# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Hunting & Trapping >  Moose Hunting Questions

## Jericho117

Me and a friend of mine were debating on what specific draw weight would be needed to take down a bull Moose (one of those big guys, 8 feet tall just at the shoulder). Considering my bows are handmade self-bows (48-54 inch bows) pulling 50-60 pounds shooting short 24 inch Dogwood shafts with flint heads, I was made to believe a bow like this at close range (15-20 yards) would be enough to put an arrow deep into the vitals. My question is weather or not I am wrong or right.

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## klkak

I've never seen or heard of a moose that stands 8 feet at the shoulder.

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## wareagle69

on a moose that big 10 pounds will be great, although word of warning if his name is norm ya just might pizz him off i would suggest running shoes instead of hiking boots

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## RBB

I don't know about about a bow, but moose are not terribly hard to knock down with a good shoulder shot.  My grandfather never used anything but a .30-30.  To quote him, "Moose can't run on three legs (unlike a deer)."

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## chiye tanka

Moose hide's pretty tough stuff, once you penatrate it, it's the same as any other animal only BIGGER. I'd find a heavy duty medium to test your arrows on. If all goes well, 60lbs. should be good.
Just my 2 cents.

As a side note: NH Fish & Game recomends nothing smaller then a .308 for hunting moose.

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## Alaskan Survivalist

> I don't know about about a bow, but moose are not terribly hard to knock down with a good shoulder shot.  My grandfather never used anything but a .30-30.  To quote him, "Moose can't run on three legs (unlike a deer)."


I know for a fact that they can run on three legs. I saw one with a broken leg floping and swinging around as it crossed the road.

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## Camp10

> I know for a fact that they can run on three legs. I saw one with a broken leg floping and swinging around as it crossed the road.


Yeah, we had one up at camp up until a few years ago that only had 3 legs.  It must have lost it young but she did just fine. They do seem to give up easier than a deer though.  I doubt I would go after them with a 30-30...every step they take away from you is adding to the work of getting them out of the woods.  I prefer to use a .270 or larger and pile them where they are hit.

That said, I would like the challenge of knocking one down with my bow one day.

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## red lake

Guys here bow hunt moose all the time. I can ask what draw weight they use. 

The .30-30 is used by more than just a few as well. Good shot placement will out weigh calibre size when it come to the ability to take them down quickly.

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## Sourdough

As a side note: If you wonder what a "Harvested" large bull moose looks like as you walk up to it to start butuchering.......? Just close your eyes and envision a Chevy Suburban "Brown" rolled over in the ditch. As I often say, "Thank God that they do not have claws, or there would be no bears".

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## trax

Well I'm wondering about how that fella knows how tall of a moose he's gonna knock down before he's laid eyes on it. "Nope, move along big fella, you're no more than 7'4" at the shoulder"

I don't think I've ever seen a moose that tall either, btw, but I've used .30-30's plenty of times and yes, they do kill moose and caribou and whitetail. I still use them too.My experience with bowhunting isn't even worth typing about. I know an old Indian lady who used a .22 and dropped a bull moose, but she put the bullet right in his ear. I don't think that's something I'd be anxious to try and certainly don't recommend since it's illegal as he!! in Manitoba.

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## lucznik

It's not really an issue about draw weight at all.  It's all about putting a razor-sharp broadhead where it belongs - in the vitals.  Accomplish this and even an ultralight 40# bow will kill a moose stone dead.  

You do need to make sure your bow is meeting *legal* minimums for draw weight.  Where I live, that would mean 50#.  

Heavy weight bows are for ignorant men wanting to stroke their own egos about how powerful they are.

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## red lake

> Heavy weight bows are for ignorant men wanting to stroke their own egos about how powerful they are.


I thought that's what sports cars are for.

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## FVR

I must disagree with the ego quote on heavy bows.

I shoot a 65lb bow, because I can.  Shot a 75lb bow for awhile and realized that the extra 10lbs did nothing.

Shot a 50lb bow awhile back, just to light, not comfortable, felt like I could hold it back all day, kind of like a compound.

