Hunting for elk for wabu, for roar, for groan with a professional are some of the features of manna hunting for large ungulates. Reproduction of moose When does moose begin

Moose rut takes place a little earlier than that of deer - in late August - September, occasionally in early October, and is not so noisy and bright. Their roar is a relatively quiet hoarse sound, similar to lowing, which can only be heard close up. If marals are well-defined polygamists (polygamists), then moose are monogamous.

With a more or less equal sex ratio, the male spends the entire rutting period with one female. If there are more females in the population, which is usually observed in our lands as a result of disproportionate shooting, the male can successively change several moose cows during the rut. In all cases, the male looks after the female attentively, politely, patiently and unobtrusively, waiting for her to show favor, disposition and allow him to approach. Ussuri elk. Rice. SOUTH. Makarova

If there are fewer females than males in the grounds, fights can take place between them. They are more cruel than between deer, there are known cases of death for one of the rivals. During the rut, males are excited, aggressive, the feeling of fear of a person is dulled.

In places where moose often meet people and therefore are little afraid of them, individual animals during the rut can be dangerous. The literature describes cases when they rushed at people, pursued them. Elk is a typical forest animal. However, in recent years, on the outskirts of the range, it began to penetrate into the tundra and steppe. In the region under consideration, it inhabits Gorny Altai and all forest lands of the Altai Territory. On the plain, it often lives far from large forests, but in such cases it keeps near small pegs or bushes. In completely treeless areas, it can be found only during transitions.

It is believed that the elk, unlike the maral, dislikes rugged terrain and avoids it. In the mountain forests it is less than in the lowlands, and in the mountains it is more common in more leveled areas, usually near lakes and swamps. Our observations show that moose often live in very stony places ... sometimes in stony tracts so difficult for moose that they had to run away from a person ... at a walk.

You can’t run: you can break your legs - after all, the elk is not a mountain goat. In a calm environment, when hunters or predators do not disturb it, the elk leads a sedentary, measured lifestyle. It will feed for 2-3 hours, lie down for about the same amount, graze again and lie down again. If there is enough food and no one frightens the beast, it can live on a plot of 2-3 hectares for half a month, and on 1-2 square meters. km - up to 1.5-2 months. In such an environment, the length of its daily transition in summer is no more than one, in winter - 2-4 km.

Naturally, during the period of rut, migrations, when pursued by hunters or predators, the activity of animals increases significantly and the daytime transition can reach 20-30 km.

Male moose reach sexual maturity at the age of 1.5 years. If in a state of "rest", in December - January, the length of the testes in males of this age is 68 - 70, the width is 35 - 40 mm, and the weight of the pair is 75 g, then in September, during the rut, these figures will respectively be 85 - 90, 40 - 45 mm and 150 - 163 g. If, further, the ratio of the weight of a pair of testes to the slaughter weight of males (index in ppm) in the state of "rest" is 4 - 5, then during the rut, i.e. on 2 - 3 months earlier, - 11 - 12.

The study of the size and weight of testicles in moose of different ages showed that they reach their minimum weight in March - April (54 g), maximum (300 g) - in September. Maintaining approximately the same ratio of testes weight to slaughter weight with adult males, 1-5-year-old bulls begin to increase testes weight somewhat later than older males. In young bulls, the subsequent (after the peak of the rut) decrease in the weight of the testicles is also late. This last feature is of extremely great biological importance.

Males in the second and third years of life, which are usually driven away from females by older and stronger males, turn out to be not useless in nature. They serve as a “safety” age group, which contributes to ensuring 100% fertilization of moose cows during the period of weakening or ending of sexual activity in adult strong males.

The timing of the onset of estrus in moose cows does not depend on either age or fatness. They are determined by a complex of environmental factors, individual characteristics and the physiological state of animals. However, in terms of fecundity - the number of cubs per one giving birth to a female - age and fatness have a specific meaning.

