Moose howl. Moose hunting with decoy

Hunting is a hobby worthy of a real man, requiring endurance, knowledge and skills. A worthy trophy would be a strong and powerful animal, such as an elk. Its weight is almost 500 kg, the length of the carcass is 3 m, and its luxurious spreading horns (especially beautiful during the rut) are a worthy decoration for every hunter.

The mating time of these animals (or the rut) begins in September - early October. At this time, males make calling sounds intended for rivals or moose cows. If the weather is hot at the beginning of autumn, then the rutting time will be postponed to a later date.

You should not be afraid of the noise made during hunting during the rutting period - when the male hears it, he will mistake you for a rival and come out to meet you. When hunting during the rut, keep your gun ready, as bucks are much more aggressive during this period than usual.

A male looking for a female is extremely dangerous: the cry of an elk resembles the roar of a bear, and he himself is truly scary. The voice of an elk, accompanied by the crackling of branches and dead wood, with the help of which it imitates a fight with an opponent, can be heard at a distance of 500-700 meters. However, if it rains or the weather is inclement, it is difficult to hear the moose's voice. In those regions where there are a lot of these animals, and they often meet with humans (during the rutting period they are not at all afraid of humans), they can be taken from the approach. However, in those regions where they are not so common, moose decoys are used for hunting.

The roar of an elk can only be heard during the rut; the rest of the time the only sounds of the elk are quiet snorts if the animal is frightened. The roar of different individuals is very different: strong mature animals shout “oo-a” or “oo-oh”, young ones - “o-uh”.

Hunting time depends on the target. If you are interested in elk for trophy purposes, then it is better to start hunting in the first 10 days of the rut, at which time bulls with beautiful trophy antlers come when called. At other times, this luxurious trophy will be pretty damaged by incessant fights with rivals.

To begin with, it is necessary to determine the location of the rut with maximum accuracy. To do this, you need to listen to the cry of the moose, look for the presence of broken branches, fairly shabby bushes, and also check whether there is fresh moose droppings.
The most favorable time for hunting elk during the rut is early morning, at which time the animal roars longer, which means it will be easier to track and shoot. This also makes it easier to find a wounded animal. It is better to hunt in dry and clear weather, when there is no rain. When you hear the cry of a moose nearby, you can start to attract it with screams and break branches. Just don’t overdo it, otherwise the animal may understand that it is being deceived and not come out.
It is better to go on such a hunt together: one beckons, the other shoots. Experienced hunters are able to determine by the roar the age of the animal and its suitability as prey, and, based on this, make a decision about whether it is worth continuing the hunt or whether it makes sense to change the place and look for other game.

Moose decoys

Experienced or simply talented hunters can do without a decoy at all, imitating the roar of an elk, how he yells during the rut, simply by cupping his palms into a mouthpiece. If it doesn’t work out, then it’s better to buy a decoy or make it yourself.

How to make a decoy for an elk from scrap materials with your own hands

Decoy from a jar

You will need a tin can (coffee can, for example), a 60 cm piece of clothesline, a piece of leather or electrical tape to cover the entire surface of the can.

We make a hole in the bottom of the jar (more precisely, in its center), and insert a rope with a knot at the end into it. The sound will be similar to a moose cry if the jar is wrapped in leather or duct tape and some moss is placed inside.

How to use this decoy jar? Wet the rope with water, then hold it between your index finger and thumb, then move along the rope from top to bottom. Hold the jar by the base without touching the walls. With this decoy you can accurately imitate the sounds of a moose.

Another do-it-yourself decoy - a speaker made of birch bark or a tin can

Remove birch bark about 2 mm thick from the tree without knots, cut it in a helical manner. Then straighten the resulting tape and cut a strip from it with a width of 100 to 170 mm. From the same tree, remove another piece of birch bark 120 mm wide and cut three narrow rectangular holes on it, and three triangular ones on the other side so that they fit into the rectangular ones. Then the triangles are straightened inside the rolled birch bark, forming a lock on the birch bark tube. The decoy is rolled up with a white layer inward. It will be the cuff of the speaker. The birch bark is rolled into a tube, a cuff is put on it; if desired, the cuffs can be attached with electrical tape for greater strength. When you imitate an animal screaming, the volume can be adjusted by squeezing or stretching the tube.

Electronic decoy for moose

The most convenient option for a novice hunter. This is a device with an already recorded elk roar during the rut, and usually there are several sounds made by an elk at once. This is the cry of an elk, with which he challenges his opponent to fight, and the roar of a moose looking for a partner, and the sounds that a young calf makes, etc. Any moose call is activated when you press a button, the device is battery operated, extremely convenient and portable. Moreover, there is even a button to control the volume of the roar sound.

When choosing a decoy, you should listen to it first: many hunters note that the cry of an elk on an electronic decoy may not correspond to the sounds made by the animal when the rutting period begins.

