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When hunting for moose. Moose hunting in autumn and winter

July 26, 2013 | Moose hunting in autumn: Features and specifics of elk hunting

Elk

In the days of the Wild West, for fun, cowboys killed hundreds of bison every day. In this article we will talk about his other relative, hunting for which is much more difficult and interesting. The elk, unlike the bison, is a more extraordinary animal, and has very extravagant habits.

Tempting moose hunting

High legs, a short torso, a huge hook-nosed head, an overly elongated lower lip and an “earring” are just a description of the largest deer in the world, the existence of which at the beginning of the 20th century was in doubt. The reason for the steady slaughter of animals lay in the need for elk-skin suede, which since the time of Peter the Great was used to sew camisoles and trousers for the army. The man caught himself in time, abandoned the tradition of supplying natural leggings, and over time, the elk population returned to its usual habitat. What is so tempting lies in the hunt for moose? Everything is explained by the complexity of surveillance and hunting - this beast is extremely cautious, sensitive and suspicious - therefore it is very popular these days. To emerge victorious in a fight with a horned one, the hunter, first of all, requires endurance, constant tension, both mental and physical, knowledge of the habits of animals, excellent possession of weapons and orientation to the terrain.

Subjects of the Swedish Crown

The elk, an intelligent and quick-witted animal, lives today mostly in northern Europe and Asia, as well as in Alaska. The European elk is also represented in Ukraine, however, over the past 15 years, rampant poaching and lack of control have narrowed the population to a few thousand.

At one time, the Swedish army even had a cavalry unit on moose. But it did not last long - until the first battles - the elk (this is about them - “the lip is not a fool”) turned out to be smarter than their horsemen and ran away from the battlefield at the first danger. During World War II, the elk comrades showed their best side - they signed up for anti-fascists on time and many times helped the Soviet partisans in transporting goods through impenetrable swamps, remaining unnoticed. In peacetime, the elk has only three enemies, but as a selection - a bear, a wolf and a man. The first two, waiting for a lonely young or old moose, do not stand on ceremony - after all, hunger is not an aunt and you want to eat. But even the elk is not a miss - powerful front legs keep wolves at bay, and bears have to guard enemies in a dense forest, where there is no room for maneuvers.

Moose is a recognized vegetarian with gourmet manners. Absorbing up to 30 kilograms of feed per day - wood, shrubs, branches, he does not forget about other delights - Ivan tea and a three-leaf watch. The glutton and mushrooms do not disdain - fly agaric, like boletus, the forest giant simply loves. And besides, the horned one loves to “drink” - fermented apples in an instant intoxicate him.

Where to hunt moose

The permanent habitat of the elk is all kinds of deciduous forests, thickets of willows along the banks of steppe rivers and lakes. If in the summer burnt areas and cutting areas look more attractive, then in winter they need mixed forests with lush artisanal vegetation. The change in climate, and hence the habitat, depends on the time of wintering (October-December) and the beginning of the rut - "marriage games" (August-November). In summer they are more active at night, during the day they rest in the best spas of nature - shallow rivers, swamps and dense bushes. If it is very hot, they do not disdain to plunge into the river and dive, which is very unusual for all other ungulates and horned ones.

Moose hunting features

In preparation for the most important event of the fall, simple data on the lifestyle of our hero is not enough. Surely, you are a humane and respectable hunter, so you need to understand the determination of the sex and age of the elk, following the credo of Leon the killer - "no women, no children." Indeed, hunting is only interesting when you track down an adult male elk, and not a yearling (calf) or a half-and-half. Age can be determined by various signs - appearance, horns, traces and other unpleasant tenderness. You can quickly and accurately determine the age by evaluating the horns - in the horns they are placed in the form of knitting needles with one process on each of both horns, and in adults they have more processes with a shovel. In addition, after the rut (November-December), adults lose their horns, while young ones show off their shovels until spring. For those who are fond of trailing, it is worth remembering that the trail of a male moose is slightly shorter and seems wider than that of a female.

Moose hunting methods

When choosing a method of hunting, the eyes run in different directions from the variety of options. The most attractive and informative among them are hunting for waba, round-up, from the approach during the rut, stealing, surge, tracking along the trail, with a dog during the rut, along the black trope or fine snow, and others. Each method requires a professional approach and knowledge of the matter, taking into account side circumstances - the time of year and weather conditions.

Wabu hunting. The purpose of such a hunt is to get elk antlers, which are considered the most valuable trophy. By the way, waba hunting is the only way that requires the highest skill, bordering on art, and is effective only during the rut of elk males. From September to October, he wanders in search of a female, while making a peculiar roar, reminiscent of a groan. Wabelers begin to hunt, giving voice; do not forget that the slightest falseness in the voice or the smell will scare away the inexperienced beast. All improvised means are used - a birch bark pipe, a mouthpiece from the palms, accompanying choral singing by tapping a stick on a tree. Having started a "conversation" with the moose, the hunters fan out at the possible place of the animal's approach. It is noteworthy that an elk determines the strength of another by its voice, and if the voices match by the timbre of howling, your horns are yours.

Hunting roundup with hounds, perhaps the most popular among hunters, in which ten or more hunters participate, requiring excellent collective skill. According to the plan, two hunters bypass the alleged locations of the elk in advance. Releasing the hounds where many traces of the beast are visible, the shooters hear the barking and follow the direction of the pursuit. It happens that dogs lead the elk right under the hunter's aimed shot - then it's a matter of accuracy.

Trail hunting possible only in bad weather - wind or snowfall. The worse the weather, the better for you, since the deer's eyesight is not so hot, however, hearing and smell are developed at the highest level. This hunt has a great advantage - at the moment of detecting a moose lying down, you have a few seconds left for aiming and an accurate shot.

When hunting with a dog along the black trope and fine snow, the tone is set by experienced huskies set on an elk. As a rule, only one or two dogs chase the moose by barking, because with a larger number, he gets annoyed and runs away. Trained animal huskies first provoke the animal by barking, forcing it to rush forward at a gallop. Following him, the huskies run silently, waiting until the moose slows down or stops altogether. The hunter immediately recognizes this - the barking becomes even and intermittent, and if the elk moves, the husky will bawl even more angrily and louder.

How to shoot a moose

Knowing that every bullet is deadly for an elk, many hunters shoot it at random. However, this myth is instantly dispelled when the wounded begins to flee from the hunters. Do not even shoot at the head - the bullet is unlikely to pierce the brain, and it will bounce off (just kidding). If you shoot at a moose, you should remember the simple rules of hitting certain parts of the body. If the animal is running or standing, it is advisable to aim at the chest in the area of the front leg or at the neck. With a direct hit, the elk falls to the ground, thereby saving him from unnecessary torment. If the animal is moving towards the hunter, you should shoot in the middle of the chest, if it runs away - in the spine. It is better to approach a shot elk from the back, because in agony the animal can crush the hunter with its front legs. Nevertheless, it is better to stun a wounded beast - at the moment of danger, it sweeps away everything in its path.

Elk delicacy - elk lips

Few people know about delicious and nutritious elk dishes, the preparation of which (shish kebab, roast, stew) is no different from ordinary ones. An exquisite delicacy, lip, is in great demand. It is not easy to prepare this excellent dish; it is very important to salt it and boil it in moderation so that it is not hard and not very soft. Then the whole lips are placed in a saucepan, salted, a couple of bay leaves are added, various seasonings to taste and boiled for 2 hours over medium heat. After that, the lip is slightly cooled and oblong pieces are cut, which are put in a greased brazier and fried. The table is served without a side dish, right in the brazier, after throwing a spoonful of lingonberries to emphasize the sophistication of goodies. It is unlikely that the lucky one who tasted this dish will not be delighted with spicy elk lips. Alexander Povkh

Previously on Moose Hunting:

Elk is one of the most valuable animals, attracting many hunters. The largest representative of the deer family has chosen deciduous and coniferous forests of the middle zone. Its maximum weight can reach 500 kg, and its height is as much as 2 meters. In this animal, among all the senses, hearing and smell are most developed, and vision is at an average level.

