Moose hunting from a husky approach: weapons, cartridges, videos from a real hunt. Elk hunting in autumn: Features and specifics of elk hunting When is the best time to hunt elk

Elk.

It belongs to the deer family of the ruminant suborder. These are very large, somewhat clumsy animals, with a short and thick neck, a wide and short body, high legs and branched horns, the ends of which are widened in the form of shoulder blades and cut out like fingers. They have small lacrimal pits, hair tufts on the inside of their feet, and interhoof glands; no fangs at all. In addition to forest corners, which are under strict supervision, moose are found in more northern latitudes, in all forest-rich countries in Europe and Asia. In Asia, elk is still much more common than in Europe. There he lives from 50 degrees north latitude to the Amur and is found wherever there are dense forests.

Elk is a huge animal. The length of the body is 2.6-2.9 m, the length of the tail is approximately 10 cm, the height at the shoulders is 1.9 m. The weight of very old moose sometimes reaches 500 kg; the average weight should be considered 350-400 kg. The body is relatively short and thick, the chest is wide; there is something like a hump on the back of the neck, the back is straight, and the sacrum is lowered. The legs are very high, strong, all of equal length and end in narrow, straight, deeply dissected hooves, interconnected by an extensible membrane. The hind feet touch the ground easily if the ground is soft. A large, elongated head sits on a short, strong neck, which is narrowed near the eyes and ends in a long, thick, swollen, blunt muzzle, as if chopped off in front. This muzzle is strongly disfigured by a cartilaginous nose and a thick, highly elongated upper lip, which is very mobile, wrinkled and covered with hair. Small dim eyes set deep in the eye sockets, lacrimal pits are insignificant. The large, long, wide but pointed ears are located on the back of the head, but are so mobile that they can be bent to each other. The antlers of an adult moose are very large. Wide and flat, they have a triangular spatulate shape. These horns are directed to the sides and are supported by short, thick, rounded pipes. In the first autumn, a hairy tubercle is noticed in the young male in place of the horns; for the next spring, a pipe grows; in the second spring - the second shoot about 30 cm long, which disappears only in the next winter. The horns then branch out more and more.

In the fifth year, a flat scapula is formed, which expands and divides along the edges into an increasing number of teeth, sometimes up to 20. The main branches also fuse with the scapula. These horns weigh up to 20 kg.

Moose hair is long, thick and straight. It consists of wavy, thin and brittle awn hairs, between which there is a short, thin undercoat; a large, very dense, divided in the middle, mane runs along the top of the nape, which partly continues on the neck and chest and is up to 20 cm long. The coat color is uniformly reddish-brown; on the mane and on the sides of the head it turns into a brilliant dark black-brown. From October to March, the color of the coat is lighter. The female is no smaller than the male, but has no horns, her hooves are longer, her hind hooves are shorter and less protruding. In Russia, a male moose is called "elk".

Wild desert forests, replete with impenetrable swamps and swamps, especially those dominated by willows, birch, aspen, and generally deciduous trees, serve as a habitat for moose. In calm, clear weather, elk prefers deciduous forests; in rain, snow and fog - coniferous. In Russia and the Scandinavian Peninsula, it roams over long distances. The elk never arranges a bed for himself, but settles down directly on the ground, not paying attention to whether he has chosen a swamp or swamp, dry land or snow-covered soil for his rest.

Moose unite in herds of various sizes, and only at the time of the birth of calves, the old males separate and form new societies. In a place that is safe for itself, the elk sleeps only in the morning and in the afternoon, and from 4 pm until early morning it grazes. According to Wangenheim, his food consists of leaves and shoots of swamp willow, birch, ash, aspen, mountain ash, maple, linden, oak, pine and spruce, as well as young reeds and reeds. In the marshes, he eats heather, cotton grass, horsetails. In May and June, horsetails and dandelions are its main food.

In Eastern Siberia, elk mainly feeds on shoots of dwarf and shrub birch. Moose are very clever at breaking off branches with their long, proboscis-shaped lip. When stripping the bark from trees, they use their teeth as a chisel, tear off a piece, grab it with their lips and teeth, and pull it up with a long strip. Moose constantly feel the need for water and must drink a lot to quench their thirst.

Moose movements are far from being as graceful and light as those of a red deer, he cannot run for a long time, but walks quickly and for a long time. Some observers claim that an elk can walk 30 miles a day.

The moose hears perfectly, but his eyesight and instinct are not very subtle. He is not at all timid and cannot be called cautious. Each individual animal acts on its own, and only the calves follow their mother.

Old moose shed their antlers in November or not earlier than October, young moose a month later. At first, the growth of new antlers is extremely slow and only from May begins to move faster. In the European and Asian part of Russia, estrus occurs in September or October. At this time, the males are very irritable. Generally speaking, moose rarely give a voice, only in exceptional cases, old males cry like deer, and the sound emitted by them is much stronger, lower and louder; but during sexual excitement, their voice sounds almost like that of red deer, only more abruptly and plaintively. With this cry, they call their rivals to single combat, with whom they then enter into a fierce struggle. Older males drive away the young, who rarely find an opportunity to satisfy their natural impulse. Pregnancy of the female lasts up to 36-38 weeks, at the end of April she tosses one cub for the first time, and the next time - two and mostly of different sexes. The calves jump to their feet as soon as the mother licks them, but at first they stagger from side to side like drunks, and the mother has to push them to move them. But already on the third or fourth day they run after their mother; suck it almost to the next estrus, even when they become so big that they have to lie down under it to suck.

Despite the strength, the elk, in addition to humans, still has many enemies, for example, the wolf, lynx, bear and wolverine. A wolf can overpower him in winter, at a time when snow covers the ground in a thick layer; the bear watches for individual animals, but is careful not to attack the group, and the lynx and wolverine hide behind the trees and jump on the back of an elk passing by them, claws into the neck of the animal and bite its carotid arteries. These animals are the most dangerous enemies of a strong elk; while wolves and bears themselves must beware of it, because the elk, even at a time when he does not have large horns, knows how to defend himself with strong and sharp hooves of his front legs. One well-placed blow is enough to kill or maim a wolf.

Elk are hunted either from ambush, or with beaters, or by means of strong nets. The benefit that a person derives from a slaughtered animal is significant. Meat, skin and antlers are used in the same way as deer. The meat is tougher, but the fur is denser and better than that of deer. In the Middle Ages, the skin of an elk (elk) was highly valued and expensive.

Moose hunting.

Summer elk hunting is not of great importance due to the low value of the skin and the poor quality of the meat, which, moreover, quickly deteriorates. In the summer, the skin of an elk, actually the mezra, is covered with a large number of holes or pockmarks (depending on time) made by emerging gadfly larvae, and is valued much cheaper than autumn and winter. In the summer, moose are often beaten by accident, having found a moose with calves, sometimes, however, they guard the moose before estrus, when they go out into the swamps or at the voice of the males, who at that time begin to roar, that is, call the female.

In extreme heat, when the moose sit in the water with only their nostrils sticking out, they are hidden by going down the river in a boat studded with tall branches. During strong heat waves, when the gadfly and the heat itself make the moose seek refuge in the water and when they stand in the river, sticking out only their heads and nostrils, then they get them as follows: they poke a small boat around with tall or other branches and quietly go down the river to that a place where they expect to find elk, who usually go to bathe in the same bocha, especially like deep bays, the so-called kuri, where there are always a lot of water plants.

In late August or early September until November, industrialists catch them in large numbers in pits. Instead of pits, large bear traps are used for a pood and one and a half, placed during the course on the trails. In greater use, catching moose with eyes.

More often, although also very rarely, moose are killed on the ice, because, having run several fathoms on it, they fall and rise with great difficulty; but the fact is that it is not very easy to drive them out onto the lake and such a hunt is possible only with a large number of hunters. Sometimes they beat moose in the midst of the chase, when the female, especially the male, are far from being as careful and sensitive as at any other time; at the same time, they usually try to kill the female first, because very often the male in vehemence does not hear the shot, and if he runs away, he soon returns and, in turn, falls under the bullet; it is only necessary to aim as accurately as possible, because during the chase the male is very dangerous and almost always rushes at the hunter who wounded him.

Moose are also beaten in the evenings from huts arranged on the so-called zasaly (stagnant water with rust in the swamp), where elks go from spring to July. By the way, we note that from about Ilyin's day until the start of estrus, elks stay mostly in places where there is always a lot of fireweed and raspberries.

Moose is also hunted with the help of dogs, which catch up with the beast and, running ahead, stop and divert its attention; meanwhile, the hunter slowly approaches him for a shot. For this hunt, very good, agile and dexterous dogs are needed, which could catch up and managed to delay, without slipping very close to the beast, which in every possible way frightens them with its horns and strives to strike with its front legs; hunters say that good dogs, sometimes alone, keep the moose in this way and do not let them move, do not let go not only for several hours, but even for a whole day or more.

Shooting moose from an ambush with the help of several beaters is the most common hunting in central Russia. As you know, the elk always walks in logs, and therefore if some hunters sit in the narrowest place of the log, while others begin to slowly drive the beast in the proper direction, then it easily approaches the distance of a rifle shot; to do this, you only need to know for sure exactly where the elk is kept, what you need to take care of in advance.

Much more often they shoot in this way, that is, from an ambush, at the end of winter. For this purpose, fat is noticed in advance - the place where moose go to feed in the early mornings and in the evening; one hunter or several hide in a short distance from the path leading to the fat, and the rest frighten off the herd, which, being afraid of the ice, will certainly follow the beaten path and will certainly pass by the hidden hunters. In this hunt, the nearest shooter must wait until the whole herd has passed by him, and shoot at those behind him; otherwise, they may turn back and avoid the shots of the next hunters. Sometimes they also lie in wait for moose on the very fats.

Finally, the moose are hidden in the fall on the first soft snow, of course, also against the wind and without dogs, which will only interfere here and delay the outcome of the hunt. With some skill, sneaking up on an elk is not as difficult as it seems, judging by his caution and sensitivity, but still it is much smarter than stealing a short-sighted roe deer. For the most part, windy weather is chosen for this hunt; having found a fresh track that is easy to recognize, they carefully follow this track, often stopping and looking around, especially if they have to go more often; however, in the case when the moose stopped in a dense aspen or spruce forest, the success of the hunt is very doubtful, since it is difficult to pass without noise. If this succeeds, then it is very tricky to look out for them and aim correctly.

The elk rarely gives voice; usually only the male bellows, and then during estrus, or rather, before estrus. This voice or roar is similar to a short and abrupt lowing and can be heard at the beginning of autumn at a very long distance. The moose cow screams only when she calls a calf or is frightened of something, and her voice is much weaker. A mortally wounded moose always groans.

Moose hunting

Race fishing is carried out along the first winter path or in March along the crust, when the elk, breaking through the icy bark, gets stuck in the snow, skins its legs and soon gets tired. In the latter case it is possible to hunt without dogs, with one gun, on skis, but in the former it is necessary to have a good dog, even better two or more; often such a hunt is carried out by a whole artel, and, of course, then it is much safer, less long and much more lucrative: sometimes it is possible in this way to shoot a whole herd of heads of 5-10 or more, depending on the number of hunters, of which each chooses one animal for himself , since often at the first shot the herd breaks into several small parts and the moose scatter in different directions.

