BCJ_WINTER17 Digital Edition

TWENTY-NINE DAY MOOSE
BY JAY SHEFFIELD
FOUR FULL WEEKS. That’s how long I had been hunting
for a bull moose in one of the limited draw areas of northwest
Montana. During that time I had traveled literally hundreds
of miles, walked dozens of trails and sat for days on a
number of lakes, ponds and bog areas, all without seeing a
single moose. It had taken me eleven years to draw one of the
twelve tags available for this area and I was devoting every
possible minute to getting it filled.
On morning 29 I left my house early, determined to be
sitting at a promising little pond before the sun came up. It
was about five miles up a Forest Service road and required
a short hike in from there. I quietly made my way through
the woods and found myself near the pond’s edge just as day
was breaking. As the light increased, I saw a young moose
standing in knee deep water. Then I saw a calf and its mother
casually walk from the pond back into the woods. As I shifted
my position for a better view, I could see that there was
also a bull standing in the pond. It had only been light for a
few minutes and now, right in front of me were four moose,
including the bull I had been searching for.
I was still watching the bull when I saw movement behind
him on the far shore of the pond. As the light continued to
improve I was surprised to see it was another bull even larger
than the one in the water. The bigger animal was about 150
yards away, much further than I am comfortable shooting
with the open sighted rifle I was carrying. Since all of the
moose were relaxed, I decided to back out of my hiding place
and slowly work my way around through the timber until I
reached the other side of the pond. It took a while but I was
able to get within range and the moose were still unaware of
my presence. The bank on that side was fairly steep and I was
well above the water level. Creeping my way down through
the brush towards the bull, I began to look for an opening
large enough to take a clear shot.
My hunting area is heavily timbered, so any shot opportunities
are likely to be close. For that reason I was carrying
my .505 Gibbs made by Montana Rifle Company. While I
will be the first to admit that my choice of calibers might
seem a little unusual, remember that this rifle was designed
for close range, big game hunting. All of the features that
make it so effective in Africa also make it perfectly suited for
our largest American game species. Loaded with four rounds
of factory Norma ammunition, the 600 grain Woodleigh
soft point bullets at 2180 feet per second would certainly
be more than adequate for the task at hand. My rifle is fitted
with MRC’s flats brake. This not only eliminates any painful
recoil; it also reduces muzzle rise allowing for a fast second
shot if necessary.
I slowly moved the three position safety forward to fire position
and raised the rifle. The bull was now about 60 yards
away standing broadside. I aligned the iron sights on a rib
just behind the shoulder and worked to slow my breathing
as I applied pressure to the trigger.
At the shot, I saw the bull stagger, start to turn, and then
simply fall over. As I made my way down to the bull I could
not help but reflect on all of the hours spent leading up to
this moment. If you have never had the opportunity to approach
a downed moose, I can assure you that there is no
such thing as “ground shrinkage.” With every step you take,
they just get bigger and bigger.
Sitting there alone with such a massive animal is a very
humbling experience, and it’s one that I took a long moment
to savor. I ran my hand across the coarse fur on its body; I
touched the rock hard antler and then struggled to lift its
head. It is almost surreal how truly massive these animals are.
I tagged the moose and then took a few photos. By this time
the adrenaline from all of the excitement was starting to fade
and the reality of the enormous task ahead was starting to
sink in. I hiked out of the basin and made some calls to assemble
a team that could help me process the moose. In just
a few hours I had a group of five enthusiastic friends helping
with skinning, butchering and packing. By 1:30 in the afternoon
the last load was packed out and nothing but the rib
cage, spine and entrails remained at the site – something that
the scavengers will certainly enjoy cleaning up.
The ride back to town was a quiet one; I was both tired
and sore but could not have been any happier. I dropped the
meat off for processing then took the head and hide to my
taxidermist. At every stop I shared the pictures and story of
my moose hunting adventure. I cannot apply for another
Montana moose tag until 2023, but it’s a safe bet that my application
will be in the mail on the first day I am eligible!
Jay is a BHA member and hunter education intructor living
in the woods of northwest Montana. He serves on the Montana
Fish, Wildlife & Parks Citizens Advisory Council.
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