OK, I am going to throw another wrinkle in here. Last year my buddy and I went out during Moose season and saw many Bull Moose. They either were not in areas where we could get to them, or we were just not in the mood to shoot it when it appeared. One walked within 20 yards of us while eating breakfast, we just looked at each other and said, "NA, let him go". So in November we needed meat for the freezer, we decided to go and shoot a Cow Moose in an area where the population is too high. This time I left the Handi 30-06 at home. I was using all my technilogical items.
338/378 Weatherby Accumark, with accubrake that tames this monster down to recoil comperable to a .308. Night Force 3.5X15X50 scope that draws in so much light I can see things in the field long before I can see them with the naked eye, and a lighted reticle for the low light conditions. Lupold lazer range finder, with elevation compensation. My partner is shooting a .378 Weatherby, with a similar Lupold scope.
On the morning we wanted to shoot Moose we went outside the tent and climbed up a bank behind the tent. From there we saw 18 Moose, feeding in the willows. We knew there were many more hidden in the willows, or lying in the tall grass out of sight. We selected two large ones, ranged them at 787, and 810 yards, compensated for elevation, they were lower than we were. I set up on one, he set up on the other. I dialed in the scope, took the shot, Moose took three steps and fell dead. My partner then took his shot, Moose fell instantly. The other 16 Moose continued to browse, undisturbed. The muzzleblast was directed into the brush behind us and disapated quite a bit. The other Moose did not run, or give any indication they had heard gunfire. Or that they were aware of anything going on.
Now we were not hunting, we were harvesting. We had been hunting earlier in the season. The advantage, we were not down in the willows where we would have been discovered trying to sneak up on them. There was so many Moose in the willows it would have been almost impossible to get close without running into a cow with a calf, and having them sound the alarm. We did not want to shoot a cow with a calf, we were after older barren cows. Again we were not hunting, we were there to harvest meat. And we did in a very efficient manner. Some people will say we are going too far, that shooting at that range is unethical. When I can sit there and hit a gallon milk jug every shot, I am confident that animal is going down. Those big heavy bullets retain enough energy to do the job. Technology, enables me to do this. I for one don't feel it is going too far.
I've taken Caribou and Moose with Archery Equipment, Muzzle Loader, and Handgun. That's a challenge, and a lot of fun. That was what I call Hunting, there is a difference between hunting and harvesting.