The success of the hunt depends a lot on the depth of the snow, and most of all on the skill of the dogs: if the snow is shallow, the race sometimes goes on for two or three days in a row or more; from dogs, on the other hand, lightness and perseverance are required, and at the same time composure, otherwise they will not soon overtake and not soon stop the beast; a bright dog will just fall under his feet or on his horns; too hot, at the same time evasive dog also brings great harm in that the elk, firmly pressed by it, does not stand in one place for a long time and, after resting a little, runs again for a verst or more. A good dog should stop the elk, bark at him at a decent distance - ten to fifteen fathoms, run around him, continuing to bark, but by no means making an attack. The moose usually frightens it with its horns, beats the ground with its hoof, shakes its head and, turning after the dog, watches it and continues to threaten it with its horns; thus distracting his attention from the hunter, who slowly sneaks up to the beast on skis and shoots from a rifle.

If the elk is wounded and runs further, the dogs catch up with it again and stop it again, and this race continues until the elk is completely exhausted from the pursuit and the wound, or the hunter is allowed to take another shot. However, in most cases, a wounded elk does not allow the hunter to get close until the last exhaustion of strength: then the animal stops, and it is often stabbed simply with a knife tied to the end of the bunk handle - something like an oar that serves the hunter instead of balance and speeds up his skiing; This bed, however, is used exclusively by Solikamsk hunters, who skillfully throw it at the beast like a spear or arrow, rarely missing and often killing the elk on the spot. The animal-keeper, however, takes some precautions in advance and, before he decides to make beds, wraps his skis in order to escape from the terrible hooves of the elk in case of failure, which immediately rushes at the hunter to trample under his feet or grab him by the horns. During a long race, a knife tied to a bed, and the theological hunters have a stalk, often one knife, decides the success of the hunt, since the industrialists, chasing an elk for a day or more, abandon their rifles and even take off their warm outer clothing. In deep snow this hunt can be very lucrative, and, as already mentioned, it happens that two hunters hunt up to two dozen elks in one week. Sometimes, though very rarely, moose are killed on horseback with dogs or even without dogs, but this requires a very strong and tireless horse, and therefore the race without dogs is not so reliable; in addition, the elk often purposely goes through such thickets, where you will not soon make your way on foot and tear your whole dress; therefore, he is driven on the top only in light forests.

Finally, occasionally it happens to drive an elk onto the icy surface of the lake, on which it slips and falls, and where it is not difficult to finish it off with one knife; the whole task is. to drive him to the lake, why this hunt requires several hunters and dogs, and in general it requires great skill and a lot of skill.

If moose are driven down on the crust without dogs, then it is best not to pursue the wounded animal and look for it in a few hours or the next day: then it rarely goes far. A wounded and very tired elk loses its trot and starts galloping; this serves as a sure sign that he will soon stop and finally be exhausted. It should also be noted that the younger the moose, the easier it is to drive him, and also that the females get tired much faster than the male, they stop sooner, and that both young moose and moose cows are much safer than an adult bull and rarely rush at the hunter.

Moose tracking.

Hunting is carried out almost exclusively on the crust, and therefore usually at the end of February. Having found a fresh trail, one, but usually two and occasionally three hunters go hunting. Following the trail, the hunters keep close if the crust is strong, or they go one after the other, in single file, if the crust does not withstand (since it is easier to go on a skier than in a whole, the front line is replaced from time to time). The advanced hunter vigilantly monitors all the features of the trail, and when the latter, by its features, makes one assume that the moose are close and, moreover, in the parking lot, lying or feeding, the hunters immediately stop. Before laying down, the trail begins to double, triple, if there are several moose: the moose no longer go toe to toe, footprint to footprint, but disperse, go around the bushes, in some places pinch the top of the bush, devour the bark of a young aspen, etc.

If the trail of several moose goes toe to toe, then this is a clear sign that they are in a hurry to a well-known, still distant goal and will not soon stop for feeding or lying down; at the same time, their trace goes in a known, direct direction, without any detours and zigzags. Sometimes you have to follow this trail for 10,15,20 or more kilometers, if the moose are driven or shot, until you get to the hay or feeding. If the moose walked alone (an old male, a lone or strayed from the uterus and wounded by a young one), then, of course, even before feeding, etc., the trail cannot double, but it no longer goes in a straight direction, but in zigzags, the animal walks shorter, slowly, etc.

Near the very beds or beds, the snow is always heavily trampled; traces go in different directions and intersect; the willow or aspen forest is gnawed in some places; there are heaps of fresh feces, etc. You can tell from the feces whether it was a male or a female: in the first, the feces are larger, significantly oblong, drier and do not lie in a heap, but are more scattered; the female is rounder, not so dry, but slimy and always lies in a heap. It is also quite easy to tell a male from a female by the track, especially at this time of the year: the female's track is smaller than the male's and rounder (her front hooves are more rounded and not as sharp as the male's). But according to these signs alone, one can still make a mistake and take the trace of a young, two or three-year-old male for the trace of an old female, and vice versa. But at this time of the year (in February and later), the female's step is shorter, the foot no longer steps so faithfully, and it is the hind leg that does not reach a little and becomes somewhat wider than the front, which is why this so-called inaccessibility occurs: the female goes wider hind legs, for it is stellate (this is not noticed in the barren).

Hunters, noticing the proximity of moose by signs, stop for a minute. They now need to go around the animals, that is, describe a circle to make sure whether the animals are here or have gone further. If there are two hunters, then they disperse from the track and one describes an arc to the right, the other to the left; having described this arc, they converge on the opposite side of the circle. If there are three of them, then the third one stays on the path and waits for the result. The size of the circle is different and depends on the weather, etc. If the hunters, having described the circle, do not find a way out of it, then the moose are here; if the trail leaves the circle and goes further, then the hunters follow them further until they overtake and bypass the moose. When the hunters managed to encircle the elks, but the circumvented circle is large (a verst or more in diameter), and the terrain and weather allow it to be cut, then this circle is reduced as much as possible. At the same time, the hunters act very carefully: keeping their guns at the ready, they slowly move forward and vigilantly look out for the area. In calm, windless, clear and frosty weather, it is more difficult to approach an elk than in windy weather. The herd should be approached more carefully than a single animal.

If the weather is calm, clear, and the snow rustles a little under the skis and there are three hunters, then one of the hunters, moving along the path a little inside the circle, chooses a cleaner place, directly on the path or near it, and hides behind a snag or just behind a tree trunk. The remaining two, meanwhile, enter the opposite side of the circle and very quietly and carefully, besides in sight of each other, begin to move towards the center of the circle or to the place where the moose are waiting. They walk very carefully, trying not to make any noise, not even a rustle; they often stop, look around, peer into each bush in front and on the sides, while moving forward, etc. Finally, they stumble upon moose and shoot. If they went straight against the path and, moreover, ran into moose standing and, therefore, not so close, then the moose usually go along the old path, that is, back, and stumble upon a third hunter who has sat in an ambush; if they caught the moose lying, came close and took them by surprise (which under these conditions, that is, in calm weather, is very rare), then the moose rush in different directions, anywhere. If, under the same circumstances, a light wind blows in the direction from the moose (the path under the wind), then they already go to the other side of the circle, that is, to the wind, only this third hunter and sits in an ambush; the other two walk against the wind along the path, or rather, having a path between them, walking sideways, about 30-50 paces from the latter, depending on the nature of the terrain. They follow the path until they find animals; in this case, the elk usually goes against the wind. In both these cases, the third hunter, that is, the one who remains in ambush, actually plays a secondary role, and the first two have a much greater chance of killing the beast.

Under more favorable conditions, i.e., when over the crust lies an inch soft as fluff, but not wet snow, when the weather is windy and the forest is noisy, this approach changes slightly. If the moose went for feeding against the wind, i.e. the path is located in relation to the moose under the wind, then all hunters, no matter how many there are, approach the moose along this very path. If there are two hunters, then they walk along the sides of the path, at a distance of 80-120 steps from each other, having a path in the middle; if there are three, then the best shooter goes along the path itself, while his comrades - on the sides, at the same approximate distance from him.

Moose wrapping.

The greater or lesser difficulty of avoiding moose depends on the terrain and the weather. The more extensive the forests and the more places for fattening in them, the colder and clearer the weather, the more they roam and the less likely it is to find them the next day in the same place. On the contrary, on stormy blizzard and snowy days, moose stand still where the bad weather caught them, so that they can be beaten from the approach. They roam reluctantly during morning fogs, during a thaw, and especially when the crust is formed or the snow is very deep.

Moose's favorite camping places are lowlands, swamp near the water. Even in winter, the elk chooses a place near springs, which would not freeze all winter. He is extremely fond of standing in light forests and at the hearing, for which he chooses a place on a small area with trees, mostly conifers, to protect himself from the cold and at the same time to see and hear everything around him. Most often he fattens in aspen or aspen mixed with alder.

If the snow is not deep, it is more convenient to go around the moose in a sleigh specially adapted for this purpose - one horse, very narrow, on high poles and without bends, or go around on horseback. In deep snow, of course, the detour is possible only on skis. Together, things go faster and not so tiring, but you should be careful not to talk loudly. Having found fresh traces of moose, the payer determines how many animals have passed. In deep snow, moose walk trail after trail - the females are in front, the young behind them.

For the most part, moose go in families, three or four together, usually a female or two and two young ones - a two-year-old and a one-year-old. Old males always live apart in winter and are distinguished by great caution. When, judging by the terrain, it can be assumed that the moose have stopped, the payer makes a circle; if the trail left it, then another one is made, and so on, until the elk is bypassed. The circle must be made, considering the terrain, and as far as possible, more, bending around such places where the elk can stop. If there are no traces of the exit circle, then the salary is reduced as much as possible in order to more accurately determine the parking lot. It must always be borne in mind that the elk stands (in winter) from ten o'clock in the morning until about four in the afternoon, and then leaves for fattening, which lasts all night. Therefore, it should not go around before hunting early in the morning, since you can stumble upon an animal and drive it further, ten versts (about 10 km) or more. In general, if the trail shows that the elks have left the circle at a pace and in a straight direction, stopping often, then this is an indication that they have heard something that seems suspicious to them and will go far. An unafraid moose often turns aside to feed and nibble young trees that come across to it.

A diligent and experienced payer must certainly go around the moose on the eve of the hunt and, if they have wandered a lot, notice their output and entrance traces in the salary, without fail counting how much came out and how much came in; for example, if two tracks left the circle and one entered again, then there is no moose in the salary; if two tracks left, and two again entered the salary, this means that the elk left twice and after the fourth track is on the bypass. Evening traces must be crossed over with a stick, so that in the morning, if there was no snow, not to go astray and not take the evening trace for a fresh morning one.

Moose hunting.

The payer or manager of the hunt, having arrived at the place where the moose are bypassed, must certainly check in the morning if they have come out; if everything is in order, he will have to decide where to drive the moose. You should be guided in choosing the direction by the wind and always drive the moose into the wind so that they cannot smell a person; in general, one should try to drive the moose in the direction where, one might assume, they would go on their own, for example, drive in the direction from which they came, or in the direction where the forests stretch. If it happens that the wind blows exactly in the direction where it is impossible to drive the moose, then you should drive them across the wind, but in no case against the wind. The second condition for hunting moose is that upon arrival at the place where parking is supposed to be close, leave the scream as far as possible and forbid all noise and conversation until the shooters take their places on the line. Hunters, in turn, must observe dead silence - speak in signs.