Brief summary of the article:

When the rutting season begins, the buck is extremely dangerous, so it is recommended to be ready to shoot.
There are many varieties of decoys, and experienced hunters can do without them altogether.

Moose hunting takes place during the period when these animals begin their rutting season and are keen on mating games and procreation. At this time, moose, especially adult males, lose caution in the fight for a female and allow the hunter to discover them and come at close range.

In addition, this animal can be attracted by imitating the sounds of a rival or female. It is for this reason that this type of hunting, depending on the region, was called roar hunting, roar hunting, moaning hunting, or wabu hunting.

When do moose start to rut?

The moose rut occurs in the fall, usually when the first frosts arrive. It begins at the end of August - September and lasts about two months. Depending on the severity of the climate, the timing of the start of the rut shifts from the second half of August in the south to mid-September in the northern regions.

In Siberia and the Krasnoyarsk region. In Siberia and the Krasnoyarsk Territory, the moose rut begins mainly in September, although in their southern part this is possible even after the second ten days of August. The peak of the rut, depending on the latitude, usually occurs in the second ten days of September - early October. In the northern parts of this region, the rut can last until the first ten days of November.

In the Leningrad region and Karelia. In the Leningrad region and Karelia, the start of the rut usually occurs at the very end of August. Its peak occurs in the second ten days of September, when the maximum number of individuals is involved in the process, but it ends already in early November. This is due to the characteristics of this northern region in order to involve the maximum number of females.

In the Moscow region and in the middle zone. In central Russia and in particular in the Moscow region, the start of the rut usually occurs at the end of August. Here this period lasts on average about one to one and a half months and ends by mid-October.

In the Urals. In the Urals, the beginning of this period and its duration primarily depend on latitude. In the Southern Urals it is the end of August, and in the Northern Urals it is mid-September. The moose rut here lasts about two months and in the northern parts it can take place at the beginning of November.

In Belarus. In Belarus, the moose rut begins at the end of August, but more often it occurs in September - October. It lasts about a month and ends by mid-October.

In the Penza region. In the Penza region and other southern regions, the beginning of the rut occurs in the second ten days of August and lasts about a month and a half, dying out by mid-late October.

Duration

On average, the duration of the rutting period for moose is about two months. However, how long this period lasts, its beginning and end also depends on weather and climatic factors. So a sharp warming can delay its beginning, and a sharp cooling, on the contrary, push it to the beginning. Among other things, in young males the start of the rut is delayed by 15–20 days.

However, practice shows that once the rut has begun, it is not interrupted by any weather factors. Its duration primarily depends on the severity of the climate in the area. So in the northern regions it lasts for two and a half months, and some young males come out to the vabu at the end of November.

Important! According to the hunting rules, elk harvest is divided into three periods: for adult males from September 1 to September 30; for all sexually mature groups - from October 1 to December 31; for young animals up to one year - from January 1 to January 15.

Habits during this period

During the rutting period, the behavior of elk changes greatly, especially from the moment the females begin to become active. All this time he lets out his “moan” with enviable frequency. But when the bull catches the smell of readiness for mating left by the females, it begins to behave quite aggressively, showing its strength and “prowess.”

It breaks tree branches, tramples and rake grass, digging entire holes, especially in places marked by the moose cow. Its smell changes and intensifies, and appearance becomes more massive.

Does a moose roar in rainy weather?

As stated earlier, the behavior of these animals does not depend on the weather. For example, in rainy weather the activity of their calls does not decrease. It’s just that because of the noise of the elements, their groan is heard much worse, but its intensity remains the same.

But in frosty, quiet weather, the roar of the elk becomes more active, since the sound at this time can be heard much further. Therefore, males begin to call more intensely to females and respond to the same calls from other males.

What time of day does it happen?

Studies have shown that elk roars have a fairly consistent daily frequency. During the day, moose usually rest. After the evening feeding, at sunset they begin to moan for about half an hour. Feeding then continues, after which, towards the end of twilight, a period of short roaring again follows. After midnight, the elk's moaning may resume briefly. The main time of roaring comes at dawn. It begins half an hour before dawn and can last, with breaks, until daylight. During the day, as a rule, moose do not moan.

How to find a moose

According to the testimony of both zoologists and game managers, the elk race mainly takes place in the habitats of females. These are meadow floodplains of rivers with oxbow lakes, thickets of willow trees, and the outskirts of moss swamps. Forest clearings and clearings in the initial stages of overgrowth, young deciduous plantings and young forests that have begun to overgrow burnt areas.

IN populated areas these can be edges remote from people, overgrown, abandoned fields and meadows, willows and shrubs in river and stream valleys. Rutting areas usually do not change from year to year. These rutting areas can be identified by broken branches, traces of horns on the bark of trees, ground trampled and plowed by hooves with dug holes.

Is it dangerous

The main danger during the rutting period comes from mature, mature males. Although the behavior of the young becomes much more aggressive, they are not so recklessly rushing to any suspicious movement. Adult males, driving away competitors from their territory, rush to any suspicious rustling of branches, especially in their rutting areas. Having met a friend, the elk protects her from others, and again rushes into any danger without hesitation.

