Went on my first moose hunt this week. The VT season opened Saturday morning with 3-4" of new snow that we got Friday night. Our plan was to move until we cut tracks, then follow them. At 9:00 we cut two good tracks leaving a set of beds. We followed them about a quarter of a mile to a clearcut. Once there the tracks got all tangled up with some other tracks. As we were trying to sort things out I spotted a bull bedded down about 30 yards away. I signalled to the permit holder and guide who were about 20 yards to my right. As they approached, he stood up. Me and the permit holder raised our rifles and I held off hoping my buddy would shot. I didn't realize he was screened by some whips and didn't have a good shot, so when the moose turned to run I hammered him with a good quartering away shot. Once he came into the clear my buddy let one fly at him too. Once he ran down over a bank the other one stood up and walked right out in front of us. He was much bigger, with full palmed antlers!! Oh well, all we could do was watch him run off 'cause we knew we had a good hit on the first one. After a 100 yard trail we found our bull piled up. He went 589 lbs dressed with a 37.5 inch spread. Turns out my shot was the only one that hit him. 180 grain .308 Remimgton Coreloct did the trick thru one lung and into the neck on the other side. Not too bad for our first time out.
Once I get some digital pics I'll try and post them here for you all to see.
Lester
