Shiras Moose-#25 is in the books!!!!

[Gumbo Man]

That’s awesome.

[BTLowry]

Big congrats Doc

Looks like a great trip, I bet even sleeping in the truck was not that bad.

Hope you have a great time fishing and relaxing the next few days

[Edward F]

Congrats!

[gemini2759]

Congrats on 25.

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[Rangefinder]

This is my bull! I’m super happy and can’t believe it all came together the first morning!!!!! More to come, headed to eat.


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Congrats on your moose! I’ve been in Newfoundland trying to get a good bull came close but didn’t work out.

[Electrican]

Congrats sir!!

[TCB]

Excellent write up as usual….thanks for bringing us along.

[lab man]

Nice write up Doc. Congrats on the moose.

[hbuck]

Congrats on moose

[88 Bound]

Congrats doc!

[lmartin5]

Congratulations Sir…anticipating a great recap of the hunt!


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[TexasCanesFan]

Awesome Doc!!! Congrats

[docmay]

The Recap:

We left the lodge at 6 am and decided to go glass the North Platte river bottoms from the high spots. The first spot we glass from turned up 3 cow moose and a calf. Good start! We moved up another mile or so and began looking along the river and in the willow brush. We spot another cow and a young bull. This is already more moose in a short time than any other moose hunt I had been on. I was excited and it just seemed like something good would happen!

We made it back to the truck and moved on to the next spot. I was opening a gate when Jason(my guide) said I think I see a bull! We pull through the gate and then head up to the next vantage point. We both can see the bull and he looks promising. He is headed down stream at a pretty good pace and we keep catching glimpses of him through the willows. Each time he looks bigger. We can tell he has good palms and points. Finally he hits a spot where we can look him over with the spotting scope. He is indeed a great bull. Looks to be over 40” wide with great points and 3 brow tines on each side. That’s a **** good Shiras. Jason’s only concern was his paddles. He couldn’t tell it they were “deep” enough to be a great bull. I said “he is big enough for me, let’s go!!!!!” With that I put on my Bino harness and grabbed my bow.

We worked down a drainage towards the river bottom and the bull. The wind is not great to cut him off but there is a river bend with thick brush where he is headed. We decide to slip in behind him and try to call him back to us. I get set up on the river bank and start to range my spots. Jason is 50-60 yards behind me. He starts to call and nothing happens. The bull continued to cruise down the river and only stops briefly on one of the calls. I never saw him but he was a good 200 yards in front of us now. We scrambled back to the truck and tried to get in front of him. We made a second approach down to the river and once again he got past us. Back to the truck we go and head much further down the river. Surely we are in front of him now!

Once again we make our way to the river using a drainage to stay hidden. On the last high spot before the river bottom we start to glass and try to make a plan. We spot the bull and he is 300-400 yards up river and headed our way. We hurry down to the river and I get set up on the river edge and Jason is behind me further up the bank. He is concerned as the bull is now in the brush and may walk behind us or right over the top of us. He decides to back off to a high spot about 75 yards further down the river and I tuck in to some brush about 25 yards from the waters edge. I can shoot to the river and across. The far bank is 65 yards and there is a clearing 10 yards in front of me and then some willow brush. If the bull continues to come he will either pop out in my lap or be in the river bottom where I can shoot 25-70+ yards.

It takes a while(20 minutes or so) and then I hear antlers raking the brush. He is coming!!!!! He is grunting and getting closer. He stops and rakes more brush. I have been sitting in the brush for 30 minutes or so and I see antler tips and willows moving about 60-70 yards upstream from me. Now my heart is pounding. I start thinking about the shot and for some reason think about all the things that could go wrong. I have issues!

Finally I see the bull coming out from behind the brush and he is angling out in to the river. He is headed towards the far bank. I range his head as it clears the brush. 53 yards, here we go. I draw back the vxr and he comes to a stop out in the river. I figure the yardage has not changed and settle my 50 yard pin just behind the shoulder and just at half way up. I touch the release…….

****, it’s beautiful to watch that arrow fly and close the distance. The shot looks great in the air and the arrow arrives with a solid whack. Perfect hit! It’s just behind the shoulder and angled forward. The arrow penetrates just about to the fletching and I know the bull is mine. He makes it out of the river and stands on the far bank. He wobbles and spins and blood is pouring out of his mouth and nose. A couple more steps and he is down for the count. He made it 20 yards after the shot!

I am pumped and so is Jason as he scrambled down to me. High fives and handshakes as we both stand there trying to regain our composure. Day one, with a bow and we are done!!!!!


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[docmay]

That first pic is looking back up the river where the bull came from. The next two are the dead bull raked from where I was sitting for the shot.


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[Hunterdan]

Congrats on the moose!