Moose characteristic

Appearance

The elk has an imposing appearance. He is the most hardy and massive representative of the deer family. Large-headed, with a slightly elongated muzzle and overhanging lower jaw upper lip. Its head is topped with large, flat, shovel-shaped horns. They have a rather dense structure and perform a defensive function, serve as an additional organ of hearing.

Due to the long legs and high withers, the animal is very similar to the plow, the most ancient tool of the tillers. It is for this reason that he was nicknamed the elk.

Features of behavior in the wild

By nature, an elk is shy and slow, but if it is angry or frightened by something, then its speed can reach 56 km / h. They are excellent swimmers, they can easily swim up to 20 km.

In order to survive in the cold winter, moose shed their antlers. Upon the onset of spring, the horns of males grow very quickly - in 3-5 months, females do not have them at all. Despite the outward fearlessness of this animal, it still has a weak point - this is the nose, which is why, knowing this feature, the wolf tries to cling to its nose in order to neutralize this powerful elk, weighing much heavier than the predator.

Nutrition and care of offspring

Like all other representatives of the deer family, the elk is a herbivore creature that can eat up to 50 kg of fresh greens daily. For the most part, these are young shoots of trees, various herbs, river plants or fruits.

Animals lead a hermitic life until autumn, and when the time comes to mate, the males arrange tough fights in an active struggle for the female. For one arrival, the moose cow is able to bear 1-2 cubs, she raises the cubs until the next offspring appears. After 2 years, young individuals reach sexual maturity, after which they can already separate and live separately. Moose can live up to 22 years in captivity. wild nature them life cycle much shorter.

Hunting Features

The moose is so peculiar that it is simply impossible to confuse its tracks. The wide, sweeping step of this sluggish animal in many ways surpasses the footprint of domestic ungulates. The elk has sharper hooves, leaving clear marks not only in the snow, but also on the paths. Elk moose leave an oblong trail, and in males it is sharper, by this distinctive feature hunters will be able to distinguish the sex of the animal.

In the warm period of the year, animals actively move, take a fancy to the coastal strips of rivers, fertile lakes and swamps, where a lot of fresh greenery grows on the coastal part.

What weapon to choose

If the hunt for an elk begins, then when choosing a weapon for yourself, you need to take into account the fact that the elk is a beast that is quite strong on the wound. It is not so easy to choose a weapon for this type of hunting; you have to use both rifled and smooth-bore weapons for hunting.

If elk hunting is planned, then it is advisable to use 9.3x62 format cartridges for rifled weapons. These bullets have excellent lethality, moderate recoil, and are suitable for weapons with a standard bolt.

For shooting a large animal, a bullet of the Patron.338 Win caliber is suitable, which has more power and a fairly long trajectory.

In such an enterprise as elk hunting, the 9.3x74R cartridge is used very often. The cartridge has excellent recoil performance, due to which it is often used in combined weapons.

How to shoot correctly

First you need to let the beast get closer to the distance of a confident shot. The choice of target depends on the position of the elk directly to the hunter, whose task is to hit him with a fatal blow so as not to torment him for too long. If the hunter wants to put the game on the spot, then you need to aim at the spinal cord or brain. You need to aim at the beast directly at the head at a very close distance, then there is a chance to defeat him with one blow. If there is shooting at a long distance, then it is best to aim at the neck, it is such a blow that can immediately hit the animal.

Where to aim when shooting

In addition to these vulnerable spots, the lower chest area, approximately 20 cm above the elbow joint, is considered an important area for slaughter. If the bullet deviates from its target by 15-20 cm in any direction during movement, then it can hit the lung area, which guarantees a quick fall of the animal.

Shooting at the bayonet, when the beast goes directly to the hunter, is not advised. Here it is important to let him in at a distance of a confident shot, and only then raise the trigger. It is also not worth shooting at theft, sometimes you can allow such a course of events by aiming directly at the head, above the back. When hunting for an elk, you need to take into account the fact that there is no question of "life and death" when you always need to shoot at a target. If the hunter doubts the quality of the shot, then it is better not to cock the trigger so as not to cripple the beast once again.

Hunting Options

Moose hunting opportunities are quite limited: it is allowed only for a short period of time, regulated by the hunting inspection.

There are the following varieties:

paddock;
to the roar;
with semolina;
stealing;
from the approach;
with likes.

All these hunting methods work successfully, below we will consider each of them in detail.

Hunting with dogs

Winter hunting for elk with husky is a frequently used method in winter. The success of this operation directly depends on the abilities of the dog, its ability to keep the beast, much larger than it, before the arrival of the hunter.

Experienced hunting huskies surround the animal and bark around it. When hunting for an elk with likes, the hunter must move towards the target as silently as possible, quickly get to the target at an acceptable distance for a shot. Otherwise, the hunter runs the risk of losing the prey, it can quickly hide from its pursuers, leaving the hunter and his dogs with nothing.

Hunting for elk with a husky can be carried out on the trail. Having found a hidden elk, the dog stops its course by barking. This method has one drawback - a free search can lead to scaring away the animals, and they will simply run away to a safe distance.

Seasonal elk hunting with dogs does not involve the use of hounds. This is due to the fact that the hound, having won a couple of times during such a hunt and smelling the smell of a dead elk, becomes attached to the rut, the other beast ceases to interest her. Therefore, hunters, using their experienced hound for hunting ungulates, risk spoiling it.

Elk hunting with a dog can also be carried out on a leash. For this, specially trained huskies are chosen, which hunt only ungulates. Such dogs have a balanced and calm character, they know how to catch the beast silently. A dog without a voice leads the hunter to his cherished goal. By tension and traction, huskies judge the whereabouts of animals. As you approach, the jerky movements of the dog become more frequent.

On the roar (with decoy)

The most active period of the rut is in the morning or evening. This is the time when the moose is actively awake. Sometimes you can hear the moose roar and late at night.

It is very problematic to lure the elk, but there are times when animals independently go out to a person after hearing any rustles. When hunting this animal, it must be taken into account that it has a subtle sense of smell. In modern times, special repellents have been developed that mimic the smell of a female elk.

From the approach

This type of hunting is quite difficult. The best time is from October to November, when there is little snow.

It is good if a strong wind blows during active hunting. Such a condition will make it possible to freely get close to the animal. In windy weather, they prefer passive behavior, staying in place.

Moose hunting starts in the morning when the animals are looking for food. Heaps of droppings, gnawed bark can serve as hints about approaching prey to the hunter.

Additional chances for success in this type of hunting will be given by: the accuracy of the shooter, the speed of reaction, a clear knowledge of the area and the habits of this shy animal. To hide from strong gusts of wind, moose prefer to lie down in light forests.

Hunting for an elk from an approach in winter should be carried out in groups, not one by one, because it is problematic to get to the place of moose parking alone. Such a hunt is not for beginners, but next to an experienced person, a beginner feels more confident.

corral

Driven hunting for elk involves the participation of 5 shooters and the same number of beaters. Before the start of the hunt, they certainly check the salary in order to clarify the location of the animals. The elk enclosure must strictly follow certain safety rules: without seeing a clear target, you should not shoot at the slightest sound of any movement or noise. Shooting at a moose should be carried out only on a clear target.

Hunting for an elk by a paddock is truly the most democratic among other types of collective hunting. Success here depends on the coordinated actions of the team. It is almost impossible to predict the actions of this animal when trying to get out of the pen, it can often appear where it pleases, surpassing all the expectations of the hunters.

