

I put Moose into the same category as Sheep, waste of time to start now buying points. Good advice on going to Alaska or Canada. Your better off putting that preference point money into a savings account and use the money for tags when the time comes. I'd rather save for a sure thing than rolling the dice on a hunt I may never win.

I'm not optimistic of Moose populations in the foreseeable future. Wolves will be all over the state of colorado before you are even sniffing a permit.

Extractor · Mar 31, 2016

I agree with most of the posts, I will probably draw in a few years in Wyoming, I have 15 points this year and 3 plus 14 in Colorado. If I were to start now I would figure out when I wanted to go, divide those years into the trip cost and go to Canada, by far your best bang for the buck and quality. Northern BC would be my choice, best quality for dollars spent. Yukon for Alaskan moose, but very pricey, 17-20,000K. Alaska is great to hunt, but guided hunts are very pricey too, self-guided is fun, but much lower success rate. Ontario's moose are so-so imo. Fishing is usually good anywhere you moose hunt. I don't think it pays to purchase points now because you are so far back, unless you're willing to wait and want to spend the point bucks.

Extractor · Mar 31, 2016

I hope no one from FWS's reads these posts. They'll think they're losing out on cash, change the system again, and I'll be screwed!!!

go_deep · Mar 31, 2016

Here's something that hasn't been covered. Idaho has a random drawing for moose tags, not great odds, but a chance, heck some of the tags are around 25% odds last I looked. Start to save for your guided hunt, put in for Idaho every year, you draw go, when you have the money saved and you haven't drawn go guided.

Good luck, and God bless!

sneakypete · Mar 31, 2016

bowrunner, here's another thing to ponder, you and your dad could do a 2on 1 hunt either BC or Alaska. I and doing that with my son next year he'll be 33 then. With your age I'd be buying bonus points in Wyoming for less than $100 a year after July 1st I believe. Idaho residents and non residents draw the same every year, but you have to spend $ for the license. I will tell once you start hunting moose you'll want to do it again. I took my first moose last year in BC. My thoughts.

NDHunter · Mar 31, 2016

go_deep said:
Here's something that hasn't been covered. Idaho has a random drawing for moose tags, not great odds, but a chance, heck some of the tags are around 25% odds last I looked. Start to save for your guided hunt, put in for Idaho every year, you draw go, when you have the money saved and you haven't drawn go guided.

Good luck, and God bless!

I'm certainly no expert but I don't think the odds are as good as they look at first sight in Idaho. Yea for residents they have some pretty decent odds but with that 10% cap for nonresidents, the odds for the most part are not as good as they look.

Slugz · Apr 1, 2016

I think everyone here has valid points...just depends on how much coin, time you have. I do the CO thing cause every year a half decent amount of hunters with 3 points and no weighted, draw tags. It's better odds than in the lottery.

Not to stir the pot but something else to consider is the age of the highest point holders in many western states. I've read a study before that compared the point system in Co and point creep to whats called the " Big Crew Change" in oilfields all over the world. There is a pretty big gap in age between the high point holders and the medium area of the data set. Just my opinion and another reason why I moved to Co....lots of opportunity every year out west here!

go_deep · Apr 1, 2016

NDHunter said:
I'm certainly no expert but I don't think the odds are as good as they look at first sight in Idaho. Yea for residents they have some pretty decent odds but with that 10% cap for nonresidents, the odds for the most part are not as good as they look.

Link to Idaho 2015 draw odds, https://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/licenses/controlledHunts/lookupOdds.cfm

I'm no expert either, but what I stated was right. Unit 27, 12-3, and 12-4 was 100% draw for NR. A bunch of units are 12%-33%.

You do have to front the $2,100, but do you want to hunt moose or not?

Slugz · Apr 1, 2016

bowrunner said:
All the input is very helpful!

I have looked at some hunts in up north and I think I agree with sneakypete and we will do a 2 on 1 hunt. You guys will have an awesome time! Hopefully my dad and I will be doing something similar. I think roughly 6 or 7 years from now is when I would like to go. By then I would have some extra cash saved up. I also think that I will look into applying for an Idaho tag and look into PP for Wyoming. If I decide to start building PP in Wyoming I will get my dad one too.

I know the odds are against us going unguided, but I think when we eventually go up north, that would be preferred. We are big into adventures. I get hooked on things pretty quickly and I am certain that after I go moose hunting once I will be hooked. I also have heard that moose meat is delicous.

One last thought. I was looking at statistics for cow moose hunting in Colorado. There were several draws from nonresidents that had 0 pp and 0 weighted or 1 or 1 pp and 0 weighted. I thought this may be a mistake, so I called the Colorado fish and wildlife and they confirmed this. That is one thing that is drawing me to Colorado. I would love to shoot a big bull moose, but if a cow is my best bet then I wouldn't be against that.

BR,

Yep on CO! You cant eat horns!

Triple BB · Apr 1, 2016

I'd say Colorado is out. Point creep will never stop. I'm 12 years in and still only have a .5% chance in most areas. BC is about the best deal for moose. They don't shoot huge bulls, but the prices are pretty cheap. Idaho is a shot, but you pay to play as you have to buy a non resident license before you apply. One thing to think about is what are your likely future wages going to be. If you're in a profession where you might be knocking down a $100k or more a a year in 10 - 15 years, start buying points in all the western states. You may never draw, but so what about the cost. If you can afford it, don't worry about it.

Slugz · Apr 1, 2016

Triple BB said:
I'd say Colorado is out. Point creep will never stop. I'm 12 years in and still only have a .5% chance in most areas. BC is about the best deal for moose. They don't shoot huge bulls, but the prices are pretty cheap. Idaho is a shot, but you pay to play as you have to buy a non resident license before you apply. One thing to think about is what are your likely future wages going to be. If you're in a profession where you might be knocking down a $100k or more a a year in 10 - 15 years, start buying points in all the western states. You may never draw, but so what about the cost. If you can afford it, don't worry about it.

TBB,
Where are you getting that .5% number from? If you have 3 points and 9 weighted ....I'd say you are looking good for a horn tag and real good for a cow tag.

sneakypete · Apr 1, 2016

I still think if you're buying points and young enough where spending a good deal of money on a hunt I'd spending point money in Wyoming. No license like Idaho, Oregon. For the cost of $ 160,a person could be buying a moose, elk, and maybe a deer points. In a few years you're deer and elk hunting or hold out a few more years. I wish I'd had started buying points when I was even 40, I'd have 16-17 moose points maybe even a Wyoming bull.

Slugz · Apr 1, 2016

sneakypete said:
I still think if you're buying points and young enough where spending a good deal of money on a hunt I'd spending point money in Wyoming. No license like Idaho, Oregon. For the cost of $ 160,a person could be buying a moose, elk, and maybe a deer points. In a few years you're deer and elk hunting or hold out a few more years. I wish I'd had started buying points when I was even 40, I'd have 16-17 moose points maybe even a Wyoming bull.

Agreed....Colorado has the weighted/converted draw number system. I still think its pretty fair and have tried to poke holes in it and can't....for example when talking moose tags only and not specifying cow or bull....out of 1583 NR adults who applied 10 drew with no weighted points and 6 of them had zero and zero.....I think if you combine the good states.....good planning...realistic expectations.....and a Ontario/Alberta/Alaska hunt you can have a pretty solid plan for the future. And IMHO its only gonna get better.....I'm seeing way too many large moose hunting elk now

Moose hunt someday!

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