The moose rut takes place a little earlier than that of the deer - at the end of August - September, occasionally at the beginning of October, and is not so noisy and bright. Their roar is a relatively quiet, hoarse sound, similar to mooing, which can only be heard close up. If deer are well-defined polygamists (polygamists), then moose are monogamous.

With a more or less equal sex ratio, the male spends the entire rutting period with one female. If there are more females in the population, which is usually observed in our areas as a result of disproportionate shooting, the male can successively replace several elk cows during the rut. In all cases, the male looks after the female attentively, politely, patiently and unobtrusively, waiting for her to show favor, disposition and allow him to approach. Ussuri elk. Rice. SOUTH. Makarova

If there are fewer females than males in the area, fights may occur between them. They can be more cruel than between deer, there are known cases deaths for one of the opponents. During the rutting period, males are excited, aggressive, and the sense of fear of humans is dulled.

In places where moose often meet people and therefore have little fear of them, individual animals during the rut can be dangerous. The literature describes cases when they rushed at people and chased them. Elk is a typical forest animal. However, in last years on the outskirts of its range, it began to penetrate the tundra and steppe. In the region we are considering, it inhabits Mountain Altai and all forest lands Altai Territory. On the plain, it often lives far from large forests, but in such cases it stays near small forests or thickets of bushes. In completely treeless areas you can only meet it during transitions.

It is believed that the elk, unlike the deer, does not like rough terrain and avoids it. There is less of it in mountain forests than in lowland forests, and in the mountains it is more often found in more level areas, usually near lakes and swamps. Our observations show that moose often live in very rocky places... sometimes in rocky areas so difficult for moose that they had to run away from humans... by walking.

You can’t run: you could break your legs - an elk is still not a mountain goat. In a calm environment, when it is not disturbed by hunters or predators, the elk leads a sedentary, measured lifestyle. It will feed for 2-3 hours, lie down for about the same amount of time, graze again and lie down again. If there is enough food and no one frightens the animal, it can live for half a month on an area of ​​2-3 hectares, and on 1-2 square meters. km - up to 1.5-2 months. In such conditions, the length of his daily march in summer is no more than one, in winter - 2-4 km.

Naturally, during the rutting season, migrations, and when pursued by hunters or predators, the activity of animals increases significantly and a day's journey can reach 20-30 km.

First, let’s define what “roar hunting” means. In fact, it would be correct to call it not “on the roar”, but “on the rut,” since the elk does not roar, but makes moaning sounds during the rut, attracting the female. During the mating season, deer roar, the sounds of which can be heard at a great distance. Among hunters, these definitions were mixed and, in the overwhelming majority, they began to call moose hunting “on the roar.”

The moose rut usually takes place in September, but depending on weather conditions may move to the month of October. Perhaps the start of the rut has shifted to the second half of September due to the changing climate, which is influenced global warming. Remembering past times, old hunters notice that they had to “fade” - to attract an elk, while dressed in warm clothes, since in September it was already cold in the evenings, and sometimes frosts occurred.

The uniqueness of this type of hunting lies in the fact that the jack hunter, imitating the voice of an elk during the rutting period, is able to lure a bull at a great distance. There are several ways to attract an elk. The most effective is considered to be when a person pronounces similar sounds using the vocal cords. Of course, not everyone is capable of this, and hunters use various types of products, such as can with rope or old Glass bottle from under milk without a bottom, covered with birch bark. The art of imitating and luring wild beast from the forest that is his home, is highly valued among hunters and deserves special respect.

How to find and determine the rutting area

During the autumn rainy season, the soil in the forest becomes soft, on which the marks of the elk's hooves are clearly visible. Therefore, it will not be particularly difficult to find places where moose are concentrated, moving along a fresh printed trail. Adult males mate with females in virtually the same places over several seasons. These places are forest plots, clearings and mowing meadows.

You can determine whether the bull came or not by looking at the broken branches of bushes and young trees. If there are a lot of creases and they are of different freshness, then the elk has been there more than once. In addition to creases, the male leaves “combs” with his horns on the trees, by which his presence can also be determined. If the plot has begun to be overgrown with young animals and is difficult to see, you should go around it around the perimeter to find the path along which the elk emerges from the forest.

At rutting sites, bulls dig out rutting pits with their hooves, into which they urinate and then lie down. The smell of urine is specific and so pungent that the hunter can easily determine the place of the rut. The bull walks to the rutting pit in the same place, breaking branches and trunks of young trees. Along the way, having arrived at the place, he listens and observes the situation, after which he begins to beckon the cow, making moaning sounds.

A case from my practice

I want to tell you an incident from my hunting practice. Moving along an old, overgrown forest road towards a promising plot, which was three kilometers away, from the middle of the road I began to observe the printed tracks of a female moose, which had passed in the same direction, several hours before me. Based on this fact, one could make the assumption that the cow is following this course for a reason. Most likely, the male is already in the plot and from where he is calling her to mate. Having approached the plot, which was fairly overgrown with young trees, without having a good view, I began to make a slow and quiet walk around, stopping along the edge of the massif.

Very soon I discovered a well-paved trail with very large tracks from elk hooves. Judging by the tracks, the male was not just big, but huge. Along the entire path along the edges, many trees were broken. Having walked along the animal trail about a hundred meters, deep into the plot, I came to a small clearing in which there was a racing pit. By all indications, the elk was somewhere nearby. After standing in silence for one hour, I decided to start “hammering” with my voice, covering my mouth with my palms so that the sound would go into the ground. Imagine my surprise when the bull responded after about ten minutes, but the sound emanating from the elk was less like a groan and more like a rough groan.

