Moose Hunt

[Pacecount]

Gents,

I had a guided Moose hunt this year in Alaska which was unsuccessful... it happens. I felt the outfitter was solid but I had an incident with a guide and I would like a second opinion.

At first light I spotted a 65"+ moose about a mile away. At last light he fed out into a meadow and was 464 yards away. In short, the guide denied me on a clear shot. I spoke with the guide afterward and he said I did not understand how much respect he had for those animals and he did not want to see me wound it.

Yes, I kept my composure and this was my only opportunity at a moose during the trip. I had a 7mm rem mag with VLD 180s at 2910 FPS and carry 2000 ft pounds of energy at 500 yards.

I wish this opportunity had never presented itself as it tainted my experience. I did speak with the outfitter and he stands behind his guide and is not willing to work something out that would be a win win.

Adding; I practice out to 1000 yards and have taken several animals cross canyon. Prior to the hunt I established 500 yards as a max shooting range as I wanted plenty of energy to take the animal.

Thoughts?

 

[Plinker147]

Yeah that's a tuff one, I would have told him do your job and spot where I hit.

These are kind of things that need to be discussed before the hunt so both sides know what your getting into, what each is comfortable with. I get his stand point of not knowing a hunters capability and the guide has
probably some good experience for his stand point.

Lots of paid hunters put to much pressure on themselves to kill since they shoveled out lots of money and can make poor choices.

When I guide first question I ask is how far can you shoot. Next I tell them if you wound something we will look the rest of the hunt for but you don't get another one unless it's something that wasn't the hunters fault.

Bummer on your hunt, hopefully there was a lot of fun had otherwise, not killing really isn't a big deal.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

Sorry for you but this sounds like something that should have been ironed out before you even took your first step. Were your skills questioned before the hunt? Did they know your capabilities? Did you offer your shooting capabilities? Surely you checked your zero but that would have been at closer yardage. Did he approve of your 7mm?

 

[lancetkenyon]

Did you verify your rifle at distance when you arrived? That should have put the guide at ease.

I just had a buddy that took a HUGE bull moose at 691 w. his .300WM pushing a 190 Berger @ 2990fps. One and done. The 180 7MM has better SD (.319) than the 190 .308" (.286). With the added BC of the 7mm, I bet energy on target was very similar between the two at distance.

To me, a 464 yard shot is a chip shot. But, I practice out to 1700+ a lot. I feel the round and bullet of choice would have been well up to the task. I have seen that combo take big bull elk at double+ that yardage with ease. I don't think bull elk are THAT much smaller than bull moose. I have personally taken bull elk at 662 with my 7RM & 180 Hyb @ 2976fps combo. And had family members take bulls at 882 with the same combo. I have seen the same combo take bison here in AZ. And those things HAVE to be bigger than bull moose @ 2000+lbs.

I think I would have pulled that trigger. Then tipped the guide well as he packed my bull out for me.

 

[Pacecount]

Sorry for you but this sounds like something that should have been ironed out before you even took your first step. Were your skills questioned before the hunt? Did they know your capabilities? Did you offer your shooting capabilities? Surely you checked your zero but that would have been at closer yardage. Did he approve of your 7mm?

Adding; I practice out to 1000 yards and have taken several animals cross canyon. Prior to the hunt I established 500 yards as a max shooting range as I wanted plenty of energy to take the animal.

 

[memtb]

I'm sorry that your moose hunt worked out the way it did. However, maybe the rest of us can use this as a "learning opportunity". Prior to hiring the outfitter, we need to determine how he feels about "longish" shots on game. Not everyone approves of long range shooting of game! memtb

 

[Triple BB]

I've been on a quite a few guided hunts. Every hunt I've booked, I throw a list of questions at the outfitter before I send in the deposit. I also ask for references of successful and unsuccessful hunters. If they won't provide both, move on. This is where you can get good info about an outfitter which might lead to more questions. I'm assuming you never brought up the matter of shooting distance. If you would've asked and they said something like 300 yards max, its on you whether to book or not.

 

[codyadams]

I personally have never had a guided hunt, I am a Wyoming resident and all my hunts are on me. 464 yards......I can hit the bottom of a pop can cold bore every time at that distance unless the wind is really, really whipping. And even then, I keep it inside a 10x10 plate at ranges like that.

