Letting them walk - a ramble
09-27-2005, 02:07 PM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 494
Letting them walk - a ramble
This is a ramble (as opposed to a rant - I'm not pi$$ed). Saw 3 bull moose this season but didn't fill my tag:
Bull #1 was about 50 yards, but saw nothing but antlers and rear end trotting through the brush. No temptation at all to shoot.
Bull #2 was within 70 yds and stood broadside - a huge buffalo-like body, but modest antlers (antlers are irrelevant to me, but the body-antler relationship was definitely out of whack). Passed on shot. Had discussed it earlier with mates, and decided beforehand as a group not to shoot in this particular location because it was a huge physical effort to get a moose out of it (we'd already made the mistake once and were loading up yeat another heavy load of meat at the kill sitewhen this big boy walked up). After all, for us, every moose kill is a group effort. It was my shot and my call, but I felt it was the right decision and three of my four partners supported decision. Other guy said he would have shot it (he's a stud and hunting fanatic to boot), but the rest of us would not have been happy. Plus I had several more days to hunt.
Bull #3 was approximately 300 yards (verified later with rangefinder) with plenty of time to shoot, but I didn't have a decent rest, and hadn't practiced making any shots at that distance with my 30-06. Easy to pass on the shot, especially because of Bull #3, but regret not being a better and more confident shot. Partner with 7mm mag said he wound't have shot either. Tried calling him out, but no go.
I had a ball, even though I didn't bag a bull, but second guess all these decisions since I ended up not bagging one (luckily, the party got enough meat).
Bull #1 was about 50 yards, but saw nothing but antlers and rear end trotting through the brush. No temptation at all to shoot.
Bull #2 was within 70 yds and stood broadside - a huge buffalo-like body, but modest antlers (antlers are irrelevant to me, but the body-antler relationship was definitely out of whack). Passed on shot. Had discussed it earlier with mates, and decided beforehand as a group not to shoot in this particular location because it was a huge physical effort to get a moose out of it (we'd already made the mistake once and were loading up yeat another heavy load of meat at the kill sitewhen this big boy walked up). After all, for us, every moose kill is a group effort. It was my shot and my call, but I felt it was the right decision and three of my four partners supported decision. Other guy said he would have shot it (he's a stud and hunting fanatic to boot), but the rest of us would not have been happy. Plus I had several more days to hunt.
Bull #3 was approximately 300 yards (verified later with rangefinder) with plenty of time to shoot, but I didn't have a decent rest, and hadn't practiced making any shots at that distance with my 30-06. Easy to pass on the shot, especially because of Bull #3, but regret not being a better and more confident shot. Partner with 7mm mag said he wound't have shot either. Tried calling him out, but no go.
I had a ball, even though I didn't bag a bull, but second guess all these decisions since I ended up not bagging one (luckily, the party got enough meat).
10-06-2005, 11:13 AM
#3
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA
Posts: 494
RE: Letting them walk - a ramble
Yes, it was a great hunt. All in all I enjoyed it more than a previous moose hunt where I managed to kill a very large bull. I can't imagine what I could do over. I think I will practice judging 2-300 yd. ranges and practicing shooting at various distances between to see if I can shoot well enough to try a longer shot next time.