The payer or manager goes forward. The rooms are pre-assigned on the snow, so there is nothing to talk about. It is very dangerous to place shooters close, especially hot and inexperienced ones: it is best if the number is at a distance of about 100 steps from the number and at least 50. The hunter stands behind a bush or some kind of cover; well, if he is dressed in a light gray dress; in a completely clean place, he must definitely put on a white hoodie and a cover for his hat on top of warm clothes. Smoking and leaving the place is strictly prohibited.

When the hunters take their places, the salaries quietly start shouting. If the terrain allows, the raid is divided into two equal halves: one comes from one, the other from the other end of the salary, and both converge in the middle. Beater from beater become no more often, as in a distance of 10, and no further, as in 50 steps, depending on the terrain and their number. In deep snow, it is better to limit yourself to a small number of screamers, but who can ski. Usually, especially sharp-witted and knowledgeable are placed on the right and left wings. Their duty is to observe silence until the signal is given, and to ensure that the beaters do not converge together, that is, do not leave their places and do not run to the shots out of curiosity. The flanks of the round-up are somewhat bent in a semicircle to both sides of the line of shooters; in a word, the bypassed beast is surrounded on all sides, as it were by nets. The last two or three beaters should not shout at all, otherwise they may interfere with the first and last numbers of shooters. They are allowed to make noise only when the elk comes at them in order to break through the wing.

Having placed the cry, the payers enter the salary and follow the tracks to the moose camp. Sometimes moose are allowed close, and sometimes they move away, far from allowing payers. Making sure that the moose have set off, the payers make blank shots, observing that they are fired from behind the beast and that he rushes with fright to the line of hunters. At signal shots, the roundup suddenly begins to scream, knock with mallets, crackle with rattles, shoot with blank charges, by no means leaving the place until the end of the hunt. Moose, puzzled by the noise and shots that are happening behind them, go to the line of shooters all together, how many of them were in the salary, one after another, stepping footsteps, the old ones in front. An unshot elk, from the cry of a roundup, runs at an even trot, lays its ears, raises its head and arches its neck forward with its Adam's apple.

Shooting moose requires, in addition to the ability to shoot a bullet, great endurance and composure. They usually shoot only when the animal or animals appear against or almost against the number (to avoid accidents) and rarely beyond 50 paces. Moose at first all at once run out to one number, and, shooting properly, you can knock down a couple from a double-barreled fitting. In addition, in well-organized hunting circles and societies, a more or less significant fine is paid for a killed moose cow, and it is possible to distinguish a female from a young, still lumpy male only at a close distance. It is also very important not only to kill the beast, but also to prevent it from breaking through the chain of shooters. From a shot at any of the animals, the rest immediately break apart, sometimes run along the line of hunters or return to salary and run out to the beaters, trying to break through. Needless to say, the hunter should not leave his place until the signal for the end of the hunt is given.

You should not approach the killed elk shortly after the shot, since in death convulsions the animal can kill a person on the spot with its foot.

Many people think that the elk is very strong on the wound, but this opinion is not entirely true; it happened because a wounded elk is usually immediately pursued. You can kill him on the spot only by hitting him in the chest, under the shoulder blade or in the neck near the withers, but an elk wounded in the stomach or butt, if left undisturbed, often goes a mile or two (about 1-2 km), lies down and bleeds , so that the next day it will not be difficult to find him on the trail or with dogs. If, however, he is pursued at the end of the hunt, then in the heat of the moment he can go 5-10 versts (5-10 km). With a broken hind or front leg, the elk goes much further, and then without a dog one cannot hope to stop him and shoot him. It must also be borne in mind that a wounded elk often rushes at the hunter and can trample him. An experienced hunter will always be able to determine whether the animal is injured and where exactly. If a bullet hits the elk in the leg, front or back, then there is a lot of red blood; if the bullet hits the chest and touches the insides, the blood comes from the wound in an insignificant amount, caked and dark in color. Intestinal blood is almost black, along with feces and also in small quantities. If blood splatters on both sides of the track, then the wound is severe and the bullet went right through the beast; but, if the caplet is on one side, it means that it has stopped in the beast. More serious wounds are those when the bullet, hitting the beast in one side, does not go out a little on the other and stops under the skin. These wounds are much harder than through ones, because the blood flows freely into the latter, does not bake inside the beast and, therefore, relieves it.

The surest sign of a serious wound is when the animal bleeds in the throat (blood all over the trail, in pieces, almost black), which depends on the damage to the main internal organs.

From the bed of a wounded animal, it is not difficult to recognize the place where the bullet hit, because the blood that came out of the wounds will indicate on the bed the place where it hit - one has only to recognize how the animal lay, and this is not difficult even for the inexperienced, but smart hunter. But in order to find out where the bullet hit by the color of the blood is a different matter, it takes a lot of practice and long-term experience. If the bullet passes high on the shoulder blades, there is very little blood, and sometimes not at all, and the animal can go very far from such a wound. Then they already look at the trail: does the beast throw any leg to the side? does it draw in the snow? does it run smoothly and does it stumble? does it expand the hooves? - and other signs that will show an experienced hunter how the beast is wounded. In addition, you need to look at the place where the animal was standing during the shot, whether there is wool on the ground, because the bullet, hitting the animal, cuts off the wool, which falls to the ground. Almost all of these signs can be applied to any other animal.

Pits for moose.

The main pit fishing takes place in September, October and then in April and May - during the well-known migrations of moose. Pits are always arranged in logs, on passes and river valleys, also near well-known crossings and fords, and are arranged in several rows; the number of holes is always uncertain, and many hunters have several hundred of them. All of them are interconnected by a high fence, poles of three or four, so that the elk must necessarily pass into the hole in the hedge where the pit is located: the elk, meeting this fence both in front and from the sides, finally decides to step into one of these holes and falls through. Without a fence, an elk will never go into a pit, but even with a fence, he sometimes manages to jump over it or go around the entire chain; and this is where the side rows of holes turn out to be useful, which make him turn back and decide to go through one of the holes in the hedge.

Pits for moose are made a little differently than for goats, they are somewhat larger - in length and depth a little more than two meters, and four meters wide; so that the pit does not crumble, except for the log cabin at the top, made of thin logs, its walls are laid out with a standing tyn of smooth poles; the earth from the pit is scattered and covered with brushwood, the chips are taken away or burned, the opening of the pit is covered along with three or four thin poles, on which bars are superimposed across, then moss is placed and, finally, earth; all this is done as neatly as possible, without the slightest through holes, because the elk is much more careful than the roe deer. An animal, having fallen into a pit, often, especially an old one, sits quietly in it and begins to flounder only at the sight of an approaching hunter; it often happens that an elk that gets caught is eaten by wolves, a bear, or that it dies and even rots in warm weather. Hunters inspect the pits every two weeks, even more often, and, having caught a live animal, go around it from behind and stab it with a knife or horn under the front shoulder blade; you should never get close to the elk from the front, because he can easily grab a person by the dress with his upper, very muscular lip, pull him into a pit and trample with his feet: often an elk gets a person standing two steps from the front edge of the pit. Having stabbed the beast, the industrialist pulls it out of the pit on a thick rope with the help of a gate, specially arranged for that, and two or three of them easily lifts it with long and thick levers; then they remove the skin from the elk, trying, if possible, to skin it at a distance from the pit, cut the meat into pieces and take away the prey more often on horseback, rarely dragging it on sleds, and then when the snow is already very deep.

Ochep.

To this end, in the same way as when arranging pits, they block the fence in a straight line of 5-15 kilometers or more, and in places convenient for the passage of elk, or on the paths they leave gates in which a heavy eye is fixed on a wooden marnyr - a pole cleared of branches with a thickness at the root of 14-18 cm and a length of 4 m to 6.5 m; a wide 22-35 cm knife is attached almost vertically to the thin end of the eyelet; the other end of the eyelet should be much thicker and, for greater impact force, significantly outweigh the thin half. Ochen is alert in the following way: he bends down, and the thin end is held by the gatehouse, from which a thin twine is stretched, the force that the elk touches, the eye jumps off, and the knife strikes with all its might into the belly or side of the beast, which rarely goes far. Such gates are made up to fifty or more, and all these traps and fences are arranged by a whole artel of industrialists, who hire a special watchman. Sometimes deer, wolves and bears are caught in this way, but wolves and bears, despite careful supervision, often also eat the elk. The latter goes into such passages much more boldly than through gates with pits, and these traps are generally more reliable; moose fall into them at any time of the year, but more often at the beginning of winter; however, there are many of them in the summer, but in this case the meat often rots and goes to waste; in the summer, these passages are made on the paths that the moose use to go to the watering place.

Elk hunting on lakes, salt licks and hodgepodges.

With the appearance of the gadfly, therefore, from the middle of June, the hunt for elk on the lakes, salt licks and saltworts begins again. This latter is nothing but an artificial salt lick, which the local industrialists prepare in advance in places where there are elk. It is the industrialists who, since autumn, have noticed those places where the elk hold on more, and, having chosen among them the cleaner ones, as they say here, "loose" - on the pads, under the manes, near springs, springs, streams and other places more familiar to the elk - they salt the earth as much as possible in a certain space, depending on the convenience of the place for shelling, from a point specially chosen for that. Salting is usually done in this way: salt is diluted in water, which is heated in a cauldron or in a birch bark chuman with the help of hot stones, and the ground is poured with hot brine, so that it becomes brackish by a quarter (about 20 cm) or more. If the earth is simply sprinkled with salt, then it can be blown away by the wind, and after the rains it is able to brine only one surface of the chosen place. Near such an artificial hodgepodge, they choose the most convenient place for shelling the salt lick and make a hidden seat on it of such a size that a person with a gun can freely fit in it. To do this, they poke a small hidden place with branches, twigs, even small trees, and on the front side, along with a fence, they stick two bipods and put a crossbar, some uncleaned perch or a small felled tree on their bifurcations. This is done so that the sitting hunter in the seat can shoot more conveniently by placing the gun on this crossbar. But such sittings in remote places are not safe from visits by bears, who sometimes also come to hodgepodges to lick the saline soil. Therefore, it is better to make not sits near the saltworts, but the so-called storehouses here, one and a half or two (3-4 m) sazhens high from the ground, attach them near large trees on strong racks and the very branches of trees. These storehouses are made of very different shapes and sizes, depending on whether they are intended for one or two hunters, and they are either closed from the sides, like seats, or simply open, having only one wooden platform. The latter are mainly made only when they are placed between the large branches of huge hairy trees. In addition to safety, the storehouses in front of the sitting places arranged on the ground have another advantage, that the animals that have come to the hodgepodge do not hear the smell of a person sitting on the storerooms. With an even draft of wind or air, the smell of a person sitting on a storage shed pulls in an even stream high from the ground, therefore, through a beast that has come and does not hear it; while from the seat the smell of the hunter is carried by the wind along the very earth, and therefore he sometimes attacks the beast and frightens him. Finally, from the storehouse, sitting quite high from the ground, the approach of the beast to the hodgepodge is much more audible, and it is more convenient and more visible to shoot it, even at night, than from sitting. Sitting places and storehouses must be arranged in advance, and not when it is already necessary to guard the animals, so that the whole building is thoroughly blown by the wind, wetted by rain, then it will not have any smell, white cuts of trees, perches, pegs and other accessories will turn yellow, even blacken and will not catch the eye of an incredulous, cautious beast. From a new seat or from a new storehouse, just made on old salt licks or hodgepodges, you will never kill a cunning beast, because, having come to the salt lick, he will certainly notice a new seat or a new storehouse, which is why he immediately rushes and runs away, because he, perhaps , has already visited the salt lick several times, is used to seeing him in one form, and then suddenly he notices new objects, he instinctively has a suspicion of the secret presence of a person, and he, denying himself a tasty dish, gets scared and runs without looking back into the forest, to a safe place...