If a guide told me not to take a 464 yard shot when I had a solid rest simply because of the distance alone and no other adverse conditions affecting the shot.....I would probably laugh at him and then dump the animal. It is not their job to decide my capabilities, it is their job to try to get me an opportunity at an animal, and likely help me pack it out, and that is it.

Then again, I don't know how that whole game works, I have never been on a guided hunt. I think previous talk about your capabilities and experience may have helped/prevented the situation, but if you did talk to the guide about it, and you still got denied on a clear 464 yard shot with plenty of time to take the shot....I would not be happy about it. Like I said, I very likely would have taken the shot anyway, knowing that I was going to make a solid hit on it, and the guide can go right ahead and get over it. That is just me though, I don't do well with people telling me I can't do something I have done literally thousands of times before.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

Gents,

I had a guided Moose hunt this year in Alaska which was unsuccessful... it happens. I felt the outfitter was solid but I had an incident with a guide and I would like a second opinion.

At first light I spotted a 65"+ moose about a mile away. At last light he fed out into a meadow and was 464 yards away. In short, the guide denied me on a clear shot. I spoke with the guide afterward and he said I did not understand how much respect he had for those animals and he did not want to see me wound it.

Yes, I kept my composure and this was my only opportunity at a moose during the trip. I had a 7mm rem mag with VLD 180s at 2910 FPS and carry 2000 ft pounds of energy at 500 yards.

I wish this opportunity had never presented itself as it tainted my experience. I did speak with the outfitter and he stands behind his guide and is not willing to work something out that would be a win win.

Adding; I practice out to 1000 yards and have taken several animals cross canyon. Prior to the hunt I established 500 yards as a max shooting range as I wanted plenty of energy to take the animal.

Thoughts?

Full disclosure I have never done a guided hunt, only DIY...but I would be freaking PO'd...I would have pulled the trigger and let him deal with it.

 

[joseph singleton]

Full disclosure I have never done a guided hunt, only DIY...but I would be freaking PO'd...I would have pulled the trigger and let him deal with it.

Thanks took the words right out of my thoughts,,,so to speak,,,,(Guide might have have you shoot a few rounds to see HOW YOU FAIR AT 500/600 YARDS......)

 

[ofbandg]

464 yards is a long way for most hunters but big moose are big targets. From the spine down to the heart you have a lot of vertical leeway. I have many times witnessed guys who were not well-practiced in shooting take down big bulls at over 400 yards. The part of the story that would have made me side with the guide is the "last light" time of day. If you don't hit him hard with the first shot he goes in the bush wounded and you won't even be able to look for him. By the time you get there it will be dark. I've hit big bulls right in the boiler room with my .375 at less than 50 yards and had them absorb a second shot in the same place as they walk off a hundred yards before they collapse. You don't know they are dead until you are standing over them, poking them with your rifle barrel, and you don't want to leave a wounded one suffering in the bush as wolf or grizzly bait. You left it up to the guide and he made his call. I can't say right or wrong because I wasn't there but I don't fault the guide. He was just going by his experience.

 

[BrentM]

As a guide and working closely with my outfitter buddy, this is the sort of thing you have to sort out before the hunt begins. We shoot long range and know what it takes. Many outfitters do not shoot long range and have NO CLUE. So if you didn't establish the rules of engagement and process then you have little to stand on. The guide and outfitter have no clue if you can make that shot or not. It is common for me to pick my hunters brain about their abilities and for long range shooters we go out and verify their rifle at 500 or more.

 

[Tony Fontanesi]

Man - that's a tough situation. I've only done guided archery and the guide had strict limits on range that I knew ahead of time (even though I regularly practice farther than that). I knew his standards ahead of time and still booked. It was an awesome experience even though, like you, I did not harvest an animal because it was beyond allowable range.

 

[Rich Coyle]

Gents,

At first light I spotted a 65"+ moose about a mile away. At last light he fed out into a meadow and was 464 yards away. In short, the guide denied me on a clear shot. I spoke with the guide afterward and he said I did not understand how much respect he had for those animals and he did not want to see me wound it.

Thoughts?

I learned from John Lachuk when you're with a guide and get a shot you take it. What's he going to do, start a fight?