Been shooting 65lbs for close to 10 years.  I figure if it was a good weight for Fred Bear, it's a good weight for FVR.

Now oneday, when I get dirt old I may have to drop a pound or two, but that will be okay because I will be getting old.


I don't pass judgement on those who shoot them 40lb................................Girly bows.

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## canid

i would say that for hunting medium to large game, you should shoot the heaviest [and most efficient] bow you comfortably, controllably and reliably can. i only recommend not shooting a bow that is too heavy to shoot to the peak of your skill. it's a double-edged issue.

calling those of us who shoot a bow heavy enough to afford a fair shooting range, and allow the use of a more massive arrow ignorant or egotistical is a clear demonstration that either you don't understand the physics of ballistics, or you weren't thinking about it when you made the statement.

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## lucznik

You guy's are way too sensitive... Which suggests I've hit too near the mark for your personal comfort.

If you want to shoot a heavy bow, go for it.  You don't need a reason.  If you just like it, that's good enough.  Just don't delude yourself (or others) into believing it offers any actual and/or meaningful advantage.  What heavy bows absolutely will do is tear up your shoulders making it difficult to impossible for you to bowhunt at all.

Some will certainly disagree with me and that is their perogative. Nevertheless, I stand by the opinion I've posted. YMMV.

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## canid

if you say so champ.

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## FVR

We have another expert on board.

Okay.

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## postman

I hunt moose with a 60lb recurve. I took a bull last year at about 25 yards, complete pass through. Was using 31" homemade oak shafts, with Canada Goose fletching and 145 grain single bevel Grizzly Broadhead. This is a very heavy arrow, and the kinetic energy it carries through the target is unbelievable. I also took a doe with the same combo later in the fall from about 15 feet and the impact litterally knocked her over.

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## Beo

It all about shot placement, unless your shooting a girly azz 45lbs. bow. Really I'd go no less than 60lbs to hunt a Moose, but that's just me. I have a 70lbs PSE Compound bow and a 60lbs custom made long bow by Miami Valley Longbows, I shoot ceder arrows with 125 grain Zwickey Black Diamond Eskimo Broadheads, but thats just me. 
Beo,

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## crashdive123

> It all about shot placement, unless your shooting a girly azz 45lbs. bow. Really I'd go no less than 60lbs to hunt a Moose, but that's just me. I have a 70lbs PSE Compound bow and a 60lbs custom made long bow by Miami Valley Longbows, I shoot ceder arrows with 125 grain Zwickey Black Diamond Eskimo Broadheads, but thats just me. 
> Beo,


If I remember correctly Trooper was telling us about you sitting on an arrow way back when.  I'll bet those 125 grain Zwickey Black Deamond Eskimo Broadheads hurt, huh?

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## Rick

(snort, chuckle)

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## rwc1969

Just be ready for the moose to charge you after you let one fly.

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## Rick

Oh that is just too easy. I have to let that one go. (charge card). Nope, not gonna say.

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## rwc1969

What? is there prostitute mooses in canada? if so I better bring my milk crate as being 8 feet tall it'd be a real stretch.

BTW, There was a killer moose show on Discovery last night. The dude shot a bull with an arrow at close range and it immediately charged him... and died.

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## coyote hunter

I watched that too. The guy that was charged was Dwight Schuh one of the greatest bowhunters of our generation. Chuck Adams tells a story about Dwight having surgery on his shoulder. Dwight still wanted to go on his hunt so he learnned to shoot his bow with his mouth !

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## kyratshooter

We hunt all our moose around here with a .22.  Never fails to kill any moose we see.

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## Rick

You Ky boys. We use a fly swatter until they hollar uncle, throw a harness on 'em and lead 'em home.

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## kyratshooter

A few years back a friend of mine heard that KY WMA would pay the deductable if you hit an elk.  He hit one and totaled his truck.  Called the WMA to claim his money.

First thing they asked was "What kind of truck was it?"

He told them it was a Toyota.

They sent an agent out to write him a ticket for killing game with a sub-caliber vehicle.

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