Moose hunting with a dog

Moose hunting with a dog, especially a standing dog, has many similarities with hunting with a barking bird dog. The difference is that everything is a little bigger and a little longer.

Further searches, longer persecutions and larger animals. The fact that we are hunting large animals also means that you have to wait a little longer with the actual chasing so that the dog has time to grow strong even in the head. Because even if the body and the desire to hunt are there early, the mental part may not be as mature and developed.

The risk of something going wrong is too great, at least in our eyes. This does not mean that you have to wait to give the dog a forest habit, rather the opposite, just that a little ice in the stomach is good even if you want to get started quickly with your new hunting buddy.

From zero to one hundred

All our spitz dogs are genetically programmed to work independently and sometimes far from their handler. A typical day therefore goes from zero to a hundred and sometimes six times over. It places demands on the equipment you are wearing. Hunting is and has become more and more of a gadget sport and who can say that it is not fun with new gadgets. Over time, you also start to make quite a few demands on the clothes you use, they must meet a lot of criteria that we set. Hunting with a dog often means that you move a lot, often in tough terrain. Moose hunting with a dog requires a lot of your clothes.

Quiet clothes

From previously using garments with different membranes, we have in recent years chosen to almost completely opt out of the membrane clothing for garments that are quiet, breathable and warm even though it is wet. A material that is fantastic in all these respects is wool, both as a base, intermediate and outer layer, the new modern calfskin clothes are perfect for the purpose. The benefits are many, but the silence in the material when you sneak up on the skull and the ability to warm is a big plus when the moose chooses to flee and you just have to sit down on a stump and wait again. If it's half a storm and the rain is pouring down, the membrane trousers are still on, but we often choose a light rain jacket that is easy to stow away if the weather turns. As an intermediate layer, it is still a shirt that applies because it is so easy to unbutton and roll up or down sleeves if needed.

  

 What gadgets do you then need to bring with you when you hunt moose with a dog? 

During the hunt itself, not very much. As I said, the clothes are most important for the hunting day to be as comfortable as possible. In addition, there are always at least two knives. One to take care of the animal after a successful hunt and one to be able to cut the dry meat with when hunger sets in, water bottle or small thermos, an extra leash (to be able to tie up a leg or connect an extra dog that suddenly appears at felled elk), beacon, matches, compass, map and a first bandage for both man and dog as well as a small piece of cut tape. Always trying to have only the most important things during moose hunting with a dog. All other good things to have can be left in the car or hunting lodge in a bag to be easily accessible and easily clear when needed, such as. search equipment, change of clothes, weapon care kit, etc.

When we go as a dog handler or wanted hunter, agility is a key word, therefore we have chosen to have weapons with as short barrels as possible and to be able to use silencers without the weapon feeling long and awkward.

 Good luck! 

  

/ Micke and Lisa from Urskogens