Going for such a large trophy as elk, you need to have a general idea of what hunting for an elk is by paddock, what difficulties you may encounter along the way.

If hunting for elk is expected by paddock, then for each number it is desirable to establish those places from where a fairly large area can be shot through. As soon as a person stands on the number, he must carefully trample the snow around his position, so that by chance at the moment of active capture he does not fall into a free crust.

Skradom

Hunting elk in the winter by stealth is quite an exciting undertaking, but in the process there are a few prerequisites that must be met to ensure an additional chance of success. Hunting equipment should include special wide skis and a 12-gauge shotgun.

After accurately identifying the place of transition of the elk, an exciting stealth hunt starts. It is necessary to overtake the beast on skis, from time to time clarifying the correctness of your direction. That's when the real hiding begins. It is necessary to quietly and secretly get close to the beast at a set distance for a safe shot.

Hunting safety rules

How to hunt moose correctly and as safely as possible?

There are the following hunting rules:

Shooting at an obscurely visible target is prohibited. As a result of non-compliance with this rule, real people may be under fire.
Exercise extreme caution when shooting. Waiting for the desired beast, the hunter can take any moving object for him and shoot him by mistake.
Shooting at night is especially dangerous. With poor visibility, the hunter can confuse the target and shoot at the person. There are many such cases with a fatal wound in practice, so extreme caution is a guarantee of saving the life of every hunter.
You need to load the gun before the hunt itself, unload it immediately after it ends.
When hunting for large animals, it should be borne in mind that they pose a particular danger to humans.

By following simple rules, the hunter will be able to get an enviable trophy without harming himself or others.

Video

Introduction

Moose lifestyle and habits

Moose hunting

1 Hunting with approach or stealth

2 Battalion hunting

3 Roar Hunt

4 Hunting with dogs

5 Wounded animals

Liability for illegal hunting

Conclusion

Literature

Introduction

Elk is the oldest and largest representative of the deer family. Unas in the country there are two subspecies of these animals. The first of them is the western, or European, elk, found in the European part of Russia and Western Siberia, the second is the eastern, or American, living east of the Yenisei.

The western elk is a fairly large animal. So, a bull elk has a body length of 260-296 cm, a shoulder height of 200-216 cm and a total weight of up to 422 kg. The eastern elk, which lives in Yakutia and the Kolyma, is larger than the western one. Its body length is 350 cm, height at the shoulders is 250 cm and the total weight is up to 600 kg. The eastern moose, which lives in the basins of the Amur and Ussuri rivers, is smaller than the western subspecies. Its body length is 250-270 cm, height at the shoulders is 128-193 cm, and the total weight is 260-320 kg.

The color of the elk always harmonizes with the color of the bark of centuries-old trees of the mixed forest and essentially plays a protective role. Naturally, depending on the habitat of the animal, it is different. Thus, the color of the western elk is dark brown, light gray under the belly, gray-haired, the end of the muzzle and the lower two-thirds of the legs are whitish. The eastern elk has a rusty-brown muzzle, coal-black sides and belly, and a rusty-brown back. The elk inhabiting the Ussuri region has a dark color. In winter, the elk's coat is lighter than in summer.

The main distinguishing feature of a bull elk from a cow (from April to December - half of January) are mighty horns. Horns ("spokes") appear in a calf one and a half years after birth. At different types moose size and weight of the antlers are different. So, the span of the horns of healthy well-fed western elk with 18 processes (9 on each horn) is 125 cm, and with 30 processes it is almost 150 cm. The antlers of the elk living in the basins of the Amur and Ussuri rivers differ not only in size and weight, but also in shape. They are branched (like those of deer), light, occasionally flattened, have 2-4 processes and weigh only 5-6 kg.

Moose have excellent hearing. Hearing some suspicious sound, he becomes alert and looks in that direction for a long time, moves his ears, listens, sniffs and, convinced of the danger, often not seeing it, hastily runs away. The sense of smell and especially the sight of the elk is weaker. Apparently, this is due to his constant stay in the forest or bushes, where vision cannot develop.

In the old days in Russia, elks were hunted in tens of thousands. This caused heavy damage to the livestock of valuable animals. During the Civil War, a special decree of the Soviet government, signed by V. I. Lenin, banned all hunting for elk and wild goats. This has produced tangible results. Since the thirties, everywhere in the northern strip Russian Federation singles, couples and herds of moose began to appear. Currently, moose are distributed in significant numbers throughout our country.

In order for the elk to breed calmly, flat massifs of swampy forests are needed. Millions of hectares of such forests can be turned into natural pastures - reserves, where moose will be carefully protected.

1. Lifestyle and habits of moose

In summer, moose live scattered, in winter they gather in groups, almost constantly feeding in the same places - stalls. At this time, especially in the spring, when the snow is deep, moose cover only a few hundred meters per day. But autumn transitions reach 5-6 km, and single males in search of females are able to travel several tens of kilometers.

Moose are excellent swimmers and can dive. To swim 2-3 km for a moose is a mere trifle. The elk is able to overcome such water obstacles as the Yenisei, the Gulf of Bothnia, the Angara and the Amur. He also jumps well over obstacles reaching a height of 1.5-3 m. The elk is unpretentious in food. It feeds on leaves and young shoots of aspen, birch, willow, mountain ash, as well as leaves and shoots of linden, maple, oak, walnut, alder, buckthorn, poplar, eats young pine branches, pine shoots, sometimes eats moss and lichens. In swamps and in water, moose feed on the leaves and rhizomes of some algae and marsh plants, reeds, reeds, etc.; they nibble birch much less often, but willingly eat juniper twigs and willow. Moose are very fond of visiting salt licks. The location of the stalls depends on the feeding places. In Central Russia, these are mainly young pine forests in the neighborhood with mixed forests and deciduous undergrowth, in the north - burned areas and clearings, in Siberia - thickets of willows or shrub birches along river banks, in the Far East - sparse coniferous forests with abundant deciduous undergrowth.

Heat and midges make moose nocturnal animals, during the day driving animals to bald mountains, sparse areas and clearings, where the wind blows, to lakes and swamps, where you can hide up to your neck in water, or, conversely, to dense coniferous young growths that provide little protection from insect attacks. .

In winter, especially in severe frosts, moose feed during the day, taking breaks from time to time to rest. At night, they almost all the time remain on the bed.

Moose summer habitats may be unsuitable for life in winter, and, conversely, wintering areas are unfavorable for breeding and rearing young ones. This makes moose migratory animals.

Eating 10 or more kilograms of branches and needles, moose in some places severely damage forests. They pose a particularly great threat to forest plantations, to coniferous crops. This predetermines the need for constant regulation of the population density of moose in the process of hunting and the rejection of the predominance of coniferous monocultures in forestry.

Moose meet the rut in pairs. But as soon as the female begins to evade marital duties, the male looks for another, who later came into estrus, so the number of males may be less than females. Males fight fiercely over females, if not to the death (which sometimes happens), then, in any case, to solid abrasions. Gon is marked by a roar - "groan", as it is called. This is a dull lowing, heard no more than a kilometer away. "Moan" in moose begins before the period of estrus in females - in the second half of August. An excited male breaks tree branches with his horns, tramples the ground, often loses his usual caution and is often aggressive - he can attack a person. Disheveled, with bloodshot eyes and a swollen neck, the male does not bode well. Meeting him is best avoided.

Moose rut ends in late September - early October. The duration of pregnancy in moose cows is 8-8.5 months. In the south, newborns appear in April-May, in the north - in mid-May. Young is 1-2. The number of twins depends on the state of the moose population. During the growth period, more than half of moose cows can have them.

A calf sucks mother's milk for 3.5-4 months. Already at the age of 2-3 days, he relishes the leaves, and from a month and a half, taken from his mother, he is able to switch to plant foods and develop normally.