In the Pechora taiga, for example, yes, perhaps, in most other places in our country, moose bring their first offspring at the age of 3 years. At the same time, the number of embryos per primiparous moose cow is noticeably less than per mother giving birth again. This number increases in moose cows of subsequent ages and reaches a maximum at 6.5 - 7.5 years. In moose cows older than this age, fertility rates gradually decrease. However, even in the oldest moose cows, these indicators are not lower than those in young animals. This speaks in favor of the fact that in nature there are practically no animals that are not capable of reproduction due to the onset of old age and decrepitude. Usually moose cows do not live to such a state, dying from other causes (hunting, predators, hunger, accidents).

The age of moose cows affects not only the size of the offspring, but also its gender. If we take all moose cows on average, then for every 100 bulls they give birth to the same number or slightly more or fewer heifers (depending on the state of the conditions of existence).

Young moose cows at the age of 1.5 and 2.5 years bring into the offspring 1.5 - 3 times more heifers than bulls; at the age of 3.5 - 5.5 years - an approximately equal number of bulls and heifers, at the age of 6.5 - 9.5 years - slightly more heifers (by 10 - 20%), and at the age of 10 years and older - almost 2 times more bulls are born.

In moose cows with one embryo, at almost all ages, heifers significantly predominate over bulls, and only in 10-year-old and older moose cows, on the contrary, there are 2 times more bulls than heifers in the offspring.

In moose cows with two embryos, bulls predominate on average, in animals under the age of 5.5 years and 10 years and older, this predominance is especially pronounced. Only moose cows at the age of 6.5 - 9.5 years have an equal number of heifers and bulls.

In paired offspring, on average, individuals of different sexes predominate (71%), but only males (20%) and only females (9%) are found.

The sex of the offspring is also affected by the wintering conditions of the females preceding the rut. It has been noticed that the less well-fed a moose cow is by the beginning of the mating season, the more often gobies predominate in her offspring, and vice versa.

Adult and strong males breed both young, middle-aged and old moose cows - the one they meet that is in a state of hunting (estrus). In the older age group, females predominate by one third, and among the males of the older age group, a significant number of animals are weakened and sick (external signs are weak and ugly horns) that are not able to withstand the competition for a female, so old moose cows are covered mainly by males younger than them. . In all cases, therefore, mating of sires of different ages is achieved, which gives the most vital offspring.

Each sex and age group, therefore, is necessary for the moose population to carry out self-regulation of numbers and structures, in relation to the requirements of the habitat, including both disturbance factors and fishing loads, and everything that in one way or another affects the life of moose.

Among Pechora moose cows, approximately 2/3 bring one cub each and 1/3 - two cubs each. In the Kirov region, the percentage of moose calves that give birth to twins is higher and approaches 35%. In the more southern regions (Volgograd, Rostov, etc.), the fertility rates of moose are even higher, which, apparently, is explained by a longer growing season, which provides moose with complete feed for a longer period, and which, most importantly, reduces the period of winter hunger strikes.

Moose cows are rarely pregnant at the age of 1.5 years - 15% of all cases, among moose cows older than one and a half years they are already 84%.

The main reasons for missing moose cows are their exhaustion and postpartum inflammation of the genital organs (chronic metritis). There are known cases of emptying caused by trauma to moose cows during the rutting period by aggressive bulls, the presence of underdeveloped, infantile genital organs in adult moose cows or a mummifying fetus after an unsuccessful birth.

Knowing the most productive ages of females and the significance of different sex and age ratios in the moose population, it is possible to artificially control their reproductive process.

Yu. P. Yazan. ELK. HUNTING FOR UNGATES.-Publishing house "Forest industry", 1976

Probably, with a great deal of truth, it can be said that summer-autumn hunting, at least in the first half of the season, takes place under the sign of a bird, while shooting animals at this time is limited. Until October, the list of animal hunts is really not great: a bear and a wild boar in the fields from ambush, and a deer with an elk - that's probably all. In this review, we will look at one of the most exciting types of moose hunting - the roar during the rut. You will learn when the rut starts for moose, what are its terms, how to choose a weapon and shooting position, what are the behavioral features of old and young bulls during this period. You can also watch a video with a master class on how to beckon a bull elk.

When does the moose race start?