The main condition for arranging a seat or a storehouse on a salt lick or hodgepodge is to choose a place where the air would not stop, would not spin in one place or, even worse, would not rush in all directions, but would pull itself constantly one way, one way or the other. If this condition is not met, it is difficult to kill any animal from such an ambush, because the “spirit” will frighten him and he will run away before reaching the hodgepodge.

The same exact artificial hodgepodges are prepared for deer and for wild goats; similar storehouses and sitting places are built on natural salt licks near lakes and even whirlpools. In general, it must be said that the elk rarely goes to artificial hodgepodges, and he constantly visits natural salt licks, mineral iron springs, and especially lakes where mud grows.

In such places for the guard of animals, you need to sit down before sunset and, hiding, ready to wait for the arrival of the beast. It is clear that two or even three hunters can sit on such seats or storage sheds (the best is one), but do not talk at all, do not even whisper, do not smoke, but, pricking up your eyes and ears, wait for the arrival of the beast. You should never come to a salt lick, salt lick or lake from the place where you expect the beast, especially during dew, and you should never trample on the salt lick, salt lick or lake shore where the animals come. They usually approach sittings or shacks even before dew, barefoot, on wooden or birch bark soles, only not in tar boots, from the side where the beast should not come - this is in order not to perfume with their footprint near the salt lick and thereby not frighten beast. Industrialists who do not fulfill these conditions rarely get animals like the elk in hunting of this kind. It is enough to frighten the Pronged One once, so that he does not come to this place again for at least a whole year! ..

If “God will help to kill” some animal on a salt-dock, salt lick or lake, then it should not be butchered right away, but must be dragged away, otherwise the blood of the beast will ruin the whole thing for the future. In order to get rid of midges and mosquitoes, which in the summer at night do not give rest to the guarding hunter, the local industrialists act in this way: they put in front of them lighted dry horse wool or a dry birch sponge. These substances never catch fire, but only slowly smolder and produce a lot of smoke, which drives away the unbearable midges. The beast is not afraid of smoke: he got used to it from a young age on the occasion of forest fires and spring fires.

Artificial hodgepodges with seats or sheds arranged on them play an important role in the world of animal traders, as if they constitute their property, for which they stand firmly among themselves. Indeed, a hunter who has made a hodgepodge with all the conveniences and fed animals to it has the right to use it only one. No one else, without the knowledge and permission of the owner, has the right to guard at least one night on someone else's hodgepodge. If the owner, having arrived at his hodgepodge, finds another hunter on it, who, without his knowledge, decided to guard animals on it, then the rightful owner has the right not only to drive out the intruder, but even take away his rifle and prey. At least, this is how it is conducted between the local industrialists, who all know very well where, what and to whom exactly the hodgepodge belongs. Many industrialists make public hodgepodges and guard animals on them, either one by one or indiscriminately, dividing among themselves the prey killed in the hodgepodge. Many fur-breeders, constantly engaged in animal trade and thus supporting their existence and their families, sometimes have several dozen different hodgepodges, and yet, without their knowledge, no one else can use them. Many hodgepodges, existing for several years in a row, on which, perhaps, more than one hundred animals have already been killed, have such a price among industrialists that, after the death of the owners, they become the property of their heirs or are often bought from them by other fur hunters at a high price; sometimes they refuse, according to a spiritual testament, to one of the relatives or friends of the owners. Public such rich hodgepodges, if necessary, are divided among the owners in a very different way, according to conditions or sentences.

The rule of using artificial hodgepodges, it must be said, to the credit of the local industrialists, is quite sacredly observed by the fur-breeders. This is good, because the owner sometimes makes a hodgepodge in a good place with bloody labors, attaches animals to it, spends several pounds of salt (about 1 kg), and another comes to the finished labors, and kills expensive prey on them, is it reasonable ? No. That is why the right to use hodgepodge is in such respect among the fur-breeders, especially in spring, when antlers are mined on the hodgepodge. Of course, there are no rules without exception - there are also some kind of abuses here, which sooner or later will certainly be revealed between industrialists, reach the attention of the owners, and then it is bad for violators of the order of someone else's property. As for natural salt licks, lakes, whirlpools, mineral springs and other things, on which animals are also guarded, the above rules are not followed there; here the master is nature: whoever came to the place earlier is right.

It should be noted that the elk usually runs to the salt lick, lake or saltwort at a trot, so that you will hear him long before arriving at the expected place by knocking and cod if he runs through the forest. In very rare cases, this beast, quietly stalking, will approach the hodgepodge and, before it leaves for a clean place, will begin to listen to every rustle, to get accustomed to every object that is suspicious for it. This happens only in such a case, when hunters often sit on the places chosen for the guard and frighten the animals with shots. That is why good industrialists do not sit on the same hodgepodge more than ten times during the year. Usually, the elk, having run to the solonetz or saltwort, immediately begins to eat the saline earth, makes noise, rattles its teeth like a young horse chewing food, and rushes headlong to escape if it just smells the scent of a hunter. Therefore, having chosen a convenient moment, you need to shoot immediately, especially if you are sitting on the floor, and not on the storage shed, especially with poor, uneven wind draft, “just look, it will just turn in spirit and frighten the beast,” the local industrialist would say .

If the elk comes to the lake, then at first he usually bathes, and then he begins to get out and eat ir. At a time when the elk dives into the water, pressing his huge ears, he hears nothing, even a gunshot if there was a miss. The best thing is to aim at the beast when he takes his head out of the water, with a mouthful of bitter mucus, because at that time water runs from his head in streams and murmurs, as from a small cascade. At the same time, I consider it not superfluous to note that the elk chews and swallows food extremely quickly, which is why the hunter should not linger, but rather shoot. If you don’t frighten the elk that came to the lake, he will probably stay on it all night and wait for the morning dawn. This beast is simple, does not like to cheat, if he is not forced; came, and enjoys it quite. Therefore, many local industrialists do not shoot elk on very dark nights, but wait until dawn and then send a sure bullet to the beast that is overwhelmed. In exactly the same way, they lie in wait for the elk in the whirlpools of mountain rivers and beat them with rifles.

Since shooting in elk on hodgepodges, salt licks, lakes and whirlpools from seats or from storehouses is carried out mostly late in the evening, even more often at night, the local industrialists impose on the ends of the rifles, along the upper edge of the trunk, white thin talovye sticks, which are called lighthouses . Without them, it is difficult to shoot on dark autumn nights. The lighthouse, on the other hand, differs in whiteness, whitens from the general darkness and serves as a good target for the hunter. Some industrialists instead of little white sticks impose rotten things on the ends of the trunks, which serve as beacons for them; although they are more visible than the first, there is a lot of fuss with them, and animals are often frightened of them if they notice them by chance, therefore they are less usable.

Hunting on salt licks, saltworts, whirlpools and lakes usually begins in early summer and ends in late autumn, when severe frosts have already begun.

Moose hunting for "wabu".

In mid-September, in some places a little earlier, and in the northern regions of Siberia, on the twentieth of September, the moose race begins. The places of their “currents” are the same from year to year. It is still dark, the bulls begin to emit muffled groans, turning into a restrained roar. The moan of an elk, even on a quiet morning, is very difficult to hear at a distance of more than a kilometer. At night, moose calm down, but just before sunrise, they begin their mating roll again. During the rut, moose in anger break young trees with their horns and, not being careful, walk along the deadwood with a loud crack. However, it is not easy to approach a moose during the rut. Their hearing is well developed, and they can easily hear an inexperienced hunter approaching them. And if you disturb the moose, then this morning you won’t get close to them.

For a successful hunt, you need to be an hour before dawn in those places where signs of elk rut were found in advance: broken bushes, stuffed "leks" and fresh tracks. Alone or together with the wagner, the hunter moves through the lands, listening attentively and vigilantly peering into the forest thicket. The hunter's gait should not be crouching. You need to walk as if in an animal way - firmly placing your foot. It does not matter if a dry bough crunches under foot; sometimes such a sound attracts a bull, enraged by the presence of a rival in the place of his current, and he may suddenly appear in front of the hunter.

If a hunter or his friend knows how to lure - imitate the voice of a bull - then occasionally you should make sounds that a middle-aged bull could make. To the groan of such a young rival, without being afraid of him, the old bulls go bolder.

This hunt, captivating the hunter with an unusual setting, promising an unexpected meeting with an angry bull, which is formidable and dangerous, is undoubtedly of exceptional sporting interest.

When the bull, judging by the sounds, set off on a waba and suddenly stood up somewhere behind a thicket, you need to lie low for a while, as if on a capercaillie current, and then break a dry bough or, bending down to the ground, give another voice. And here every second you need to be ready for a quick, sure shot.

Naturally, on such a hunt one must be collected, disciplined, cold-blooded, accurate. After all, there were cases when another hunter approached the voice of the vabelytsik and the bullet sent by the too hot hunter went to him, and not to the bull. Precautions are the first and most important rule in this hunt...

Calendar.

January . Young males shed their antlers. With deep snows, it leads an almost sedentary life. Adheres to more aspen forests near swamps and rivers, garniki; in the Urals - also hogs and marks of large mountains. Hunting in a round-up (with screamers), with animal dogs (huskies), sometimes with hounds, on horseback; stealth hunting.

February . The young shed their horns; the old ones show the new ones at the end. The hunt is the same.

March . During the crust, it stands in the thickets (two weeks). Horns begin to show and flanks shed.

April . Begins to shed and shows red short hair. The horns reach their present size and begin to harden. In the Baltic states and in southern Siberia, moose cows begin to calve at the end of the month (1-2).

May . The horns harden. Most of the females calve (in meadows or swampy thickets). Bulls keep on garniks with fireweed and near rivers and swamps. Young, last year's, moose go (in the low forests) separately from the queens, sometimes with two-year-olds.

June . Finally fades out. In the north (sometimes in the middle lane) calves in the first half. Keeps near the water, in the most deaf and swampy places. Molt. The skin on the horns dries up and the horns ossify.

July . Keeps in marshy thickets and in sections, near rivers. Moose go everywhere with the uterus.

August . The horns finally harden, and the skin falls off on them. In the southwestern regions (in Volhynia) and in Lithuania, a chase sometimes begins at the end of the month. In the Urals, they hunt with dogs and shoot in the rivers from the entrance to the boat.