A newborn healthy calf weighs 9-16 kg, from a paired litter - no more than 10 kg. For six months, the weight of moose calves increases 10 times. Growth slows down only in winter. At a year and a half, males weigh 170-180 kg in the European part, females - 175-330 kg. A year later, males and females reach 220-350 kg, a year later males weigh 275-375, females - 275-360 kg, and finally, at 4.5 years old, the weight of males is 360-620 kg, females - 350-410. After 5 years, females stop growing, males grow up to 10 years. After 12 years, the moose begins to age. In nature, there are few moose older than 10 years - no more than 3%. Elk live in captivity for 20 or even 25 years.

2. Moose hunting

It is strictly forbidden to kill moose on the crust, during crossings over water bodies, as well as the extraction of animals by driving them onto the ice. It is also prohibited to hunt moose with nooses, trapping pits, to install crossbows and other gear on them.

1 Hunting from approach or stealth

This is the most accessible and widespread hunting for all types of animals. It is usually practiced in winter - by powder. In the absence of snow, hunting from the approach is also possible, but along the black trail it is very easy to lose a huge animal wounded. Hunting from the approach is allowed only during the period when the bulls have not yet dropped their horns, that is, with the fall of the first snow, until January 15th. Later, it is dangerous, because instead of a bull, a cow can be killed.

Hunting from the approach, or stealth, is carried out mainly by two or three. If more people participate in it, it turns into a battue hunt (corral). There is hunting from the approach or hiding of the elk in the places of its constant transitions and feeding. Among the numerous traces of moose, the hunter is looking for traces of an old bull. If they are found, the search for the beast begins. Sometimes the hunter spends a day or two, or even more, on these searches, overcoming tens of kilometers on foot or on skis.

Running traces of frightened moose, as well as moose moving from one forest massif to another, are distinguished by their straightness. Animals go almost straight ahead, track after track, not stopping for feeding, fearlessly overcoming open places in the middle of the forest, advancing ten, and sometimes more kilometers, until they choose a new place for themselves. In a calm environment, the winter day and night of moose occur almost in the same place. Therefore, fat traces are more often upholstered in a straight line, diverge to the sides, forming completely trampled areas, which are again replaced by not very long trails, trail after trail.

Before going to bed after morning feeding (which happens after 9-11 o'clock in the morning), moose disperse, leaving bitten branches, bark bites and fresh heaps of "nuts". This means that the moose are close, somewhere at the nearest edge of the forest or a separate clump of large trees in the undergrowth. Sometimes a hunter opens a lair or a moose camp by climbing a tree or bypassing the day place in a circle.

Light snowfall with wind is the best weather for stalking. If the wind pulls from the moose, then you can get to them right in the footsteps. When the wind is in the direction of the animal, you will have to go to the place of the alleged laying of animals from the opposite side. In this case, two hunters go around the moose in a circle to the right and left, and the third one remains on the entrance tracks, given that the disturbed moose often go “on the heel” - the back track.

Not finding exit traces from the circle, two hunters, without losing sight of each other, move in a coordinated and cautious manner towards the center of the circle or the place where the animals are supposed to stay. They walk in silence, trying not to touch the branches and branches of trees, skirting every thicket and bushes. The slightest rustle or crack in this case can be treacherous, and the meeting with the moose is almost always so sudden that the hunter must figure out in an instant how to act.

Often, moose let hunters close - then they shoot at the chosen target for sure. If the animals sensed the approach of danger and heard a suspicious rustle, they tend to go back and go to the third hunter.

Unexpectedly alarmed animals usually rush in all directions, avoid meeting with hunters and move far away.

On such a hunt, there should be appropriate clothing: a camouflage coat, a white hat, white mittens.

2.2 Batter hunting

As a rule, the main part of elk licenses is mastered in battue hunts. Before starting the hunt, be sure to check the salary and make sure that the moose are in place. If everything is in order, you have to decide where to drive the moose. One 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 can 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 a place where parking is supposed to be close, leave the scream as far as possible and prohibit 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-marked 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 light gray clothes; 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. The beater becomes close to the beater - at a distance of 10 and no more than 50 steps, which depends on the terrain and the number of people. 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 left and right wings. It is their duty to observe silence until the signal is given, and to ensure that the beaters do not converge together, i.e. did not leave their places and did 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. 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. After 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, with fright, rushes 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 salary, one after another, stepping footsteps in the footsteps - the old ones are 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 further than 50 steps. At first, moose all run out at once 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 must be 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 lines of the 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.

3 Roar Hunt

The period when this hunt can be carried out usually lasts from September 1 to September 30, but the elk rut, depending on the region and weather conditions, may begin earlier and end later than this period. An increase in temperature in early September to + 25 ° C, as a rule, negatively affects the moose, and the rut can move a little, in heavy rain and wind it is also almost impossible to catch a moose or hear its moan.

The places of the rut from year to year, as a rule, are confined to certain places where the animals come to its beginning. 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 skidder tractor and the roar of a bear.

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 a wabber (a person who knows how to imitate the voice of a bull), the hunter moves through the lands, listening carefully and vigilantly peering into the forest thicket.

The hunter's gait should not be crouching. You need to go as if in an animal way - firmly placing your foot. It does not matter if a dry bough crunches under the 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 the hunter or his friend knows how to wad - 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 the waba and suddenly stood up somewhere behind the thicket, you need to lie low for a while, and then break the 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 wabber and the bullet sent by the too hot hunter went to him, and not to the bull. Precautions are the first and important rule on this hunt.

2.4 Hunting with dogs

To work on an elk, you need a tall, strong, hardy dog with a good instinct, a wide search, a fast move and a sonorous, denunciatory voice. An amateur hunter, before accustoming a husky to work on an elk, should consider whether this should be done. Since it is possible to hunt moose only with permits issued for the area or a team of hunters. With a well-trained moose husky, it will be almost impossible to hunt fur-bearing animals and other game in places where moose are common, since the dog, having found a trail, will definitely follow a large animal. Some huskies, having started working on elk, generally stop looking for and barking at small fur-bearing animals.

The job of the moose husky is that she must find the animal and, having skillfully barked at it, detain it until the hunter approaches or, as they say, put it down. If the moose started to move and began to leave, the husky silently pursues it from the side, and not from behind, trying to run ahead and stop it again.

Moose, raised by a dog from a lying position during a rest, are very frightened, go far and it is very difficult to place them even for an experienced dog. The hunters noticed that moose are not so afraid when the husky begins to bark at them during the fattening, which happens in the morning and evening hours.

A good moose husky, having found an animal, should calmly appear in front of it at a distance of 20-25 m and at first bark softly at it from a distance. From the dog, rushing to the elk rapidly, and even from behind, the animal runs away in fright. With a calm manner of barking from a distance, the elk stops feeding, carefully looks after the dog and from time to time rushes at it with anger, trying to trample and hit it with its hooves. Laika must be nimble and prudent in order to dodge the blow of hooves in time. The elk after the throw again returns to its original place. The dog, on the other hand, begins to bark more energetically, cautiously approaching closer and causing a great anger of the beast. This continues until the hunter gets close enough to make a successful shot. Elk does not see well, but his sense of smell and hearing are well developed. Therefore, when approaching an elk set by a husky, you need to be careful, not make noise and move against the wind.

Animals of different ages and sexes do not react equally to barking. Worst of all under the husky are young moose. They are afraid of the dog and run away when it approaches. To successfully hunt them, you need an experienced dog with the skill of setting the beast. She should calmly, not aggressively bark at animals, being at a distance of 40-50 m. Young moose are not afraid of such work of dogs and do not run away. Three-four-year-old animals can leave when gambling barking, but at the same time they move slowly, with stops. Elk calves with calves stand well, but if the calf gets scared and runs, the uterus follows him. The best under the husky are old males, who are not very afraid of barking, are often angry with dogs and, rushing at them, tend to knock down and trample. The voice of a husky should be rough, but strong, denunciatory. Moose run away from dogs with a piercing bark more often.

