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Going into this years moose draw I was way below max points but a couple years ago had decided to start putting in for the lowest tier units. I guess the worst ones. Figured it was the only way I'd draw and I'd rather hunt a "bad" unit than never hunt. I don't think I'd have ever caught up to improve my unit much. So this year I knew I'd have a pretty good chance at drawing and I did. Before I put in I asked my friend and brother if they'd go with me, I'd need their help and they did and made the hunt.

The unit was a 4 hours drive or so we went over set up my small camper and hauled horses. The first day looked like this and it was great. Passed a bull that morning and saw a cow.





The next morning it was raining and snowing but turned into a pretty good day after that. Passed a yearling bull that day.



The next several days we knew the weather would be bad. And it pretty much rained and snowed the whole time. We ended up getting a hot tip on a bull and headed over there. Found his tracks and starting tracking on foot. Pretty quick we ran into a cow and my brother thought he saw another one but couldn't tell what it was and then we also heard some branches breaking. The brush was pretty thick at least by Wyoming standards. The cow ran off and we'd lost the tracks and actually were at a little of a loss of what to do. We started heading back in the direction we'd come from. For some reason I kept looking behind us and about the 4th time I did that caught the bull sneaking off like a dang whitetail. He'd been hiding, let us make a full circle around him and then decided to Vamoose. I literally sprinted about 100 yards to where I saw him.

Coming into the meadow I saw him about to disappear into the trees. I had time for a very quick snap shot at around 100 yards going from a sprint to a stand still and he was on the move quartering away and headed into a bunch of big Christmas trees. My brother had been with me but hadn't seen the moose. When I began my sprint I didn't bother saying anything thinking he'd figure out what was going on and he did. After the shot he walked up the rest of the way to me and asked if I'd got him. He still hadn't seen the moose. I said I didn't know, it had been amazingly fast and I'd had very little time to go from running to shooting. Plus I'm old, fat and short, prone to spraining ankles, and usually only run when I'm out of ammo.

There was a little snow on the ground and we made our way to where the bull had disappeared. Just through the trees there was a small patch of snow that was scrapped off the dirt and I wondered if he'd stumbled there. Then I looked and saw him down under some trees. At that second he stood up. All I could see was hind end so I shot trying for the hip joint. Still he was up. I moved directly behind him and spined him at the base of the tail. At that he fell. It is something to watch a bull moose fall close up. One more finisher and he was done. At this point I was out of ammo and my brother had my pack with the extra ammo. He told me later he thought oh great, he's out of ammo and the bull is pissed.

This was my first moose hunt I'd ever been on. And besides seeing a few road killed moose from a moving car I'd never even seen a dead one. Never been on a buddy's moose hunt. Total moose hunting newbie.

He fell against a log, it's right behind him. Besides moving his head a little that is pretty much how he fell.







It was a skosh wet.



No giant, probably not even a big one, but it was great and my brother and friend of over 20 years were there.

And the pack out was a piece of cake.

I used my Echols Legend in 300 win mag with a 6x36 M8. 200 partitions. Pretty much what I shoot everything with. I'm boring that way.

The partitions were a total failure. I found two, one was a little over 100 grains and one a little under. The lighter one I found just under the spine forward of the pelvis, when I was getting the tenders. Shot distance was about 20 feet. The other had penetrated probably 2/3s of the bull I think it was my first shot and it was just under the skin. Probably should have used a berger or vld.... or something cool and new.



We stayed up until close to 11 that night in the camper eating supper and telling lies. Was a great time. The next day we headed home. Probably will never be able to hunt moose again. Glad this time was so good. Thanks to my brother and friend.