Driven hunt for Moose in Sweden.
Got an invitation to come along on a driven hunt in south Sweden.
Day 1 at 07,30 we where 15 rifles at the gathering place. We where told the limit was 1 bull and 1 calf. As soon a shot was head, everyone had to stop shooting, until radio message had been received, about what had been shot at. Everyone had a hunting radio (the loaned me one), and had WeHunt app, showing the map and towers.
Until the bull was shot, we were not allowed to shoot at anything else than moose. There was a lot of pigs in the area, but no pigs before the bull. We where asked to tell on the radio when moose was sighted, and of course when we fired a shot. When the drives where over we would get a message on the radio.
There should be 2 drives that day, each drive had about 5-600 hectares, and the rifles would be placed in turrets inside the drive. There would be 2 drivers, each with one dog.
We were shown a map of the woods with all towers clearly marked, and a lottery for the tower numbers was made. I draw tower number 1.
Another hunter who would sit nearby, took me along in his car, and put me close to “my” tower, and I found it using WeHunt map. Shortly after arrival at the tower the first sightings of moose came in over the radio.
1½ hour inside the drive, there had been no shots fired, I heard a dog come closer while barking, so I got ready. A would boar came, half walking half running towards my tower. As I was not allowed to shoot it I wanted to take a picture. The boar was clearly tired, and just 20 meters beside my turret it stopped to catch its breath, while the dog sounded like it was still around 200 meters behind.
I got my phone up to take a picture, but lost it, and it dropped down on the wooden floorboards of the tower and continued down into the tight blueberry bushes under me.
The boar was standing still and heard the sound. Instead of running it just slowly turned its tired head and looked at me, with its tired eyes for 5-6 seconds before starting to move again. I could not help feeling a bit sorry for it, but on the other hand was it lucky, because if I had been allowed to shoot it the matter would have been different.
Less than a minute later the dog came barking. It did not run fast, and I could see why the boar had no problem staying in front of it.
Then 30 minutes later I my eye suddenly caught a glimpse of movement between the trees. A moose was coming, and it had direction towards me. The rifle got up, heart started beating, safety off, every sense ready to receive the moose who where coming closer and closer.
Then I looked at it through the rifle scope, turned down to 2,5x mag, and saw it was a cow, so no shot allowed. Safety on again, rifle slowly down, and enjoy the sight of this large animal who passed 35-40 meters beside my tower. That large animal just moved through the very swampy hard terrain with an ease like it would have been on an open hard field. It wasn’t really running, but rather walking in quick pace.
I reported the sight on the radio and hoped for a bull or calf next.
Shortly after the first drive of the day ended, without any shots fired.
After a lunch at the gathering point, we got new towers in another area, where I had to sit on a rocky hill close to a road. This drive only lasted about 1 hour before 2 quick shots where head.
Some confusion on the radio, but it turned out a bull had been shot by tower number 11. From now on we could shoot pigs when any was seen.
The drive only lasted another 15-20 minutes, before message on the radio called us back to the gathering place. We where to help getting the dead moose bull out to nearest road using a sled.
Once that animal was loaded onto a trailer, I can honestly say: Even a smell moose bull like the one here, are really heavy.
That evening after dinner, I got offered to sit in night tower on pig feeding place. Was told to shoot any miscolored pig before black ones, and if a badger came by shoot it as they wanted to eat it.
I only sat for less than 10 minutes before a big badger came sniffing around the Mais and apples on the feeding ground. To my surprise the 30-06 bullet went right through without making damage, but the badger dropped on the spot. The Sweeds got happy, and immediately started skinning and butchering the animal, as they wanted to smoke the meat. A sample put in the Trichinosis test kit and send of to be answered when the meat should be ready from the smoker.
Day 2 we where only 7 rifles and 1 driver/dog. Now we were allowed to shoot one moose calf and/or all the pigs we could.
The whole day went by without any of us firing any shots. A moose cow was seen, but not a single pig.
The last evening, I again sat in the tower beside the feeding ground. I sat to midnight without any movement at all, before deciding to go back and sleep in the cabin.
Next day the drive home had to start, but I just had to go past the feeding ground to se if there had been any activity after I left. There had been pigs, everything was eaten, and the ground was all diged up, so I obviously went home to early.
