FINALLY!! drew a moose tag

wapiti99 · May 17, 2019

hey all
After nearly 2 decades of applying, i finally have a Wyoming moose tag! Drew a NR tag in unit 24. As you can imagine, i am SUPER PUMPED!!
time to start my due diligence, ordering maps, talking with the area biologist, corresponding with other members,.....
I would love to hear from anyone who has hunted in Unit 24, whether for moose, elk, deer. I am in Oregon and my schedule won't permit me to take any scouting trips this summer.
I am planning to come over and hunt the last 4-5 days of the archery season and if need be, rifle hunt the first 4-5 days of gun season.
If anyone needs any info on Oregon, central Colorado mule deer, or wyoming antelope near Casper, would love to talk.
Thanks in advance!

DoubleDropMuley · May 17, 2019

Congrats on the tag!!! I'd suggest hunting closer to the 1st of October instead of the opener especially if ya can't make any scouting trips. The end of sept first of oct the bulls should be more active starting to look for the ladies.

wapiti99 · May 17, 2019

thanks DoubleDrop!
i was kinda mulling that over also. probably bring both bow and rifle and hunt end of sept/beginning of october.
i have never hunted moose before. seen a lot of em hunting deer in SE Idaho. super excited.

jm77 · May 17, 2019

You are the second post for area 24 moose in the last week. This is what I gave him:

https://www.monstermuleys.info/dcforum/DCForumID35/4550.html

RoadlessHunter · May 18, 2019

Unit 24 was fun hunt and we saw lots of bulls. I shot my bull 75 yards off the road.

The two fires in the area really impeded our ability to hunt the area last year.

carnicero · May 18, 2019

Congrats! Me too, same tag.

carnicero · May 18, 2019

Nice bull RoadlessHunter!

rmanwill · May 19, 2019

Congrats to both of you. Put in for 24 for several years, should be close. How many points did it take for you two to draw. Hopefully next year after I retire and can spend plenty of time at it.

carnicero · May 19, 2019

LAST EDITED ON May-19-19 AT 12:48PM (MST)[p]11pts- pulled a random tag.

wapiti99 · May 19, 2019

thanks!
i had 18 going into the draw

wapiti99 · May 19, 2019

Thanks JM77 !!
that's a great reference

wapiti99 · May 19, 2019

Thats a great bull RoadlessHunter!
i would be ecstatic with a bull like that !

wapiti99 · May 19, 2019

Congrats Carnicero!
you must have been stoked to draw the random tag.

carnicero · May 19, 2019

Yes sir, was teetering on getting out of the points race altogether.

carnicero · May 19, 2019

When you draw let me know, I'd be happy to help.

Zeke · May 19, 2019

>Congrats to both of you. Put
>in for 24 for several
>years, should be close. How
>many points did it take
>for you two to draw.
>Hopefully next year after I
>retire and can spend plenty
>of time at it.

Rmanwill,

When you finally draw that tag, you know how to track me down.

Zeke

#livelikezac

rmanwill · May 19, 2019

Thanks guys. Yes Zeke I do know how and we'll track you down. I had 19 points this year and we'll have 20 next year. Thought best to wait since so close to retirement and much more time to do it right.

wapiti99 · May 19, 2019

good luck in retirement and the draw next year !

Chesterwyo · May 20, 2019

I sent you a PM about your moose hunt

wapiti99 · May 20, 2019

Thank you Chesterwyo
i just had the opportunity to log on after work.

wapiti99 · May 20, 2019

sent you a PM reply

wapiti99 · Oct 20, 2019

Hey guys
my wife and i just returned from my moose hunt in unit 24 and wanted to post a follow-up
.

got this guy on the 3rd day of the hunt. He's not a giant but I am extremely pleased to have him. Had an awesome hunt with my wife! Saw 7 bulls, hunted some incredibly beautiful country and had an experience I will remember the rest of my life.

Ended up shooting him at 30 yards, wish i had my bow instead of my rifle. Got him with about an hour and a half of daylight left and my wife wasn't to happy with having to hold the light and bear spray while i worked on him in the dark. Got him quartered and bagged, took out a load of backstrap and trim, and left him to cool out til the next morning.