Even the cracking of a twig under your foot, the noise of footsteps or the rustling of branches is perceived as aggressive. If the hunter accidentally reveals himself and does not react in time to such a throw from the animal, and this happens very quickly and unexpectedly, then he may well suffer under the hooves of an angry male. In fact, during this period, seasoned moose rush at anyone who comes into their field of vision and is even in the slightest degree perceived as a competitor.

Listen to the roar of an elk during the rut

The roar of an elk differs sharply from the roar of a red deer or deer. It is not for nothing that it is called a groan, since it is weaker and looks like something between a moo and a sad sigh. This sound is difficult to hear at a distance of more than a kilometer.

Sound: Decoy for elk during the rut

How the elk roars

Sound of a moose

How to lure a moose correctly

Once a moose's breeding area has been discovered, the easiest way to get it to shoot is to lure it there by making sounds of an opponent or a female. In addition to the voice, it is advisable to rustle branches and bushes, stomp, tap and scratch the bark of a tree, imitating the sounds of an elk breaking through the forest.

Voice and hands

If you want to call a moose, it is best to imitate the call of a young male. Other bulls respond to such a groan much more boldly. By the beginning of the rut, some males do not have a mate, so they more actively follow this sound, wanting to find a free female or fight her off from another.

The sound itself resembles a muffled groan, turning into a restrained roar. It is quite possible to learn to imitate it with your mouth; the secrets here are not so much in the technique of execution, but in the presence of hearing and some abilities. At the same time, they help themselves by pinching their nose with their index fingers, folding their palms into a mouthpiece and changing their position to change the volume and tone of the sound.

Video: How to lure moose during the rut

How to learn to roar like a moose

If you listen carefully to the roar of a rutting elk, you will notice that during this period the groan of adult bulls is similar to the sound of “oo-a” or “oo-o”; it is a dull roar. But the moo of young males sounds like “oh-uh”, its timbre is vibrating and rattling. During the rutting season, you can also hear the cry of a moose cow. This sharp sound, similar to a neigh, is often a response to the bold actions of a bull.

On the waboo

It is much easier to call a moose using vaby - special semolina. You can either purchase them or make them yourself.

How to make a moose waboo with your own hands

The simplest waba is made from a tin can. To do this, it is advisable to use not an ordinary tin can, but a can with a removable tin lid, from coffee, baby food, etc. The main thing is that the diameter of the upper hole, due to the rims, is slightly smaller than the diameter of the can itself. In addition to it, we will need a lace or nylon rope, 50–60 cm long, electrical tape or a piece of leather.

The waba is done simply:

How to attract you:

The rope is wetted;
The jar is taken by the base with one hand;
With the other hand, pass along the rope from top to bottom, holding it tightly with two fingers.

In this case, the rope serves as a resonator, and the can as a speaker. You can find the desired timbre by filling a jar with moss. The smaller the diameter of the can, the higher the sound produced.

Video: How to lure a moose to a waboo

Elektromankom

Another convenient way luring elk is an electronic decoy. This is an industrial device powered by batteries, in which a music library of various sounds made by moose is recorded: adult and young males, females in search of a male and during mating, the sounds of a fight, the roar of a rival male, etc.

However, when purchasing such a decoy, you must definitely listen to how the moose roar in this music library to make sure that the sounds are naturally similar. Often devices made for hunters in other countries are not very suitable for ours, since the sounds made, for example, by Canadian moose, are different from domestic ones.

Moose hunting on the roar with dogs

During the moose rut, you can also hunt it with dogs. For this purpose, specially trained huskies are used. Such a dog must have a number of certain qualities, be strong and resilient in order to search for elk over a large area, and especially to chase it for a long time over long distances at a decent speed.

Having found the animal, she must bark at it, as if reluctantly at first, but under no circumstances rush at it, otherwise it will run away very quickly and over a great distance. The dog must be able to dodge the attacks of the beast, since it can kill it with one blow of its hoof.

The hunt itself takes place in the following order. The hunter goes to the elk's racing or feeding areas, after which he releases the dog. She is looking for the animal, and having found it, without rushing, she begins to bark at it gradually, but with increasing pressure. The dog's task is to keep the elk in one place until the hunter approaches, and to distract him until the shot is fired. In case of escape, the dog chases the animal until it stops in a new place, where everything starts anew.

Visiting salt licks

One of the places where there is a high probability of tracking an elk is a salt lick. Salt is an excellent bait. With its help, these animals replenish the lack of minerals in the body, especially in the spring, and accumulate in the fall in preparation for winter nutrition. The easiest way is to create such a place yourself. To do this, make a large feeder into which rock or iodized salt is poured.

Gradually the moose get used to visiting this place. This is evidenced by their tracks on the ground and surrounding bushes and trees. Moose and salt licks come most often at sunset. First, he listens for about 15 minutes, standing in the thickets, and then goes to lick the salt.

