My first Bull Moose

by Curt
(Athabasca, AB)

I hunted a lot as a younger man growning up in Saskatchewan. I mainly hunted birds and deer. I moved to Alberta in 2005 and met up with the fellow who's now one of my best friends and also my hunting partner. He started taking me hunting with him and his crew in 2007. In 2009 I got drawn for a Bull Moose and harvested my very first one.

He wasn't huge, but he was definitely a good size. My hunting partner's father figured him for about 5 years old. He had a nice rack, again not huge, that looks real good on my wall.

We first saw him right around legal hunting in the morning (30 min's before sunrise) and spent a good 15 min's making sure he had horns. Once sure I crept up to about 200 yards. When I first got into position to shoot he was staring straight at me. Through the scope with the light being the way it was, I couldn't see horns. I knew this was the same bull, but I didn't want to make any mistakes so I began scoping the two bulls about 500 yards on the other side of him. Then he turned and I saw "for sure" horns. Now he was loping away from me across the stubble field and I made a quick decision and took aim at his head.

Yes, I know the head is a VERY poor (and small) target. I figured I'd either drop him in his tracks or I'd stop him long enough for a good shot and let it fly. He immediately stopped broadside and I put the next bullet through his hump. The second shot severed his spine and dropped him in his tracks. That was 225 yards away. It turns out I shot his right eye out with my first shot.

Needless to say, I was a very happy hunter that morning.

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