We had three other bulls picked out that were bigger than this guy, but the season is only 6 days long, so Thursday morning this guy will have to do! Monday through Wednesday, bulls weren't answering to my calls, but I was able to get this guy to come in to about 40 yards after we scared him away at first light. He weighed in at 680 lbs and had a 38" spread.
Sweet! You have lots of meat there! Great job. I would have thought that he would weigh more than 680, that thing look huge! I see that you are posing with an AR style rifle. What caliber did you use to take that bog boy down and how far did he go?
AR-10 in .308 Winchester. One shot, double lungs. He ran about 40 yards. It was close enough that I saw him pile up. Was also fortunate enough to witness his last breath. I thanked him for his sacrifice in that moment. May seem weird, but if you're a hunter - you'll know what I mean.
A few years ago, that was a BIG problem here. So much so, that moose were just dying on the sides of logging roads in the back woods. But this guy didn't have one tick on him that I could see! Wonder how that happens in just a short period of time?
Wow .308 I thought you would want something a little bigger. I guess they are not that tough of an animal? And I know exactly what you mean about thanking the animal for it's sacrifice to feed your family and thanking God for providing the animal. I always have a moment of silence and give thanks with every animal that I harvest!
It's a lottery instead of a limit. Only 2080 were drawn this year. Some people have put in for 30 years or more and still have never been drawn for the chance at a Maine moose! It was my wife's permit and I was her sub-permittee.
What's the success rate? I know that here in PA we have a lottery drawing for elk and the success rate is something like 95 to 98%!
I shot mine about 7 years ago with a .308. Hit them in the right spot, they'll go down. I've also seen some hit multiple times with an 30.06 or bigger and not go down.
Back in the '80's when the hunt was reintroduced it was that high here for the moose but it's been steadily going down, especially when clear cutting was outlawed. It's probably 80% or lower now.
That will be good eating. I'll take one that size over a monster any day. The one I shot was 750. Pretty much exactly what I was looking for.
Yeah, a .308 is a pretty good all around round. Today's bullets really make a big difference though. But I'd say that's a bullet that is on the low end of what should be used for moose. As with most things though, there's a lot of variables.
Regarding bullet choice: apparently .308 works just fine for moose. Did I mention he only took one round? I chose .308 for a variety of reasons. I already owned the AR in .308 and wanted a common round with the rifle I bought my wife. In one of the photos you can see her .308 Muddy Girl Camo Savage leaning against the tree. She was able to practice with her new rifle for a few hours at a time with no ill effects from recoil. I'm 100% certain this wouldn't have been the case with 30-06 or similar. We were both rocking high end 180 grain bonded bullets. And, this thread shows our results!
You didn't mention your wife was hunting with you! I wondered who's pink rifle. The .308 is a good choice for moose. I know you can use a 30-30 or even a .270 to take moose.
