I returned from a very very cold Varmland on Sunday.

The hunting team was very very friendly indeed. I was very lucky with the stands that I drew but some mishaps from the neighbouring team etc meant that the first two days were a little slow.

Thursday dawned cold and overcast, everyone seemed serious. I drew peg 15 which got some knowing grins - it was 'sharp'! We were walking to our stand in the half light. Everyone was quiet as the area generaly held bull moose close to the stands. I got to the stand, 60m from the border, loaded my rifle put on every shred of clothing I had and settled down to wait. It started to snow. I was on a small knoll overlooking a flat area with stunted pine to the right that funelled past me. To the left was a little valley with a big rock ridge. Visibility was bad due to the trees.

After an hour Hoss the dog was heard, I stood up slowly for better vision. The dog seemed to be coming my way, he didn't press alg hard so the moment of truth might be at hand!

At the very end of the clearing a huge black shape eased into view and headed off left. Bugger, the left side with poor visibility. I moved a couple of metres to the left and saw him climb the rock ridge heading away. He was moving very slowly and stopping to listen and scent. I kept track of him but could not shoot due the vegetation and he moved off to my neighbour. The radio in my ear was filled with Swedish and I caught the word cow. My neighbour was upwind of the bull and talking, if I was a moose as cautious as this I would come back my way and into the valley. I tiptoed back and went a couple of metres left to see where the valley met the bog and there he was huge black, 60m away testing the air and listening before crossing the open ground. Facing mostly away presenting me the 0% shot on the algklocken due to the gut bag. I waited and waited for an age, then he turned broadside and as I was about to fire started walking. I followed on the shoulder and as I fired recorded the large pine tree that magicaly interposed!

Oh nooooo. The bull keeps on walking and I'm sure I've wounded him as it's not a large tree and it's not close to him. I am presented with the 0% shot again but this is different and I have 9.3 and Oryx which with luck will penetrate the gut bag to the vitals. I fire and the bull keeps on walking to the border. He turns more broadside and in short order I shoot him twice aiming for the opposite shoulder. He is now 10m or so from the border, I have broken the opposite shoulder and he is bleeding from the nose. Still he walks on.

I move 5m left reloading with one as I go, draw a perfect bead on his broadside shoulder and at the shot he staggers and falls.

I tell the leader. The dog comes up and I and the handler go forward. I have a good 7 pointer which is 2m from the path which is the border. I just cannot believe the size of him. I clean the carcass and am releived that none of the gut bag has leaked from the 2 small holes in it.

Lots of congratulations and hugs from all. I suffer terrible embarrasment feeling the fusilade of shots (5 in all) is the mark of a rank amateur but everyone sees where he landed up and damage is limited to the off shoulder. Besides I haven't wounded it and it's in our meatsafe and not the neighbouring teams

I recovered none of the bullets (232gr oryx) The initial pine tree bullet smashed some ribs just below the backstraps and all the other bullets were on target.

The rest of the week goes quickly, I nearly shoot a calf when I am walking with the dog handler and see another 7 moose. Meat processing day passes in a wirl of cutting, grinding and homebrew!

I stagger home with 25kg of steaks having sold 20kg to finance the taxidermy of the head.

Great trip. I'll post some photos when they're developed.

Congratulations 1894

Nice to hear that foreign hunters have good luck when they come to Sweden and hunt. If you have some pictures it would be nice to see them.

Great story! Love to read things like that. And it's always interesting to hear foreigners views of hunting in Sweden.

Yes, I registered to write this...

I must say welcome to a fellow countrymen, specially since we seems to share the same surname. I think you will find a lot of interesting topics here on Accurate Reloading.

Ha en bra dag

Christer Hansson

Congratulations on a sucessful hunt!
I can't wait to see the pictures!

Congratulations Adam! Send more details to Texas when you get a chance.

Congrats! and a great story to boot!

Congratulations to your bull and thanks for your nice story!
When you are so close to the border, no one will say a word about and extra bullet or two even if the animal already is deadly wounded.

Ah, Mr. Hansson! Very welcome!

I needed 5 shots for my first moose too. I miscalculated the distance grossly and took a shot I should not have taken, really.

The hunt leader strode towards me, and I was thinking about the reprisals I was about to get, and he slapped my back saying "Ah, five shots! I just love to hear the sound of gunshots!".

Regards,
/HerrBerg

1904--that's great---how many ALG did your group shoot??,,,,chris

Congratulations....!!

I didn�t succede this year.... unfortunately.
Due to lots of work, I had only five days off for hunting moose up north in Norway.
My team had one bull and two calfs left of the quota when I arrived in camp.

The first morning I was on the pass at a clearcut, and a nice bull was slowly moving in on me and my 35 Whelen.

Then the message came on the walkie talkie in my ear that another hunter had a big bull down, and "my" bull could continue his peacefull breakfast ..

We had a bear roaming within our borders, and this made the cows and calfs to pull over to the neighbouring terrains.

But we had terrific weather, lots of good camp stories, a big bull to slaughter and take care of.

Arlid: When you mention a bear, I'm assuming that it would be a European Brown bear, or actually the same species as the North American grizzly or Alaskan Kodiak, or a subspecies thereof.

What is the size and temperament of these bears and are they hunted in Norway?

1894,

Sounds like you had a great time!

What would have happened in the moose had died the other side of the border???

Pete

Congratulations & a interesting read too.

Stonecreek.
Yes, the bear in question is the European brown bear. It�s not hunted in Norway unless raiding livestock, than the Dept. issue a licence for local hunters to dispatch it.
In Sweden and Finland the bear population are bigger and the bear is hunted in some areas.

The bear is usually wery shy and avoid humans.
But a sow with cubs can be unpredictable and there are reported killings of humans. The last one was a jogger in Finland a couple of years ago if I recall correctly, who came between the sow an her cub and was mauled.

Our terrain borders the Bj�rgefjell National Park, a beautifull motainous area stretching in to the Swedish border.
The area have a small bear population, and also Swedish bears are crossing the borders frequently.
You can recognice them on the blue and yellow tuft of hear between their back legs

The size is a bit larger than your blackies, but smaller than the inland grizzly.

1894,
Congratulations on a great hunt!
montero

Photos at Boots being developed, now I need to access the scanner somehow.

Pete E,

My Jagarforebundet friend said that the law is that the team whose land the moose falls on can take or refuse the moose for themselves. Generaly the trophy would be offered back to the hunter who shot it.

1894,

I had visions of you starting an international incident!

In town, we have a couple places that do buisness services. access to email and the net, photocoping, mail boxes ect. I am sure one of those would scan the pics for you.

I would be happy to scan them, it depends if trust the Post Office to get them to me and then back again safely! :-)

regards,

Pete

Sounds like you had a good trip!

Congratulations with your (first??) moose.
I hunt in V�rmland myself. T�nnet, Eksh�rad.
Where did your hunt take place?.

K&B

Niels