Moose Photos

Too Close for Comfort - Discuss Here

From: Pat Lefemine Date: 07-May-02

Our latest article on Wyoming Moose by Matt Burrows

that is an excellent story. well written and intense. i can't imagine being that close to an animal that big with the uncertainty of his next move, but knowing that if he as much as sneezed you'd be flattened.

beautiful bull as well and the phots complimented the story nicely.

great job matt.

moose are fun for sure.

Honestly?

Great job matt. Ive had my fair share of those.While archery moose hunting i called in a large bull within 5 yds.But was so busy trying to get it all on tape i never did shoot him with the bow.Which is alright i have about 15 minutes of tape with him at 8 yds out to 20 yds.I called him back about four times, will have those memories on tape forever. ...BOUNTYHUNTER...

Nice work! Attached is my year 2000 bull. I called him to his rut pit and shot him at 3 yards broadside. They sure do come to exactly where they hear the call! I have taken two others as well from the ground. One at 11 yards and this year's at 15 yards. regards from Canada.

Here's my 2001 moose taken at 15 yards. Again from the his rut pit (called there for 5 days).

I thought the story seemed a bit rough. It was almost like it hadn't been proof read. What does waste-high grass smell like anyway? The flow was a bit choppy. It stuck to the conventional bowhunting template of building up to shot situation early on to draw the reader in, slipping in all the detail in the middle while the reader is waiting to see how the hunter makes out, and then presenting the big finish with a trophy photo. The only problem was the build up was repeated in the big finish, but it was different enough to leave me thinking, "Is this guy talking about the same story?". The photos and info on the Wyoming draw were great. I just think it needs to be polished a bit before it is "Magazine Quality".

It WAS published, in the Colorado Bowhunter Association newsletter - a good story I thought.

Carpbuster....give me a break! Last I looked we are in the Moose thread for bowhunters not the editorial thread for journalists!

Matt - Good story, great information, and great photos. Congrats and good luck in the future!

Thanks for the compliments guys. It was pretty exciting. I can't tell you how big a bull moose looks at 3 yards when you're on your knees. Guess I was too stupid to be afraid though.

carpbuster, I don't mind the criticism. I haven't written many articles yet and am always trying to get better. This was my first effort at writing in what you called the conventional bowhunting template where you build up to the shot and then go into the details. Don't worry, I'm my worst critic when it comes to writing.

Matt

I might add that Matt was hooked up with the rancher through a BOWSITE post. Great story Matt and congrats on a great Moose. MB

First the article should have been published in January not the week after the Wyoming moose draw. Anyone who gets interested in hunting moose as a result of this article has to wait a nearly a year to apply and longer to hunt. Talking about bursting your bubble.

Don't mean to be too critical but I also agree that when the article whet back to the hunt it went back too far, it should have started where it left off not the day before. If you'd like I'll post my article I wrote for the Iowa Bowhunters newsletter and you can criticize it (I probably posted it several years ago). My personal opinion is that my article rambles on too much. I tend to be a detail person. That will be evident by the end of this...

Don't get too hung up on preference points. I can show you seven or eight areas that you can draw in a year or two. I shot my moose having never set foot in the zone I hunted, also it was my first bow kill and the second year of the point system. As of last fall four friends have shot moose in the same zone. None of them took more than two years to draw and all started applying several years after the point system started. I'll show you five other co-workers who have been applying for points since I shot my moose and keep saying they want to wait one more year to be sure they've got enough points to draw. I'm willing to bet none of them will ever hunt. Unless it's a financial issue get your points by applying for a license not buying them (I take a loan out every year to apply for my license I'll pay it off in full when I get my refund next week and be out about $32.00 in interest).

From a May 3rd Wyoming Game and Fish press release: "One thousand and twenty nonresidents vied for 165 moose licenses this year"….My interpretation 897 hunters had a chance at 42 tags (the 25% of the 165 tags which are awarded randomly) for odds of 6%. But most of those applicants applied for one or two of the top zones. So the odds for others zones such as the one mentioned in the article were significantly better. Last year some 75 licenses were left over after the nonresident draw and were issued in the resident draw, granted MOST were cow tags which nonresident are not willing to pay $1000.00 for but I can point out a bull tag or two that no one wanted? Also from another paragraph discussing the preference point system in the same press release mentioned above: "The option enticed 4,951 residents and 11,257 nonresidents." Some of these numbers are people applying for bighorn sheep permits. Looking at the 2001 demand index shows that 85% of nonresident moose applicants chose to buy their point. Bettering the odds for the rest of us that applied knowing we only had a chance at 40 some random tags. Last year my odds of drawing a random tag in a trophy area were 25%, I suspect it may have been better this year. That's almost as good as the chance of drawing one of the 1,800 nonresident regular priced general elk tags which some 6,000 people apply for each year?

Sorry to ramble but like I said I'm a details person. A little research can get you a moose tag in a decent zone within a couple years.

http://gf.state.wy.us/HTML/news/020503pr.htm#HUNTINGLOTTERYHELD

http://www.bowsite.COM/bstrophy/details.cfm?trophyid=595

Patrick Sullivan

Matt, I am glad you didn't take offense. When I ask others for an opinion I would like to hear both the good and the bad. I try to give the same in return. That's how improvements are made. There is always room to get better no matter how good you start out.

Muddybull, yes I was hooked up with a Wyoming rancher that was having moose problems. And you were the hooker! Thanks buddy, I appreciate it. I'll have to share my millions of profit for writing the article with you:)

Matt

Thanks Matt, I just wanted to point out that the BOWSITE is a great way to meet fellow bowhunters and get leads on hunts, especially so for "once in a lifetime" type tags out of state. Like you, I enjoy seeing fellow bowhunters have sucess, especially on something as special as a Moose. MB Hooker?? You're killin' me here!!

I cant belive it diddnt spook! This climax had my heart going. Looking forward to my Idaho moose hunt this year.

Where is the story at.I can't find it anywhere.LC

LDC, this thread is from 2002.

wow

great story Matt , can you tell me what date you took your bull ? Im trying to pin - point the peak of the rut here in Eatern Idaho !! ...Thanks RV

round valley, when i took my bull in eastern idaho it was on the last day of archey elk season, the bulls were worked up pretty good. called in 4 the morning i arrowd mine. bruce