Get the 30-06 and you can load it with varying weight bullets to shoot small critters all the way up through elk, moose, and caribou with absloutley no problem at all as long as you use the proper bullet for the intended animal. About the only thing I wouldn't carry one for would be for a girzzly or brown bear.
PS: What is an acquisition license? Might you be up in one of the Canadian Provinces?