A laika working on an elk should have a fast move and be viscous. The wider the dog walks in the taiga, the better. Viscosity of huskies on elk is amazing. There are cases when huskies were in the taiga near the animal for up to three days. An experienced husky does not chase after the elk, but tries to run around it at full speed - to spin it. All the huskies run after the moose silently until it stops.

Best of all, males stand under the husky during the rutting season. The elk at this time are quite ferocious and often not only do not run away, but angrily chase the dogs barking at them. Very rarely there are likes that can "dead" put any running moose. Usually they are rather large, strong, jumping dogs with a powerful grip. Chasing the departing elk from the side, from time to time they jump and make a strong painful grip on the muzzle. After several such grips, the moose stops and only defends itself. The beast is afraid to move, realizing that it will instantly be subjected to a brutal attack.

Moose with a husky are hunted along the black trope and in fine snow. This method of hunting stops when deep snow cover begins to restrict the movement and maneuver of the dog. In such conditions, an elk can trample it and kill it with its hooves.

5 Wounded animals

Having considered the most common methods of hunting moose, we briefly touch on the issue of wounded animals. Many people think that the elk is very strong on the wound, but this opinion is not entirely true; it developed from the fact that 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 back, if not disturbed, for the most part goes 2-4 kilometers, lies down and bleeds, so the next day it will not be difficult to find him on the trail or with dogs. If you pursue him at the end of the hunt, then in the heat of the moment he can go 8-20 kilometers. 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. For these purposes, it is necessary to keep animal dogs, mainly huskies, specially trained for pursuing and detaining animals that turn out to be injured in hunting farms. Cultural sports hunting for large game is unthinkable without such dogs in the future. 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 wounded 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 - blood is coming from the wound in small quantities, 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 has passed through the beast; but if the caplet is on one side, it means it has stopped in the beast. More severe wounds are those when a 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 in the latter the blood flows freely, does not bake inside the beast, and, therefore, relieves it.

The surest sign of a serious wound is when the beast there will be blood throat (blood all over the trail, in pieces, almost black), which depends on damage to the main internal organs. From the bed of a wounded animal it is not difficult to find out the place where the bullet hit, because the blood that came out of the wounds will mean on the bed the place where exactly he was wounded - one has only to recognize how the animal lay, and this is not difficult even for a little experienced, but smart hunter. But in order to find out by the color of the blood where the bullet hit, you need to have a lot of practice and have good experience.

6 Moose Hunting Precautions

The general rule for any type of elk hunting is not to shoot at an obscurely visible target, at a rustle and at exorbitant distances, make sure that dirt or snow does not get into the gun barrels. Before loading the gun, check the bores of the barrels, after a defective shot, make sure that there is no wad left in the barrel. Remove the stuck cartridge carefully so that an accidental shot does not occur when the gun is not closed. Never point a firearm at people or pets, even if it is not loaded, even if it is open or with the bolt retracted. Do not try to drive an uncalibrated cartridge into the chamber by forcefully closing the gun, the calibration ring will help here. Do not use cartridges in semiautomatic devices with a tubular magazine if the head of the bullet extends beyond the dimensions of the roll. Carry the assembled gun on your shoulder with the barrel up. On a halt, do not leave cartridges in the gun when the company gathers, keep the guns not only discharged, but also better open or with the shutters retracted.

On elk hunting rounds, the gun must be loaded only on the number. Designate your place to the neighbor on the left and right. Determine in advance the firing sector and landmarks for the maximum shot. Shooting the floor of the line of shooters is a gross violation, bordering on a crime. If the animal has approached the hunter in such a way that you will have to shoot at an angle of less than 40 degrees with respect to the line of numbers, then let the animal pass the line of shooters and make a hijacking shot. As soon as the beaters approach the numbers or the “hang up” command sounds, the gun must be unloaded.

Individual elk hunting, especially when you are following the tracks of an elk and you have to be ready to shoot all the time, you have to keep the gun loaded all the time, and here you need to be especially careful not to make an accidental shot. Overcoming obstacles or thickets, cover the trigger guard and descents with your palm, even if the triggers are on the fuse, and you unload the gun and, as luck would have it, the elk rises. If the gun is loaded, then hold it in your hands. In winter, use special frost-resistant lubricants or wipe the mechanism dry, and for semi-automatic machines, make sure that snow does not get into the shutter. Do not bring the gun from frost into warmth without a cover, and if the visit to the premises is short, it is better to leave the gun in the hallway in the cold. Having sweated in the warmth, the gun becomes covered with moisture, in the cold an ice crust appears, which can cause a rupture of the barrel, more often this happens with combined guns that have rather thin-walled rifled barrels.

3. Liability for illegal hunting

Poaching - illegal hunting or illegal extraction of animals and plants, is a mercenary crime in the field of nature protection. A crime committed in relation to wildlife is characterized as a socially dangerous culpable impact on a natural resource, expressed in its capture, possession, destruction, destruction, damage or damage.

Hunting without proper permission or in prohibited places, within prohibited periods, with prohibited tools or methods entails criminal liability. Responsibility for these actions is provided for by Article 258 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Illegal hunting”. Part 1 of this article states that if illegal hunting has been committed:

(a) causing major damage;

b) with the use of a mechanical vehicle or aircraft, explosives, gases or other methods of mass destruction of birds and animals;

c) in relation to birds and animals, the hunting of which is completely prohibited;

d) on the territory of a nature reserve, sanctuary or in a zone of ecological disaster or in a zone of ecological emergency, in which case illegal hunting is punishable by a fine in the amount of 200 to 500 minimum wages or in the amount of wages or other income of the convicted person for the period from two to five months. Punishment can also be in the form of corrective labor for up to 2 years, or arrest for a period of 4 to 5 months.

Part 2 states that illegal hunting committed by a person using his official position, or by a group of persons by prior agreement, or by an organized group, is punishable by a fine of 500 to 700 minimum wages or in the amount of wages, or other income of the convicted person for the period from 5 to 7 months. In these cases, illegal hunting may also be punished by imprisonment for up to 2 years without the right to hold certain positions for up to 3 years (after serving the term) or without such restriction.

When hunting animals and birds, which are completely forbidden to hunt, hunting that caused major damage, hunting on the territory of the reserve and hunting using motor vehicles, criminal liability occurs regardless of whether the perpetrator was previously brought to administrative responsibility for violating the rules of hunting.

The list of animals and birds, which are completely prohibited from hunting, is given in the Regulations on hunting and hunting economy. This ban applies to all CIS countries, and, in accordance with the peculiarities of the fauna of each of the countries, it is supplemented by a list of protected animals living in the territory where the ban is in force.

The issue of recognizing the damage as major is decided taking into account the number of animals and birds caught, their value at established rates and other circumstances. Major damage caused by illegal hunting is understood as a large number of killed animals or birds, as well as the destruction of valuable or large animals: bison, elk, deer, river beaver. Hunting for any animals on the territory of the reserve also entails increased responsibility, which is considered as an aggravating circumstance.

Great harm hunting with the use of motor vehicles (cars, tractors, motor boats, boats, etc.) can cause wildlife. When using these tools to track, pursue and hunt wild animals, poachers can kill animals in large numbers over large areas. Often cars or boats are equipped by poachers with special spotlights to dazzle animals at night. For the use of vehicles in illegal hunting, liability arises if they are used not just for movement, but for tracking, chasing and catching animals (hitting, running over animals, shooting on the go, etc.).

