Goldtip's Dad get's his Montana Moose!

[Boss .300 winmag]

And???

[GoldTip]

The  bull is closing the distance quick and then I see a paddle and an eyeball at about 90 yards, it's Mr Drop tine.  I tell Dad it's the big bull and to get ready for the shot.  He comes out of the brush straight on and grunts hard.  I think he's a little more nervous this time about the cow he couldn't find earlier in the day and he turns left and walks thru some small trees.  He stops exposing only his head and neck.  Dad was an outfitter years ago and abhors neck shots, so I know he is not gonna take that shot.  I turn my head and give out a cow moan and the bull comes from behind the tree.  Dad is resting the gun on my shoulder and he takes the quartering to shot and the bull stumbles hard.  He turns and run maybe 30 yards and holds up.  If he runs another 10 steps he's right back in the open and Dad is moving to be able to get that shot.  I throw up the bino's and see his vitals and can see he is swaying and he crashes down hard.  I tell Dad he's down and he has just a look of utter joy on his face.  Probably the greatest hunting moment I have ever shared with anyone was right at that moment.

[GoldTip]

We make a slow circle and walk up on dad's Moose.  He had killed one 27 years ago and it was a Moose.  Back when you cruised roads and knew that the best place to shoot a moose was close to the road but he always wanted a good Moose, not just an easy Moose.  Here is Dad walking up to his good Moose.

[GoldTip]

An "as it lays pic"

[sebek556]

  great moose and a great read!

[GoldTip]

Here is a good pic of Dad and it shows the drop tine.  We had measured Dad's gun length earlier in the day and knew it measured 44.5" from butt pad to barrel end.  Dad, was pretty happy when he saw it would easily break 45"!

[GoldTip]

Another pic of Dad and my brother and then the work began!

[GoldTip]

Got him caped and quartered that night by the light of our headlamps and layed him out on a couple logs to cool over night.  Made the little over mile hike back to the truck and had a good cold one.  Just as we finished we made our turns leaving our scent markers around the meat cache and hoped that would keep the grizzlies away for the night.  Just our luck the wolves started howling back at the truck as we were headed out, so we knew we had more than the griz to worry about getting the meat.   Headed back in the next morning with horses and my pack frame.  One of bro's horses was hurt years ago packing horns and he will now not load horns on his horses.  I was scared to ruin the cape by fully caping it out.  So I brought full head, horns and cape out in one piece that day.  It was just over a mile by GPS tracks and I made it with only one rest.  The load bottomed out my brothers pack scale so I knew it to be over 120, but when on the scale at home it tripped out our hanging meat scale at 139!  Probably would have killed a lesser man.

[Boss .300 winmag]

Nice story, pics and way to guide your dad to some awesome memories you'll never forget!

[GoldTip]

We spent the next several days cutting Moose, but all dad could talk about was how fun calling Moose was and he couldn't wait to get the meat in the freezer and go call more Moose.  We tried valiantly on Wednesday and thursday, and they were grunting and responding but not coming to cow calls or bull grunts and raking.  This past Friday morning he and I went out and tried another set.  After my first series of calls the wolves started howling about 4-500yards out.  We waited about 5 minutes and I told Dad I would call again, if they didn't howl back then keep his eyes peeled, cuz they were probably on their way.  Sure enough, I cow called and no howls, I winked at Dad and he winked back.  30 seconds later I saw a silvery back and tail thru the brush at about 30 yards and I pointed.  Dad has a wolf tag, but does not bowhunt, I had a bow but no wolf tag. I could just see it's back and tail, but Dad could see the whole animal.  He was there long enough he could have shot with a bow if he'd had it, but it was not to be.

[GoldTip]

Thanks for enduring the story and pics boys and girls, hope you enjoyed it.  Undoubtedly the best hunting experience I've ever had.  Easily tops my first deer, first bear and first elk and any of the Moose I've killed.  Getting Dad that Moose was really something special.  Anyone care to hazard a guess at what the final width measurement was when the Taxidermist put the tape to him?   And no Hunt, you dont get to guess!

[Boss .300 winmag]

And??

[Wea300mag]

Awesome hunt recap, congrats to your dad.

[washingtonmuley]

I will guess 50 1/2 ". Great moose and congrats on a great hunt with your Dad And bro.

[phishisgroovin]

Awsome read, thanks!