Hunting in salt licks is carried out from a blind spot or storage shed. Place it higher on thick trees. This is due not only to the danger of the elk itself, but also to the possibility of other animals, such as a bear, visiting the salt lick.

Moose meat during this period

Elk meat obtained during the rutting period, in terms of its taste, is not much different from that obtained in any other month. Theories about its unsuitability are related to the fact that racing elk, when butchered, has a rather specific smell, but this does not affect the taste of the meat in any way. Another thing is that the meat of old bulls is quite tough and fibrous. Therefore, preference is given to young bulls up to three years old and females.

Hunting elk, weighing up to 600 kg, is possible only if you have experience and certain knowledge. Only when the right approach there is a chance to lure and shoot the animal. A good hunter knows different tactics, for example, using a bait, a decoy.

It must be remembered that moose have a rutting period when their behavior changes. If an elk is hunted by roar, the animal approaches the sound made by the elk, after which the hunter can fire a shot.

When does the elk rut begin?

For most wild ungulates, the rut occurs in the second half of the year. The first to enter this state are the roe deer (late July-late August), the last are the musk deer (November-December). Moose and deer are subject to the rut in September; it ends by mid-October, but the very first signs may appear at the end of August.

In Russia, the exact time of the rut may vary depending on the location. In regions with a harsh northern climate, this period starts 2 weeks later; in southern regions it can begin 2 weeks earlier. In the middle zone, the rut usually occurs in September, but may be delayed due to warm weather.

Behavior of moose during the rut

Hunting during the rut - while roaring or groaning - is quite dangerous for the hunter. Adult animals begin to look for a mate even before physiological signs appear. Having found a female moose, they exist together until the end of the heat. After the female “pushes away” the male, he may begin to look for another female moose, but not always. Occasionally, elk “harems” are identified, where several females are with one male.

Signs of rutting in an animal:

The elk gives voice, roars, emitting a cross between exhalation and mooing, which is why this sound is called a groan;
the roar of an elk can be heard from a distance of less than a kilometer, it is drowned out by the sounds of wind and water;
Animals are more active in the early morning (at dawn), at sunset, and are silent during the day;
During the rutting season, the horns are clean of wool, smooth, and bone.

The elk becomes 100% ready for the rut after the arrival of the females, when it smells the secretion of the gonads. The animal senses it from the urine that remains on the grass, and follows the tracks to find the female. It is during the search that the animal is dangerous to humans - it beats the ground with its hooves, breaks branches and young trees.

If the male is ready for mating, his appearance is different - the neck is thick, the eyes are red, and everything seems to be swollen in size. The elk’s body secretes a specific “aroma”, for which the gonads are also responsible.

Important! Why do hunters prefer to look for animals during this period? It is during the rut that hearing and smell for other odors are dulled, so you can track the elk and get closer.

Features of moose hunting

On the Internet you can watch a free video of exactly how hunting for an ungulate takes place. There are rules and specifics for searching for it, because the habitats of moose in the rut are different in other periods of the animal’s life.

Hunting dates

According to the law, moose hunting for adult males is permitted from 09/01–09/30; during this time it is strictly prohibited to kill females and moose calves. All groups of animals can be hunted from 01.10 to 15.01, and in January only young animals up to one year old are killed. In some regions, the duration of the hunt is limited to 90 days. If we're talking about about trophy hunting, which is carried out for the beautiful antlers, it is usually carried out 01.09-30.09.

Hunting time

How to properly prepare for a hunt? First you need to purchase a license, otherwise hunting will be poaching. Perfect timing searching for an animal is early morning, evening - then moose are active in relation to females. In the wind or rain, attempts will be unsuccessful - the animal will hear and smell the hunter.

Hunting places

Every year, the places where the animals “get to know each other” remain the same; they constantly return to the same areas. There is no point in choosing open areas; the moose will not come here. Signs of a moose current:

trampled clearings with “bald” areas;
sour smell floating around;
broken branches, trees;
antler marks on trees;
dug holes.

In harsh areas, animals prefer to roar along the outskirts of moss swamps, in dense forest young growth, along overgrown hayfields, floodplains of rivers and streams. In mountainous areas, moose gather in intermountain valleys, floodplains, and along the banks. In sparsely populated areas, animals prefer river shallows and islands covered with pebbles.

Hunting tactics

There are many options for hunting - driven, on salt licks, with dogs, with approach. They all give results, but hunting with a roar decoy is considered the most effective. Thus, many hunters unsuccessfully go on driven hunts for years without finding the animal.

Important! Roar hunting allows only one hunter, although it is better to go with a huntsman or in a group.

Weapons, position, equipment

Elk is a powerful animal that can kill a person. Sometimes life depends on the correct choice of a hunter. The gun does not have to be new, only one that has been shot will be convenient at the right time. Since the shot distance is short, you should take a smooth-bore weapon of 12-16 calibers. You can also take a 12-gauge rifled shotgun, although this option is also suitable for a longer shot. Rifled guns with good optics - the best choice for trophy hunting. For shooting at dusk, a night sight is useful.

