The transition from hunting bull moose during the rut to hunting them afterwards is akin to switching from defence to offence. During the rut, it’s all about bringing bulls to you. After the rut, you have to go hard after them.

Why the change in tactics? The rut is taxing on bulls. They continually travel their home ranges in search of receptive cows, and often have to fight other bulls for breeding rights. As well, foraging is a low priority. So, by the time the rut ends, breeding-aged bulls are often exhausted and in markedly diminished physical condition.

Post-rut, recuperation is on the agenda as the bulls prepare for the coming harsh winter. They’ll no longer be interested in your cow calls, and will instead go to ground to rest and feed. But you can still hunt them. Here’s how.

Narrow the search

Bulls typically seek solitude following the rut, though they may tolerate the presence of other bulls. They also search for the highest-quality foods. Depending where you hunt, this could be willows, alder, birch, dogwood or other shrubs. The best forage will be growing in relatively open areas, not under the canopy of mature trees, where there is less growth. Often these prime feeding locations are associated with logging clearcuts, regrowth after burns, river deltas, south-facing slopes, lakeshores and riparian habitat. While the annual flooding and receding of water ensures continued shrub growth along rivers and lakes, shrubs in logged or burned areas will provide high-quality forage for about 15 years before they’re overtaken by trees.