Driven Hunting In Sweden

My best mate had decided that it was time we went on a hunt so he flew in from London and we caught up in Stockholm. We then caught a connecting flight north to the artic circle to a small village that I know reasonably well because I’d met my wife there a few years earlier. We were picked up by our guide and dinner at the local Chinese restaurant. We then dropped into the local outfitters where I bought my first Harkila Q Jacket and my mate bought his harkila pants, top and jacket. We had our Australian and African gear as well but when in Rome! We had a big look at a Lynx that weighed 40+kg.


As we drove the winding track towards the camp a moose cow ran in front of the volvo so I was happy to see at least one. A few reindeer on the side of the track and I thought I’d better start getting the camera out.



When we got to our accommodation it was then necessary for our guide to confirm our skills as hunters. A bear target was placed at 80m and we were asked to put two shots quickly between the eyes. I was told this was in case of bear attack as there were few in the area. I was handed a rusted out Carl Gustaf in 8x57 with a 2MoA aimpoint sight using 196gr Vulkan . Not having shot either rifle or used an aimpoint before and 30 hours of jetlag I just lined up and fired, immediately reloading and firing again offhand. When we examined the target there was only one hole in the forehead. They started to laugh that I missed with one of my shots. Given the target was big enough and my sight picture was okay and examined the target more closely and noticed my hole was elongated. I concluded that I had two bullets in the same hole. The laughing stopped and then there was a lot internal debate in Swedish while my mate and I were winking. Next it was my mates go and he is an exceptional shot for somebody who doesn’t compete or hunt as much as he’d like. He had two bullets 1 “ apart. With some gruff comments it was you bloody guys can shoot. We were presented with a traditional Sammi knife by a local knife smith which I still have and use to this day. Then it was straight to the grog and they had plenty of my favourite pear cider as we all sat in the hottub looking at the northern sky.




A few more locals joined us in the morning plus my host. After breakfast we were told to select our rifles. Before I could take two steps forward the two I wanted were all gone and all that was left was that rusting carl Gustaf. As I reluctantly picked it up I was thinking that the worst possible hunting scenario for me is a moose in the open at 100m running and everybody watching as I miss as I working the action and try to get a dot with the right lead.

 

[mchughcb]

Next morning we headed out and I saw 8 or so capercaille in front of the car. I was told get out and get one. I grabbed the carl gustaff and loaded up a round the capers were doing a runner and I lined up the last one and with ever little lead at 30+m fired. The caper went down and started fluttering along the forest. My mate who is faster than me jumped out and ran it down. The bullet had clipped the front of its breast and he promptly necked it. Super said our guide. We’ll have caper for dinner.





I was dropped off in a location where the moose might come out and told to stay there. My worst fears were realized when I could see the forest at 200m and I had nothing to lean on if anything came out. So I fashioned a pair of shooting sticks to at least give me half a chance. Well after four hours they came and picked me up.


My mate had just shot a 15 pointer so I was off to help with extraction. When I got there I saw that he had shot the bull walking out in the swamp at more than 350m. On the bluff with a good rest, he’d swapped his tikka T3 in 308 for the guides 300 Win Mag. First shot dropped it, it got up, struggled, second shot put it down and that was that.





Back at camp there was plenty of eating, drinking, saunas and hotubs.

 

[mchughcb]

Next morning I was up in a high seat with the local. This time we’d swapped dogs from Elkhounds to Plotthunds. After 5 hours of seeing nothing we got down. I was intrigued by the construction of these highseats and wished the trees were available in Australia to cut down the construction costs. Years later I would start to build and use my own. I wish I had of asked more at the time about the construction methods.



In the afternoon I was dropped off at another spot after 4 hours I heard a couple of shots. I got picked up again and my mate had shot a cow. This time with the tikka running through on a game trail with the elkhound on its tail. One of the locals had also shot a cow with a Browning BAR one very good shot through the trees in the narrowest of gaps.





Back at camp there was plenty of eating, drinking, saunas and hot tubs.


