Miserable moose hunting

johnnycake · Oct 1, 2023

First, I really hate moose hunting. Day after day of glassing trying to find a legal bull. One once you do, it's not hard to get close to them, they're dumb and ornery, but once you kill them the real hell starts.

Killed this bull on Day 9 after putting +32 miles on our boots, 3 mile packout. Did the first load on foot and then managed to bargain for access across private to be able to get a machine on a trail to recover the rest. No more swamp donkeys for me unless they decide to commit suicide next to the truck.

.270 with 130 gr copper bullets. DRT. Just like the last two moose I killed with it.

goforbroke · Oct 2, 2023

I would love to get a moose like thar!!! Nice job

hawkbill · Oct 2, 2023

Nice congratulations- you will be back at it again once you rest up

Soj51hopeful · Oct 2, 2023

Can’t hate it too much. There’s a couple big smiles in those pictures.

BradA · Oct 2, 2023

Dang that looks like a great one to me! One day I hope to kill one. Congratulations, for reference how wide is he ?

johnnycake · Oct 2, 2023

BradA said:
Dang that looks like a great one to me! One day I hope to kill one. Congratulations, for reference how wide is he ?

I still haven't stuck him between a wall and a board to be completely accurate, but from the measurements we've taken he's definitely at least 55"

hawkbill said:
Nice congratulations- you will be back at it again once you rest up

Hard pass. I'm done. I've only convinced myself to go back moose hunting before now because I had only shot a forkie and then a 34" 3 brow bull (both up on this same swamp plateau, both with miserable recoveries). Now that I've got my nice one, I'm done.

Ranger1 · Oct 2, 2023

Congrats on a great swamp donkey!

LIK2HNT · Oct 2, 2023

Nice and congratulations.
What state?

copple2 · Oct 2, 2023

Great bull @johnnycake !!

And by hate it, you mean you hate it until February hits and you've forgotten the pain and can't wait till another September comes around for more!

Thanks for sharing. Hope you've been well.

Cozmo8 · Oct 2, 2023

Great looking bull

johnnycake · Oct 2, 2023

copple2 said:
Great bull @johnnycake !!

And by hate it, you mean you hate it until February hits and you've forgotten the pain and can't wait till another September comes around for more!

Thanks for sharing. Hope you've been well.

This time I swear it's the last time. I may have sworn that before, but this time I really mean it. I'll go chase more birds and bears instead of mucking in the swamps after dumb donkeys

johnnycake · Oct 2, 2023

LIK2HNT said:
Nice and congratulations.
What state?

Alaska

hawkbill · Oct 2, 2023

In another weeks rest you’ll be wanting a bigger one.

30PointBuck · Oct 2, 2023

It is like heavy drinking. Don't forget the hangover of the pack out...or else you'll do it again.

johnnycake · Oct 2, 2023

hawkbill said:
In another weeks rest you’ll be wanting a bigger one.

I'm good. Unless he wants to stand uphill of the truck 50 yards away in season somewhere I can shoot him with a loaded gun handy...

Founder · Oct 2, 2023

Wow! He’s a big one for sure. Definitely looks like some serious work though. Congrats to you.

littlebighorn · Oct 3, 2023

Most of us would welcome a little misery for a chance at a nice bull like that. No doubt they require serious effort.
Nice bull.

johnnycake · Oct 3, 2023

littlebighorn said:
Most of us would welcome a little misery for a chance at a nice bull like that. No doubt they require serious effort.
Nice bull.

Proof right there that most of us are naive and stupid beyond all ken

twdjr · Oct 5, 2023

Nice going!

Bambistew · Oct 19, 2023

Moose hunting sucks, especially when you shoot two at the same time.

johnnycake · Oct 19, 2023

Bambistew said:
Moose hunting sucks, especially when you shoot two at the same time.

I thank my lucky stars that I've never been that stupid

mozey · Oct 20, 2023

Good for you. Based on how good my one and only moose tasted, it seems like a nice problem to have. I get it though. After killing a 365" elk about 10 miles from the nearest road and the subsequent 4-day pack out, I swore I'd never elk hunt again. That lasted about a year before I couldn't stand not being out there. But I've since passed on several bulls. I figure it needs to be pushing 400" or else standing near a road before I'll pull that trigger again. But having waded around a little in those Alaska swamps with the mosquitoes and black flies, I also get why that wouldn't be nearly as fun as elk hunting...

Thill · Oct 20, 2023

Sometimes you need to wait until they are in the right place - har har.

Man I worked my arse off trying to roll him over to dress him out before the tractor came to haul him back to my truck.