Hunting Shiras Moose
In the Greater Yellowstone Region

A meeting of the Antlers

The Shiras Moose also known as Wyoming moose is the smallest of North America's moose however it is still quite large. The Shiras moose are found in Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, British Columbia, and in isolated areas of Utah, Colorado, and Washington.

The Shiras Bull Moose has smaller antlers than the Canada moose. Its body color is a rusty-brown to black with pale-brownish saddle and its legs are gray to white. The Shiras cow moose are slightly smaller than the male and does not have antlers. The bulls can grow to seven feet tall at the shoulder and can reach10 feet in length. Mature Shiras Moose weigh 600 to 1400 pounds. The cow moose weigh between 500 and 1200 pounds. Bull moose have antlers that can span five feet and weigh up to 50 pounds.

Nice Bull in Jackson Hole Wyoming

Moose hunting in the Greater Yellowstone Region is by permit for both residents and non-residents. Moose hunting success is universally high in our region, ranging from 80 to more than 90 percent. Wyoming is the leader in the number of permits issued and the number of bulls in the record book. The Grand Tetons, The Wind River Range and the Absaroka Range are all fantastic places to hunt. However, Idaho has a productive Moose hunt also. About half of the moose in Idaho are harvested in Big Holes, the Grand Tetons, The Centennial Range and the Caribou range of southeast portion of the state, while 40 percent are killed in the Panhandle/Clearwater regions, with the remaining 10 percent from the balance of the state. Montana has great hunts in the Gallatin, Absaroka and Madison Mountain Ranges although the moose population there has been dwindling since the introduction of wolves.

Hunting is most productive early and late in the day when the moose are most active as they snooze during the day. In much of their range, Shiras moose can be hunted on public land without a guide except in the Wyoming designated wilderness areas. When hunting for moose look both on the forested lowlands, lower mountain elevations and canyon bottoms. They can often be found in or near water, grazing on aquatic plants or willows. When you find a promising area, head out in the mornings and evenings to glass likely spots, such as willow stands, lakeshores, mountain meadows, and other forest openings.

During the day, moose climb to vantage points to rest in the shade. During the fall hunting season, keep on the lookout for rubbed trees and pellet-like moose droppings called moose nuggets. Bull Moose begin rubbing in early September, both rubbed trees and moose nuggets are good telltales of the nearby presence of bull moose.

Caption

Moose often live in areas with good public hunting and vehicular access. Chances are good though that other hunters have spotted any moose you scout right near the road. Try to locate a moose off the beaten path to increase your success. Moose have a good sense of smell and hearing. To avoid detection by moose, pay attention to wind direction hunt or stalk with the wind in your face, regularly monitor the wind direction

Tracking moose is a popular tactic, light, soft snow is ideal both for seeing the tracks and moving quietly through the woods. Wherever moose are found in relatively open terrain, spot-and-stalk hunting is a popular and effective.

One of the most exciting ways to hunt moose is to call them in, bull moose are particularly active and vulnerable during the rut, all they have is one thing on their mind and it isn't safety. A cow-in-heat call or an antler rattle can draw out a bull. Antler scraping sounds on trees and shrubs can be used in early September. In many areas bulls can also be located or called in by imitating the grunt made by male moose during the rut. Also, aggressive bulls can be brought into gun or bow range by raking trees and brush with an object that sounds like antlers on brush.

Another hunting option is by floating in a boat or canoe. This way you can silently put the sneak on them while they are eating or drinking. Hunting from the water during the rut has long been an effective way for many hunters to hunt moose on lakes or rivers. When floating a river, the best areas to look for moose include oxbows, off-stream ponds, large grassy flats, islands and any places where the river widens and forms calmer waters. Look for evidence of moose using the area; if fresh sign is present, you've discovered a suitable place to pull ashore and start calling. This is best accomplished by fishing the are extensively ahead of time; multitasking is an invaluable skill. Fishing is an enjoyable way to scout.

A nice Wyoming Bull Moose

Still-hunting can pay off as long as your scouting or glassing has given you a good idea that you aren't going to be spending time in the woods by yourself.

For many hunters, the best and easiest way to bag a moose is to book a guided trip through an outfitter. Outfitters know where to find them and often add much to the trip as outfitters often are colorful characters that are fun to be around.

Good weapons for hunting moose include rifles of 300 caliber of better, black powder firearms, and archery equipment. Black powder and archery often give you and advantage of earlier seasons before the general hunt.

If you are ever lucky enough to draw a tag for a Shiras Moose Idaho, Montana or Wyoming will surely be the answer to your harvest.

A nice Greater Yellowstone Bull Elk

Horse Creek Outfitters • (Jackson Hole WY) Trophy Mountain / Horse Creek Outfitters is a first class outfitting and guiding operation specializing in trophy: Elk, Mule Deer, Moose, Big Horn Sheep, Black Bear and Antelope. We offer horseback wilderness hunting from 3 separate pack-in wall tent camps. We also hunt from a lodge location.

Swan Valley Outfitters • (Swan Valley ID) Swan Valley Outfitters is a family owned and operated business. We offer the best scenic trail rides and hunting in the are . We offer many different hunts from mountain lion to trophy elk. Our experienced team of guides and mounts will take you on the experience of a lifetime.

