Butchering

I have come to find out that butchering a moose into manageable pieces is actually really hard, time-consuming work! Go figure.

I went at this thing entirely solo, minus some help wrapping from Butch and about an hour of cutting with Matt as an unexpected visitor Friday night. All in all, it took 24 hours total...two half days and two full days. It's satisfying work though. Except for the grinding and sausage making (I'm having a professional do that) I am able to say I did nearly all the work that goes into making this one and only moose hunt my own.

Now, I'm not saying the camp was my own, or the company, or the provided food, or the use of an ATV, or help hanging/cleaning/hauling meat bags, or the use of a large shop wasn't appreciated nor considered "help." Because it was a VITAL component. I am only referring to being able to give this moose respect in death, through my own work, time and care. Butch and Matt both expressed a knowledge of this unspoken desire of mine to go at it alone and they let me. But it speaks to the character of these two...when seeing me tired and in need...jumping in to lend a hand without being asked.



My organized butcher block


Progression #1. Front shoulder straight out of the bag.


Progression #2. All the nasty bits off


Progression #3. Breaking it down.

Progression #4. Matt showing me cutting tricks

One thing you should never do is try to estimate the cost per pound for meat when hunting big game. But if I was to do some real superficial math in my head, this is one spendy moose! If you think of essentially two weeks of time off from work, gas, gear, etc...WOW. Since I do not know the finished weight, I can't do this accurately. But overall, we're looking at about a $2,000 experience. (Good thing I could get paid while taking the time off.) And now my freezer is packed to the brim with quality meat.

And, the more I am separated from the woods and the kill...the more I am coming to grips with it. The minute details are still imprinted in my mind, but not the sadness I was feeling. And talking with other moose hunters...not one has had a moose hunting experience that didn't affect them like this one did me. Nice to know I'm not alone and I find a certain respect and comfort in that.

By the way, I finally found another hole in the moose...from the first shot. It was in the shoulder blade. THAT'S how it got both lungs. So not only were it's lungs gone when it just turned to look at me, it had a hole through a shoulder blade! Nice to finally be able to pinpoint where the shot hit...and that it was really a one shot affair. But very minute amounts of meat were damaged and literally no bloodshot.

Moose Hunting Success

Here begins an abbreviated story about my first, last, and only bull moose hunting trip in Idaho.

Zimmer and I made it to camp Sunday afternoon with no problem. Got our stuff organized and straightened out and Monday morning went on a scouting/wood gathering trip. We got to the top of Canuck Pass and glassed out our first bull in the basin! We got giddy and excited, then heard something crashing in the brush about 25 yards behind us. Soon, a cow came tearing across the road followed by a HUGE bull...the first thing we saw with him coming over the hill were antlers. He ran across the road heading for the cow. We were just grinning, thinking, "well hey, our first real day here and we already saw two bulls! This will be simple!"

Negative.


Yogi's tent


The whole shebang


All the bikes

So we finally decided to go cut some wood...I think we must have had nearly a cord of wood in camp! But it got cold up there, so a fire was pretty much always roaring. Nice to have that little bit of comfort. Not to mention Yogi's basically a master at cooking, so we ate like kings as well.


Cedar grilled salmon!

Well, finally Wednesday arrived and we could actually hunt. Everyone went out and only saw cows! Bummer. But it was also the start of cow ELK season, so there were a lot of people out and about too.

I decided to take off and do my own thing Thursday. So I drove up to the pass and glassed...finally spotting a cow down in the basin bedded down. I went in the brush after her to see if there was a bull with her, but no dice. And that brush is THICK, it makes walking and generally just getting around tough. So I tried another area further to the north and found another one of the five moose hunters headed in. We chatted for a bit and I let him do his thing there...bad idea to step on toes in that situation. Nice fellas though, I wish them luck.