September . In the first half, the males begin to roar. Chasing (along the edges) near the water often begins in the middle of the month and lasts about two weeks. Young people race first. At the end of the chase, the males go into the thickets. Moose calves walk separately from the queens, sometimes together with young, last year or two-year-olds. In the early days, hunting on salt licks ends (in Siberia) and (in the Urals) shooting from the entrance to the boat. Hunting stealth (when the snow falls) and decoy.

October . In more southerly areas, the chase ends in the first half. It begins to walk widely, mostly in aspen and willow forests, and in the north it gathers in small herds. Hunting round up and hiding (on the first snow) in windy weather.

November . It roams everywhere, mainly in deciduous undergrowth. At the end of the month in the Northern Urals, old males begin to shed their antlers. The best time for hunting with a round-up in the snow.

December . In the second half, the horns begin to shed (old ones first). In deep snow, it usually stands in aspen and willow forests and walks more on severe frosts and clear days. Hunting with a raid continues until the end of the month, generally until the horns are shed.

Moose meat

Elk meat has a very large consumption. It is very nutritious and healthy, but it responds with sulfur and is tasty only (except for calf meat) when it is fresh and soon expires and becomes dry and flabby; the upper lip of the elk, from which jelly is made, is most delicious; Elk brain, fried in a frying pan with seasoning of eggs and wheat flour, is also considered a very tasty food. The meat is usually cut into ten parts: 1. head, 2. neck, 3. rump, 4. hind withers, 5. behind between the stegs, 6. middle of the dorsal bone, 7. front stego, 8. legs, 9. front shoulder blades and 10. sternum; the entrails, except for the liver, are thrown away, and, of course, the beast is freshened in the forest.

Elk often gives about 250 kg of meat, sometimes up to 400 and in very rare cases up to 480 kg. The fattest meat is before estrus, in early August; then up to 32 kg of fat is removed from the large elk, which goes into food.

Moose antlers, reaching up to forty and in exceptional cases up to fifty pounds (about 20 kg) in weight, are sometimes thrown by hunters, but for the most part they go to various household crafts, for example, petioles for knives, etc.

Hunting terminology about moose.

To determine the individual parts of the body of moose, there is a special terminology:

The front part of the head - the lips of the elk - "snoring".

Young shoots of horns are "knots".

The first anterior processes on the horns are "tusks".

Their bases remaining after the fall of the horns are “plaques”.

The young shoots of the growing horn are "knots in velvet".

The hoof of an elk is a “setup”, and the horny growths above the hooves are “supports”.

The voice - “groan”, mistakenly called a roar in literature, does not at all look like a roar, but represents, as it were, a deep sigh. Moose also make other sounds. When the elk is stopped by likes, in anger and irritation, he emits a deep mutter and strong fukan, very similar to the sounds made by an angry bear and a wild boar.

Elk droppings, which have an oval shape, are usually called "nuts" by hunters.

The main material is taken from open sources of information.
Prepared by Evgeniy Svitov.

In this article, we will look at the main methods of hunting for the largest representative of the deer family - the elk, list the slaughter places of this animal, tell you where it is better to shoot, and also share tips on cutting the carcass and skinning the moose.

Moose hunting - types:

Hunting for the rut

This type of hunting is the most popular. The period when you can hunt for a roar usually lasts from September 1 to September 30, but the moose rut, depending on the region and weather conditions, can begin earlier and end later. Temperatures above 20°C in September tend to affect moose and the rut negatively - it can move. It is also almost impossible to hear the elk moan in heavy rain and wind.

The moose rut, as a rule, is "tied" to the place where the animals come to the beginning of the rut. Some females move to “rutting areas” 8–10 km from the center of their summer–autumn habitats. Males are in a state of search for females and mating pairs can last from several hours to 6 days.

Moose are most active early in the morning and late in the evening and often all night, but there are times when moose roar during the day. An elk, which is in the hunt and actively looking for a female, is a terrible animal, its roar and movement at a great distance can resemble the work of a tractor and the roar of a bear. You will have especially unforgettable impressions if you hear the roar of an elk at 5-6 in the morning, or at 22-23 in the evening at dusk, when everything calms down, and you can no longer see the beast without a pendant lamp or good optics.

It can be very difficult to lure the beast to shoot, despite all the tricks and imitations. But often moose during the rut themselves go out to the person, having heard the noise of breaking branches. If at the beginning of September you found a peeled tree in a forest or in a clearing - without bark, often littered, and the ground trampled down by an elk, most likely you will be able to hear within 2-4 days, and if you are lucky em and see here the moose on the roar.

Moose have an excellent sense of smell, and this must be taken into account. Repellents have now been developed in Finland that mimic the smell of the moose cow, which can help in hunting the roar.

From approach or stealth

This method of hunting is no less interesting, but more difficult than the previous one. The fewer hunters involved, the better. Hunting by stealth is possible in October, November, when strong winds blow, and it is good if the first snow fell, but not deep, so that it would be convenient to move through the forest. Usually in strong winds with snow and rain, moose are in groups and do not move long distances. Strong wind and noise allow you to get very close to the moose, but the hunter also needs excellent knowledge of the area. Success in such a hunt depends on the experience and accuracy of the shooter, knowledge of the terrain and the habits of the moose.

For the daytime, moose most often lie down in small things - in light forests, not far from the edge of a large forest that obscures gusts of wind.

If the elks are moved and it is not possible to make a shot at them, they will most likely jump out on another hunter who has remained on the entrance trail.

Paddock hunting

Usually, driven hunting requires a team of at least 5 shooters and the same number of beaters, but it happens that this hunt can be carried out with smaller forces. Before starting the hunt, be sure to check the salary and make sure that the moose are in place.

The team, pre-divided into shooters and beaters, is advanced to the salary. The shooters must occupy the numbers, approaching them from the leeward side. At the moment of standing on the numbers and during the whole hunt, the shooters must observe silence. Shooters must clearly know their duties. Their main task is not to miss and not to miss the beast. At the same time, safety measures must be observed. It is strictly forbidden to shoot at an animal if there is a person in the range with it, it is impossible to shoot at noise and movement. Shooting must be carried out at a clearly visible object. It is more expedient to shoot at the shoulder blades, along their lower edge - at the heart. Beaters should be dressed in something bright and conspicuous for safety.

A well-organized and successfully completed battue hunt will bring a lot of joy and pleasant memories to its participants.

Hunting with dogs

The success of this hunt is 80% dependent on the abilities of the dogs and their ability to hold the elk until the hunter approaches. The main task of the dog is to find and keep the beast, not to let it move. Experienced huskies hold moose by circling around them and barking. You need to approach the moose quickly so that he does not have time to leave. But at the same time, you should approach very carefully. If the elk hears the approach of the hunter, then he will break away from the dog, and the next time it will be much more difficult to stop him and get closer to him.

With a husky on a leash

The peculiarity of this method of hunting is that the dog works silently and on a leash. Dogs for such hunting, usually huskies, must be very well educated, obedient and tame to an elk or other animal. The calmer and more balanced the dog, the higher the quality of such an assistant is valued.

To hunt with a husky on a leash, you need to prepare in advance: raise a successful dog, pick up a friendly group of three or four hunters working with huskies, find out the hunting grounds in advance. Taking advantage of the innate quality of a husky silently, without a voice, to follow the beast on the trail until she sees him, this quality must be intensively developed in her. It is recommended to bait huskies for hunting large game no earlier than two years, otherwise a young dog may be frightened by elk and forever spoiled for hunting.

After training on a dead animal, one should never miss an opportunity to give the dog lessons in persecution by the blood of a wounded animal. And if she shows passion for this, then the school of animal hunting can be considered finished. Such a dog will soon lead the owner, indicating to him without a voice where the beast is.

Hunters with huskies, usually two, having come to the forest, keep their dogs on a leash all the time and look for the beast together. Only sometimes, along the black trail, in order to speed up the search, they disperse in different directions, having previously agreed on the time and place of gathering. The owner, leading the dog on a leash, watches its every movement. Here the husky strongly pulled to the side, smelling the traces and the upper smell of the recently past herd of elks. Hurry - to the place of collection! Both hunters are now leading their dogs in the indicated direction. They carefully look ahead and, without letting the dogs off the leash, follow them until the behavior of the huskies becomes so impulsive that you can clearly feel the proximity of the animal. The hunter, whose dog was the first to catch the smell of the beast, passes it to his friend, and he carefully begins to steal away the moose, moving in the direction in which the huskies were leading. After walking 150-200 steps, the hunter finds moose on the bed or fattening. He approaches, selects the desired specimen and confidently shoots at it. If there is no old elk, the hunter also cautiously returns.

With likes on the moose trail

In addition to the described hunting with huskies on a leash, for a long time there has been a hunt in which a dog finds an animal on the trail or with its upper instinct and stops it with an evil bark. The negative side of such a hunt is that during a free search, the dog scares away the animals and often, failing to detain the beast, drives it too far. Therefore, it is better to have two or three friendly huskies. It is very important not to loose the dogs in vain, but to keep them on a leash all the time, especially if the hunter is chasing the beast along the trail left by the old bull. Having approximately determined the place where the elk should linger, the hunter releases the dogs from the leash and directs them along the trail. Dogs, until they overtake the beast, go silently. Having surrounded the moose, they should not rush at him, try to bite him, run behind him. An experienced moose husky, having seen the animal, approaches it quietly, comes in from the front and starts barking not immediately, but after waiting until it notices it, it will take a closer look. She herself does not attack, but only spins around the elk and barks occasionally, with restraint. The hunter walks confidently, he does not need to break through the thicket, run until a sensitive animal “breaks loose” from the place, as is often the case when hunting with one dog. Two or three likes will hardly let the beast go. At first, the moose pays little attention to the dogs. Then they harass him so that he rushes savagely at them, and they deftly dodge. Then they again pretend to attack, as if deliberately diverting the attention of the beast to themselves. It should be noted that the upbringing of a well-coordinated "link" of three huskies is a tempting business, but not an easy one. It is feasible only for a well-organized group of hunters or a hunting economy.

Where to shoot moose?

One hunter said this: "It seems easy to hit a big elk, aiming at the body at the front, chest, shoulder blade is not correct, so many smear, or hit anywhere, but it correctly aims at the killer organ, that is, to see and aim specifically at the killer organ , heart, part of the spine, without noticing the elk itself.

Elk slaughter places

The slaughter places in moose are: the chest in the region of the heart, the brain, the cervical and dorsal vertebrae. Less effective will be hits in the throat and torso.

After a successful shot, when approaching the animal, you should pay attention to the ears and tongue of the elk. If the ears are flattened, he is still alive. If the moose has a protruding, bitten tongue, this indicates that the wound was fatal.

Skinning and butchering an elk

After you have shot an ungulate animal, such as an elk, you need to properly skin and butcher it. To do this, you need to cut the throat to let out blood and make sure that the animal is dead. Next, you need to cut the carcass as soon as possible so that the meat does not deteriorate. To remove the skin, put the carcass on the back, fasten the legs with rope braces and make circular cuts around the knee joints. Next, an incision is made from the larynx to the tip of the tail through the sternum and abdomen and connected to the incisions on the knees. Then they peel off the skin by cutting it by pushing fists under it. They skin both sides as long as it is convenient, then put it on one side, skin it to the spine, and then from the other side and separate it completely.

