First Moose Hunt

I was talking with a young man the other day about hunting and he stated that he wished he could go on a moose hunt when he got back from his tour of duty. I then told him about my very first moose hunt and how things just never seemed to go my way after close to 5 days hunting in those willows for the giant deer called moose.
I was taken up to Canada by some old timers, who hunted every season they could for moose. They always shared their meat with the group equally, so everybody had meat to put in their freezers for the winter.

I can remember them telling me on the ride up to the North Country, NEVER shoot a moose standing in knee high water. It must have gone into one ear and out the other because when I saw that big critter I got very excited to say the least. All I could think about was don't miss the shot and don't let him get away into those willows. I was using a .270 Winchester back in those days with a 150 grn bullet, I believe they were "silver tips" but I can't remember anymore. I do remember I shot that moose the first time and thought I had missed. The big brown critter just stood their for a moment and started to walk off slowly. I shot again......Boom! He simply picked up the pace and was now in knee high water.

I thought to myself, could I have missed altogether? Then the bull just stood there and I fired 1 more time being carefull to put the sights right behind his shoulder 1/3 up from his belly. Boom! and he started to wobble in his rearend, before I could get another bullet into the chamber of my rifle, the big bull made a splash and laid their stone dead. Now my troubles had just started, as one of the older men came to my rescue. I never knew skinning a moose out could be such a job, especially in 2 foot of water. I certainly did learn a big lesson that day. I also learned something from the older men about cutting that critter up and how to use a set of rope falls and snatch blocks to move the monster moose. Oh yeah, I hit that moose all 3 times with my Jack O'Conner special~

Moose rearly die quickly when shot in the lungs, many old timers shoot them once and if they know they hit just wait a bit and the moose will stand there until they drop. It rearly matters what you shoot them with in the lungs. I preferr to shoot them through the top of the shoulders with a slow heavy bullet that doesn't ruin a lot of meat. My 358 winchester is my favorite put I have shot them with .338, and 375 magnums as well as 270 win and a 9mm rifle. I have not often seen a lung shot moose drop in it's tracks, and a agree about the shooting them in the water, it shoud be avoided when possible. I do think every hunter should shoot and pack at least one moose.