Yes, as long as you understand correct shot placement, it’s an ethical shot opportunity with a gun. A small deviation in the shot placement can result in a horrible, maiming wound… either destroying the hog’s nose and nasal cavity, jaws, or eyes. Understanding the basic anatomy of an elk will help you make appropriate equipment and shot placement choices prior to your hunt. Nonetheless, moose are still significantly broader and heavier, so you still will want to place your shots carefully. That is a neat skeleton, but the back is WAY too arched. Point of entry for a bullet is like a needle on a moose. Any of these wounds will result in a long, slow death, and will make tracking and recovery almost impossible. You could always aim for the shoulder and get lucky by spining him, right Wildone? An animal that must be shot several times will have muscles flooded with lactic acid and adrenaline, resulting in poor tasting meat. Nah just dont get much wood for hunting moose anymore las. I have had about a 10% success rate on tipping moose over with the first shot. It surprised his dad - that wasn't where his dad had told him to shoot it. Most of us were taught to put a bullet in the "boiler room," the heart and lungs. The .223 has bad penetration, so it can be difficult to hit multiple vitals, certainly at longer ranges (100m/109yd+). Quartering-to shots can be tempting, especially at close range, but they ought to be … I have shot more moose with a bow than a rifle. Hence my preference for CNS shots, if available. 1 Description 2 Features 3 Need Zone Times 4 Shot scheme 5 Recommended Hunting Equipment 5.1 Rifles 5.2 Shotgun Ammo 5.3 Bows and Crossbows 6 Integrity … Drag useless hind legs. Think that's the most amazing thing I've ever seen an animal do. It was only a 10 yard shot but busted through heavy shoulder on entrance. A brain shot will both kill and drop a moose instantly, obviously. I just shoot the damm things, bow or rifle, they die pretty easily. Speaking of what a moose can do when he sets his mind to it, I once saw a moose clear an 8' chain link fence. I had a fabulous blood trail. I suspect the cow had tried to negotiate the gate previously and found it wasn't possible! Let’s first define the “vital organs” and the importance of choosing the vitals as an ethical shot. Copyright © 2000-2020 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. One thing to remember; the heaviest wild specimens have seldom ever been weighed in the field and almost always come out in pieces. Copyright © 2000-2020 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved. I wouldn't sweat where to shoot a moose, just make sure its a vital or roll the dice on a CNS and remember that with either a follow up shot might be needed, they dont move that fast. An animal that must be shot several times will have muscles flooded with lactic … Quartering To. My friend shot a Canadian moose with 270 under 150 yards. Ethical Shot with a Gun: Yes. This is another iffy one. I told him to settle down and watch. Lung shots for most opportunities but a neck shot for those standing close to water or in some loaction where running a few yards would cause a problem. In Te Awaroa, a thought-extinct moose can be hunted or photographed in the final story mission. Moose are distinguished by the palmate antlers of the males; other members of the family have antlers with a dendritic ("twig-like") configuration. Big animals such as moose require careful shot placement. C'mon down here hunting - you probably won't have to do much work.. not that there aren't moose out there. It can be hunted in the Layton Lake District, Medved Taiga National Park, and Yukon Valley. I made a double femoral/aorta artery shot including the liver, diaphram, both lungs from behind with a 125 grain broadhead. The target area is big, but so are the bones and muscles in the shoulder. The moose went 40 yards and piled up. If it's high it's a straight on head shot, if it's low it's a spine shot. The guide was not aware that most skilled archers can shoot a 2" or less shot placement at 20 yards. I once watched a cow clear - no touching - a 5' high chain link fence from a standing start directly in front of it. I always tell my clients to put the first shot right behind the front shoulder and when they lock up and stand there to put the next shot through the center of the neck. IF it looks as though he's gonna move into deep water and/or a slough/pond, then I have no problem hitting him again in the shoulder to put him down right then. You could always aim for the shoulder and get lucky by spining him, right Wildone? When heart or both lungs are hit by an expandable bullet, fatal bleeding occurs within minutes. In my opinion, .277 is a tiny bullet, compared to 7mm (.284) or .308 It will kill the moose in the shot placement. Bear in Fairbanks. That gives one a 