All deer living on the territory of our country have a mating season in the second half of the year. The rut of roe deer begins earlier than all - from the end of July to the end of August; the musk deer "chases" later than all - from the end of November to the middle of December. By time moose chasing and red deer, including red deer and red deer, approximately coincides, the first signs appear at the end of August, and everything ends by mid-October.

The almost two-month stretching of the rut refers to the populations of these animals as a whole, because the animals living in the southern parts of the range start earlier, and in regions with a harsh climate - about two weeks later. For the middle band (in latitudinal terms), the most active part of the rut occurs in mid-late September.

Bulls during the rut

I must say that literature (I do not mean scientific) and fine arts have always paid much more attention to the red deer than to the elk. And that is true: a slender handsome man in a pose of challenge, with an elongated powerful neck, an elegant head adorned with horns of extraordinary beauty thrown back, is much more suitable for the role of a model than a mighty one with a heavy hook-nosed head, horns of not always a certain shape, at first glance clumsy moose figure. Nevertheless, hunting for an elk during the rut - “for a roar”, or, as they say, “for a groan”, - in terms of emotionality is unlikely to yield to that of a deer. Moreover, the elk at this time can also pose a very real danger to the hunter.

Adult sexually mature bulls tend to pick up a mate for themselves even before the start of the physiological rut, and until the end of the estrus of the moose cow, they are together. Then there comes a moment when she rejects the "courtship" of her boyfriend, and he can go in search of a new girlfriend. Unlike red deer, bull elk do not create "harems", and finding several females with one bull is an unusual matter, although such facts are noted.

Outwardly, the bull's readiness for rutting can be determined by the horns. If they have already cleared their skin and fur and acquired a normal "bone" appearance, then his body has already begun or is about to begin to produce sex hormones. However, the bull becomes completely ready for mating only when moose cows come "to the hunt". The secret secreted by their genitals, with urine, enters the soil, the bull finds this place by smell and comes into an excited state. He breaks branches, sometimes the tops of young trees, rakes and knocks out the grass to the ground with his hooves, especially where the moose cow urinated. Such places are called "points", and they are up to two meters in diameter. At the same time, physiological processes are activated in the body, making it ready for mating. Against the usual, not only the behavior changes, but also the appearance of the male. The eyes are filled with blood, the neck becomes thicker, and it seems that the entire front of the body is increasing in size. It emits a sharp specific smell, which is difficult to describe, but the smell of a mighty beast is unmistakably guessed in it, and a sense of danger involuntarily appears.

Throughout the rut, the bull gives a voice. The sound it makes is completely different from the roar of a red deer. This is something between a lowing and exhaling relief with a voice. This sound is most accurately characterized by the name that our ancestors gave it - “groan”. In strength, it is much weaker than the roar of a deer and is rarely heard from a distance of more than a kilometer, although the ability to hear it is strongly influenced by the terrain, planting density, extraneous sounds (wind, water noise, etc.). The greatest activity in giving voice is noted at dawn and in the evening closer to sunset; hearing a moose during the day is a rarity.

For mating games, moose choose a variety of places. This is largely determined by the terrain and the nature of forest plantations. In the northern regions of the European part of Russia, they prefer to “groan” along dry manes and the edges of moss swamps, in dense young growths of old clearings, overgrown forest hayfields, as well as in the floodplains of forest streams and rivers. In the mountainous regions of Siberia and the Urals, where the habitats of moose are limited to floodplains and intermountain valleys, the racing areas gravitate towards the river banks. The same can be said about the plateaus of Central Siberia and Transbaikalia. In places almost not visited by people, where there is no need to constantly hide in the thickets, elks are especially fond of wide pebbly beds of small rivers with forest islands, which in September literally exude a “rutting elk spirit”, forcing a person who suddenly finds himself there not on hunting business to feel feel very uncomfortable.

The subtleties of hunting "roar"

According to the tracks, “points”, broken branches and trees, according to the voice and smell given, you need to find a place where the animals “chase”, i.e. where the bull feels himself the master of both this place and the female who is with him. Giving a voice from time to time, he warns potential rivals that everything is busy here and he will not allow the presence of a stranger. The task of the hunter is to imitate the “groan” of the alien, to tease the bull-owner, make him believe in the appearance of a competitor and lure him to a clean place under a shot.