Forgot my saw the first trip in the next morning. Didn't make that mistake the next trip back in. Luckily, he was in a good place to pack out. Only a 1/2 mile and downhill to flat back to the truck. My wife was a TROOPER!! Packed out 3 loads, 2 front quarters and a very heavy load of trim meat.
Had an amazing time in Wyoming and would like to thank everyone who helped out with information, tips and intel!
Man, I love Wyoming!!

Comules · Oct 20, 2019

>Unit 24 was fun hunt and
>we saw lots of bulls.
> I shot my bull
>75 yards off the road.
>
>
>The two fires in the area
>really impeded our ability to
>hunt the area last year.
>
>
>

Nice Bull Moose! Congratulations

Comules · Oct 20, 2019

Congratulations to both you and your wife nice Bull Moose.
Down hill pack out helps but they still are not easy to get back to the truck
Meat for the winter

PleaseDear · Oct 20, 2019

Good for you

congrats

Robb

Wapitiwilly · Oct 21, 2019

Congratulations on a great moose and a better experience with your wife

carnicero · Oct 21, 2019

Congrats! That's a fine bull and a terrific wife to help pack that out!

Onelegwonder · Oct 21, 2019

Congratulations!! Way to go! How nice to have your wife along and willing to help out. I'm getting my wife involved a little more these days she came with me on my goat hunt last year and this year she came out and learned how to skin a deer with my little kidos. Fun times

carnicero · Oct 21, 2019

Also, you didn't happen to run into an old timer named Beau (WY resident that also had the tag) when you were up there did you? He runs a horse and mule- I ran into him during the archery hunt. I'm interested in how he did as well.

blacktailBC · Oct 21, 2019

Congrats. Nice job, looks like a great time

wapiti99 · Oct 21, 2019

Thanks everyone!!
I am very fortunate to have a wife who enjoys hunting and the outdoors as much as I do.
It's awesome when one of your best hunting partners is also your spouse.

And our kids and her love to eat wild game.

wapiti99 · Oct 21, 2019

hey Carnicero!
how did you do during the archery season?

there was a good ole boy from Casper we talked with quite a bit while out hunting. Not sure if it was Beau, neglected to get his name. My bad!
He was camped by Soda Lake (?), off the S Cottonwood Cr.
He had a black mule, that happened to get loose and wandered off while we were there. luckily someone found him and let him know where he was. Thought he was gonna shoot that knothead when he found him. hahahaha
IF that was him, he was still looking for a suitable bull to shoot. said he was gonna hold out for a good one til maybe last week or two of season.

RoadlessHunter · Oct 21, 2019

Congratulations on a nice moose. I saw that same bull last year about a mile from were you got him. Horn size didn't change much from last year. Did he look like an old bull?

wapiti99 · Oct 21, 2019

Thanks Roadless!

Thats super cool , you have history with this bull!
I'm no expert on aging animals, all i know is that he was very large laying there before me on the ground

Had some of his backstop and it wasn't what i would call fork tender but very good flavor!

RoadlessHunter · Oct 21, 2019

We called him the Sherman Tank because of his body size. I think he's pretty old.

wapitiman · Oct 22, 2019

Congrats

wapiti99 · Oct 22, 2019

Thats funny! My wife will get a kick out of that.

bugleb · Oct 24, 2019

I wouldn't let Roadless shoot the Sherman Tank last year because I shot one like that a few years ago, and it was tougher than shoe leather. It had good flavor, but you couldn't chew it after 48 hours in a crock pot. Even the burger was tough to chew. Mine was aged at 10 years old and it didn't even have good antlers, so it was a mistake to shoot it.

wapiti99 · Oct 24, 2019

Oh man, that's a bummer Bugleb!
I'm hoping my bull is going to be more cooperative on the dining table. The quarters are being cut and wrapped and burger ground currently. I did cut and vacuum pack the backstops and tenderloins this past weekend and managed to sample a couple different pieces.
i will say, it didn't like being seared quickly in a smoking hot cast iron frying pan. Came out pretty tough.
I marinated some backstrap pieces and half a tenderloin for a couple days and did a slow cook over indirect heat on the Weber to 125* internal temp then rested.
It turned out way better, the tenderloin was phenomenal!
Keeping my fingers crossed the rest of him turns out to be a good eater.