Next morning I walked the hounds in and off they went. After two hours the hard circled back and were on the tail of a massive bull moose. When the local realized it was coming back we had a 1km run through the forest to get back to where it was going to cross the track. We missed it by a minute and the dogs came through and we caught them. The mooses hoof print was as big as my size 9 boot. With nothing else for the day we headed back to camp and my mate went off in search of capers with a local’s finnish spitz and a little 22 hornet but never located any.





Back at camp there was plenty of eating, drinking, saunas and hotubs. As that was our last day and were were heading off in the morning for business.

 

[mchughcb]

That evening the guide thought we could have one more very very early hunt maybe I’d get lucky and we’d go. So we were up before the crack of dawn and off we headed into the forest with his best dog. The dog brought a moose back to us but a couple of hundred metres in the forest it turned, crossed a river and the dog went off on another scent. It started to rain so we jumped in the cars everyone put their rifles away. As there wasn’t enough space, I had my rifle with me, unloaded the rifle, closed up the action. Drove to a small track down hill from a logging coop. We got out of the car and was listening to the dog and watching the Garmin. The dog was 1300m away and slowly coming towards the area. My guide said, sorry no luck this time. At that point a 6 point moose came trotting out of the forest few hundred metres away. My other Swedish mate said MOOOSE!! Everyone froze. As I was the only one with a rifle, my guide whispered, don’t move we have the wind in our favour. The moose continued on its merry way, getting closer and closer. Slowly lifted the rifle up and was following the moose with red dot just about nose lead for about 30 seconds. Then I started to think back to my first day and the worst possible scenario. Offhand, running moose plenty of witnesses, busted old Carl Gustaff and an aimpoint.

When the moose got to 100m my guide said now, now shoot. Of course when I pulled the trigger an almighty click and I realized I’d forgotten to put a bullet up spout. The moose stopped. It looked in our position. Nobody moved. After about 20 seconds it put its head forward and started to trot at some speed. In the blink of an eye I reloaded and fired. First shot it, it staggered and then started to move real fast. Second shot hit it again. I dropped, got back up and took off back to the forest at a rate of knots and we lost sight of it over the rise. The guide said don’t worry the first shot was good. We wait one hour. I get my best dog into track it. So back to camp we grabbed the dog and headed bake to meet everyone at the site. He let his dog go and I walked up behind it. Buried in the artic heath I didn’t see it but the dog went straight for it. Well now it was time for celebration. They cut the throat and I had to drink a cup of warm blood for my first bull moose.


The phones were running hot. We had to cancel the business meetings, re-arrange flights etc. When we got the moose back to camp I was going to do my own dressing so using my new custom knife off to work I went with the instruction of the locals. With the a few hours to relax the guide prepared my capercaillie for celebration. For those that haven’t eaten capers they are the best, along with Swedish moose meatballs, gravy, mash and berries.



Back at camp there was plenty of eating, drinking, saunas and hotubs.

As I left the village the guide was keen to talk to use about a hunting simulator. When in Stockholm we went the amusement centre called Ball Breaker. Here we had an hour on practice on the system trying all types of running targets.






When I got back to Australia I bought my first aimpoint H1 Micro before there was even a distributor in Australia. I setup the purchase of the system for my hunt association. That resulted in the Swedish inventor coming to Australia and I taking him out on a driven deer hunt and he did not fail to impress. Which is another story!

We had a great time and there is a lot similarities to how they hunt and how I spend some of my time hunting. I can highly recommend the experience to any hunter.

 

[Border]

Nice write up, even if it was a few years ago. Any plans to hunt europe again in the future?

 

[mchughcb]

Yes. I would like to. Ill need to pull the finger out though and im always keen to try my hand at anything. Im not a trophy hunter so im just out for the experience.

 

[Cootmeurer]

....... Im not a trophy hunter so im just out for the experience.

Thank you for sharing - and I very much share your sentiment. An outstanding experience is far more important to me than a trophy (not that I would pass up a trophy). I once passed up a chance at a massive bull elk, because it was a herd reduction and it, along with another bull, were in a 10 acre fenced pen. No different than shooting cattle, and I could hardly look at a rack like that on the wall with any sense of pride. A great sporting experience is the real trophy.

 

[KB1]

Good read, thanks for posting. Did driven moose in Finland (through a friend). May try it again next year.