Hidden Basin Outfitters • (Jackson Hole WY) Jackson Hole is home to some of the finest big game hunting on earth, where hunters have the opportunity to pursue animals in their natural habitat. Our experienced and fully-licensed guides will lead you and your party in search of cow elk, bull elk, moose, sheep, mule deer, antelope, and bear. For Big Game Hunters Looking for a True Wyoming Experience!

Non-Typical Outfitters • (Star Valley WY) Robb and Dr. Brenda Wiley make their home in one of the most beautiful places that God ever created, the mountains of western Wyoming. Brenda practices veterinary medicine and Robb lives his passion, providing your hunting and fishing opportunities in the Wyoming back country..........We feel that Non-Typical Outfitters has the ability to provide an unmatched opportunity for trophy hunting in Wyoming. The amount of time that we spend in the field before your hunt starts is one of the things that separates us from the rest. We spend extensive days in the preseason locating our trophy animals. For us trophy hunting is a year around job.............We are the most diversified permitted outfitter in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Our hunting area encompasses over 900 square miles of National Forest and close to double that in BLM lands. This gives us the ability to hunt the top trophies in the area without over pressuring any part of it. We can hunt out of a forest camp or a lodge and have the ability to tailor a hunt to almost anyone's needs.

There are several places to hunt Mountain Goats in the Yellowstone Region

Jake's Horses • (Island Park WY) All day or by the hour trail rides, alpine lake fishing, hunting, pack trips & guide service. We are located in Island Park, Idaho.

Mill Iron Ranch • (Jackson Hole WY) Mill Iron Ranch has been a Wheeldon family tradition for three generations. We carry on the old cowboy traditions around here, showing the Jackson visitors how to ride, fish, hunt and camp.

Wind River Trophy Hunts • (Pinedale WY) We provide hunters with the unique experience of hunting in the remote backcountry that contains one of the healthiest elk populations in the state of Wyoming. For hunters looking for the ultimate hunting experience - whether it be elk, moose, sheep, antelope, or mountain lions - Wind River Trophy Hunts is your best bet!

Jenkin's Hunting Camp • (Star Valley WY) Larry Jenkins' Hunting Camp has provided Big Game Hunting since the 1970s. His hunting camp is a family run operation where Larry, his wife Shirley, and their two sons and daughter are all part of your hunting experience. Larry and his family have owned and operated their camp for over 30 years. By specializing in pleasing the individual, Larry can gear the hunt to your own abilities and desires. The saddle horses are all mountain trained and gentle enough to carry you all day in safety. However, Larry prefers to ride as little as possible and still get your game. Your not in the saddle all day long. You can expect an average of 80% success rate on buck mule deer. Larry's hunter success on bull elk ranges from 80 to 100% average each year.Many of these bulls are trophys.

Many Bighorn Rams like this one have been harvested from the mountain tops of the Greater Yellowstone Region

Sheep Creek Outfitters • (West Yellowstone MT) is a small family outfitting business located in the West Yellowstone, Montana Area. I am a full-time outfitter with over thirty years experience hunting Elk, Mule Deer, & other Big Game in the Rocky Mountains. We take only a limited number of hunters per season, approximately fourteen to sixteen rifle hunters and eight archery hunters. Each hunt period is an eight day trip (six actual hunt days) and a nine day trip (seven actual hunt days) for archery. The two non-hunting days are pack-in and pack-out days. We take only four hunters per hunt.

Boulder Basin Outfitters • (Cody WY) Generations of Experience Hunting and Fishing Wyoming Carl and Michelle Sauerwein, owners of Boulder Basin Outfitters, bring more than a lifetime's worth of hunting and fishing experience to their Wyoming outfitting business. Born and raised into a family with outfitting experience that spans back generations, Carl has more skill and knowledge of Wyoming big game hunting and fishing than the average Cody Country Outfitter

Elk Ridge Outfitters • ( Bozeman MT) We hunt the Bridger Range northwest of Bozeman, hunting districts 393 and 312. This 28,000 acre private ranch takes in 2 major drainages. The ridges and slopes are covered with scattered timber and numerous basins. Elevations vary from 5,200 ft. to 7,200 ft. The Bridger Mountains of south central Montana offer hunters one of the highest success rates in Montana for elk. Private land and limited access allows us to manage elk numbers and limit bull harvest.

Absaroka Ranch • (Dubois Wyoming) Our hunting area is the most magnificent Dunoir Valley located northwest of Dubois, Wyoming. The Dunoir remains one of the last truly abundant wildlife and virtually hunter - free areas in the state, if not the entire West. We provide nearly everything for your hunt such as saddles, rifle scabbards and saddle bags, and you will enjoy a comfortable, modern cabin and excellent, hearty meals. All you provide is license, rifle, ammunition, and other personal hunting gear. Please don't hesitate to call or write us for additional hunting information. You'll find the hunting excellent, the crew superbly qualified, and the country spectacular. We'd love to have you along for the fun, excitement, and sheer pleasure of a true Rocky Mountain big game hunt!