That way the little Swedish adventure ended.
Got an invitation to come along on a driven hunt in south Sweden.
Day 1 at 07,30 we where 15 rifles at the gathering place. We where told the limit was 1 bull and 1 calf. As soon a shot was head, everyone had to stop shooting, until radio message had been received, about what had been shot at. Everyone had a hunting radio (the loaned me one), and had WeHunt app, showing the map and towers.
Until the bull was shot, we were not allowed to shoot at anything else than moose. There was a lot of pigs in the area, but no pigs before the bull. We where asked to tell on the radio when moose was sighted, and of course when we fired a shot. When the drives where over we would get a message on the radio.
There should be 2 drives that day, each drive had about 5-600 hectares, and the rifles would be placed in turrets inside the drive. There would be 2 drivers, each with one dog.
We were shown a map of the woods with all towers clearly marked, and a lottery for the tower numbers was made. I draw tower number 1.
Another hunter who would sit nearby, took me along in his car, and put me close to “my” tower, and I found it using WeHunt map. Shortly after arrival at the tower the first sightings of moose came in over the radio.
1½ hour inside the drive, there had been no shots fired, I heard a dog come closer while barking, so I got ready. A would boar came, half walking half running towards my tower. As I was not allowed to shoot it I wanted to take a picture. The boar was clearly tired, and just 20 meters beside my turret it stopped to catch its breath, while the dog sounded like it was still around 200 meters behind.
I got my phone up to take a picture, but lost it, and it dropped down on the wooden floorboards of the tower and continued down into the tight blueberry bushes under me.
The boar was standing still and heard the sound. Instead of running it just slowly turned its tired head and looked at me, with its tired eyes for 5-6 seconds before starting to move again. I could not help feeling a bit sorry for it, but on the other hand was it lucky, because if I had been allowed to shoot it the matter would have been different.
Less than a minute later the dog came barking. It did not run fast, and I could see why the boar had no problem staying in front of it.
Then 30 minutes later I my eye suddenly caught a glimpse of movement between the trees. A moose was coming, and it had direction towards me. The rifle got up, heart started beating, safety off, every sense ready to receive the moose who where coming closer and closer.
Then I looked at it through the rifle scope, turned down to 2,5x mag, and saw it was a cow, so no shot allowed. Safety on again, rifle slowly down, and enjoy the sight of this large animal who passed 35-40 meters beside my tower. That large animal just moved through the very swampy hard terrain with an ease like it would have been on an open hard field. It wasn’t really running, but rather walking in quick pace.
I reported the sight on the radio and hoped for a bull or calf next.
Shortly after the first drive of the day ended, without any shots fired.
After a lunch at the gathering point, we got new towers in another area, where I had to sit on a rocky hill close to a road. This drive only lasted about 1 hour before 2 quick shots where head.
Some confusion on the radio, but it turned out a bull had been shot by tower number 11. From now on we could shoot pigs when any was seen.
The drive only lasted another 15-20 minutes, before message on the radio called us back to the gathering place. We where to help getting the dead moose bull out to nearest road using a sled.
Once that animal was loaded onto a trailer, I can honestly say: Even a smell moose bull like the one here, are really heavy.
That evening after dinner, I got offered to sit in night tower on pig feeding place. Was told to shoot any miscolored pig before black ones, and if a badger came by shoot it as they wanted to eat it.
I only sat for less than 10 minutes before a big badger came sniffing around the Mais and apples on the feeding ground. To my surprise the 30-06 bullet went right through without making damage, but the badger dropped on the spot. The Sweeds got happy, and immediately started skinning and butchering the animal, as they wanted to smoke the meat. A sample put in the Trichinosis test kit and send of to be answered when the meat should be ready from the smoker.
Day 2 we where only 7 rifles and 1 driver/dog. Now we were allowed to shoot one moose calf and/or all the pigs we could.
The whole day went by without any of us firing any shots. A moose cow was seen, but not a single pig.
The last evening, I again sat in the tower beside the feeding ground. I sat to midnight without any movement at all, before deciding to go back and sleep in the cabin.
Next day the drive home had to start, but I just had to go past the feeding ground to se if there had been any activity after I left. There had been pigs, everything was eaten, and the ground was all diged up, so I obviously went home to early.
That way the little Swedish adventure ended.
.
