Locating cow moose

[jamesb]

Hey guys,

Been hunting moose hard this week. Have a cow/calf tag. Haven't seen one yet.

But we have had a bull come around a few times. My question is.... is it normal for a bull to hang around by himself? What are the chances of him
sticking around with no cow/calf in the area?

Would you keep sitting and hope cow comes in, or would you try another area?

Hard to leave moose looking for moose.

[alfoldivandor]

I would follow hang around the " only " Moose (Bull) you saw ,
yes I believe it is a good strategy to hang around soon or later the bull will find a cow ...

Hey guys,

Been hunting moose hard this week. Have a cow/calf tag. Haven't seen one yet.

But we have had a bull come around a few times. My question is.... is it normal for a bull to hang around by himself? What are the chances of him
sticking around with no cow/calf in the area?

Would you keep sitting and hope cow comes in, or would you try another area?

Hard to leave moose looking for moose.

[Sam Menard]

A bit more information from you would be helpful, but I’ll mention a few things. Bulls aren’t territorial but rather have home ranges. Within that home range are zones where he is apt to spend more time than other places… think of your house and where you spend your time. His favourite places change with the seasons. The peak of the rut has passed, so bulls aren’t moving like they were 2 weeks ago. As the rut wanes, testosterone level start dropping and their interest in breeding becomes less urgent. Bulls start getting ready for winter by moving less and by eating more.

Another reason why you keep seeing him is if you are calling.

There could be post-estrus cows in the area and younger bulls may be hanging around because they don’t know any better. Post-estrus cows are very shy and tend to avoid drawing attention to themselves by being secluded,

[klums]

I got my last 2 cows with my bow, I hunted the travel routes from that left their bedding in thick spruce to and from feeding inclear cuts or water. I found they would leave bedding around 9:30/10 am, feed and then head to water. Around 11 they would bed close to water and do the opposite and head back to the morning bed and hour or so before dark.

[Deer Hunter]

I got my last 2 cows with my bow, I hunted the travel routes from that left their bedding in thick spruce to and from feeding inclear cuts or water. I found they would leave bedding around 9:30/10 am, feed and then head to water. Around 11 they would bed close to water and do the opposite and head back to the morning bed and hour or so before dark.

Congrats, that’s an accomplishment.
Two old trapper friends of mine have it figured out also. They get one every 3 to 5 years.