Moose Hunt

[kiwikid]

Hi all, could someone fill me in on these "rule violations"... I'm not really into long range hunting... I just frequent this website cause I'm into target shooting.

Go to the bottom of any page and find Terms and Rules and click on it. A page will open called Terms of Service and Rules, below that you will see Help = but it has three horizontal lines not two. Click on that and a drop down box will appear, scroll down to Rules and a new page will open with the Rules listed. Hope that helps.

 

[JCow14]

i would have sent it

 

[BrentM]

Were these experienced long range shooters? Seems awfully odd if they were.

Yep. Most people are not honest about their abilities. Aside from the top 1-2 spots at a match, looking more toward the average, hit percentage is 50% for the entire course. People who shoot comps like prs or long range practical are generally pretty quite and know the Bs talk stops when the clock starts. Their is nothing more humbling and revealing then shooting a match where reality vs internet chest beating is evident.

 

[EdFlores82]

I can understand your frustrations as a guided moose hunt is very expensive and you spent lots of money on equipment and being prepared to shoot at longer distances.

I just finished a Yukon moose hunt and shot a bull at 413 yards with a 28 nosler. I practiced shooting a 10" steel target at 400 and it seemed like a chip shot because of their size. These animals are MUCH bigger than a bull elk. My FIL also shot one with a 7 lrm at 363 yards shooting off a rrs tripod on the same hunt.

From the outfitters side, my guide had a guy miss a bull at 60 yards and had several dall sheep shot in the foot and horns. I'm sure they see some wild shots every year. Did you discuss what distances you were comfortable shooting?

 

[Varmint Hunter]

Here's a story just for laughs:

I hunt whitetails in NC every year. Typically, hunting is from elevated box blinds and is overlooking planted fields or bait sites. I noticed that bait was usually placed 50-75yds from the stands. When I questioned the outfitter as to why they put the bait so close he stated that most hunters get so excited that they completely miss deer at 100yds.

Equally interesting is that when you talk to the hunters about their equipment they typically use large cartridges which invariably includes many magnums. Nothing like spending $1,000 on a rifle, another $1,000 bucks on a scope and missing whitetails at 100yds with a 180gr bullet doing 3,200 ft/sec.

Moral of the story - outfitters and guides have no real way to know what the skill level of their hunters is when they rotate in & out every week.

 

[Country Bumpkin]

Sorry you had a bad experience. I went on my one and only guided hunt with Non-Typical Outfitters in Wyoming last year for bull elk. Something I was really impressed with was that they scheduled everyone to arrive in camp by early afternoon for "rifle zero" . What this ended up really being was to verify each hunter's capabilities. The had a single very rickety "bench" with steel gongs scattered up a very steep hillside to 800 yards. The outfitter and all of the guides were present, all observing each hunter shoot. As a hunter's turn came up they were asked about their equipment and ammo when they stepped up to the bench. Then they were asked what they were comfortable shooting. They were allowed to shoot as much as they wanted and coached a bit based on results to confirm their max effective range.
I was lucky in that I arrived a bit late and was the very last one to shoot. I had practiced alot before the trip. I sat down and cold bore'd the 500 and then moved to the 700. The outfitter asked me if I practiced alot and I said I did out to 1200. He asked if I wanted to shoot anymore and I said if he wanted me to I would but for me I was good. He stated he felt I didn't need to either.
Early the next morning the outfitter came to me and told me they had been seeing a big, very old lone bull living in a big dark timber canyon. He said he really wanted to kill this bull but it was going to be a 600 - 700 yard shot across the canyon with wind and may take days to get the opportunity. Based on my shooting he said I was the only hunter in camp he felt confident could make the shot. I said I was honored and felt confident I could execute. That evening just before dark I killed the bull in my avatar at 639 yard with a 20 mph wind.
There was another hunter paired with me and the guide and he whined alot before the bull showed up about wanting to be the one to shoot. He had proven at the range that he wasn't capable beyond 300 yards and the guides reminded him of that and that the outfitter had selected me for this shot based on that. They held firm and I was really impressed.

Now that's cool, a testament to "chance favoring the prepared". Huge bull!

