Moose hunting in Minnesota

[Moving2thecountry]

Has anybody here ever hunted moose in Minnesota?  Or just eaten wild moose?  (Is it good?)

I am thinking about working toward a moose hunt with my son in about 10 years, God willing.  He is 7 now.

But is moose good to eat?

Also, I assume you are restricted to hunting in state forests in North Eastern Minnesota.  Do they allow ATVs to help get the moose to a trailer?  [Update:  I mean, can you drive the ATV off-trail].

Just curious.  An article on moose hunting in Minnesota would be very interesting.

[Cody Gruchow]

well first off a moose license is a very tough thing to come by. they only give out so many a year, and once you have tagged out on a moose then thats the only license that you can ever get in minnesota i beleive. its called the once in a lifetime hunt. moose meat is actually pretty tasty, a little tough but not to bad at all. and if you do manage to get a moose lisence and you do tag out its going to be very difficult to get one on the atv, you have to quarter them and carry them out that way.

[Moving2thecountry]

Thanks Cody.  The once in a lifetime deal is why I want to wait until my son is older.  As for the ATV, I was thinking about dragging it, or using an ATV trailer.  A quartered moose would be pretty heavy, wouldn't it?

So it is tough?  Is it basically a trophy hunt then?

[Cody Gruchow]

well quartering it will weight alot less than trying to drag the whole thing out, talking 800+lbs for cows and 1000+lbs for a Bull. well any moose that you get bull or cow i would consider a trophy because not everyone gets one and people wait 5+ years, my uncle has been waiting over 8 years now to get draw for a lisence. there is alot of work in it, but well worth it i think

[Outdoors Junkie]

My uncle was lucky enough to get a moose license with his dad, brother and cousin.  They went to the area in which they could hunt and there was a meeting set up for hunters and local farmers/land owners.  The farmers were telling the hunters what size bull's they had frequenting their property.  Some of the farmers were campaigning to have hunters come to their property.  The farmer that my uncle chose said to call them after they got their bull and he would pick it up with his tractor and put it in their truck.  They hunted a couple days and passed on some smaller bulls and cows, then finally came across the bull they wanted (near a swamp) and brought him down.  Then the farmer came out and loaded it in their truck for them.

[Moving2thecountry]

Wow.  Those farmers sound great.  Nice people.

[Outdoors Junkie]

Wow.  Those farmers sound great.  Nice people.

The moose are constantly doing a great deal of damage to these farmers crops and fences.  My uncle told me that a moose will walk right thru a barbed wire fence, continuing to stretch it as they keep walking forward until the wire snaps like if you or I would walk thru a piece of string.  The moose tear the crap out of crops.  So, the farmers are motivated to help in anyway, to thin the herd.

[cobb]

moose meat is actually pretty tasty, a little tough but not to bad at all.

I don't know where your moose came from, but the few that my dad harvested in Canada where more tender than most beef that I have eaten. 

[trout whisperer]

our party got one in 1983 and we brought it out whole. it was quite a job. we ended up with 404 lbs of boned out meat. you better know how to sharpen a knife. caping it is important to cool the meat. you hunt some unusual country if you draw a tag in ne minnesota. we got ours by isabella.

quartering a moose is not quite what happens. its not like a big deer. the hide alone weighed so much it took two guys to carry the carpet. the meat is very good if taken care of properly. i dont care for moose roasts but jerky, moose burger or thin cut steaks are nice.

atvs have some funny regulations.....and the dnr has special use restrictions as do the bwca and the superior national forest....it depends on where you apply and where your drawn.

a moose is on the ground is like butchering a chevy pickup...i mean its big and it involves some serious work. you may need lanterns if it goes down late in the day. ....ours did...and consider some sort of block and tackle.

good luck tw

[Cody Gruchow]

moose meat is actually pretty tasty, a little tough but not to bad at all.
I don't know where your moose came from, but the few that my dad harvested in Canada where more tender than most beef that I have eaten. 

could of been the way it was made, but it was a little tough

[MnMoose]

Country....
A Moose hunt is going to take a great deal of commitment!!! I cant stress that enough.  It's a two week period if your lucky to draw a tag.  Now If you draw a moose tag which has been Bull only the past few seasons.  And you dont fill out that tag, your done for a lifetime.  So along with that comes a manditory moose education class amongst other things.  I have been applying since 97 and havent gotten a tag yet!!  On the otherhand our shack when leased to Moose hunters has a 100% success rating.  You want to make sure the people you are gonna get involved with have the same drive you do for this hunt.  It may take the full two weeks to get one, then count on a full day of quartering and or hauling depending on the location of the harvest.  I've been with a few parties after a Moose harvest and that when the work begins!!! It is well worth it the meat is fantastic.  But just remember it's not a walk in the park.