Not all bulls have girlfriends by the beginning of the mating season, and these bachelors are constantly on the lookout, go widely - you can meet them in different places. They also give a voice, trying to find out where the "lucky man" is in order to try to recapture the female from him, or whether there is a free cow nearby. Such animals more boldly go to the voice of the “wabelchik” - a hunter imitating the “groan” of a bull. The baiting of the bull is not limited only to giving voice, but is accompanied from time to time by the crackling of broken branches and tapping with a stick on a stick or tree, which should be perceived as the sound of an excited bull's horns on the trees. In general, the “groan” is formed by the whole complex of sounds that the elk produces.

Now more and more roar hunting is trophy. Well-developed horns are found in animals in the prime of life, i.e. at the age of 6-12 years. An experienced wabber can distinguish an old animal from a young one by voice and, based on this, build a hunt. Of course, it is best to start beckoning a specific moose, which is known for pre-hunting reconnaissance. If the hunt begins with a search, then, having heard the “groaning” bull, try to get an idea of ​​​​the age of the beast. When a powerful beast speaks, it is more likely that he will accept the challenge and go to drive away the bull, which seems weaker in voice than himself. A medium-sized elk is unlikely to rush at the alleged rival, if you imagine him with the voice of an old beast, rather, he will try to quietly leave and take the female away. When trying to lure a bull away from a female, you need to be patient, because he is reluctant to leave her, preferring roll call at a distance. It is easier to lure a wanderer alone.

It happens that with one cow there are two, and sometimes three bulls. Rather, near her is one of the strongest, who does not let anyone in, and the rest are nearby, but at a safe distance. In this case, it is not the main contender who often comes to the hunter, but from those who are nearby, clearly inferior to the owner in size and strength. Therefore, when beckoning an elk, you need to try to determine by the response voice whether the hunter is dealing with one or more males, and depending on this, decide whether to shoot at the first animal that appears or try to take the best trophy. It often happens that a large bull cannot be lured away from a female, especially if there are other males nearby, and then you have to change the place of hunting and look for another suitable one.

Many people think that during the rut, the aggressiveness of the bulls prevails over caution, but it seems to me that this is not the case. Sometimes one hears stories about how someone walks through the forest without hiding, with a bang, and suddenly an elk flies out and, seeing a person, does not run away, but demonstrates its aggressiveness. Rather, this can be explained by the fact that a person walking noisily through the forest tunes the elk to an approaching rival, who behaves noisily in nature, showing his strength and confidence. Try not to beckon, but to hide the “groaning” beast, and you will immediately feel how wary he and the female are about the slight noise made by the hunter when approaching. To quiet sounds that are incomprehensible to them, moose, as a rule, react by leaving this place. We must not forget that during the rut, not only people hunt moose, but also bears, meetings with which do not bode well for them. It is probably not out of place to recall that no other noise, except for imitating the action of a bull, should be made by either the “walker” or the shooter.

Weapon and shooting position

When choosing a position for luring a bull and shooting, one must remember that the beast must pass through at least a relatively clean place in order to be able to aim at the slaughter place. As in any other case, it is impossible to shoot through thickets (branches, bushes, grass, etc.).

From rifled - better than 9 mm caliber. These can be carbines chambered for 9.3x62, 9.3x64, 9.3x57 cartridges of foreign production, 9.3x64 and 9x54R domestic. A combined weapon is desirable with a rifled barrel chambered for 9.3x74R or for the above-named domestic cartridges. Smoothbore weapons are best used with 12-caliber cartridges loaded with heavy Brenneke-type bullets. All the cartridges that have been mentioned have sufficient lethal and stopping power for such an animal as a bull elk during the rut, and I took the liberty of recommending them for the following reasons. Firstly, by the time of the rut, moose reach the highest fatness, and among the bulls actively participating in the rut, specimens over 400 kg live weight are not uncommon; secondly, the cartridge must ensure reliable defeat, because hunting takes place in a snowless period, and getting a wounded animal without dogs in the autumn forest, and often at dusk, is not an easy task at all; thirdly, before the rut, the animals become especially strong on the wound, since all the reserves of the body are mobilized for procreation. It is advisable to equip the weapon with an optical sight, because it is not uncommon to have to shoot in low light, although the firing distance rarely exceeds 60-70 meters.