 

[LongBomber]

Up front - I don't guide, but I do have 5 good friends that guide full time, and a few others that fill in guiding now and again.
We have discussed it many times why they do not have their clients fly in early enough to do a good range session with them. The client is paying for a 15k to 40K hunt (species dependent) and you can't get them to come in early enough and bring an extra 40 rounds of ammo to do a decent range session?
I have stayed in camp a few times listening to the bs storeys that get told, I have also been out on a hunt where the client missed several shots at 100-125 yards. We put up a targets and he was lucky to hit a letter size paper at 100 yards from a solid rest. I have also seen a few great shooters.

It sucks to spend $20K on a hunt and leave with a bad taste in your mouth. The hunt really needs to be very well communicated and setup in the planning stages.

 

[CVCOBRA1]

If the would be client doesn't have the knowledge to bring up any questions on range limitations when booking a hunt, the outfitter should. Why keep anything like that a secrete from the man who is paying the bill. If the range can not be negotiated then the would be client can simply say no thanks and move on.

 

[joseph singleton]

If the would be client doesn't have the knowledge to bring up any questions on range limitations when booking a hunt, the outfitter should. Why keep anything like that a secrete from the man who is paying the bill. If the range can not be negotiated then the would be client can simply say no thanks and move on.

AMEN>>>>>>>.........

 

[BrentM]

I disagree with the range issue being on the outfitter. Most outfitters are not and do not advertise as long range friendly. Everyone should assume normal range is point blank and less, which is generally accepted as 300 and less. The long range craze and debates it brings up about being responsible hunting is touchy at best. Outfitters have a rough job keeping the enforcement off their @ss and don't need to give more reason to fish and game to be pestering them because they are running a wound clinic.

IMHO, it is on the client to discuss anything beyond accepted normal ranges for the animal being pursued. Me personally, I always discuss this issue my clients but typically I already know I can take what I am being told and multiply it by .5 for reality.

 

[NorsemanAlaska]

Lived and hunted in Alaska for 36 of my 56 years. The decision seems unfair although I sort of understand it. But moose aren't like deer or even caribou, if wounded they're not gonna run 2 or 3 miles til they expire. Usually if your first shot doesn't put them down, they'll just stand there or maybe saunter off a little ways. They are obviously NOT built for speed and endurance. Maybe I missed something but why didn't you and your "guide" just stalk up to what he thought would be a correct distance...? Why just sit there...? Moose don't spook very easily. Next question is did your "guide" use moose cow call...? Contrary to some beliefs, bull moose WILL come to a cow call even when not in rut, it just takes longer. I've shot 7 bull moose using a cow call...Overall I apologize for your experience and yes, it does seem very odd that this "guide" took the stance that he did in not wanting to work with you. Was he an Alaskan or one of the many out of state guides that just come up here during the season…? Thanks.

 

[jpope02]

I have been on several guided hunts in Alaska with several different guides and have witnessed other hunters flat miss at close ranges. When a trophy presents itself the guide is there to help you collect your trophy. As I understand your guide waved off a shot because of distance. Did he try to get you closer by guiding you closer for a more practical and higher percentage shot and backup you up or not ? Maybe he is a guide that is lazy and did not want to help you field dress and carry your meat out much less stalk for position for the client. Or wanted to save it for himself or the next higher paying party. You weren't there for a nature Hike. You were there for a moose! I have been lucky hiring good guides so far but I'm sure that there are bad ones out there as well. Better luck next time.

 

[BrentM]

I have been on several guided hunts in Alaska with several different guides and have witnessed other hunters flat miss at close ranges. When a trophy presents itself the guide is there to help you collect your trophy. As I understand your guide waved off a shot because of distance. Did he try to get you closer by guiding you closer for a more practical and higher percentage shot and backup you up or not ? Maybe he is a guide that is lazy and did not want to help you field dress and carry your meat out much less stalk for position for the client. Or wanted to save it for himself or the next higher paying party. You weren't there for a nature Hike. You were there for a moose! I have been lucky hiring good guides so far but I'm sure that there are bad ones out there as well. Better luck next time.

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.

Pretty sure they stalked in from a mile and relocated the moose at last possible light.

 

[NorsemanAlaska]

Pretty sure they stalked in from a mile and relocated the moose at last possible light.

Yes, I read this: "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."
Being that it's September, and there's about 14 hours of daylight, and you could stalk a mile in a couple hours, my assumption is that they sat there and watched the moose all day. Thanks.