Moose Rifle Hunts

Moose, like the other deer of North America, become larger as you move north through their range. The larger body size enables them to survive the harsh winters, and as body size increases, so do their antlers. This prompted Boone & Crocket to recognize 3 sub-species, all of which are labeled by geographic regions only. On average, to harvest a top end animal of the smaller sort, one would want to hunt near the northern boundary of that particular sub-species.  In fact, Tom shot his #1 SCI (#8 P&Y) Canadien Moose very near (150 miles) the line where Canadien Moose become Alaskan / Yukon Moose.

The 3 sub-species of North American Moose as recognized by Pope & Young Club :

• Shiras Moose - Found in most of the mountain states of the lower 48 and into southern BC.
• Canadian Moose - Found & common throughout all of Canada.
• Alaskan/Yukon Moose - You guessed it- found in Alaska & the Yukon.

SCI recognizes & classifies the Moose of Newfoundland as the Eastern Canadian Moose

Moose can take a pounding, but are actually relatively easy to kill with a well placed arrow. They tend to walk off and get good and sick. Just leave them for a bit and get your camera ready. Good Whitetail gear should work well, but one should be shooting a good heavy arrow at least 240 FPS. I love retractable broadheads, but would seriously consider a good “cut-on-contact” head for moose. Even the “little” Shiras moose is over 1000 lbs.

The very best method to hunt Moose with a bow is to grunt them in during the rut. They are quite aggressive and can often be drawn in close by mimicking a lonesome cow or fiery bull.  Moose are more vocal than one would figure and return calls can often be heard for ½ mile on calm days, making this an effective and exciting hunt.

You rarely see a lot of moose while hunting them, with the very best moose country having 4-5 animals per square mile, which isn’t many, so be prepared to work for your bull. In most cases, the hard part is finding the bull, especially on wilderness hunts where they are not particularly wary.

Shiras Moose

Practically all the Shiras moose hunting is by limited drawing in the lower 48, and the tags are almost as coveted as Bighorn Sheep. Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Utah and Colorado all have good opportunities for Shiras, but if you had to pick 1 state, we would take our chances in Wyoming.  There are a lot of moose and the draw is by preference points, which allows you to draw with some level of planning. Wyoming also allows you to purchase one preference point annually for a nonrefundable ($7) application fee. Some of the private property intense units require as little as 2 preference points to draw a tag, while the national forest units require as many as 7 preference points to draw.

We have an outfitter that works in a remote area which has a good number of mature bulls and the tag can be drawn with 4 preference points. This hunt runs around $5,000.

Utah has some excellent hunting and also has tags available via landowner tags. These tags run around $8,000, but should be considered a good hunt.  The other states offer very good hunts, but the tags are drawn through a lottery, which creates a tough situation with respect to planning a hunt.

Shiras are also found as far north as the Kootenays of southeast BC. There are a few good outfitters with nonresident allocations in this area which offer a good hunt.  We suggest working with 2 different outfitters in this area which offer these hunts for around $6,000.

Canadian Moose

The "freezer filler" of central Canada, most rural Canadien sportsman hunt Moose to fill their freezer as they are readily available and the meat is delicious.

There are basically 3 kinds of Canadien Moose hunts. The wilderness “fly-in” or “ horseback camps”  in the wilderness of British Columbia, the “fly-in” lake  hunts of the northern prairie provinces and Ontario, or the “drive-to-camp” of central Canada. There are also limited opportunities in Minnesota and Maine, as they have limited entry draws.  Maine allows nonresidents, while Minnesota does not.

The wilderness fly-in camps are the most productive from a trophy perspective. The best time to go is late-September when the bulls are rutting and can be called in close for an exciting bowhunt. Typically, there are no “archery-only” seasons in these areas, so bowhunters will need to hunt during the general season. Hunting pressure is rarely an issue in the wilderness, so bowhunters have a very good chance to connect with a rutting bull. We work with several good outfitters who offer this style of hunt, typically running between $6,000 to $7,000.

The fly-in lake hunts are typically run by outfitters who do more fishing than hunting, but have access to good moose and capitalize on the opportunity by taking a few hunters every fall. Success is good, as most hunters will shoot a moose, but one should expect smaller bulls and hunters should not be as fussy. These hunts run around $4,500 in the better camps, and offer great fishing.