Violations of the rules of hunting, entailing criminal liability, are committed intentionally. The poacher is aware that he is engaged in hunting in violation of the established rules and deliberately goes for it. Illegal hunting allowed by negligence entails administrative responsibility(for example, a hunter with a permit for the right to hunt in a certain farm unintentionally caught an animal in another farm or exceeded the game shooting rate by killing several birds with one shot).

Usually, illegal hunting is done in order to take possession of prey and use it for one's own benefit. There are, however, cases of poaching, when an animal is killed in a state of hunting "excitement" - just for the sake of thrills. In such cases, the perpetrator is also brought under the article for illegal hunting. If the senseless destruction of animals is committed out of hooligan motives, then the criminals are brought under the article for hooliganism. Group poaching is a particular danger. In such cases, poachers distribute roles among themselves, agree on tools and methods for illegal hunting, and ways to hide the consequences. In such cases, not only those who directly hunted wild animals or assisted in this are brought to justice, but also those who promised in advance to hide the traces of the crime. Those who have agreed in advance on the acquisition of prey or part of it (meat, skins, etc.), knowing that it will be obtained by poaching, are held liable.

An administrative penalty is corrective labor or a fine. These penalties are imposed by the court in the event that poaching is of a single nature and has not caused significant damage. At the same time, it happens that these types of punishment are unreasonably applied to malicious poachers. In Russia, criminals are also often only subject to administrative penalties. There is an unlawful replacement of criminal liability with administrative.

The proportion of violations of fishing rules (Part 1 of Article 256 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) is high in all regions and averages 46 percent. The share of violations committed in collusion by a group or using one's official position (see Part 3 of Article 256 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation indicated below) is less and amounts to 26 percent. There are more criminally punishable cases of illegal hunting (Part 1 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). This is primarily due to the better protection of hunting grounds. Crimes under Part 3 of Article 256 of the Criminal Code and Part 2 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code, similar in aggravating features, account for approximately equal shares of all administratively punished violations.

While imposing penalties for illegal hunting, the courts also impose confiscation of criminal booty, guns and other hunting gear. These are also vehicles if they were used for hunting - for tracking or chasing wild animals for the purpose of catching (slaughtering).

Conclusion

Moose are animals with unique hearing. They are not only able to hear the hunter for a kilometer, but also accurately determine whether it is a person or another forest dweller.

It should be noted that in many places the extraction of elk was prohibited for many years. For this reason, moose still do not experience much fear of a person and it is not difficult to shoot this animal. But with the beginning of intensive shooting, the habits of moose immediately change, they completely change their behavior model and during this period it is difficult to even see them. Therefore, when hunting elk, driven hunting is often organized.

When shooting at an elk, you should know its killing places: you should shoot at the neck, head and front of the body. When hunting moose, rifled carbines of 9 mm caliber are used or, if shooting is done at close range (no more than 50 meters), smooth-bore weapons with factory-made bullets.

It should never be forgotten that the elk is an extremely tough animal. There were cases when hunters, believing that the elk was mortally wounded, approached the shot animal and, bending down, received a powerful kick with their foot. And one more thing: if the moose presses his ears, it is dangerous to approach him. He's either scared or angry. Moose hunting is best after the snow has fallen. During this period, they are easiest to track down and easier to spot a wounded animal. But along the black trope it is best to have dogs that help to chase the elk and find a wounded animal.

Literature

Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation. Order No. 512 "On approval of hunting rules" - November 16, 2010

Konstantinov Yu. Moose hunting. - M., 2005: //www.hunt-dogs.ru://www.hunter33.ru/page/ohota_na_losya.htm://ohotatv.ru/ohota://fowling.ru /los://www.ebftour.ru/articles.htm?id=2207&print=true

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Before you go on an elk, you need to get permission from the state hunting inspection and know for sure under what conditions, at what time, where, when and in what way this hunting is allowed.

The hunting time for an elk is determined by various factors, including the degree of its fatness.

An adult bull elk reaches its greatest fatness by the middle - the end of August, when its horns are cleared of the skin covering them, the molt is over, and the new hair begins to grow and lengthen. At this time, an animal that has reached full development (at the age of 7-10 years) weighs about 400 kg (300-340 kg of pure meat and 30 kg of fat removed under the skin and from the abdominal cavity).

In the mating season for any month, the bull, leading a restless life and eating little, in a short time loses the entire supply of accumulated fat. Already at the end of October, the bulls become unrecognizably skinny compared to August. Later, in the first half of winter until about mid-January, the moose get better again, and then, under the influence of severe frosts and deep snows, they lose weight again until mid-April, when the molt begins.

In this way, best time for the correct exclusively selective hunting of moose - a short-term (no more than a week) period before the start and at the very beginning of the rut, which allows you to shoot the oldest bulls of your choice, which prevent the normal rut by scaring off completely mature male producers from cows.

It is not difficult to recognize such a bull: despite its huge growth, it has ugly or thin already degenerating horns with a reduced number of processes (such bulls should be culled in the first place), the maximum number of processes on both shovels is approximately 18-24 (9-12 on each horn ). In addition, an old bull is determined by its voice - its "groan" is low, rougher than that of young ones. During the rut, the old man always behaves more boldly, gets into a fight more aggressively. The presence of old giants on the rut is finally determined by the footprints in the swamp, wet open soil, mud or roads.

When hunting, it is very important not to confuse the old elk with a flourishing powerful sire, which stands out with large beautiful horns. Such a bull must be protected in every possible way in hunting grounds.

That's why short description ways of hunting moose, we begin with hunting "ston", or "wabu".

Hunting "for moaning" in the last days of August is also justified by the fact that it is the old bull that will be the first to respond "to wabu", the first to be deceived, since the rut of the elderly begins almost a month earlier than that of the young.

Hunting for a groan. Hunting "for a groan" requires exceptional endurance and calmness. A hunter who has gathered at night in the wilderness must be hardy, as he has to travel long distances, go off-road, often in a swamp and in the dark. You need to have an extremely fine ear and excellent eyesight, and most importantly - to have resourcefulness, be able to make quick decisions, instantly implement them and always be a cold-blooded and good shooter.

Hunting "for a groan" at a meeting in the predawn darkness face to face with a forest giant is inimitable. No wonder there are hunters who, without a gun, go out on Saturday evening specifically to "tease", listen and count the forest beauties who responded "to a groan" somewhere in the familiar copse of the Moscow region.

Here is how D. Naryshkin, a connoisseur of it in the past, describes this type of hunting: “At first, an obscure sound, reminiscent of the distant croaking of a frog, becomes clearer, then turns into a groan; you can hear how the beast goes still far; then it comes closer ... The forest breaks under powerful pressure of a furious animal; moans alternate with a dull, restrained roar; the tops of the nearest pines and birches sway; another crackle from a broken tree ... The nearby willow tree first moves, as if from an invisible force, then moves apart - and a few sazhens stands a huge beast, in which you need to give a sure shot. I do not know of a hunt more beautiful in terms of the situation in our area, neither more exciting, nor filled with greater sensations. "

Hunting "for a groan" is carried out as follows.

Having found a place where there are traces of the lively behavior of elks, broken and bent trees and uprooted bushes, the hunter soon finds odorous round pits knocked out by elk, up to 1.5 m in diameter and up to 15-25 cm deep. You can also immediately the next morning, about an hour before dawn, or late in the evening, carefully “navab” (beckon) an elk, for which a cone-shaped pipe made of birch bark or a bottle with a broken bottom is used. Some experienced hunters perfectly imitate the "moan" of an elk without any adaptations.

