Moose hunting in Canada

Moose, just as ice hockey and the maple leaf, is one of the symbols of Canada. All the four kinds of moose recognized by the trophy record books - Shiras, Eastern, Western, and Alaska-Yukon, can be found in the boreal forests of Canada. For Canadians, a moose hunt is typically a meat hunt. For non-residents, it is an adventure, usually involving a journey into true wilderness by a float plane or boat. Moose tend to take to river beds, where they can feed on willows and water plants. October to November, the time of the rut, where bull moose challenge each other for dominance and cows, is the prime time for moose hunting. A picture of an enormous animal, crazed and fired up with hormones and very dangerous, is thrashing the bushes within archery range, will never vanish from your memory. However, good outfitters can arrange a good hunt also before, and especially post-rut, when the trees are bare and the beast can be spotted from a long distance, and then stalked. Most provinces have requirements for non-resident hunters to be accompanied by registered guides, and have quotas for outfitters so that they can supply their hunters with OTC tags.