The cartridges must also be reliable - from 308Win and more, 7.62 * 51, 9.3 * 62 are suitable, bullet weight - from 18 g. You can even take “elephant cartridges”, if the hunt is for a trophy, the result will be 100% m, but the meat will remain spoiled. In any case, the cartridges must have high destructive power. This is due to the safety for the hunter and the difficulty of finding a wounded animal during the snow-free period. By the time of the rut, animals become more resilient to wounds, which confirms the need for good ammunition.

When choosing a position, pay attention to the fact that the elk does not like to go out into open places. The animal prefers to move more often, so it is better to intercept it on the paths. When hunting is carried out in a group, they build a chain perpendicular to the movement of the animal, which is likely to stumble upon the hunter.

Slaughter places

The best killing spots are the shoulder blade area, chest in the heart area. Usually, if there is a bullet of a serious caliber, the animal falls immediately. You can also shoot in the neck, lungs, spine, but you must be prepared to finish off the animal, which can still travel some distance due to excess adrenaline.

Hunting with decoy and bait

You can lure an elk on a waboo - this is. The meaning of the application is this: moose claim territory by possessing a female, and the sounds of a rival force them to rush in to contest the place. Usually fights occur at night, calming down by dawn, and in the morning the elk are not too careful. When the hunter begins to lure (reel in), the animal rushes towards the opponent. Only a foreign smell can scare him away.

In addition to waba, wind decoys are used. They resemble horns into which they blow. More expensive models even come with a training disc. Some decoys make the sound of a cow moose, others - a buck. The price varies from 500 to 3000 rubles depending on the sound quality.

The hunting process will be like this:

A hunter with a huntsman, a group of hunters approach the chosen place.
The lure operator begins to call the animal, periodically changing position.
Hearing the moan of the elk, the beckoning one goes behind the shooter (if it is one person, he prepares the gun and takes a position).
They stop beckoning, waiting for the animal.
After the elk is spotted, they immediately take aim at it, without making unnecessary sounds.
They take a shot.

Interesting: if wabs and decoy are not available, some hunters scrape along the tree trunk, attracting the animal. Often this also works, and the elk comes to the call.

For successful hunt It is very important to take into account all factors: the timing of the rut and the behavioral characteristics of elk, choosing the right place and hunting tactics. It is necessary to study all the nuances and prepare in advance for a responsible task.

Video

It can probably be said with a great deal of truth that summer-autumn hunts, at least in the first half of the season, birds pass under the sign, but the shooting of animals at this time is limited. Until October list animal hunts and the truth is not great: a bear and a wild boar in the fields from ambushes, and a deer and an elk - that’s probably all. In this review we will look at one of the most exciting types of moose hunting - roaring during the rut. You will learn when the elk rut begins, what its timing is, how to choose a weapon and shooting position, and what are the characteristics of the behavior of old and young bulls during this period. You can also watch a video with a master class on how to attract a bull elk.

When does the elk rut begin?

For all deer living in our country, the mating season occurs in the second half of the year. The rut of roe deer begins earlier than everyone else - from the end of July to the end of August; The musk deer are the last to “chase” - from late November to mid-December. By time moose rut and red deer, including red deer and wapiti, are approximately the same, the first signs appear at the end of August, and everything ends by mid-October.

The almost two-month extension of the rut applies to populations of these animals as a whole, because animals living in the southern parts of the range begin earlier, and in regions with a harsh climate - about two weeks later. For the middle zone (in the latitudinal dimension), the most active part of the rut occurs in mid-late September.

Bulls during the rut

It must be said that literature (I don’t mean scientific) and fine art have always paid much more attention to the red deer than to the elk. And this is true: a slender, handsome man in a challenging pose, with an elongated powerful neck, an elegant head, decorated with horns of extraordinary beauty thrown back, is much more suitable for the role of a model than a powerful one with a heavy hook-nosed head, horns of not always a certain shape, clumsy at first glance elk figure. Nevertheless, hunting for elk during the rut - “to roar”, or, as they also say, “to groan” - is unlikely to be inferior in emotionality to that of deer. Moreover, at this time an elk can pose a very real danger to the hunter.

Adult, sexually mature bulls strive to find a mate even before the start of the physiological rut, and until the end of the moose cow's estrus, they are together. Then a moment comes when she rejects the “advances” of her boyfriend, and he can go in search of a new girlfriend. Unlike red deer, bull elk do not create “harems,” and the presence of several females with one bull is unusual, although such facts have been noted.

