The invitation was for the first moose hunt of the year, starting 1st September way up North.
We would hunt for 3-4 days, the hunts would be quick and we would target small bulls, cows and calves. I couldn’t get the trip booked quickly enough. For once we both had time in hand, so travel Friday, travel North Saturday afternoon, meet the team, shoot the test, pre hunt brief and draw for stands Sunday.
The weather was most unScandinavian, warm, 20C, dry and sunny. I parked the heavy waterproof jacket and gloves, the Thermacell I kept humming. I was never more dependant on a single piece of gear in my life.
Rifle for the trip was a very nice, a Merkel Helix in .308, plus a Swarovski scope. No problem , no pressure, just the test to do.
And then the problem occurred, I effed up the helix and ended up shooting with an old Husqvarna .30/06 with an ancient 2-7 Redfield on top.
It worked, perfectly, its pretty much what I’m used to, I pass the test and I’m hunting tomorrow
0430 Monday, up, dressed showered shaved and sober, we’re off for the first hunt of the year. My stand is on the side of a forestry track, there are 9 of us and one dog in the drive and in minutes theres a moose on the move. The first one is a cow with twin calves, the dog is caught up and another moose is sought. This is one good moose dog. He has no give up in him, 45 minutes later he walks down the road past my stand, 3 Km from his handler, hits a scent and opens up.
Bow, bow, bow, it’s a hot scent and the moose holes up about 100M from me in a thick stand of birch scrub and Scots pine.
I can’t see either dog or moose, but I’m clutching the rifle and concentrating on the bits between the trees hard enough to bring on a migraine, after a few minutes the dog moves, obviously following the moose, I see nothing and then theres a shot, followed by 2 more and then a call on the radio.
Moose down. Time for the hard work. Its only 1030.
We have an 18month old cow with no calf and she’s big enough that everyone is happy.
I toddle along to make myself useful and very soon all 9 of us are very much employed. I sweat so much that mosquitos are washed clean off my back and down between the cheeks of my ass ( at least I think thats how they got there)
It’s 22C and we are rushing to get the cow into a chiller before she gets fly struck or spoiled. The quad makes short work of recovery.
While most of the team heads directly for the larder, we elder lemons drop off the guns, grab a drink of water, a six pack some sun block and follow on.
Admittedly this moose is not too big, but when your idea of “ big “ has been formed by sika and fallow, they’re bloody enormous.
We finish around 6 with the moose quartered and hanging in the chiller.
We drive back to HQ for another pre hunt meeting and brief, we’re going out again tomorrow, target will be calves or a small adult.
Moose hunting is strictly controlled, there are 65 animals on the licence but the hunt is managed to provide hunting right through the season, this is September, the first hunt, most of the bigger animals will be shot in October, if we shoot another adult, that will be it for September, we have to be careful and selective tomorrow.
We would hunt for 3-4 days, the hunts would be quick and we would target small bulls, cows and calves. I couldn’t get the trip booked quickly enough. For once we both had time in hand, so travel Friday, travel North Saturday afternoon, meet the team, shoot the test, pre hunt brief and draw for stands Sunday.
The weather was most unScandinavian, warm, 20C, dry and sunny. I parked the heavy waterproof jacket and gloves, the Thermacell I kept humming. I was never more dependant on a single piece of gear in my life.
Rifle for the trip was a very nice, a Merkel Helix in .308, plus a Swarovski scope. No problem , no pressure, just the test to do.
And then the problem occurred, I effed up the helix and ended up shooting with an old Husqvarna .30/06 with an ancient 2-7 Redfield on top.
It worked, perfectly, its pretty much what I’m used to, I pass the test and I’m hunting tomorrow
0430 Monday, up, dressed showered shaved and sober, we’re off for the first hunt of the year. My stand is on the side of a forestry track, there are 9 of us and one dog in the drive and in minutes theres a moose on the move. The first one is a cow with twin calves, the dog is caught up and another moose is sought. This is one good moose dog. He has no give up in him, 45 minutes later he walks down the road past my stand, 3 Km from his handler, hits a scent and opens up.
Bow, bow, bow, it’s a hot scent and the moose holes up about 100M from me in a thick stand of birch scrub and Scots pine.
I can’t see either dog or moose, but I’m clutching the rifle and concentrating on the bits between the trees hard enough to bring on a migraine, after a few minutes the dog moves, obviously following the moose, I see nothing and then theres a shot, followed by 2 more and then a call on the radio.
Moose down. Time for the hard work. Its only 1030.
We have an 18month old cow with no calf and she’s big enough that everyone is happy.
I toddle along to make myself useful and very soon all 9 of us are very much employed. I sweat so much that mosquitos are washed clean off my back and down between the cheeks of my ass ( at least I think thats how they got there)
It’s 22C and we are rushing to get the cow into a chiller before she gets fly struck or spoiled. The quad makes short work of recovery.
While most of the team heads directly for the larder, we elder lemons drop off the guns, grab a drink of water, a six pack some sun block and follow on.
Admittedly this moose is not too big, but when your idea of “ big “ has been formed by sika and fallow, they’re bloody enormous.
We finish around 6 with the moose quartered and hanging in the chiller.
We drive back to HQ for another pre hunt meeting and brief, we’re going out again tomorrow, target will be calves or a small adult.
Moose hunting is strictly controlled, there are 65 animals on the licence but the hunt is managed to provide hunting right through the season, this is September, the first hunt, most of the bigger animals will be shot in October, if we shoot another adult, that will be it for September, we have to be careful and selective tomorrow.
!