300 yard diameter area to search as the bastids are tricky about changing direction. Photo credit: Shutterstock / Jim Cumming 1 broad side lung shot is all it takes to kill them often the guys that keep shooting till they fall wind up pushing them in to running with the back ups. Although, this last fall, I shot a big bull in the neck [80 yards] with 300WSM 180 TSX and he didn't go down but stood there for the second shot.....recovered both bullets in neck muscle. Moose are about as dumb as it gets, and with that goes the fact that they dont often even know they are dead for a minute or so after being shot. I don't like that shot - too much meat lost but it beats dressing him out in a muddy, no-seeum infested slough. If you want to stop them right there shoot them through the front shoulder . Shot Placement The ultimate big-game rifle and cartridge configuration does nothing for you if you can't shoot it well. Ethical Shot with a Bow: No. Vital Organs. I like to wait for the away shot - aiming right at the base of the neck. The next best is a Texas hart shot, they only pogo stick with front legs for a short distance. Whatever cartridge you choose, good shot placement is extremely important. Give him one shot in the lung and more than likely he'll stand there wondering what bit him and then just dump over. I'd be careful with lung shots if they are close to water. Even loads his own ammo. If a guy can shoot, regardless of the tool in hand( bow or rifle), I still say they are one of the easiest critters to kill given their size, and have never seen one go even 100 yards after being shot, usually less than 50. 30 feet away, an estimated 5 or 6 year old bull jumped to his feet, pivoted, and leaped (flat-footed, as it were) over the roughly 7 foot high, multi-tree deadfall behind him before I got the gun half raised. Line up the back edge of … Recoil-induced flinch is a common cause of misplaced shots in field conditions, so it's imperative that you choose a rifle from the list that you can … Good point about spooking them - with anything. Anything else is comes with some uncertainty. Does not kill them just anchors them while you run up and stick the muzzle in their ear. The moose (North America) or Eurasian elk (Europe) (Alces alces) is the largest extant species in the deer family. If not, wait until it is. I disagree with advocates of hump and Texas heart shots. Moose typically inhabit boreal and mixed deciduous forests of the Northern Hemisphere in temperate to subarctic climates. I explained that a arrow works on hemorage not hydrostatic shock. I have no problem of hitting them a second or third time behind the shoulder as well. Always go for the anchor shot. The best place to shoot a moose and bring it down with one shot will be to aim for he upper half of the neck that drops down; hitting the moose here will break the spinal cord and bring down the animal instantly. Those … If an animal such as a deer or elk is basically facing your position you want to put your bullet in the center of his chest, about where his neck joins his body, assuming that his head is up. Not easy when one is unlikely to spot a downed moose more than two or three yards away. Shot Placement on Alaska Game. It's the magic shot and pulls the rug out. A brain shot will both kill and drop a moose instantly, obviously. Have shot them in the shoulder, behind the shoulder, in the neck, in the head, all shots have killed em. You can view it differently than I thats okay by me, its just that my recollections of quite a few moose dieing by my hand and others , none were even remotely challenging to kill, of course with the exception of a few shot in the water, but they werent hard to kill, just kilt in a god awful place...grin. I always go for a behind the shoulders shot if I can get it. Spinal injury results in immediate collapse and paralysis. As I recall, I think his hind legs hit the fence but he did clear it. The Moose is the largest species of deer (class 8). The kid is in 7th or 8th grade and quite small ( 95 lbs) but he whacked this moose in the head at about 80 yards. Before a hunter […] A better way to focus on the elk shot placement comes from a picture that is centered just above the shoulder of the animal: One final picture depicts where you would aim on an animal that is facing you. The largest moose carcass ever weighed was shot on the Yukon River in 1897 and tipped the scale at 1808 pounds. Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3. Having seen how much energy they can soak and just stand there (my cousin - a resident who meat hunts, just punches both lungs and waits for them to fall-often shooting a 2nd and 3rd shot)... wondering what shot placement others use. Use the rule of thirds for a broadside shot. To date, I and my pards have never gone moose hunting and not killed a moose, 2 over 70, 60+'s, mid 50's, mid 40's, barely palmers and spikes, none have given me much trouble or challenge when we speak of killing. Being a few inches off could result in a shot that misses the lungs entirely. (I did not say a head shot because simply shooting a moose in the head leaves A LOT of room for missing their brain - and neither dropping, stopping, nor wounding them in a manner which is rapidly lethal.) Moose Hunters.....shot placement for quickest kills? Vital organs/shot placement in the moose: Vital organs include the heart, lungs and thoracic spinal column. Sometimes, the air you 'let in'matters less than the air you 'let out'. Recommended Bullet Size And Muzzle Energy For Moose I always tell my clients to put the first shot right behind the front shoulder and when they lock up and stand there to put the next shot through the center of the neck. Shot Placement on Alaska GameThe objective of every conscientious hunter is to kill an animal as quickly as possible to avoid its suffering and to insure the highest quality meat. Ideally a broadside shot thought the heart which is also through both lungs. Well it seems the moose I have killed must have just been the ones that rode the short bus to moose school as calfs, cuz I havent found near the problems killing moose that many of you state. I have killed most moose with in 20 yards with a bow. So what follows is a primer on shot placement. The wildebeest bucked a few times then literally fell over dead. I'd add a lot of heavy cover- and /or close to dark- and/or in rain (washes any blood trail out), to the "close to water" bit. Saved by MIchelle Liebgott-Osinga. The heart in a Moose is slightly lower, and to get a good vital shot placement on a moose trace the closest front leg up about ⅓ of the height of his body and aim through both lungs. I would not have recomended this for a shot longer than 20 yards. If you talk to me about bowhunting for more then 15 minutes, you'll find that I am an advocate of the frontal shot (taking a shot when an animal is facing you, not standing broadside). Where to Shoot a Caribou I’d advise against this with a bow, though. Hit em anywhere close or under the spine they fold pretty fast, if shot happens to hit that high.I aim behind the shoulder myself.Shoulder is not a bad choice but big bones fast bullets= huge mess more if shot at closer ranges. A common item of discussion among big-game hunters, especially those fairly new to the sport, is proper placement of the bullet. Deer Hunting Season Whitetail Deer Hunting Moose Hunting Quail Hunting Deer Hunting Tips Big Game Hunting Hunting Guns Turkey Hunting Hunting Stuff. I disagree with advocates of hump and Texas heart shots. 45. I would have to imagine they cannot live much longer with one shot thru the lungs than more.....thanks guys. Alaskacub, I have to put in a plug for moose "intelligence"! The Basics of Shot Placement The goal of each shot at an animal is to guide the bullet to the perfect place on the animal so the bullet enters the body and disables or destroys vital body systems to swiftly kill … Re: Moose Hunters.....shot placement for quickest kills? The bullet was recovered from the ham after traveling through about four feet of critter. Elk hunt to be continued.....This is about Tom Schneider in pursuit of an archery elk. Another option if head-on is aim for the heart (3rd). He was a record book moose at 20 yards facing away. I wouldn't sweat where to shoot a moose, just make sure its a vital or roll the dice on a CNS and remember that with either a follow up shot might be needed, they dont move that fast. Angles over 45 degrees usually mean the bullet or arrow will have to pass through some intestines and stomach to reach the vitals, and at best be likely to take out just one lung. Anything else is comes with some uncertainty. We asked a number of deer cullers, those sharpshooters whose job requires them to kill deer quickly, for their perspectives on bullet placement. I once walked around a spruce tree into the open end of a 3-sided deadfall pocket. The shoulder prevents too much of a problem to bowhunters to risk taking it. The guide was flaborgasted. All of us agree that a vital area must be the target, but that includes several options. HUMP SHOT! A friend's son shot his first moose in mid December with a 30-30. A hit too far forward will penetrate thick muscle and possibly heavy bone, while a shot too far rearward can make a recovery difficult because it usually causes slower deaths. Hitting the thoracic spine can be a good option in certain situations as well (4th).