Alexey Sibirsky

Video: Master class "How to beckon an elk"

Video: Bull moose during the rut - hunting "for a roar":

Hunting an elk, weighing up to 600 kg, is possible only if you have experience and certain knowledge. Only with the right approach is there a chance to lure and shoot the animal. A good hunter knows different tactics, for example, using waba, decoy.

It must be remembered that moose have a rutting period when their behavior changes. If a roaring elk is being hunted, the animal approaches the sound made by the waba, after which the hunter can make a shot.

When does the moose race start?

Most wild ungulates rut ​​in the second half of the year. The first to enter this state are roe deer (end of July-end of August), the last - musk deer (November-December). Moose, deer are subject to rutting in September, it ends by mid-October, but the very first signs may appear at the end of August.

In Russia, the exact rutting time may vary depending on the location. In regions with a harsh, northern climate, this period starts 2 weeks later, in the southern regions it can start 2 weeks earlier. In the middle lane, the rut usually occurs in September, but may be delayed due to warm weather.

Moose behavior during the rut

Hunting during the rut - for a roar, or for a groan, is quite dangerous for the hunter. Adult animals begin to look for a mate even before the appearance of physiological signs. Having found a moose, they exist together until the completion of estrus. After the female "repels" the male, he may start looking for another moose cow, but not always. Elk "harems" are occasionally found, where several females are with one male.

Signs of a rut in an animal:

• the moose gives a voice, roars, uttering an average between exhalation and lowing, therefore this sound is called a groan;
• the roar of an elk can be heard from a distance of less than a kilometer, it is drowned out by the sounds of wind and water;
• animals show great activity in the early morning (at dawn), at sunset, they are silent during the day;
• the horns during the rutting period are clean from wool, smooth, bone.

The elk becomes 100% ready for the race after the arrival of the females, when it smells the secret of the gonads. The animal smells it from the urine that remains on the grass, and finds the female in the tracks. It is during the search that the beast is dangerous to man - he beats the ground with his hooves, breaks branches, young trees.

If the male is ready for mating, his appearance is different - the neck is thick, the eyes are red, all as if swollen in size. The elk's body secretes a specific "aroma", for which the gonads are also responsible.

Important! Why do hunters prefer to look for an animal during this period? It is during the rut that hearing and smell for other smells are dulled, therefore the moose can be tracked down and get closer.

Moose hunting features

On the Internet, you can watch videos for free, exactly how hunting for ungulates takes place. There are rules, features of its search, because the habitats of moose in the rut differ in other periods of the animal's life.

Hunting terms

By law, moose hunting for adult males is allowed 09/01-09/30, at this time it is strictly forbidden to kill females, moose. All groups of animals can be hunted from 01.10-15.01, and in January only young animals up to a year old are killed. In some regions, the duration of the hunt is limited to 90 days. If we are talking about trophy hunting, which is carried out because of the beautiful horns, it is usually carried out on 09/01-09/30.

hunting time

How to properly prepare for hunting? First you need to purchase a license, otherwise hunting will be poaching. The ideal time to search for an animal is early morning, evening - then moose are active in relation to females. In the wind, rain, attempts will be unsuccessful - the animal will hear, teach the hunter.

hunting grounds

Every year, the places of "acquaintance" of animals remain the same, they constantly return to the same sites. Open areas should not be chosen, the elk will not come here. Signs of moose current:

• trodden clearings with "bald" areas;
• sour smell hovering around;
• broken branches, trees;
• horn marks on trees;
• broken holes.

In harsh areas, animals prefer to roar along the outskirts of moss swamps, in dense forest young growth, along overgrown hayfields, floodplains of rivers, streams. In mountainous areas, moose gather in intermountain valleys, floodplains, along the banks. In sparsely inhabited areas, animals prefer shallow rivers, islands covered with pebbles.

