What a place, what a people. I've had a fantastic time.

On Saturday and Sunday I stayed with a Jagarforebundet host near Stockholm and hunted near Ostermalmo. We had a calf remaining and came near but on the 2 occasions that I was close (once 10m and once 30m) vegetation meant I only heard them and saw the tracks afterwards.

Then it was off to Varmland for (as my host put it) the proper way to hunt Alg. Tuesday it was stalking on foot and hoping that the dogs would bay. They did but the Alg would not stand - problems with wolves.

Wednesday I was given an enormous breakfast by my host and a huge packed lunch and told I was off with Gunnar who had the best dog and liked to walk/run a lot. He wasn't kidding! We ate lunch in the dark having got to within 50m of the baying after approx 12km of walking and running. Too thick cover to get visual and they broke 300m from where I was sent too. The dog barked from 9am - 6pm and was brought off by firing a few shots.

Thursday I saw so many tracks and beds it was incredible it seemed like all 12 Alg were in 200ha. The dogs bayed a couched bull which took straight off. This was apparently odd. My host found out that night that 2 wolves had been tracked 4km away which he though explained it. That night I told them all that I was still having the time of my life and please not to worry. I also told them of a saying we have in the UK 'if hunting was easy it would be called finding'

Friday I was with Gunnar the X country merchant again. The snow was now hard and noisy so he stood me first at the base of a tree and went off with the dog to drive and then collect me if it bayed.

I was in some open forest with a view of about 50m all around. I remember thinking that I had a view of 100m in a 500ha block. Gunnar came up on the radio after 30minutes saying there were fresh tracks and 15 seconds after that I heard a sound like my wifes horse trotting in the snow. I unslung my rifle and faced the noise. 60m off I saw a big shape that was trotting towards me 30m from my left. About 40m from my front it changed direction towards me and headed straight for me. I saw a smaller one behind it and shouldered my rifle. The cow obscured the calf so I made no attempt to stop them. At 20m heading straight for my tree the cow stopped, looked and wheeled off to the right and back exposing the calf which also stopped wheeled right and started off. I sighted made the nasal ummmh noise - it stopped for a moment and I shot it through the shoulder. It fell but raised it's head so I shot it through the neck.

I walked over and felt both elated and as sad as I've felt in a long time - despite the fact it was the size of a pony it did look very cute.

I duly received my sprig of foliage. Gunnar had rung my host within 5 seconds of the shot and they came out for photos and a congratulatory tea.

The rest of the day went in a blur of skinning, soup, congratulations etc.

I flew out on Saturday and should hear soon if my hosts putting me forward for a local club (�300 for a week and 40kg meat) has been successful.

The bullet was the least of it but on skinning the entry was centre shoulder angling to exit front of shoulder. Entry hole to the rib cage after the initial shoulder was about 1.5" by 1.5". Meat loss about 12oz

I met 9 hunters. 1 shot with 30-06, one a 7x57r drilling and one a 308. The remaining 6 used 6.5x55 mega or oryx. They were all far more interested in Alg or their dogs!

Many thanks for all your help - I am very impressed with hunting in Sweden. This lunch I'm off to the shops to get a couple of books to assist me in my attempt to get a hunters knowledge of Swedish - I will be back!

Sounds like you got to do some real moose hunting!

Sounds like you had a wonderful time. Although I have never hunted in Schweden, I have heard the hunting there is pretty fun. Have you had a chance to eat any of the meat yet? If so how was it?

How was the outside temp? If you could somehow post pictures of your hunt that would be wonderful...

1894,
Congrats! Some of those Swedish hunters have some long legs don't they? After the end of a couple of those days I felt like I had been running all day. So I know exactly what you mean! I have come to understand that given the density of the forest shots under 100 meters are the norm. Makes you wonder how the 6,5 x 55 got so popular. I hope to get back next year also.

Congratulations, 1894, it sounds like you had a memorable hunt.

I agree that the hunting is the main thing!

Glad you had a good time.

Don

Congratulations!

For you all of you who are interested in the swedish way of hunting, Svenska J�garef�rbundet has some texts in english written for foreign hunters on their homepage.

The adress is:

http://www.jagareforbundet.se/englishhuntinginsweden/default.asp

Happy hunting everybody!

/M

1894,

congrats to your successful moose hunt in Sweden!

Fritz

Hey, that sounds like one heck of a good time. In 2000 I went bear hunting in MB and the rest of the camp was a group of guys from Sweden, they told me about the abundance of moose there. They also called them elk. So it was a little confusing at first as to what animal they were actually talking about! But it sounds like a National past time there! Thanks for sharing your hunt.

------------------
~Ann

Every day spent outdoors is the best day of my life.

1984.

It seemes like youhad a good time i Sweden

Glad to hear that you got the chanse to shoot a moose. I know how hard it is to be a host and set up a guest to shoot a moose in a couple of days only. The situation with noisy snow and wolfes around even make's it harder.....

Tombo21.

I feel bad about not contacting you during your stay in the Umea area...... To be honest I was in a big mess the week you visited Sweden. I had a few friends staying and hunting for moose as well and I tryed to arrange for the permits to get me and my guns down to N.Z and Austarlia.

I hope you had a god time and hope to see you next year if you are going back!

I'm still "down under" and will be going home day after tomorrow. I have had a really good time here in N.Z and Australia. Hunting most things from rabbits up to sambar deer.

I'm in Brisbane at the moment and the temperature is well ower 30 c. Coming home is going to be a big contrast

Stefan