Not really knowing where to go and it being the middle of the day, I made my way out of the woods, even further to the north to get some fuel in the truck. My plan was to do that, then head back up to glass the basin. But, rounding a bend in the road I saw a bull moose! I shut the truck down and headed after him. He stopped in the road and I hit my butt, leveled at him in a quartering away shot, and fired. He turned perfectly broadside and looked at me like, "WHAT?!" The second shot followed the first by a second or two and hit his spine, which dropped him. The terrible part was having to run up to him and shoot him in the back of the head.

All of a sudden, the hunt was over.


Me "smiling"


Me "smiling" again


The moose (measured 34 inches)

Now the work began. Since I was in the freaking road, I hauled out a rope and had to drag this guy to a wide spot...only 30 yards or so. My leg was bouncing on the clutch, I had that much adrenaline pumping.

Well, I was alone. Camp was an hour away. Couldn't leave the bull there and get help, so I proceeded to dress him out. Luckily I know a slick trick to doing that. Basically you can get all the pieces off of one side, flip the critter over and get all those pieces. The very last thing you do is gut it to get the tenderloins and ribs. But doing that alone is awkward work, and tricky. After three hours of sweating and talking to EVERYONE coming down the road, I loaded it all in the truck and was able to leave nothing but a spine and a gut pile. I didn't waste a scrap. The birds will have a tough time getting anything off of what was left.



Butch and I


Cleaning


My professional meat pole


The hide and game bags

I didn't know what to do with the hide, but knew I wasn't going to get the whole thing tanned...that's very expensive. And, taking an animal apart like I did doesn't really allow for removing it like you normally do. That's why it looks like it does.


Drying game bags


The crew at camp. Zimmer, Yogi, Butch (left to right)


Heading out with a full load


The caravan

Now, there are other stories and other things happened but I'm not going into that now. Zimmer didn't run into a bull that week, so he and Butch are headed back up this coming weekend. I took today off and spent the full day getting checked by the Fish and Game (mandatory), organizing for carving the quarters up, and cleaning clothes and gear. There is a lot that goes into hunting, more than one would imagine.

But you can probably notice my tone through all of this.

Somber.

Sad.

I do NOT road hunt. And chancing into this bull on the road was definitely a gift. But it's almost disappointing. I've nearly cried numerous times, but never opened up and let it out. To kill a creature this massive is indescribable. But you take away the chase, the tracking, the leg-work, and basically you are just out there shooting a beautiful creature that is just in the wrong place at that exact moment. And when you shoot it (hitting both lungs I might add) and all it does is turn to look at you...well, it's amazing. And now I have that memory cemented in my brain along with the look in his eyes when I finished him off. It wasn't a look of fear; but it was a definite look that I cannot describe.

I was quoted telling Butch late one night, "I would give it back if I could." But then I have to remind myself that it was a gift, and quite a gift indeed.

CAN'T WAIT

I wish I could express to you the emotions I'm feeling! I want to leave immediately, but I cannot. I have obligations to bring certain supplies to camp and to lead someone up to said camp. I have been ready and could have been ready days ago. But I am biding my time.

What am I thinking and feeling? ANXIETY. I know once i'm into hunting mode, I'll be fine. But not knowing is killing me. I find a need to know where I'm going, what is going to happen when there, about what I'm hunting, and how to deal with it once it's down. I hate the wait!

I will meet Zimmer tomorrow at 0900 at Butch's house. We will secure some ATVs and I shall tow the load to camp. Zimmer shall follow.

After that, Monday is a woodcutting day, which I will spend logging in the effort of getting enough wood to last us the winter. Always have to think of not being able to get into the high country. Talked to Butch tonight and they have seen one nice bull in their first day of hunting. Good to have scouts ahead of you I guess, but I wish they could have seen more.

The bummer is that I have to be able to relax for two days before the season opens for Zimmer and I! Can't just go moose hunting. But it will work out. I need to calm down and enjoy my time off...that's what I'm there for!

I'm so jacked I can't even write. I'll be lucky if I can sleep tonight. I need to go, I need to be there. I need to hunt!

Pretty much sums it up.