Moose cutting video:

Today, elk hunting is not so much a craft as an interesting event, where the main motivator is excitement. It is by hunting for a moose that you can demonstrate all your hunting skills, because it is not so easy to get it. In case of success, both hunting trophies and unique photos from a collective hunt will serve as a reward.

Moose characteristic

Elk is the largest representative of the deer family found in the forests of central Russia.

Appearance

The animal looks very impressive. Its height reaches 210 centimeters, and its body length is 320 centimeters. The mass of adult males ranges from 350–700 kilograms.

Elk has great strength and endurance. Its head is large, with a slightly elongated shape. The upper lip hangs slightly over the lower jaw. Large, shovel-shaped horns crown the head. They differ in density and act as a weapon. Also, horns are an addition to the organs of hearing.

Interesting fact! The popular name of the elk - elk - comes from the similarity of the silhouette of the animal with the plow, which used to be an agricultural tool for peasants.

Moose behavior in nature

The natural behavior of an elk is a combination of caution and slowness. However, an angry animal can reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour. In addition, moose swim well and are able to overcome up to 20 kilometers in water.

In winter, they get rid of the horns, but after 3-5 months the horns grow back. The females have no horns.

Important! The weakest point of the moose is the nose. The wolf is aware of this vulnerable area, so the predator tends to cling to the nose.

Moose prefer to live in forests, and, if possible, leave deciduous lands for coniferous lands. The animal spends most of its time migrating between two types of territories - fattening (feeding area) and haulouts (resting place). The elk creates the beds in such a way as to minimize the possibility of imperceptible sneaking up to it. The animal will prefer the lowland hill to view all the ways of approach to the lair.

Moose are herbivores, they are able to absorb up to 50 kilograms of greenery per day. Animals consume tree shoots, river algae and wild berries. Eating usually takes place when the sun has already set or before dawn. During the day, the animal rests, digesting the food it has consumed. Moose mobility is greatly influenced by air temperature: in very cold weather, the animal moves much less than usual.

Before the onset of the autumn period, moose live as hermits. However, males find females to mate. The fight with competitors for mating begins. Sometimes fights can be very brutal.

Elk gives birth to 1-2 cubs, which are with her for about 2 years. During this time, moose calves grow up and become sexually mature. Young moose separate from their mother, starting an independent life.

The life span of an elk is 20-23 years. However, so many moose can live in captivity, but in the wild, due to the influence of various external factors, the average lifespan of animals is significantly reduced.

Choice of hunting time

Officially, the season when elk hunting is allowed begins only with the appearance of a stable snow cover. Most hunters consider a cool windy day in late autumn or winter to be the best time to hunt moose. The air temperature suitable for hunting moose is 15-20 degrees below zero.

Wind direction and speed also matter. Despite the fact that the scent of the elk is not too developed, the sense of smell of the beast is enough to smell a person not from the leeward side. The elk will immediately leave the lair, as a result of which the hunt will be disrupted.

The lifestyle of the animal varies depending on the time of year:

1. January February. The males shed their antlers. If the snow is deep, the beast leads a sedentary lifestyle. Keeps aspen forests near the river (wet) area. At this time, the elk is hunted by roundup, dogs, horseback or stealth.
2. March. During the cold season, the moose prefers thickets. Horns begin to appear, the lateral parts of the body molt.
3. April. There is an active molt, reddish short hair sprouts. The horns reach normal size, the process of their hardening begins. In the Baltic States and in the south of Siberia, moose cows begin to calve.
4. May. The horns acquire final hardness (ossification). Females calve in grasslands and swampy wooded areas. Last year's calves have not yet left their mother, but they can already go to fattening separately from her.

1. June. The period of renewal of wool ends. Moose cows calve in the northernmost latitudes. In June, moose stay close to the water. They can go to remote marshy areas.
2. Elk continues to be in marshy thickets, near rivers. Moose calves grow up and are constantly near their mother.
3. August. The skin falls off the ossified horns. In the south-west of Russia and the Urals, moose are being hunted. Use dogs or boats.
4. September. In the first part of the month, the roar of males begins. The chase usually starts in the middle of the month (near the water) and lasts for two weeks. Young moose race first. When the chase is over, the males go into the thicket. Moose calves spend most of their time apart from the queens. They are grouped with young animals - last year's and two-year-olds. In early September, they finish in Siberia, and in the Urals - shooting from the entrance to the boats. Snow falls in the northern parts of the country and stealth hunting begins.
5. October. In the southern regions of Russia, the chase ends in the first half of October. Moose try to stay in willow thickets and aspen forests. In the northern regions of the country, animals are grouped into small herds. During this period they hunt by round-up and hiding (on the first snow).
6. November. Moose roam, striving for deciduous woodlands. At the end of November, in the Northern Urals, animals begin to shed their horns. This period is optimal for hunting with a raid (subject to the presence of snow).
7. December. In more southerly areas, moose are also starting to shed their old antlers. Animals prefer to be in aspen and willow forests. The hunt continues.

Weapon choice

For hunting ungulates, 2 types of weapons are used - smooth-bore and rifled. The recommended accuracy of fire is from 3 to 6 centimeters per 100 meters.

smoothbore weapon

According to Russian laws, the first weapon of a hunter is a smoothbore: a hunting rifle of 12-16 calibers. Smooth-bore weapons are equipped with one or a pair of reclining (so-called fracture) or non-reclining barrels.

Most often, hunters prefer double-barreled shotguns. They are distinguished by reliability and practicality (they are fired 2 times in a row without reloading). Trunks are installed horizontally or vertically. It is believed that vertical double-barreled weapons provide better visibility and greater accuracy. However, experienced hunters believe that the choice between a vertical and a horizontal trunk is a matter of habit and training.

The fracture is loaded by directing the cartridge into the chamber. Breaks are devoid of a mechanism that sends a cartridge. The extraction of the sleeve is carried out using an ejector or extractor. The first of these mechanisms pushes the cartridge case out of the chamber, the second one ejects it. This speeds up the reload time and increases the rate of fire. However, the ejector is more complicated than the extractor, which affects the price of the weapon. In addition, a more complex ejector mechanism often breaks down.

Magazine weapons (with a non-folding barrel) exist in many varieties. All of them are divided into 2 large groups - self-loading and pump-action.

When choosing a smoothbore, you need to take into account the features of this type of weapon:

• store shotguns are more complex in design and higher prices;
• the weight of a magazine weapon is always higher compared to a fracture.

Since the hunter has to walk a lot when trailing, many opt for double-barrel breaks with extractors. The fact is that the ejector ejects the sleeve, which is why it is often lost in the snow.

Rifle

This type of weapon includes rifles, fittings and carbines. Rifled weapons are distinguished by greater lethal qualities in comparison with smoothbore guns. Popular among hunters are such brands as: Berkut, Saiga, Vepr, Winchester 70, Winchester and a number of other rifles and carbines.

Combined weapon

This type of weapon is universal. The combined gun is loaded with two types of bullets:

1. For the lower trunk - semi-sheathed. Provide high lethality and firing range.
2. For the upper barrel - non-ricocheting bullets. Used for shots from a distance of up to 60 meters. Usually we are talking about shooting at an elk in the bushes or thickets.

Ammunition

For a smoothbore, the 12th and 16th calibers are used. The standard effective hit distance is approximately 50 meters. However, there are bullets on the market that allow you to hit an elk at a distance of up to 80 meters.

Attention! For rifled weapons, the correct choice of cartridge is extremely important. Otherwise, even the highest quality gun will be ineffective. The best option for rifled weapons is the caliber 9.3 × 62. Used with a short lock. A characteristic feature is low recoil and good lethal force.

At a distance of 150-200 meters, the caliber 9.3 × 54R is used. However, this caliber is not suitable for short distances. Especially inefficient is the 9.3×54R firing at a distance of less than 30 meters.

For distances less than 150 meters in combined guns and fittings, the caliber 9.3 × 74R is used. The caliber provides acceptable recoil and high lethality.

Shooting from a distance of more than 300 meters is carried out using the caliber 338 Win. The return will be strong, which is a consequence of the increased power.

Hunting rules

The right tactics are extremely important in such a process as hunting for an elk. The success of the entire event depends on this.

moose search

To track down a moose in the forest, you need to focus on the following signs:

1. Hoof marks. The hoof mark is approximately 15 centimeters long. The step size is 70-90 centimeters with calm movement and up to one and a half meters when trotting. Along the edge of the track there are mounds (dragging). On the other side of the imprint there is a drag - more gentle in comparison with the drag. Here it is important to pay attention to the nature of the trace. The presence of grooves between the imprints indicates a rutting track. In this case, it makes no sense to trail.
2. The ureters. In winter, as soon as the first snow has fallen, it is easy to find a fresh track and determine the direction of the movement of the elk. In elk moose, the ureters are between the footprints, and in males, in front of the footprints.
3. Excrement. In males, the excrement has a more rounded shape, while in females it is elongated.
4. Eating traces. In winter, the most characteristic trace of this kind is damaged branches and bark at a height of one and a half to two meters.

When the trail is found and the direction of movement of the elk is established, they start tracking (that is, tracking the animal in its tracks). You need to move at some distance from the track, keeping to the leeward side.

Important! To hunt from the approach, you need to understand how the elk behaves, calculate the development of the situation, be careful and not forget about your own safety. Hiding is a slow process that requires patience and care. At any moment you need to be ready to fire.

Do not immediately chase a frightened moose, it is better to let him calm down. As soon as the animal feels safe, it will start feeding again or lie down to rest.

If an empty bed is found, then the moose is almost certainly on the fattening. The converse is also true.

To hit the moose for sure, you need to know where to shoot. An unsuccessful shot will entail not only a miss, but also the presence of a wounded animal, which is much worse. Therefore, you need to strive to shoot at a killer place. Another strategy: even if the bullet does not hit the weak spot, it should have such a stopping effect that the animal will not be able to run far and one more, final shot will be needed.

Slaughter places:

• subscapular region (heart, lungs are affected);
• neck (aorta);
• head (brain);
• spine (spinal cord).

The most significant lethal place is under the shoulder blade. Even with an unaffected heart, such an injury brings such tangible damage that the elk will not go far. If it hits the head or spine, the animal will also be killed, but hitting the head is quite difficult, and the spine is protected by a thick layer of wool. It is not so easy to pierce the skull with an insufficiently powerful weapon, since its structure is quite powerful. It is recommended to shoot at the head or spine area only from high-precision weapons or from a short distance.

Advice! You should not chase after a wounded animal. He may have enough strength and still run away. With a serious wound, he won't go far. Being frightened, the animal is able to run more than one kilometer.

The figure below shows a diagram of elk slaughter places.

You need to shoot from a distance of confident shooting. For a shot from a smoothbore, the most effective distance does not exceed 50 meters. The choice of a slaughter place is determined by the distance remaining to the elk. In case of hit in the head or spine, the elk will be smitten on the spot. However, for an accurate hit in the head, you need to be in close proximity.