The drive-to camps are common across Canada. Most are remote, by US standards, but accessible by 4x4. Guided hunts run around $3,500. Typically these areas have a good population of moose, but relatively few mature trophy bulls.  These areas often have bowhunting only seasons during the rut and are pretty productive. A good bull in these areas will be a 3 ½ year old with 30-40 inch antlers, what we like to call “Eater-Bulls”. We like Alberta for these types of hunts, and have a couple of good outfitters who run good camps.  We have a great moose hunt for the seasoned woodsman in this area - semi-guided out of drop-camp.  The hunt includes license, meals, accommodations and camp director for $1,400. This is currently the very best deal we can find in moose hunts.

Alaska / Yukon Moose

This subspecies is the grand-dad of all moose, with good bulls pushing 70 inches of antlers and close to a ton of muscle. The best moose are found in the wilderness where they can live to maturity. Nonresidents are still allowed to hunt moose in Alaska without a guide and many do. A common hunting method is to fly into a remote river system and float-hunt. The pilot will drop off the hunters and pick them up downstream “a few-miles”. Success can be good, but plan on a ton of work.

Drop camps are also popular, and the best value for the experienced hunter. A professional outfitter will provide good equipment and know where to go to get you into the bulls. Float trips or a fixed camp are both available. Wilderness hunts are expensive, mainly because of flying. Flying is very expensive, so deals should be scrutinized carefully.  Its often required to make an extra trip into the bush for meat, which is built into the price. I work with a good outfitter that has good drop camps, which run $3,500 plus additional flying. Plan to spend $5,000 if successful.

For all of us who have packed moose, fully guided is the way to go - nothing like a young buck to have packing moose.  This is especially helpful if you are not experienced in the bush or unfamiliar with calling.  Fully guided hunts with good outfitters are in high demand and are getting top dollar. We work with 2 good outfitters, one in Alaska and the other in the Yukon. Both hunts run around $10,000 and combine well with Caribou. We highly recommend you consider that option. 

  Eastern Canadian Moose in the wilds of Newfoundland. Moose are the most abundant big game species found in Newfoundland, with an estimated population around 120,000 animals. Success runs high, and chances are good that you’ll tag a nice shooter-bull over 40 inches, most of which will generally score well above the P&Y minimum. This is a full-service, fully (1x1) guided hunt with all the meals and accommodations included. They run 6 remote camps total, 3 in the west-central region (Big Game units 2&3) near Gros Morn National Park, and another 3 (Big Game unit 19) on the southwest corner of the Island. Each camp is designed for maximum capacity of 4 hunters per week. Camps are remote, and accessible by float-plane (4) or ATV ride with little to no resident pressure. 

We recommend the bowhunters you book their hunt during the rifle season, but focus on last week of September or 1st week in October when Bulls are the most active and vulnerable to call in tight. 

Where: Springdale, Newfoundland 

Cost: $5,500 US  Deposit: $2,000  

Hunt Schedule for 2019 (noon Sunday thru noon Saturday)  

Rifle Hunt #1: Sept 8 – 14 Rifle Hunt #2: Sept 15 – 21 

Rifle Hunt #3: Sept 22 – Sept 28  Rifle Hunt #4: Sept 29 – 5   

Rifle Hunt #5: Oct 6 - 12    

What is included in hunt cost : 

· Round trip float plane or ATV  

· Services of licensed professional guide (1x1) for 5 full days of hunting 

· All meals and accommodations during the hunt – 6 nights  

· Field preparation of trophy and meat  

What is not included : 

· License - $502 (Canadian)

· GST (15%) - $640 

· Gratuity to the guide and staff 

· Taxidermy work & Meat processing (estimate of $0.65 / lb) 

Travel 

· Fly into Deer Lake, Newfoundland, where the outfitter will pick you up (included). Several (Air Canada & Canadian Airlines flights into Deer Lake daily. 

· Drive to camp via (5 hr) ferry ride from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, which is approximately 6 hrs north of the USA/Canadian Border near Calais, Maine. 

                                               Prices subject to change without prior notice

                   For current prices, availability or more information contact Close Encounters

                                                        Tom Close: (715) 554 – 3302 

Canadian Moose Hunt in Northwesten BC

Hunt trophy Canadien moose near the Telegraph Creek – Stikine River area in northwestern British Columbia. This is a rugged, remote 8,000 square miles of wilderness where most of the area is untouched by professional outfitting. It's the oldest established outfitting area in northern BC, established in 1884 by F.C. Galbreath, and famous for producing fine trophies. This is another full-service, all inclusive hunt with a top of the line outfitter.