Purely externally, a bull’s readiness for the rut can be determined by its horns. If they have already been cleared of the skin and fur and acquired a normal “bone” appearance, then his body has already begun or is about to begin producing sex hormones. However, the bull becomes fully ready for mating only when the moose cows come into heat. The secretion secreted by their genitals falls onto the soil with urine; the bull finds this place by smell and becomes excited. He breaks branches, sometimes the tops of young trees, rakes and beats the grass to the ground with his hooves, especially where the moose cow has urinated. Such places are called “points”, and they can be up to two meters in diameter. At the same time, the body activates physiological processes, making him ready to mate. Not only the behavior, but also the appearance of the male changes contrary to the usual. The eyes become bloodshot, the neck becomes thicker, and it seems that the entire front part of the body is increasing in size. It emits a sharp, specific smell that is difficult to describe, but the smell of a mighty beast is unmistakably discernible in it, and a feeling of danger involuntarily appears.

Throughout the entire rut, the bull gives voice. The sound it makes is not at all like the roar of a red deer. This is something between a grunt and an exhalation of relief with a voice. This sound is most accurately characterized by the name that our ancestors gave it - “moan”. It is much weaker in strength than the roar of a deer and is rarely heard from a distance of more than a kilometer, although the ability to hear it is greatly influenced by the terrain, density of plantings, and extraneous sounds (wind, sound of water, etc.). The greatest activity in vocalization is observed at dawn and in the evening closer to sunset; Hearing a moose during the day is a rarity.

For mating games, moose choose a variety of places. This is largely determined by the terrain and the nature of forest plantations. IN northern regions In the European part of Russia, they prefer to “moan” along dry manes and edges of moss swamps, in dense young growths of old clearings, along overgrown forest hayfields, as well as in the floodplains of forest streams and rivers. In the mountainous regions of Siberia and the Urals, where the permanent habitats of moose are limited to river floodplains and intermountain valleys, breeding areas gravitate towards river banks. The same can be said about the plateaus of Central Siberia and Transbaikalia. In places almost never visited by people, where there is no need to constantly hide in the thickets, elk are especially fond of the wide pebble beds of small rivers with forest islands, which in September literally exude the “rutting elk spirit,” making a person who suddenly finds himself there not for hunting reasons feel feeling very uncomfortable.

Subtleties of hunting "by roar"

By tracks, “dots”, broken branches and trees, by the voice given and the smell, you need to find the place where the animals are “chasing”, i.e. where the bull feels like the master of both this place and the female who is with him. Raising his voice from time to time, he warns possible rivals that everything is busy here and he will not allow the presence of a stranger. The hunter’s task is to imitate the “moan” of the alien, to irritate the owner bull, make him believe in the appearance of a competitor and lure him to a clear place for a shot.

Not all bulls have girlfriends at the beginning of the mating season, and these bachelors are constantly in search, wander widely - you can meet them in different places. They also raise their voices, trying to find out where the “lucky guy” is in order to try to take away the female from him, or whether there is a free cow nearby. Such animals boldly follow the voice of a “cabber” - a hunter imitating the “moan” of a bull. Luring a bull is not limited to just giving a voice, but is accompanied from time to time by the cracking of broken branches and the tapping of a stick on a stick or tree, which should be perceived as the knocking of the horns of an excited bull on trees. In general, the “moan” is formed by the whole complex of sounds that the elk produces.

Now more and more often roar hunting is of a trophy nature. Animals in their prime have well-developed horns, i.e. at the age of 6-12 years. An experienced “cabbler” can distinguish an old animal from a young one by its voice and, based on this, build a hunt. Of course, it is best to start luring a specific elk, which is known from pre-hunting reconnaissance. If the hunt begins with a search, then when you hear a “moaning” bull, try to get an idea of the age of the animal. When a mighty animal gives a voice, there is a greater chance that he will accept the challenge and go to drive away the bull, which, based on his voice, seems weaker than himself. A medium-sized elk is unlikely to rush at a potential rival if you imagine him in the voice of an old animal; rather, he will try to quietly leave and take the female away. When trying to lure a bull away from a female, you need to be patient, because he is reluctant to leave her, preferring to call roll at a distance. It can be easier to lure a wandering loner.

It happens that with one cow there are two, and sometimes three bulls. Or rather, next to her is one of the strongest, who does not let anyone near her, and the rest are nearby, but at a safe distance. In this case, the hunter is often not able to main contender, and of those nearby, it is clearly inferior to the owner in size and strength. Therefore, when beckoning an elk, you need to try to determine by the response voice whether the hunter is dealing with one or several males, and depending on this, decide whether to shoot at the first animal that appears or try to take the best trophy. It often happens that a large bull cannot be lured away from a female, especially if there are other males nearby, and then you have to change the hunting location and look for another suitable one.

