It often seems to take a while for moose to realize they have expired but your only real worry is that he'll make for deep water. Big bull elk take a lot more killing and may teach you what real stamina is all about.
Elk, partly because of the unbelievably rough country we usually hunt them in. IMHO, they also take a lot more killing than a moose, but I've only shot one moose and my son has shot one, so my sample is fairly small on that side of the scale.- Sheister
Without a doubt... elk. I have seen shot or shot more elk myself that have taken more abuse then moose. Elk are incrediably strong and distant runners. Most of the moose I have personaly shot or personaly seen shot, havent travel far. An interesting aside is that I have often wondered how long a moose would stay on there feet after being shot? I dont know most of the ones I have so far experianced have been finished off, that just milled around after being shot. Statistic generalizations however, will tell you little about how your moose will react. I am sure there are some more experianced people that could answer this also. take care
Posts: 2045 | Location: West most midwestern town. | Registered: 13 June 2001
elk!!! i have only shot one moose and a half a dozen elk, so i am in no way an expert.But elk seem to be alot stronger and tougher. they just do not want to give up. i think its mainly the conditions that they live in, and the fact that they face alot more hunting pressure than do elk. at least here in idaho.
In my experience, Moose are kinda like bison. They can sometimes suck up enormous amounts of lead without flinching, only to fall over minutes later when they finally realize they are dead.
Elk are more likely to run after the shot, and can go a long ways with no lungs. Because of this I thing they seem more tenacious.
With a well placed shot, I don't think either is more difficult to kill than the other. They die in about the same amount of time, they just react differently on average. Neither will die quickly from a poorly placed shot, like sheep or deer might.
FWIW, Canuck
Posts: 7123 | Location: The Rock (southern V.I.) | Registered: 27 February 2001
I would say elk also,mainly from what i've heard from others about how tough elk can be.I've shot a lot of moose but only 6 elk,all of the elk went down right away but they were all hit well with a .338 so i've never had to deal with a wounded one but i believe what i hear about how tough they are.I have seen one very tough moose also,i hit him not too bad first thing in the morning and let him stiffen up for an hour then had to chase him all day and got him just before dark,he was one tough moose and loaded with adrenaline so there are exceptions to every rule.He was the biggest meanest ugliest moose i ever saw and had been fighting a lot,his shoulders and neck were full of holes and there were pockets of pus under the hide the size of a loaf of bread.Every other moose i've ever seen would have laid down within 50 yards when hit like he was.
I am NO moose hunter but can speak on elk. I have seen several bulls turn into "bullet sponges" soaking up all sorts of well placed shots before finally falling over. Those are not a problem. They take the first shot, then move little or not at all while you place more shots. Once shot a 5x5 with 300 Sierras from a .375 three times at 300 yds, ALL good double lung hits too. He stood for about two minutes as I shot him about every 30 seconds. !!!???? The real buggers(which in my experience seem to be older cows) are the ones that run immediately at the shot. Those are the ones that seem to defy explanation. Dead on their feet but you chase them a mile or so. Post mortem then reveals both lungs hit either high, or only one lung hit, etc. Generally with a heart/lung, or double lung shot they are down quickly.
Then again I once hit a gemsbok bull in RSA in both lungs with a 300 grain Swift from a .375 H&H and he went about 4 kilometers in the open before he dropped over! Though slowing as he went on. I hit him high, but both lungs were awash with blood. I have also seen zebra go amazing distances with seemingly deadly hits.
FN
[This message has been edited by Frank Nowakowski (edited 04-06-2002).]
Posts: 950 | Location: Cascade, Montana USA | Registered: 11 June 2000
I have shot both with the .300 Winchester, and both species have gone down in every case without fuss, and in short order.
Moose are easy to kill with well-placed shots.
Elk are much-overrated in terms of toughness and what is required to bring them down! Quite honestly, I think there's more bullshit written about the toughness of elk than any other animal, and after nearly thirty years of hunting these animals, I don't buy a whole lot of it...........
I have never hunted elk but have shot 11 moose.7 of them were bulls. I have never had one travel more than 50yds, I read a lotm of hunting magazines and here how moose are hard to put down. I don't think there that tough. Now some I have shot haven't been over 80yds but I did shoot one over 300 yds.He was standing ,quartering and I hit him in the lungs.He started to trot away and I hit him from behind. He stopped and I could see him kinda weaving but he wasn't on the ground yet so I shot again. Could hear the bullet hit but he was still standing. I shot again and he went down. I do beleive that if I hadn't shot after the first that he would have eventually dropped but when theres a swamp within 50 yds you don't take that chance.All the bullets had hit in the lungs except the one from behind. A picture of this bull is on Trophy photos .com under Don Johnson
[This message has been edited by RedFox (edited 04-06-2002).]
On average Moose are very hard to kill but they don't move a lot after being shot and they are slow and sluggish and only die when they decide to...
Elk on the other hand will die faster from a like placed shot but can put a lot or acreage between the hunter and himself before giving up the ghost....
I have shot moose and watched them graze for 5 minutes or more then topple over deader'n heck, with grass hanging out their mouth..
Red Fox -- I have shot several Bull Elk and one Alaskan Yukon Moose with the same .340 Wby. I got one shot kills on all the Elk except one and this particular Bull simply turned and presented his other shoulder to me and I hit him again in approx. the same spot, this time falling in his tracks. He was 250 yards away up a steap mountain. The bullet was a Barnes 225 gr. XLC and always did an excellent jot at 3150 fps. I shot the Moose with a 250 gr. Nosler Partition Gold at 175 yards with the bullet going approx. 2950 fps. He fell in his tracks, never to move again. The bullet lodged in his neck where it attachs to the shoulder. This is my experience with the same rifle after having shot Elk and Moose, for what it is worth. Good shooting.
Atkinson: The word "Moose" stands for the Algonquin word Moz, which means, "twig eater". If you watched a moose "graze" for 5 minutes after being shot, then fall dead with "grass sticking out of his mouth", then I suspect it was likely a domestic cow you shot, rather than a moose. Moose are more into deciduous twigs, water plants, and young tree tops. Just some observations from a Canadian moose hunter.....
CDW
[This message has been edited by Woodrow (edited 04-22-2002).]
Posts: 98 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 08 March 2002
Dang it all Pete! Them stories ain't for the internet! Besides, he wasn't "grazin'", he was "charging"!!!! Two more bounds and he'd a had us! Thought you were giving me a shout today with a number? I'll be home all week likely, so let me know what kind of number you're thinking for the Blackhawk rig. CDW
[This message has been edited by Woodrow (edited 04-22-2002).]
Posts: 98 | Location: British Columbia, Canada | Registered: 08 March 2002
twig eater?...caught one licking salt off my pickup last november...well..didn't catch him..i was busy moose hunting..just saw his lip prints..they were boone and crocket..talk about adding insult to injury..i think i'll kill him and eat him this year..
well in 34 elk and 6 moose the moose were the ones that just didnt fall down when shot they usually just stood there for a few minuets or walked away than fell down stone ass dead
Posts: 61 | Location: Missoula,Mt | Registered: 14 March 2002