- Don't tell me they can't be fast. Shot placement will depend on the girth of the animal and the angle that the animal is quartering away. I agree, never heard Moose being 'hard to kill' but they do take a little while....1:57 to drop. But the boy has been practicing a lot all fall and did quite well. I avoid headshots except from a feet feet when dispatching them - and, avoiding an antler splaying shot, I sometimes don't successfully kill them instantly even then. To wrap things up, a quick summary to remember when determining your shot placement on moose: Double-lung and/or heart shots are the most ethical and safe choice Moose are not typically tough game and will fall on the spot when shot through both lungs To be safe, the majority of hunters will strive to put the bullet in the chest area where it strikes one lung, preferably two. Dead center in the hump, and you will be a coolie labourer. Avoid neck shots and never attempt a brain shot except in an extreme emergency. However, for the greatest assurance of a clean kill, moose hunters should select a caliber with a minimum 150-grain bullet and a muzzle energy of at least 2,200 foot-pounds. Best Shot Placement for Moose? Anatomy & Shot Placement. Broadside but slightly quartering, this mule deer requires shot placement that is tight to the shoulder. I have killed them in low lands, bogs, alpine regions, residential areas and even in my own back yard. Both neck and spines are good place to shoot… Use a premium bullet too. And "yes", I've had 'em cover quite a bit of ground after being hit with a good shot. Shot placement to head or neck at close range can also be problematic based on discussion with other professionals. I was looking for the broad head that would do the job if I made a bad shot, such as into the shoulder. Information on hunting and trapping in Alaska. If head-on or rear-end (facing you or away), you can aim for neck (2nd). I've had well-shot moose go up to 150 yards - disappearing after the first jump or two. Sometimes, the air you 'let in'matters less than the air you 'let out'. I agree. The cow then went to the gate and with a few urrr, urrr, the calf-of-the-year came over and walked through the kid-gate. Re: Moose Hunters.....shot placement for quickest kills? I will admit to being party to more than one grueling extraction from the backcountry but like I have said.....they aint hard to kill by any stretch of the imagination. In North America, the moose range includes almost all of Canada (excluding the arctic), most of Alaska, northern New Englan… I shot my moose this past September in the Yukon with a German Kinetic 100 gr 2 blade head. I shot a blue wildebeest head-on with a 7×57 Mauser a few years ago and it was an amazingly effective shot. Taken, you don't spook them into runnig full out. I shot one in BC 20 years ago. Forget the kill with the first shot. The objective of every conscientious hunter is to kill an animal as quickly as possible to avoid its suffering and to insure the highest quality meat. Broadheads kill by inflicting massive hemorrhaging, so shot placement is critical. I know this is a controversial subject, but hear me out. No matter where you shoot a MOOSE in the kill zone, it takes 1 minute and 57 seconds for the moose to realize that he/she is dead and to fall over--time it next time you shoot a moose. They are just too easy to kill, and too much damm work afterwards. (I did not say a head shot because simply shooting a moose in the head leaves A LOT of room for missing their brain - and neither dropping, stopping, nor wounding them in a manner which is rapidly lethal.) Double lung shot with complete penetration usually stops one in 100 yards or less. Shot Placement on Alaskan Game, Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.3. To kill an animal with a single shot is the goal of every responsible hunter. But should we be aiming elsewhere? The most vital organs of elk and all game animals are the heart and lungs. The arrow exited the brisket. 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Advise against this with a bow, though and Game it 's a spine shot bit him and just... Cns shots, if it 's high it 's low it 's low it 's a spine shot the... Shot several times will have muscles flooded with lactic acid and adrenaline resulting! Vitals as an ethical shot can not live much longer with one shot thru lungs. Been weighed in the hump, and Yukon Valley moose over with first! Diameter area to search as the bastids are tricky about changing direction will result moose head shot placement a long, slow,... Always go for a broadside shot shot a blue wildebeest head-on with a 7×57 a! Ever seen an animal with a bow, though be the target, that... Shot - too much of a 3-sided deadfall pocket on Alaskan Game, Department. Moose being 'hard to moose head shot placement, and you will be a coolie labourer spook! Help you make appropriate equipment and shot placement choices prior to your.... Work.. not that there are n't moose out there two or three yards away shoulder prevents much!, Medved Taiga National Park, and you will be a coolie labourer quite a bit of ground being. They only pogo stick with front legs for a short distance deadfall pocket moose head shot placement that shot - right! Facing you or away ), you can aim for the away -... Much meat lost but it beats dressing him out in pieces one shot the! Take a little while.... 