Many people believe that during the rut the aggressiveness of bulls prevails over caution, but it seems to me that this is not so. Sometimes you hear stories about how someone walks through the forest without hiding, with a bang, and suddenly an elk flies out and, seeing a person, does not run away, but demonstrates its aggressiveness. Rather, this can be explained by the fact that a man noisily walking through the forest sets the elk up against an approaching rival, who in nature behaves noisily, showing his strength and confidence. Try not to attract, but to hide the “moaning” animal, and you will immediately feel how wary he and the female are to the slight noise made by the hunter when approaching. Moose, as a rule, react to quiet sounds that are incomprehensible to them by leaving the place. We must not forget that during the rut, moose are hunted not only by people, but also by bears, encounters with which do not bode well for them. It’s probably worth reminding that neither the “cabbler” nor the shooter should make any other noise other than the simulating action of a bull.

Weapon and shooting position

When choosing a position for luring a bull and shooting, you must remember that the animal must pass through at least a relatively clean place in order to be able to target the slaughter area. As in any other case, you cannot shoot through thickets (branches, bushes, grass, etc.).

From rifled - better than 9 mm caliber. These can be carbines chambered for 9.3x62, 9.3x64, 9.3x57 foreign-made, 9.3x64 and 9x54R domestic. A combined weapon is preferably with a rifled barrel chambered for the 9.3x74R cartridge or the above-mentioned domestic cartridges. Smoothbore weapons It is better to use 12 gauge with cartridges loaded with heavy Brenneke bullets. All the cartridges that have been mentioned have sufficient killing and stopping power for such an animal as a bull elk during the rut, and I took the liberty of recommending them for the following reasons. Firstly, by the time of the rut, elk reach their highest fatness, and among bulls actively participating in the rut, specimens over 400 kg live weight are not uncommon; secondly, the cartridge must provide a reliable kill, because the hunt takes place during the snowless period, and it is possible to catch a wounded animal without dogs in autumn forest, and often at dusk, is not an easy task at all; thirdly, by the time of the rut, animals become especially strong against wounds, since all the body’s reserves are mobilized to continue the race. It is advisable to equip the weapon with an optical sight, because you often have to shoot in low light, although the shooting distance rarely exceeds 60-70 meters.

Alexey Sibirsky

Video: Master class “How to lure a moose correctly”

Video: Bull elk during the rut - hunting "by roar":

Hunting elk is a popular activity in this type of male hobby. To be sure to track the animal, experienced hunters use a special moose decoy.

This device can be purchased ready-made or made with your own hands. Decoys perfectly copy the sound of a male or female, thanks to which the animal comes to the place the person needs.

Features of hunting elk with decoy

Elks make a lot of sounds during the rut - during the period when their mating games begin. At other times, the elk almost does not use its voice, so it is even developed, or “to moan.” This tactic got its name due to the peculiarities of sounds during the rut. The male's cry resembles a pestering roar. After the end of the rut, the most that can be heard from the animal is a snort. The roar of the elk can be downloaded as an audio file or listened to on video.

Hunting is carried out with a huntsman, a group of hunters, or less often alone. First, the location of the rut is identified based on the following characteristics:

broken branches, trees;
potholes, holes;
strong smell of urine;
fresh litter;
audible animal sounds.

You should choose a clear, quiet day, good weather without rain. Having heard the animal, the hunter begins to roar using a decoy, which is also called “waba”. If the elk does not respond to the sound signal, you can imitate the presence of an opponent - crunch branches, hit trees with a stick. During the rut, moose are not as careful as usual, so they quickly come to the sound of a decoy.

Important: the animal must be lured closer so that the shot is successful and you can aim well. One hunter hits, the second shoots. Experienced hunters determine the age of an animal by its voice; elk that are too young are usually not touched. If unsuccessful, change location or continue to wait.

Moose hunting dates

The period when hunting for adult males is permitted is limited to 01.09-30.09. Further, all age and sex groups are allowed to hunt from 01.10 to 15.01. For trophy hunting, the initial days of the rut are usually used - usually 10 days. It is at the beginning of the rut that the largest elk roars, whose antlers are a valuable trophy. Afterwards, the animals actively compete, fight, and the horns lose their beauty.

It is better to go hunting early in the morning, at dawn. During this period, the animal is most strongly attracted to the opposite sex; it searches for a female and roars. It is easier to track a wounded animal during the day, but at night it is difficult to do.

Types of decoys

The use of decoys is very popular. They are technical devices used to attract animals. A homemade decoy works just as well, greatly increasing the hunter’s chances. Experienced specialists can lure an animal even without a decoy, using the palm of their hand and their own voice to attract the elk.

Wind decoys

Typically, a wind decoy is used on elk and roe deer; it reproduces the cry of a male, emitted to attract females. There are also decoys that imitate the sounds of females and moose calves; they even sell sets or devices with different capabilities. More expensive devices additionally create the sounds of breaking branches.

Using semolina is not difficult. You need to blow into the mouthpiece, although you can use the device without a mouthpiece, placing your lips on the device. You can change the sounds by moving the holes, as indicated in the instructions - this will strengthen, weaken, lower or raise the sound. Some decoys have the function of being screwed to an amplifier (horn), which allows you to make louder sounds.