Determining the severity of an elk injury

If the wounded animal is gone, the hunter is able to draw some conclusions by examining the traces of blood and following the trail. They demonstrate the nature of the elk injury:

1. Scarlet blood with blistering - affected lungs.
2. Dark blood, blood clots - a severe wound, regardless of where the animal is struck.
3. Blood trails on both sides of the hoofprint - the bullet went right through.
4. The path of blood ends quickly, the blood trail is thin - a minor wound or the muscles of the legs are affected.
5. Blood clots scattered throughout the trail indicate a severe wound in the chest area, as a result of which the moose bled through the throat.
6. There are traces of feces in the blood - the intestines are injured.

Note! Wounds in which the bullet remained under the skin are the most severe. Internal bleeding develops and most often the beast is doomed.

You also need to look at other signs (or their combination) with blood secretions:

1. Tufts of wool with long hair indicate a wound in the upper part of the elk's body. Short blond hair speaks of wounded limbs.
2. When the moose raises the front part of the body, moves hard, some dark blood is released, we are talking about a non-penetrating gunshot wound.
3. If the animal is noticeably hunchbacked, an intestinal injury is likely.

A wounded animal that has gone out of sight will definitely lie down to rest, cooling the wound. The moose will not stay long in this place and will move on. An attentive hunter, looking at such a rookery, will determine the condition of the animal. It is necessary to pay attention to how the moose puts its feet, whether it breeds cops, whether it drags its limbs.

Trophy accessories for driven hunting

Driven hunting has a peculiarity: due to the presence of several hunters, it is not always easy to determine the identity of the decisive shot. For example, an elk goes to the number, an accurate shot occurs, but the animal will not be able to move and leave, although it is obvious that it is wounded. The hunter reloads the weapon, expects to finish off the moose with the next shot. At this moment, the second hunter shoots and the elk immediately falls. In this case, the trophy should rightfully belong to the first hunter.

In another situation, there was also a hit from a distance of 80-100 meters. The wound is obviously light (for example, in the leg) and the moose, turning in the other direction and almost without slowing down, continues to run. At this moment, another hunter hits the elk under the shoulder blade with an accurate shot. The second hunter made a decisive contribution and deserved the trophy.

Hunting methods

There are several types of elk hunting: , from the approach, hunting by stealth, with a paddock and with dogs.

On the roar (with decoy)

This hunting option is one of the most common. The moose rutting season runs from 1st to 30th September. The greatest activity of the rut is in the morning and in the evening. In rare cases, the roar occurs at night.

Moose luring is a difficult task. Usually used for this purpose, there are also special repellents that recreate the smell of a moose cow, to which males respond. However, it happens that the beast goes to the hunter, frightened of any rustles or smells.

From the approach

When hunting with an approach (there is another name for this method - running hunting), the hunter finds an elk, approaches it at an effective defeat distance and fires a shot. Vehicles are not used.

Note! In autumn, they hunt from the approach only when the first snow has fallen. The optimal hunting time from the approach is from October to November.

There are several options for the approach:

1. Classical. The hunter goes through the habitats of the elk and, having found the beast, shoots.
2. Trail hunting. The hunter follows the trail of an elk, and when he finds it, he fires a shot.
3. Stealth hunting.
4. Paddock hunting.

Hunt stealth

The hunter knows where the elk is, and sneaks up to him (hence the name - stealing). The task of the hunter is to covertly (stealing) approach the distance of a rifle shot and hit the target. In the arsenal should be wide skis and a 12-gauge shotgun.

The best weather for stealth hunting is a clear frosty and slightly windy day. The wind muffles extraneous sounds, which makes it easier to approach the moose.

It is still dark to get to the intended place of hunting (usually this is the fattening of an elk). When it becomes lighter and the hunter is convinced of the presence of an elk, he begins to creep up to the animal at a distance of a shot. It is important to consider the direction of the wind. You need to approach against the wind.

Paddock hunting

Another name for hunting with a drive is a surge. A group of hunters participates (as a rule, 3-5 shooters and the same number of beaters). The success of the event is completely determined by the coordinated actions of all team members. The goal is to scare off the moose, and he went to a neighbor who is already waiting with a gun at the ready.

It should be borne in mind that it is impossible to accurately determine the actions of an elk at the moment of danger. In an attempt to get out of the pen, the animal goes to the most desperate actions.

When hunting with a paddock, each number is allocated a place from where there is an overview of a fairly large territory. The hunter must thoroughly prepare for the event by trampling the snow around his position, otherwise at the decisive moment he may fall into the crust.

Hunting with dogs

Winter or autumn hunting along the black trope with huskies is a popular method of catching elk. The best in this business are animal likes. The success of the event is largely determined by the abilities and fitness of the dogs. They must hold the elk, which is much larger than them, until the approach of the hunter.

If you train huskies correctly, then 2-3 dogs are enough to cope with the task. The presence of dogs near the elk does not mean that they will be able to keep it indefinitely. Moose are not too afraid of huskies and easily attack them. A dog without hunting experience can be injured and even die. Therefore, the hunter must move as silently as possible, but quickly,

Note! The uterus is able to specifically distract the attention of dogs, thereby allowing the calves to leave.

In case of danger, the elk acts in the same way as it would act if it met a natural rival. A young healthy animal will go on the attack. When leaving, it will look for open space for maneuvering. If the animal feels weaker, it will choose the most confusing, inconvenient retreat path for the hunter and dogs.

Hound breeds of dogs are not used in hunting ungulates. If the hound even once smells the smell of a dead elk, it becomes dependent on the rut and other types of animals cease to interest it. In order not to "spoil" their dog, hunters try not to take it to the elk.

Hunting is carried out with a dog on a leash. To do this, you need a specially trained husky, trained specifically for an elk. A dog without barking leads the hunter to the beast. The fact that the husky felt the elk, the hunter will know by the tension in the leash.

Watch the moose hunting video:

Safety regulations

You should observe safety precautions and approach the defeated beast, holding the gun at the ready. They approach the elk from the back, because if the animal is only wounded, its kick is enough to cause severe injury to the hunter.

Approaching the moose, you need to carefully look at the ears of the beast, his eyes and hair on the ridge. The flattened ears, the raised coat and the movement of the eyelashes indicate that the beast has only been wounded. The easiest and fastest way to finish off a wounded animal is to shoot in the area behind the ear.

During a group hunt, its participants are distributed over a fairly large area, and therefore safety rules should be observed: you can’t shoot at noise, shooting is done only at visible targets.

During the round-up, the gun is loaded only while already on the room. They report their location to neighbors on the right and left. The firing sector is set ahead of time. Shooting at the line of shooters is a dangerous safety violation. If the moose goes to the hunter, and the angle of shooting is less than 40 degrees to the line of numbers, the animal is allowed behind the line of shooters and a shot is made to steal.

Weapons must be kept clean. If in the process of approaching the hunting area the gun becomes clogged with mud or snow, at the decisive moment it may not fire. In winter, it is recommended to use frost-resistant lubricants.

Do not bring weapons into the room without a case if it is cold outside. If the visit to the premises is short, it is better to leave the gun in a cold hallway. Getting into a warm environment, the gun is moistened, and after returning to the frost it is covered with a crust of ice. As a result, at the right time, the weapon will fail.

Before loading the gun, check the absence of a wad in the barrel. Remove the cartridge carefully so as not to provoke an accidental shot in an open gun.

No need to try to drive an uncalibrated cartridge into the chamber by forcefully closing the gun. To do this, use a calibration ring.

Under no circumstances should a loaded gun be pointed at people or pets. There are a huge number of stories when the shot was fired by negligence. The gun is carried with the barrel facing up. At a halt, guns are kept only unloaded, with open or retracted shutters.

When hunting moose, you should take the tactics of the event, as well as safety rules, very seriously. Not only the success of the business depends on this, but also the life of the participants in the hunt.

Moose hunting is a rather complicated matter, despite the overall dimensions of the animal. That is why it is best to do it on salt licks, when the animal is distracted by eating minerals - salt.

When is the best time to hunt moose, what do you need for this?

Salt licks are special structures created by man to feed animals and lure. These designs are various forms of feeders, in which the most common salt is located. The fact is that during the winter period, the elk loses the supply of minerals it needs and replenishes it in early spring by eating. That is why it is best to hunt moose immediately after winter, since at this time he is very active in salt licks. These animals usually sleep from early morning until afternoon. Therefore, it is worth expecting them near the salt only in the afternoon and the rest of the time until dusk falls. It is best to use a special storehouse to track down an elk. How to build it and the salt lick itself can be viewed on a video on the Internet. The storehouse should be located at a sufficient distance from the location of the salt licks. Since the elk has a very good sense of smell, the hunter needs to be careful and it is advisable not to drink alcohol and tobacco a few days before the hunt. Such a smell can scare away the animal. So that distance does not become a hindrance, you should use an optical sight with a gun. Compromise solutions price / quality are:

• Leupold;
• Schmidt & Bender.

It is very convenient to use special night vision devices that allow you to distinguish animals in the dark. But such devices are quite expensive and require state registration. Their use in hunting is not always possible.

What is the best weapon to use and how camera traps can help?

Before you start hunting, you must first prepare well - to scout the area near the salt lick. This is best done with the help of special camera traps. They are photovideo recorders equipped with an infrared motion sensor. It is activated when a warm-blooded animal appears in the coverage area - an elk or another.

Such devices will help prepare for the hunt, track the habits of animals present in a certain area - the time of their appearance, and more. The captured video can later be used as a trophy. These devices save a lot of time and effort. There is no need to spend a long time in an ambush, tracking down an elk, studying its habits.

Viewing the video recorded on flash memory will allow you to get all the necessary information while sitting at your computer. In such devices, SD cards are most often used. The most reliable and popular camera traps today are:

• "Owl";
• "Falcon";
• "Acorn";
• Falcon.

There are many different modifications. Some are even capable of sending MMC messages with video and other data. This will allow a hunter located near the salt lick to receive an alert about the presence of an elk or other animal. This significantly increases the chances of a successful outcome of the hunt. It is necessary to take the choice of a gun as seriously as possible when the target is an elk. Since this animal has some features: a very thick skin, endurance and high speed of movement. Even an experienced hunter is not always able to lay down such an animal the first time. Therefore, when hunting for him from a storehouse, it is best to select a barrel that is not only powerful, but also allows you to fire two shots in a row. The optimal solutions are the following types of weapons:

• repeating rifles (Mauzer 98, CZ 550, Johannsen);
• fitting (MP-221 Artemis, MP-251).

It is very important to choose the right cartridges. It is necessary that they have sufficient penetrating power (to reach vital organs), but at the same time do not damage the barrel of the weapon itself.

Where and how should salt licks be made for moose?

Salt lick is not so difficult to make, it is much more difficult to find a suitable place for it. Consideration should be given to the need for the presence of a storehouse nearby. You will also need to install a camera trap (for video shooting). First of all, you need to pay attention to the following important points:

• direction of air flow;
• availability of places to hide;
• review.

Elk is a very cautious and shy animal. Therefore, the direction of air flow should be taken into account, since an extraneous smell can scare away the beast. It is advisable to choose a place for the salt lick so that the storehouse is downwind from it - so the smell of a person does not reach the beast.