You can go out "on a groan" alone, but it is more convenient for two: one - "wabit", the other - shoots. Before "vabit", you need to choose a place from where the beast would be clearly visible, and the hunter would be covered and there would be no interference for shooting. You need to "wab" first quietly (the elk may be nearby), and then louder and louder, without leaving the spot. If the beast does not respond, it is necessary to go another two hundred steps and beckon. You shouldn’t “call” during the transition: you can make a noise of an elk. If the moose responded, went to the "wabu", you need to beckon the running animal "in a groan". It is always necessary to lure the moose along the leeward side.

When the “groaning” of moose takes place in the dark, and with the onset of dawn the bulls are silent, you can try to approach them, combining the approach with a rare and careful beckoning of the beast. Such a maneuver sometimes succeeds. The best hunting "for moaning" happens in quiet, cool weather. During selective shooting, you can’t shoot at the first elk that came out on the “wabu”, you can’t rush, you need to figure out exactly if there are older elks in this area that are suitable for culling.

With a husky - on a leash. After hunting "for a groan", this original method of sporting elk hunting has a great future. Its peculiarity 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. It is best to start the grafting of the secondary husky with an experienced dog and, after the animal is killed, let it go to him. At first, she will be frightened, bounce off the carcass of a warm elk, but when she sees what kind of reckless beating her brothers give to the forest giant, she, encouraged by the owner, will also throw herself on the body of the beast and start to disturb him. Then you need to pet the dog and give her a treat.

After training a young husky after a killed animal, one should never miss an opportunity to give her lessons in persecution by the blood of a wounded animal. And if the dog shows passion for this, then the school of its 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.

The described hunting is known only in certain northwestern regions of the USSR, but in Norway it is widely used not only by commercial hunters, but also by numerous sportsmen and tourists.

With likes on the 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. Before the hunter, who appeared at that moment from behind the bushes, an unforgettable sight opens up. “A small clearing, the snow is trampled on it; in the middle, like a bronze figure, stands a handsome bull. His bloodshot eyes vigilantly follow those enemies that are squirming ahead, barking and squealing plaintively, as if in despair that there is no hunter, and for the one that, with a frantic deafening bark, flies up from behind ... And he, this giant, cowardly stomps on the spot, is afraid to take a step so as not to present an opportunity for an attack on himself, and carefully keeps on weight either his left or right leg, ready to strike to death a careless dog turned up" ( D. Naryshkin. Moose hunting. St. Petersburg, 1900).

Such a wonderful hunt does not necessarily end with a well-aimed shot. No less satisfaction will be received by a hunter - an amateur photographer or a cameraman.

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.

Stalking hunting. This is the most accessible and widespread hunting for all types of animals. It is usually practiced in winter - by powder. In the absence of snow, hunting from the approach is also possible, but along the black trail it is very easy to lose a huge animal wounded.

Hunting from the approach is allowed only during the period when the bulls have not yet dropped their horns, that is, with the fall of the first snow, until January 15th. Later, it is dangerous, because instead of a bull, a cow can be killed.

Before going to bed after morning feeding (which happens after 9-11 o'clock in the morning), moose disperse, leaving bitten branches, bark scraps and fresh heaps of "nuts". This means that the moose are close, somewhere at the nearest edge of the forest or a separate clump of large trees in the undergrowth. Sometimes a hunter opens a lair or a moose camp by climbing a tree or bypassing the day place in a circle.

Light snowfall with wind is the best weather for stalking. If the wind pulls from the moose, then you can get to them right in the footsteps. When the wind is in the direction of the animal, you will have to go to the place of the alleged laying of animals from the opposite side. In this case, two hunters go around the moose in a circle to the right and left, and the third remains on the entrance tracks, given that the disturbed moose often go "on the heel" - the back track.

Moose rarely let hunters close - then they shoot at the chosen target for sure. If the animals sensed the approach of danger and heard a suspicious rustle, they tend to go back and go to the third hunter.

Unexpectedly alarmed animals usually rush in all directions, avoid meeting with hunters and move far away.

Battalion hunting most common in the central regions of the Union and is considered generally accepted in assigned hunting grounds. It is carried out most successfully in detached forests, separated by fields, swamps, roads and clearings, and sometimes in separate groves.

Solid tracts of northern forests, alternating with huge swamps, are difficult to access for battue hunting, although in recent years hunting organizations have increasingly used the roads of tractors and all-terrain vehicles laid to industrial logging sites.

Preliminary preparation is necessary for the battue hunting. It is held the day before. Hunters carefully track down the places of the most reliable days for moose.

Salary should begin no earlier than 10-11 am, when the beast will eat its fill of branches and lie down for a day. At such a time, he is not so careful and pays less attention to all the sounds of the day he hears.

As a result, already by 12 o'clock or by 1 o'clock in the afternoon, the moose are bypassed in a relatively small circle, and the arrows are pre-placed in "running" places. Too early salary, when the payers go to the place of the alleged raid at dawn, finds the moose still on fattening, which worries the animal. Moose, gradually moving towards the place of the day, often catch suspicious rustles, creaking snow and do not lie down to rest, but move away. If they notice the payers, then they go straight too far.

At the same time, payers should not hesitate. They have to work quickly so that in case of failure with the first salary, they can finish the second pen before dark. Experienced rangers from a number of hunting farms near Moscow manage to do this in 4-5 hours.

Modern raids are carried out with a small number of beaters, usually 2-3, and rarely when their number reaches 6-8.

Both experienced rangers and the hunters themselves, who arrived to participate in the round-up, act as beaters. In the latter case, the shooters and beaters alternate roles. This significantly increases the responsibility of all participants in the raid for the success of the case and contributes to the acquisition by hunters of the necessary sports skills.

Arriving in the round-up area, the beaters and shooters unquestioningly obey the manager of the hunt, whose assistants are the breeders - one for the beaters, the other for the shooters. Through the guards, the manager in an undertone, in a whisper and with gestures, gives all instructions on the procedure for conducting a round-up.

In order to visualize how the elk hunt proceeds, I cite one of the episodes of a hunt near Moscow.

A group of hunters received permission to shoot an old bull. Departure is planned for 12 kilometers from the base, where traces of moose were found the day before. Approximately at 10 o'clock in the morning, the payers begin simultaneously bypassing two different forest areas at once, separated from each other by a wide clearing, on which arrows are previously placed. On the side of small things, moose are expected from a large ridge of pine and mixed forests. The frost is getting stronger. The creak of footsteps on the shooting line can be heard almost a kilometer away. It's hard to keep quiet in this cold. Not even an hour passes, as the payers return with good news: they have just crossed the fresh fat tracks of four large elks - two cows and two bulls.

Before making a salary, the hunters decide to pre-arrange the numbers of the shooters. You need to carefully go three kilometers along the forest road and intercept the advantageous crossings of elk, which often crossed here a narrow swamp, forming a kind of corridor in the middle of the forest. Here are placed twelve hunters, who formed a shooting line; two arrows were located on the flanks, somewhat deeper into the pen, where old traces of elk crossings were also found.

Dead silence reigns on the shooting line. Everyone standing on the room, so as not to creak underfoot, clears or tramples down a platform for himself in the snow, indicates his place to his neighbors on the right and left, takes a stable, comfortable shooting stance and, quietly catching his breath, listens, peering intently ahead and to the sides. An hour passes in suspense.

But somewhere in the distance, a kilometer and a half, one hears: "Hop, hop!" - a signal to start the rut. The chain of beaters is very rare, they walk about 150 meters from each other without making too much noise. Roll-call in an undertone, whistling, rare blows with a stick on the trees help to align the line of the paddock. Then an enthusiastic and long-awaited burst into the measured rhythm of various sounds that broke the forest silence: "Go, go!"

Rifles and ammunition were checked ahead of time. Now each shooter has a task - to calmly, without a shot, let the females and young animals that have come out to the room and meet the old bull with a well-aimed shot.