Good trophies can be taken during the early season (late August into early September) but you'll generally see more and better animals during the last 2 weeks of September, when the mature bulls are on the prowl for cows. Choose from the lake or river system hunts where you stay in a nice warm cabin or more remote hunts by classic horseback where you stay in back-country wall-tents.

This area is loaded with game and this hunt combines well with goats, mountain caribou or even grizzlies.

Where:  Telegraph Creek, Northwest BC.

Cost: $12,900 US (12 days, 1x1), Deposit: $4,000

What is included in hunt cost

• Services of licensed professional guide (1x1) for 12 full days (10-days of hunting)
• All meals and accommodations during the hunt
• All equipment needed once in the hunting area.

What is not included

• Canadien Goods & Service tax (GST) - 2.5% of hunt cost, 12% of tags & license cost
• Hunting license
• Moose tag ($250)
• Government royalty for Moose ($125)
• Hunting preservation fund ($250)
• Round trip charter ($1500)
• Upgrade from single specie to 2- species combination ($2,000 pre-hunt) - moose & caribou or moose & goat
• Government royalty for 2nd animal - (currently $125)
• Personal packer (if requested) - $300 / day
• Cost of shipping meat
• Trophy fees for 2nd animal (different species)
• Non-hunting companion - $300 / day
• Extra hunting days - $500 / day
• Crating and shipping of trophies.

Fees for Additional Animals: Animal / Tag Fee / Trophy Fee / Gov't Royalty

• Grizzly / $1,030 / $11,000 / $1,000
• Mtn. Caribou / $230 / $4,000 / $125
• Black Bear / $180 / $2,000 / $75
• Wolf / $50 / $0 / $25
• Mtn.Goat / $350 / $4,000 / $150.

                                               Prices subject to change without prior notice

                  For current prices, availability or more information contact Close Encounters

                                                       Tom Close: (715) 554 – 3302 

Travel to the Purcell Mountains of southern British Columbia to hunt Canadian Moose as recognized by B&C or P&Y club. SCI and your outfitter will refer to this strain of Moose as a Shiras, and unless you intend to enter the animal in the (P&Y or BC) record book, that definition is probably the most accurate. Expect a good hunt with a well-established, top-notch outfit in a good area.  The outfitter and his lovely wife are great people with 35+ years in the outfitting business. This is a full-service, all-inclusive hunt with a hard-working staff, home-cooked hearty meals and beautiful lodge.

This is predominantly spot & stalk during the rifle season (Oct 15 thru November 5th) and you can expect to hunt from Truck, Quad or Horse during your week as these guys will get you into the backcountry where Bulls survive to maturity. 

This is one of the most game-rich areas in North America, with good huntable populations of Black Bears, Grizzlies, Whitetails, Mule Deer, Elk and Mountain Goats. We suggest hunters add Mule Deer & Whitetail tags as they can often be taken while (trophy fees included) hunting Moose. 

Moose are pretty common in this area and we do not expect hunters to have problems locating a shooter bull. It’s all about the grind. We expect all the hunters that are able to push hard all week to get a good opportunity at a nice (40” – 50”) Bull  

They are flexible with regard to hunt dates and can accommodate most schedules (if needed) 

Cost: 7-day fully (1x1) guided hunt - $10,000 US  

Deposit: $5,000  

Hunt Schedule: 2020 is full with limited openings for 2021

· October 15 – November 15 (good deal of flexibility)

What is included in hunt cost : 

· Services of licensed professional guide (1x1) for 7 full days

o Field preparation of trophy

§ Transport animal back to camp 

§ Cape for taxidermist 

· All the (home-cooked) meals and (main lodge) accommodations needed during the hunt 

o Arrive afternoon prior to contracted hunt dates 

o Departure morning after contracted hunt dates 

· All equipment needed once in the hunting area

o 4x4 Trucks & quads 

· Government royalty for the Mt Goat  

What is not included : 

· Hunting license: $220

· Nonresident fee: $200 

· Moose Tag: $400 

· Mule Deer tag: $150

· Whitetail Deer tag: $150

· Cougar tag: 

· Trophy fee for Cougar: $5,000 

· Government royalty for additional animals: $150 per animal   

· Personal packer (if requested) - $200 / day 

· Meat processing & shipping  

· Canadian Goods & Service tax (GST)

o 5% of hunt cost 

· Non-hunting companion - $250 / day  

· Taxidermy work 

· Crating and Shipping of trophies

· Gratuity to the guide and staff  

                                               Prices subject to change without prior notice

                  For current prices, availability or more information contact Close Encounters

                                                       Tom Close: (715) 554 – 3302