Hunting tactics

There are many options for hunting - driven, on salt licks, with dogs, with an approach. All of them give a result, but hunting with a call for a roar is considered the most effective. So, many hunters have been unsuccessfully driving hunts for years without finding an animal.

Important! Roar hunting allows only one hunter, although it is better to go with a huntsman or in a group.

Weapon, position, equipment

Elk is a powerful animal that can kill a person. Life sometimes depends on the correct choice of a hunter. The gun does not have to be new, only the shot will be convenient at the right time. Since the distance of the shot is small, you should take a smoothbore weapon of 12-16 calibers. You can also take a 12-gauge rifled gun, although this option is also suitable for a longer shot. Rifles with good optics are the best choice for trophy hunting. For shooting at dusk, a night sight is useful.

The cartridges must also be reliable - from 308Win and more, 7.62 * 51, 9.3 * 62 are suitable, the bullet weight is from 18 g. You can even take “elephant cartridges”, if the hunt is for a trophy, the result will be 100% - m, but the meat will remain spoiled. In any case, the cartridges must have a high lethal force. This is due to the safety for the hunter and the difficulty of finding a wounded animal in a snowless period. Animals to the rut become strong for injuries, which confirms the need for good cartridges.

When choosing a position, pay attention to the fact that the elk does not like to go out into open places. The animal prefers to move more often, therefore it is better to intercept it on the tracks. When the hunt is conducted by a group, they build a chain perpendicular to the course of the animal, which will surely stumble upon the hunter.

Slaughter places

The best slaughter places are the area of ​​the scapula, chest in the heart zone. Usually, in the presence of a serious caliber bullet, the animal falls immediately. You can also shoot at the neck, lungs, spine, but you have to be ready to finish off the animal, which, with an excess of adrenaline, can go some more distance.

Hunting with decoy and waba

You can lure an elk to a waba - this is. The meaning of the application is as follows: moose claim territory by possessing a female, and the sounds of an opponent force them to rush to contest the place. Usually fights take place at night, calming down by dawn, and in the morning the elk is not too careful. When the hunter begins to beckon (wab), the animal rushes to the opponent. Only a foreign smell can scare him away.

In addition to waba, wind decoys are used. They are like mouthpieces that are blown into. More expensive models even come with a training CD. Some decoys make the sound of a moose cow, others - a male. The price varies from 500 to 3000 rubles, depending on the sound quality.

The hunting process will be as follows:

1. A hunter with a huntsman, a group of hunters approach the chosen place.
2. The luther starts calling the animal, periodically changing position.
3. Hearing the groan of the moose, the beckoner goes behind the shooter (if this is one person, he prepares a gun, takes a position).
4. They stop beckoning, waiting for the animal.
5. After the moose is seen, they immediately take it to the sight, without making any extra sounds.
6. They make a shot.

Interesting: if vaby, semolina is not available, some hunters scratch the tree trunk, attracting the animal. Often this also works, and the moose comes to the call.

For a successful hunt, it is very important to take into account all factors: the time of the rut and the behavior of moose, the choice of the right place and hunting tactics. It is necessary to study all the nuances and prepare in advance for a responsible business.

Video

First, let's define what "roar hunting" means. In fact, it would be correct to call it not “on the roar”, but “on the rut”, since the elk does not roar, but makes moaning sounds during the rut, attracting the female. In the mating season, a deer roars, the sounds of which are heard at a great distance. Among the hunters, these definitions were mixed up and, in the vast majority, they began to call hunting for an elk “roar”.

The moose rut, as a rule, takes place in September, but depending on weather conditions, it can move to the month of October. Perhaps the beginning of the rut has shifted to the second half of September due to the changing climate, which is affected by global warming. Remembering past times, the old hunters notice that they had to “fade” - to beckon the elk, being dressed in warm clothes, since in September it was already cold in the evenings, and sometimes frosts set in.

The uniqueness of this type of hunting lies in the fact that a hunter-walker, imitating the voice of an elk during the rut, is able to lure a bull at a great distance. There are several ways to beckon a elk. The most effective is when a person pronounces similar sounds using the vocal cords. Of course, not everyone is capable of this, and hunters use various kinds of products, such as a can with a rope or an old glass milk bottle without a bottom, covered with birch bark. The art of imitating and luring a wild animal out of the forest that is its home is highly valued among hunters and deserves special respect.