The crackle of moose is heard, walking somewhere in the thicket opposite, but in their course it is already clear that they will appear on the numbers of the opposite left flank. However, you can not relax your attention during the raid on any room. The behavior and direction of movement of the animals in the corral may change unexpectedly: either the shooter will prematurely make the animal noise, which will turn it back, or the first shot that rang out on the number line will dramatically change the course of the animals. All this must be foreseen.

Suddenly, two loud doubles are heard on the left flank. Three or four seconds later, two more shots are heard, after which a crack is heard ... Everyone is waiting for the “Ready!” signal given after a successful shot at the moose, which warns shooting at the remaining animals from other numbers. But there is no scream. The pause lasts about two minutes, after which, almost simultaneously, a loud voice is heard in two voices: "Ready!" This means that the shooters could not immediately see the results of their shots and gave a signal only after making sure that the animal was really killed. After all, there are unfortunate cases when a beast that has fallen from shell shock or injury after the signal "Ready!" jumps up and leaves.

You should always approach a fallen moose with a loaded gun and best of all from the side. It is dangerous to approach from behind: kicking an animal in its death throes can be fatal to a person. Approaching a lying animal, you need to carefully consider the places where bullets hit and, if they are invisible, look at the position of the ears, eyes, and the condition of the coat on the ridge. In a mortally wounded, but still alive animal, the ears can be pressed down, the movement of eyelashes and eyes is noticeable, the coat is tousled, although he himself remains motionless. It happens when the beast, having fallen, beats for a long time, trying to get up. In all such cases, you need to finish him off with a shot in the back of the head.

Having considered the most common methods of hunting moose, I will briefly touch on the issue of wounded animals. It happens that on collective hunts, wounded animals, even elk, leave and disappear in vain. Therefore, it is necessary to keep animal dogs in hunting farms, mainly huskies, specially trained for pursuing and detaining animals that are injured during a raid. Cultural sports hunting for large game is unthinkable without such dogs in the future. During the battue hunt, these dogs should be with the guide at the collection point and at such a distance from the place of the roundup, where they would not interfere with the salary with their barking.

The elk is one of the largest animals living in Europe. There are individuals reaching half a ton in weight. On the territory of our country there are moose with spade- and deer-shaped horns. Of all the senses, this large representative of the animal world has the most highly developed sense of smell and hearing, while vision is average. The elk has long legs and high withers. Because of these anatomical features, it is very similar to a plow - the oldest tool of tillers. Apparently, that's why the people call him "sukhaty".

general information

By nature, moose are shy and slow. However, if this animal is frightened or angered, then it can reach speeds of up to 56 km / h. Elk is an excellent swimmer, he can easily overcome up to twenty kilometers in water. In winter, this animal sheds its horns in order to survive, which grow back very quickly with the onset of spring.

Despite the outward fearless appearance of the moose, he has a weak point - his nose. It is for him that they try to grab a powerful elk predators, which are much smaller in size and weight.

How to hunt moose

Not everyone can afford to get this large animal. After detecting the prey, you need to let it get closer to the distance of a confident shot. The task of the hunter is to defeat the elk with a mortal blow so that the animal does not suffer for too long. To do this, aim at the head or the spinal cord. In the first case, this is possible from a very close distance, only then there is a chance to knock down the prey with one blow. If the moose is hunted from a long distance, then it is better to aim at the neck: such a shot can immediately hit the animal.

A successful outcome depends not only on the knowledge and skills of the shooter, but also on the correct choice of weapons. Moose hunting is most often done with a manually reloaded repeating rifle. Such weapons, as a rule, are equipped with a longitudinally sliding bolt and trigger guard.

Elk hunting with husky dogs is very common. It is carried out while feeding the elk. It is at this moment that the moose is most vulnerable, he reacts less to barking and it is more difficult for him to run away. The task of the dog is to detect traces of the elk and bring it as close as possible. If the husky is well trained, it will go "without a voice". She will bark only at the moment when she finds the beast.

From mid-September, the rut begins in the elk. From the very early morning, these animals roar and muffled groans. Similar sounds can be heard from about a kilometer away, especially in calm weather. With the onset of darkness, the moose calm down. The rut of the elk is accompanied by the crackling of trees: the animals, having lost their caution, begin to noisily crush the deadwood. But thanks to their excellent hearing, it is difficult to sneak up on them. To succeed in the hunt, you must arrive at the rutting place before dawn. I must say that the main condition for this event is increased caution. Hunting for an elk during the rut is as follows: the shooter (alone or with a wader) moves around the grounds, carefully listening to the sounds. If there is an opportunity to imitate the roar of the elk - excellent. Old bulls often go out to the opponent's groan without fear. Of course, such an elk hunt requires from a person not only composure, attentiveness and discipline, but also caution.

roundup

The season for shooting elk with this option begins with the freezing of the soil. It was at this time that the elk hunt was conducted. The success of this event depends on the solution of two tasks - the detection of prey and the determination of the place where and from where to drive it. It is also important to determine the lines of the chain of shooters and the order of the paddock.

They look for the elk by going around the grounds, studying the tracks leaving and entering the territory to establish the presence and number of animals. Having determined the approximate direction in which the beast will go, the senior in the team places the shooters.

Moose are driven in two ways:

quiet - the beater follows the trail, and when he finds it, he drives to the line of shooters;
noise, when people, standing in a chain, with shouts, move in the direction of the shooters.

Hunt stealth

It is characterized by a high sports component. The hunter - alone or with a salaryman - goes around the elk. In the direction of their tracks, he determines the possible location of the moose and, moving carefully, seeks to see it from the closest possible distance. The success of such an elk hunt largely depends on the experience and accuracy of the shooter. Important factors for the latter are the degree of knowledge of the habits of prey and the ability to navigate the terrain.

Moose hunting in the snow

Extraction of elk, especially in winter, has both its pluses and minuses.

The first is considered by many to be seasonal. Frost and fresh air, crisp snow, teamwork, the opportunity to practice shooting at this clumsy animal - all this, judging by the reviews, causes an indescribable feeling.

However, moose hunting in winter has its drawbacks. Firstly, in this season you need to be especially careful, and secondly, the proper trophy - horns - at this time the elk folds. The best time to go moose hunting is in January - February. During these months, the elk gains its maximum weight. It must be remembered that clothing and shoes should be practically silent. You will also need binoculars and camouflage.

From the approach

For such an event, the participation of two or three people is enough. Moose hunting in winter is especially effective in cloudy windy weather with shallow snow. First, you should determine the places where the elk can come to feed. Most often these are old burnt areas, clearings, swampy lowlands or river banks. Having found an elk, the hunter, going against the wind, hides behind the natural shelters on the way. You need to be prepared for the fact that you won’t be able to get close enough, because these animals are very sensitive and shy.

If the moose roars on the move, it is better to go towards it, bypassing it in a wide circle. From about three hundred meters, extreme care and caution should be exercised.

In order not to frighten the elk, you need to move in parallel with the prey: when the animal itself creates noise, destroying trees with its horns, etc. In no case should you rush: if you wait a bit, the elk itself can come within a shot distance.

driven hunting

This method assumes the presence of an employee who knows the area well and knows how to arrange numbers. Hunting for elk by paddock involves the participation of at least five to six people. Having previously found traces of an elk moving from a feeding place, they are marked and remembered. Then the numbers are arranged with the beaters placed in their positions. Depending on the direction of the wind and on the entrance tracks, the side in which the corral should be carried out is also determined. The side arrows must move forward so that the prey does not break through from the side.

When the moose "goes" to the hunter, you need to aim at the base of the neck, if from the side - at the spine or lower chest near the shoulder blade.

Conclusion

Before going hunting, legalization of this type of activity is required. This means that you need to get permission to shoot. Free moose hunting without a license can turn into very unpleasant consequences.