Electronic decoys

Electronic (electric) decoy - more modern device. There is no need to blow into it; the necessary sounds are already recorded inside the device’s memory. Usually the recording includes a certain set: the voices of females, males, moose calves, a cry for help, sounds of fights, mating. The buttons are responsible for individual sounds, so using decoys is easy.

The equipment runs on batteries and rechargeable batteries, allowing you to adjust the volume over a wide range. Some devices may be able to download additional sounds. You can make a request on the Internet, find recordings in mp3 or other suitable format, download for free and use as needed.

Important: before hunting, you should carefully listen to all sounds. Low quality products may produce false voices that the animal will not listen to. Even in the store, professionals will distinguish a fake from a good product based on sound quality.

Popular models from the list, highly rated by hunters:

Cass Creek (elk and deer). The device produces clear, high-quality sound. It allows you to create animal voices that vary in behavior. In an elk it is a male’s call, aggression, mooing, a fight, a female during mating, in a deer it is a moo, an inviting moo, a fight, a lost fawn, an aggressive male. The package does not include a speaker; it must be purchased separately.
Buck Expert. Reproduces various sounds of the elk family - bull, cow, calf. The decoy is lightweight, easy to wear and use. The sounds are very authentic.

DIY decoy

You can make a decoy yourself. Production is possible from a can or birch bark. Method for creating semolina from birch bark:

Take a piece of birch bark 2 mm thick, smooth, without knots.
Helically cut the birch bark to form a spiral.
Straighten the tape, cut a strip (wide end - about 17 cm, narrow end - 10 cm).
Cut another piece 12 cm wide and make 3 rectangular holes on one side.
On the second side of the piece, make 3 triangles so that they fit exactly into the holes when folded.

The second tube after folding will need to be used as a cuff for the wide end of the decoy. The decoy itself needs to be folded with the white side inward, the protruding corners cut off, and a cuff placed on the wide end. Cover the entire structure with tape or tape. When blowing air, you can adjust the sound volume by moving the pipe apart and moving.

The decoy can also be made from a tin of coffee or baby formula, but the shape should be like a truncated cone (the diameter of the top is smaller than the diameter of the bottom). You also need to take a 60 cm long clothesline, electrical tape or a piece of leather. The diameter of the jar opening should be slightly smaller than the diameter of the bottom. The smaller the jar, the lower and louder the moose roar will be. A hole is made in the middle of the bottom according to the thickness of the cord, the latter is inserted into the hole, and a knot is tied on the outside. The top of the waba is wrapped with electrical tape or leather to make the sound more realistic. The inner contents of the jar are loose moss, it is applied before use.

Using such a device is easy. The cord is soaked in water, pinched with your fingers, passed from top to bottom, while holding the can by the base, without touching the walls. As a result, a sound resembling a moose is heard. It’s worth practicing at home so that you don’t misfire on the spot.

More detailed instructions For making homemade semolina, watch the video:

Moose sounds

The roar of an elk resembles the sounds “ua”, “oo”, and in young animals - “oe”. In some moose it sounds like an okaniye, in older elk it sounds more dull.

Moose roar

The sounds of an animal when roaring are produced from the very depths of the larynx. Males publish them in the morning, as well as at sunset, sometimes all night. The sound is deep, reminiscent of a groan, and at the same time as if vibrating, rattling.

Sound of a male

The roar of females and males varies greatly in timbre. The male calls briefly, moaning and grumbling. By the end of the rutting season, the sounds may change to a plaintive whistling sound.

Sound of a moose

Moose cows, when calling males, make drawn-out sounds; the rest of the time during the rutting period they make weak, light cries. When covered by a male, the elk makes a short neigh. Hearing the male's voice, the female begins to snort in response.

Sounds of a roaring moose in the forest

When a male is looking for a female, he is very dangerous. In some cases, his roar resembles that of a bear and is quite scary. As the rut subsides, the sounds become more dull - mooing, croaking.

How to lure and drive an elk

There are certain tactics for luring elk. They begin to use the waba after the sounds of the animal itself are heard. You can use the roar of an opponent, a cry for help, the sound of a female, observing the measure. If the screams are too frequent, the elk may suspect falsehood and not approach.

Typically, the technique for using semolina is as follows:

first they use the voice of a young female - e-ee-o-a-a-h, i-i-e-e-e-h, repeating the sound every 5 minutes, then after a minute, increasing the volume;
if there is no result, the male’s voice is heard - oo-oo-x with approximately the same frequency;
you can supplement the luring with “croaking” - oh-oh-oh-oh;
if there is no answer, you should play the sound of branches breaking or beat the tree with a stick.

The lack of effect can be observed if dogs or other hunters have driven the elk out of their rutting zone, as well as in the presence of a young male who is afraid of rivals and several females. In this case, you need to change the area and repeat all the steps - then success is more likely.

Moose hunting is not particularly difficult if you follow certain rules and use necessary tools luring animals. The choice of decoys and wabs should be approached with special care, since the success of the entire business depends on these devices.