The salt lick itself can be visited not only by moose, but also by other, more dangerous animals - for example, bears. Therefore, it is best to place the storehouse on the trees, putting the boards between individual branches. This will make it possible to avoid contact with dangerous representatives of the local fauna. At the same time, the hunter's bed must be carefully covered, but the salt lick itself must be clearly visible. This is especially important if the gun does not have an optical sight. When hunting, it is best to use a special camouflage robe or other special clothing. Avoid wearing bright, flashy outfits. The salt lick itself for hunting elk can be made in two ways:

• one-time - by preparing a special salt brew and pouring it on the ground;
• reusable - by assembling a special design.

In the first case, it is necessary to pour ordinary table salt into boiling water - 250 g per 1 liter of water. After cooling, you need to pour this liquid on the ground. Such a salt lick requires minimal time to manufacture, but it will last until the first rain - after which the salt will be washed away. A reusable salt lick is a canopy under which there is a container full of salt. You can use both regular, ground, and whole - if available. An important advantage of the latter is that untreated and unground salt is not washed off by rain. Her stones can easily be left without a canopy, just on the ground or in an ordinary basin. Directly opposite the salt lick, it is advisable to install a camera trap to record the video.

Where and when you can hunt moose

The habitat of the moose is very extensive. According to various data obtained from camera traps (by shooting video) and by interviewing foresters, subspecies of this animal can be found almost throughout Russia. Lakes, rivers and swamps present nearby are of great importance. Since in them animals are saved from heat and parasites. Mostly moose can be found in willow forests and along the banks of steppe water bodies. It is important to remember that hunting this animal is only permissible in certain seasons.

Hunting from the approach (stealth) on the first snow in winter is an exciting activity that requires the hunter to reveal his best qualities.

Whether the hunter will get the elk depends only to a small extent on luck, in fact, success consists of many little things, such as:

• proper selection of equipment and weapons;
• knowledge of the habits of the beast, its habitat, terrain features;
• actions of hunters when tracking down an animal;
• knowledge of slaughter places for moose.

Clothing should be comfortable, do not reap, do not pull, because it depends on whether it will be handy for the hunter to shoot.

Rules for choosing clothes:

• as light as possible;
• natural (synthetics do not allow the body to "breathe", because of this, a person gets tired faster);
• multilayer.

An air cushion between layers of clothing provides additional insulation, and it has long been known that two thin sweaters keep you warmer than one thick one. So, immediately on the body it is desirable to put on a cotton shirt or a vest, then a shirt with a fleece (option - made of fine wool), on top of a thick shirt, for example, flannelette. Then, based on the weather, a thin or thick sweater and outerwear.

The elk does not see well, does not notice stationary objects, therefore, in order to successfully steal, the hunter needs to mimic, merge with the winter forest. A waterproof jacket made of thick gray or brown cloth will help with this. Some prefer white camouflage overalls. But a camouflage coat can easily unmask a hunter by making noise, clinging to a branch or knot. According to the law of meanness, this will happen at the wrong time and frighten away the animal.

On the head - a tight knitted hat, or, in severe frost and wind, a hat with earflaps. Also, in cold weather, you should have a woolen scarf with you to protect your face from frostbite. Yes, and breathing through such a woolen "mask" is much easier.

Hunting hands are protected by thin woolen gloves. Some hunters advise wearing woolen mittens with a slot for the index finger over them. On the feet are comfortable warm shoes.

Weapon selection

For hunting, two types of weapons are used - smoothbore and rifled - with an accuracy of 3-6 cm per 100 m.

smoothbore weapon

For any hunter, according to the law, the first weapon will be a 12 or 16 gauge smoothbore gun. The smoothbore comes with one or two reclining (fracture) or non-reclining barrels. The most popular among hunters are double-barreled shotguns. They are reliable, functional (you can shoot twice in a row without reloading the rifle) and relatively inexpensive. Trunks are located horizontally or vertically. It is generally accepted that a vertical double-barreled shotgun gives better visibility and greater accuracy, however, this is a matter of habit, skill and training.

Breaks are loaded by launching a cartridge into the chamber, they do not have a mechanism for sending a cartridge, incl. there is one charge per barrel. But the sleeves are removed from the barrels using an ejector or extractor. A shotgun with an extractor pushes the cartridge case out of the chamber, and the ejector mechanism ejects it. This saves time for reloading, and the rate of fire increases accordingly. However, the ejector mechanism is more complex than the extractor, and the cost of such a gun (as well as the risk of breakage) is higher.
Repeating shotguns (with a non-retractable barrel) are multivariate, but they are all divided into two groups: pump-action and self-loading.

When choosing a weapon for hunting elk from the approach, the following features of smoothbore should be taken into account:

• for a magazine gun, the mechanism is more complicated, which means that the cost is higher;
• the complexity of the mechanism increases the risk of breakage;
• the weight of a magazine shotgun is greater than the "breaks".

While trailing, the hunter walks a lot, so most people prefer double-barrel breaks with extractors (the ejector throws out the cartridge case, so it's easy to lose it in the snow).

Rifle

This group includes rifles, carbines and fittings. They have more lethal characteristics compared to a smoothbore.

The fitting, in comparison with other weapons, has a number of advantages, such as a reliable trigger mechanism; virtually trouble-free locking mechanism; compactness and maneuverability; stem strength. However, this is a specific weapon that requires knowledge, responsibility, skill and practice.

Moose hunters often choose combination guns as the most versatile, adapted for hunting. The combination gun can be loaded with two types of different bullets:

• the lower barrel is a semi-shelled bullet, which gives a firing range and high lethality;
• the upper one - with bullets that do not ricochet, for shooting at short distances up to 60 m at bushes and thickets.

Ammunition

For smoothbore shotguns, choose 12 or 16 gauge. There are bullets that allow you to hit the elk from a distance of 80 meters, however, for the most part, the effective destruction distance remains about 50 meters.

For rifled guns, it is also necessary to choose the right cartridge, otherwise even the best and most expensive gun will be useless.

Caliber 9.3 × 62 is considered universal for rifled weapons. It is used with a short shutter, the distinguishing characteristics are moderate recoil and high lethality.

For a distance of 150-180 m, the caliber 9.3x54R is suitable, but it should not be used for short distances, especially less than 30 m.

For a distance of less than 150 m, the 9.3x74R caliber is used in combined weapons and fittings. It has moderate recoil and good slaughter.

For distances above 300 m, they take the caliber 338 Win. However, the hunter must be prepared for the strong recoil that accompanies high power.

How to track down and catch a moose

Moose habits in winter

Moose love forest lands; in winter, if possible, they migrate from deciduous to coniferous forest. The moose in the forest has:

• zhirovki - places of feeding;
• beds are resting places.

In winter, animals spend a lot of time in a small biotope. They feed mainly after sunset, before dawn, and during daylight hours they rest, digesting food. After all, like any ruminant animal, an elk cannot digest food on the go, therefore, after fattening, it goes to the bed. The colder the weather, the less mobile the elk is, the walks of the animal are reduced from 3-5 km to several hundred meters.

The elk fats in well-protected places in order to minimize the possibility of silently sneaking up even to a predator, even to a person. The elk moves between fats and hauls, spending a lot of time at rest. If the terrain is uneven, the animal will prefer to lay down not in the lowland, but closer to the crest of the hill. With his muzzle, he lies down to the trail, looking through the approach well, his ears are alert all the time.

Should know! During winter hunting, the female is already pregnant with one or even two cubs. Therefore, in order for the livestock of elk to be preserved and multiplied, a male should be taken.

Tracking down the elk

Moose footprints in the forest:

• hoof prints, actual footprints (calm or racing);
• ureters;
• excrement;
• feeding marks.

Hoof print (without lateral fingers) about 15 cm, stride length - 70-90 cm, trot - up to 150 cm.
In winter, on the first snow, when the black swamp with many tracks fell asleep, it is easy to find a fresh track and determine the direction of the elk's movement.

The mounds of snow along the edge of the track are called drags, and it is they that determine the direction of movement. You need to go where the drag indicates. From the opposite part of the imprint - dragging. She is more gentle than dragged. Now it is necessary to determine the nature of the trace. If you see furrows between the prints, as if an elk “scratched” his foot in the snow, this is a rutting track. Trapping him is futile.

On loose snow, only a trained eye can distinguish the traces of a male from a female by hoof prints. The ureters will help the novice hunter with this. In females, they are located between the footprints, in the male - in front of them.

The feces of the male are more rounded and stuck together, while those of the female are oblong, similar to acorns. Traces of feeding an elk in winter are broken branches, bark removed from trees at a height of 1.5-2 m.

Moose Approach

So, you found a trail, determined the direction of the animal's movement, and began to trail.

Remember! When trailing, you need to go away from the track, on the leeward side, but clearly along it, do not dodge, do not try to “straighten”, unless the track leads completely into impassable jungle.

Hunting for an elk from the approach is knowledge of the habits of the beast, calculation, foresight of the situation, attentiveness and caution. Stealing a elk is a leisurely process, painstaking and time-consuming, which requires the hunter to give full dedication and a good reaction. Once on the trail, you need to behave quietly and carefully, be ready to instantly fire a shot, because. any outline of bushes, eversion, boulders may turn out to be an elk on a bed.

If in the process of approaching you moved the animal from the prone position, do not rush to catch up, let it calm down. Not feeling the chase, the elk will quickly calm down, begin to feed or lie down to rest again.
If you have found a bed, it means that you will soon see a moose on the fattening and vice versa, having found a fresh meal, the hunter can be sure that the bed is coming soon.

If you have a smoothbore, then the optimal distance for a shot is less than 50 meters, which means that the hunter's caution, dexterity and endurance must be at their best.

Moose slaughter zones

To defeat the beast on the spot, you need to know its kill zone. The elk has this:

• under the scapula (affected organs - heart, lungs);
• neck (the organ of the lesion is the aorta);
• head, spine (affected organs - the brain and spinal cord).

If the wounded animal has left the hunter, do not immediately chase him. In a fever, the elk, sensing the persecution, the elk will run many kilometers, and the hunter will lose a valuable trophy.

Moose slaughterhouse scheme

While waiting, you should carefully examine the blood trail. It will give an idea of ​​the wound of the beast.

• scarlet bubbling blood - lung injury;
• dark blood, clots - a serious wound;
• blood on both sides of the track - a through wound;
• a blood "path" that quickly breaks off - the wound is minor, low in the muscles of the legs or neck;
• blood with stool particles - intestinal injury.

The height of the bloodied branches along the path of the wounded animal will indicate the height of the wound. Also, the trace of the elk will tell about the nature of the injury: how he puts his feet, what steps he takes, how straight and confident he walks.
A wounded elk, not feeling the chase, will quickly lie down on the snow to cool the wound.
To finish off a wounded animal, you need to approach the animal from the back and shoot at the base of the ear.

Important! An agonizing animal is capable of causing severe injuries to the hunter with its hooves. Therefore, approach the wounded animal exclusively from the back.

Hunting from the approach does not endure noise and haste. The main rule of equipment is no synthetics, leather jackets, nothing that can creak and rustle, otherwise the hunter will announce his appearance to the whole forest and will never take the elk.

When choosing a weapon for hunting, consider the weight and applicability (the aiming bar immediately falls on the eye when pointing at the target without additional amendments), know the lethal force of the ammunition.
Attention, caution and patience while trailing, knowledge of the terrain is a guarantee that the hunter will be the first to see the moose, come up to the distance of a lethal shot (at least 50 m for a smooth-bore weapon) and confidently lay down the elk.