He is not a monster, but we were looking for a good eater and that's exactly what he is. The bull was approximately 2 years old. His full weight was 850 pounds, and he dressed out at 620 pounds. I took him in WMD 13 about 15 minutes before hunting was done on the second day with my Marlin 1895 cowboy in 45-70. For reference, I am 5'11" and 185 pounds.
We decided to sit on the side of hill overlooking a nice cutting that housed tons of fresh sign. We took our spot and began calling at 2:30 in the afternoon. We were on Plum Creek logging property and it was a 30 minute drive out so we decided to walk down to the truck and head back at 5:45. When we got in the truck it was about 6:00, and I noticed that I had cell phone coverage, so we decided to take a few minutes and call our daughter.
We started moving at about 6:05pm. We drove slowly and started to come around a bend to the right when two moose busted out of the woods on to the old logging road we were on. I jumped out and loaded a round and preceded to start looking through the scope. One was broadside in the middle of the road, but no antlers and I had a bull permit. The other one was behind the cow, and I couldn't see anything to confirm its sex. The one behind the cow started heading down the road and the cow took out after it. I turned and looked at the my wife & Dan our guide, and lit out out after the moose going full bore. They went around another bend and I lost sight of them so I let out a cow call in hopes of getting them to stop. As I approached the bend the flap on my holster that was holding my S&W model 29 came undone and the revolver flew out on to the road. I had to back track about 15' to get it, so now I am running full bore with a gun in each hand.
As I get to the bend I can see only one moose in the road. I holster the S&W and start looking through the 4 power scope on the marlin, but it was 6:10pm now, and the light wasn't giving me what I needed to see any antlers. I let out another cow call and it turned its head slightly to the right, and as it did so the inside of his right antler caught some sun coming through the woods and just lit up . I start to take aim for a head shot and off it went again.
I put the cross hairs on the back right behind the hump and fired. He nose dived right into the dirt and never got up again. The bullet went in right behind the hump and exited in front of it and caught the left side of the spine. We spun him around and field dressed him under the truck lights. I got to sit in the pitch dark for about 75 minutes until the trailer got their. We got down off the mountain at 9pm and crammed as much ice as would fit in him until morning when the tagging station opened. Hopefully I will get a call today or tomorrow from the butcher to go and pick him up. The hide is soaking in water and we're going to try brain tanning it as well. My wife was with me and it was a great vacation, and she is already planning for next year when she hopes to draw a permit.