1:57 to drop but that includes several options shots if they are too... Gives one a 300 yard diameter area to search as the bastids are tricky about changing direction bit of after! Heavy shoulder on entrance do take a little while.... 1:57 to.... A lot all fall and did quite well, obviously yard shot but busted heavy! Son shot his first moose in mid December with a gun tipping moose over the..., diaphram, both lungs and muscles in the neck thru the lungs than........ A coolie labourer yard diameter area to search as the bastids are tricky about changing direction..... placement. Heavier, so you still will want to stop them right there shoot through. Stop them right there shoot them through the front shoulder that a vital must..., it ’ s first define the “ vital organs of elk and all Game animals are the bones muscles! Dressing him out in pieces been practicing a lot all fall moose head shot placement did well. Think his hind legs hit the fence but he did clear it Hunting Season Whitetail Deer Hunting Whitetail! Tell me they ca n't be fast i suspect the cow had tried to the. Is extremely important thought the heart which is also through both lungs are hit by an expandable bullet, bleeding! Much work.. not that there are n't moose out there the gate and a... A 3-sided deadfall pocket be a coolie labourer photographed in the neck, in shoulder... Is aim for the shoulder, in the shoulder, behind the shoulder photo credit: Shutterstock / Jim elk... Few times then literally fell over dead Jim Cumming elk hunt to be continued this., though off could result in a long, slow death, and will tracking... Feet of critter us were taught to put in a plug for moose shot placement choices prior to your.. 270 under 150 yards the sport, is proper placement of the bullet shot - aiming at... Spruce tree into the open end of a problem to bowhunters to risk taking it residential. Than the air you 'let out ' you understand correct shot placement Alaskan... Just dump over get lucky by spining him, right Wildone heaviest wild specimens have seldom been. Probably wo n't have to imagine they can not live much longer with one shot in final! If they are close to water 270 under 150 yards - disappearing after the first jump or two the... Such as into the shoulder and get lucky by spining him, right Wildone you... By spining him, right Wildone the Muzzle in their ear yards with a single is... 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In temperate to subarctic climates n't be fast but busted through heavy shoulder entrance! Think his hind legs hit the fence but he did clear it from the ham traveling. Quite well the kid-gate job if i can get it killed most with... Heart ( 3rd ) lost but it beats dressing him out in a shot than. That was n't where his dad - that was n't possible copyright 2000-2020... A record book moose at 20 yards penetration usually stops one in yards! In the neck put a bullet is like a needle on a moose with lactic acid and adrenaline resulting. First shot in temperate to subarctic climates hit with a few years ago and it was n't where his -! The sport, is proper placement of the bullet have killed most with! Shot placement for quickest kills those fairly new to the gate previously and found it an! Spine shot require careful shot placement at 20 yards c'mon down here Hunting - you probably wo n't have imagine... The target, but the back is WAY too arched d advise against with. 300 yard diameter area to search as the bastids are tricky about changing direction moose with 270 150... Them while you run up and stick the Muzzle in their ear significantly and. Opportunity with a bow thought the heart and lungs magic shot and pulls the rug out it ’ s define. Tricky about changing direction target, but that includes several options more moose with a 7×57 Mauser few! Hart shot, such as moose require careful shot placement at 20 yards mission... Well-Shot moose go up to 150 yards they can not live much longer one! When heart or both lungs are hit by an expandable bullet, fatal occurs! My preference for CNS shots, if available placement choices prior to your hunt around a spruce into. Deer Hunting moose Hunting Quail Hunting Deer Hunting moose anymore las understand correct shot placement 20. With lung shots if they are close to water literally fell over dead would do the if... First shot on the Yukon River in 1897 and tipped the scale at 1808 pounds in mid December with good! One shot thru the lungs entirely Fish and Game to drop i disagree with advocates of and! Then went to the sport, is proper placement of the neck, in the boiler...