A friend who lives in Alaska just posted this on FB
Last night, I had my closest call yet. A young, 600-lb bull moose charged me from 75 yards away while I was fishing alone last night around 11pm. No matter what I did, he wouldn't stop coming. When he was about 10 feet away from me, I put a bullet in his right lung with my 44 mag pistol. He wheeled around and wobbled toward the creek before crossing it and disappearing into the bush and shadows.
The Trooper who showed up after I called it in (it's not hunting season so I had to report it) agreed that because it was dark by then it was too dangerous to look for it. He said I should wait for the Fish and Game Trooper on duty in the morning to call me. So I did. After I finally fell asleep, three hours later, around 6:30am, the F&G Trooper called and left a message that I'd better not be answering because I was out looking for that moose.
So I loaded up my kayak into my truck. I was about half a mile from my house when the truck died, probably permanently based on the mileage and symptoms... Luckily, a guy who just bought a weekend cabin in the same gated community passed me a few seconds later. I loaded my kayak into the back of his truck and he dropped me off at the boat ramp with my rifle.
After I crossed the creek in my kayak, I trudged alone through the tall grass on the island as I looked for the moose. I hoped it wasn't wounded and looking for Round 2. I also hoped that none of the grizzlies which are there right now because of the salmon were chowing down on the moose. As I circled back to where I thought it had gone into the bush, there he was in a small clearing.
I called my new neighbor and he was kind enough to run over to my house and pick up my two chainsaws. His son was with him and had the foresight to suggest also taking my big plastic snow sled. We ended up tying the kayak and snow sled together and skidded them back and forth across the creek to shuttle the dad and I across one at a time. Because I still hadn't gutted the moose and it had been there overnight, and the flies had already done a number on it, the meat wasn't safe for human consumption. The Trooper also told me that I couldn't use the meat to feed my dog. (That rule is to keep people from hunting illegally and claiming it was a self defense kill. I was still sad about it nonetheless.)
So, since the meat would be taken to the dump, I made quick work of it and with my chainsaw cut the guy into half a dozen pieces after I gutted it. We dropped the sections of moose into the snow sled and across the creek. On the second to last load, the sled filled with water and the head dumped into the creek. Luckily, I was able to retrieve it. Since the head was in such great condition, the Trooper said they'd use it as an educational exhibit to demonstrate what isn't a legal bull moose because of antler tines. So at least it wasn't a total waste of the animal.
I'll be keeping the empty brass shell of the 44 magnum cartridge that saved my life.
Last night, I had my closest call yet. A young, 600-lb bull moose charged me from 75 yards away while I was fishing alone last night around 11pm. No matter what I did, he wouldn't stop coming. When he was about 10 feet away from me, I put a bullet in his right lung with my 44 mag pistol. He wheeled around and wobbled toward the creek before crossing it and disappearing into the bush and shadows.
The Trooper who showed up after I called it in (it's not hunting season so I had to report it) agreed that because it was dark by then it was too dangerous to look for it. He said I should wait for the Fish and Game Trooper on duty in the morning to call me. So I did. After I finally fell asleep, three hours later, around 6:30am, the F&G Trooper called and left a message that I'd better not be answering because I was out looking for that moose.
So I loaded up my kayak into my truck. I was about half a mile from my house when the truck died, probably permanently based on the mileage and symptoms... Luckily, a guy who just bought a weekend cabin in the same gated community passed me a few seconds later. I loaded my kayak into the back of his truck and he dropped me off at the boat ramp with my rifle.
After I crossed the creek in my kayak, I trudged alone through the tall grass on the island as I looked for the moose. I hoped it wasn't wounded and looking for Round 2. I also hoped that none of the grizzlies which are there right now because of the salmon were chowing down on the moose. As I circled back to where I thought it had gone into the bush, there he was in a small clearing.
I called my new neighbor and he was kind enough to run over to my house and pick up my two chainsaws. His son was with him and had the foresight to suggest also taking my big plastic snow sled. We ended up tying the kayak and snow sled together and skidded them back and forth across the creek to shuttle the dad and I across one at a time. Because I still hadn't gutted the moose and it had been there overnight, and the flies had already done a number on it, the meat wasn't safe for human consumption. The Trooper also told me that I couldn't use the meat to feed my dog. (That rule is to keep people from hunting illegally and claiming it was a self defense kill. I was still sad about it nonetheless.)
So, since the meat would be taken to the dump, I made quick work of it and with my chainsaw cut the guy into half a dozen pieces after I gutted it. We dropped the sections of moose into the snow sled and across the creek. On the second to last load, the sled filled with water and the head dumped into the creek. Luckily, I was able to retrieve it. Since the head was in such great condition, the Trooper said they'd use it as an educational exhibit to demonstrate what isn't a legal bull moose because of antler tines. So at least it wasn't a total waste of the animal.
I'll be keeping the empty brass shell of the 44 magnum cartridge that saved my life.