How to find and determine the place of the rut

During the autumn rainy season, the soil in the forest becomes soft, on which traces of the hoofs of the elk are clearly visible. Therefore, it will not be difficult to find places of concentration of moose, moving along a fresh printed trail. Adult males for several seasons mate with females in virtually the same places. These places are forest plots, glades and mowing meadows.

You can determine whether the bull came or not by broken branches of bushes and young trees. If there are a lot of creases and they are of different freshness, then the elk has already been more than once. In addition to the creases, the male leaves "combed" on the trees with his horns, by which his presence can also be determined. If the plot has begun to overgrow with young growth and is poorly visible, it should be bypassed around the perimeter in order to find the path along which the elk leaves the massif on it.

In the places of the rut, bulls knock out rutting pits with their hooves, into which they urinate, and then wallow. The smell of urine is specific and so sharp that the hunter can easily determine the place of the rut. The bull goes to the racing pit in the same place, breaking the branches and trunks of young trees. On the way, having come to the place, he listens and observes the situation, after which he begins to beckon the cow, making the sounds of a moan.

A case from my practice

I would like to share a case from my hunting experience. Moving along an old, overgrown forest road towards a promising plot, which was three kilometers away, from the middle of the path I began to observe the printed traces of a female elk, which had passed in the same direction, a few hours before me. Based on this fact, one could make the assumption that the cow goes this course for a reason. Most likely, the male is already in the plot and from where he calls her for mating. Approaching the plot, which was fairly overgrown with young trees, without having a good view, he began to make a slow and quiet detour with stops along the edge of the array.

Very soon I discovered a well-filled path with very large elk hoof marks. Judging by the tracks, the male was not just big, but huge. Along the entire trail along the edges, a lot of trees were broken, having walked along the animal trail about a hundred meters deep into the plot, I went to a small clearing on which there was a driving pit. By all indications, the elk was somewhere nearby. After standing in silence for one hour, I decided to start “wabbing” with my voice, covering my mouth with my palms so that the sound would go into the ground. What was my surprise when the bull responded after about ten minutes, but the sound coming from the elk was more like a groan than a groan.

During the roll call, the elk each time willingly responded to my call, but the distance between us did not decrease, it was clear that he was standing in one place and was not going to leave the array. My assumptions were confirmed, the bull was not alone, but with a cow. Without losing hope, I continued to “fade” and the elk responded, this went on for about thirty minutes, then the angry bull let out a loud roar, hit the tree with its horns and fell silent.

How to beckon a moose

You can beckon a moose in the morning, but it is best if it is in the evening, when the male feels much more confident at dusk. This type of hunting must be carried out together, the shooter and the wader. The shooter must master the skills of firing in different conditions, both day and night. An adult male in the mating season is especially strong on the wound, so the ammunition should be selected with good lethal force. Often, an elk comes out under a shot already in complete darkness, for this you need special devices in the form of an underbarrel flashlight or a night vision sight.

You should also take into account the fact that evening fogs and a veil are inherent in the autumn period. You should come to the hunting place in advance, choosing a position on the highest place, you can just be, listening and watching, since it is not uncommon for an elk to go out on its own and the first one starts to give a voice. In this case, the wailer must adapt to the sound made by the moose and try to imitate it, using the capabilities of their vocal cords. The first trial voicing by the wailer should sound not loud three times.

After a ten-minute pause, you can do a repetition of five times. If the moose responded and moves towards you, you should stop beckoning, hide as much as possible and not move. Also, in the intervals between serving, you can break dry branches, thereby simulating the presence of an opponent. Do not forget that any hunt is unpredictable and you never know how it will go and what will happen.

On one hunt there was such a case. A young bull with horns on two processes ran out to the waler absolutely silently, bypassing the hunter-shooter. It's good that he was with the gun from which he got it. You can change positions depending on the situation, as the beast can come out unpredictably from any direction. The weather is one of the main factors for successful hunting. In clear and calm weather, on a young moon, activity is much higher than in bad weather.