During the roll call, the elk willingly responded to my call each time, but the distance between us did not decrease, it was clear that he was standing in one place and was not going to leave the massif. My assumptions were confirmed; the bull was not alone, but with a cow. Without losing hope, I continued to “fade” and the elk responded, this went on for about thirty minutes, then the angry bull let out a loud roar, hit the tree with its horns and fell silent.

How to lure a moose

You can attract an elk in the morning, but it is best if it is in the evening, when with the onset of dusk the male feels much more confident. This type of hunting must be carried out by two people, a shooter and a lure. The shooter must be proficient in shooting different conditions both day and night. During the mating season, an adult male is especially susceptible to wounds, so ammunition should be selected with good killing power. Often, an elk comes out to be shot in complete darkness; this requires special devices in the form of an under-barrel flashlight or a night vision scope.

You should also take into account the fact that the autumn period is characterized by evening fogs and shroud. You should arrive at the hunting site in advance, choosing a position at the highest place; you can simply sit there, listening and observing, since there are often cases when the elk comes out on its own and is the first to begin to speak. In this case, the jacker must adapt to the sound made by the elk and try to imitate it, using the capabilities of his vocal cords. The first test voice cast by the voice operator should not sound loudly three times.

After a ten-minute pause, you can repeat five times. If the elk responds and moves towards you, you should stop beckoning, hide as much as possible and not move. Also, in the intervals between serves, you can break dry branches, thereby simulating the presence of an opponent. Don’t forget that any hunt is unpredictable and you never know how it will go or what will happen.

There was such a case during one hunt. A young bull with double horns ran out towards the jacker absolutely silently, bypassing the hunter-shooter. It’s good that he was with the gun from which he got it. You can change positions depending on the situation, since the animal can come out unpredictably from any direction. Weather is one of the main factors for a successful hunt. In clear and calm weather, on a new moon, activity is much higher than in bad weather.

10/02/2013 | Moose rut and moose hunting on wabu

In place of the preface. Prince D. Naryshkin (1900), who devoted several years to this hunt, describes it this way: “There are the same delights in hunting moose “on a groan”, as in hunting capercaillie. The same dead silence, full of uncertainty, in the forest in the twilight of the night. The same agonizing wait at dawn, finally, the soul-grabbing first sound heard, reaching from afar to the extremely intense ears. But here all the similarities with capercaillie hunting end.

At first, an unclear sound, reminiscent of the distant croaking of a frog, becomes clearer and clearer, then turns into a groan. You can hear the animal walking far away, then coming closer... The forest breaks under the powerful pressure of the enraged animal. Moans alternate with a dull restrained roar. The tops of the nearest pines and birches are swaying, the willows are moving apart, and a few fathoms away stands a huge animal, at which you need to give a sure shot... I don’t know a hunt more beautiful in its setting, nor more exciting, nor filled with great sensations... How much charm there is in this “being or not to be,” in this waiting. Nerves are sometimes so excited by half an hour of languor that trembling hands can barely cope with the weapon... I heard from one foreigner who shot many deer “at roar” and ended up in Russia hunting elk “on the waboo”, that our hunting is the highest sport "

The permission on the territory of Russia (in the mid-80s of the last century) to shoot male moose during the rut attracted people to these hunts big number people who had not previously had the slightest idea about hunting wabu. The motives for such a rapid growth in the popularity of autumn moose hunting are different: material, trophy, recreational. One way or another, this hunt is being carried out and has become so popular and widespread that it cannot remain without consequences of adequate scale for elk populations. The purpose of publishing this article is to develop this most exciting way of moose hunting, increase the efficiency of shooting and hunting culture, help reduce the harmful effects of hunting on the reproduction and size of natural moose populations, and create conditions for them sustainable development. "Of two evils choose the less". I believe that since hunting for elk during the rut exists, let it be carried out culturally, correctly, with minimal damage to the animals.

Physiology of elk reproduction

Elk is a monophasic animal. During the year it reproduces once - in the fall. The moose breeding season lasts about 2 months - from late August to late October. During the breeding season, called the rut, adult males have constant readiness to mating. There are cases when one male mated up to 8 moose cows in a season. Adult males reach their highest sexual potency already by the beginning of the rut, while young males (1.5-2.5 years) have maximum testes weight and sexual activity only by the middle of the rut, i.e. by the end of September.

Moose cows, like males, have one breeding season, but during this season the same female can have several sexual cycles. The fact of repeated citation was established in a half-adult female isolated from males for 5 months. This female had at least 6 sexual cycles. Personally, in my many years of practice, I have only observed moose rutting on snow only twice - in November and the first ten days of December. In the first case, 2 adult males (5.5 and 6.5 years old) raced with a half-adult female, and in the second case, a female at the age of 5.5 years mated with an adult male with well-developed horns with 3 branches. Both observations relate to areas with traditionally low population densities. The ability of moose cows to reproduce repeatedly in the same season in the event of non-fertilization or death of the zygote in the first sexual cycle is an important adaptation of animals that allows this species survive in conditions of low densities and powerful hunting pressure.

Trophy properties of bulls

Our materials collected in the Kirov region for 1968-1971. (14 males) and for 1987-1989. (5 individuals), give some idea of ​​the age of the bulls that approached the waboo. At the age of 1.5-3.5 years, 2 individuals (10.5%) were caught on wabu; males from 4.5 to 10 years old were killed 12 heads (63.2%), and animals 10.5-14.5 years old - 5 individuals (26.3%). According to S.V. Buslaev (oral communication), the age of 20 males caught on wabu in the Ivanovo region in the period from 1992 to 2003 was in the range of 4.5-9.5 years. The age of elk harvested during the rut is distinguished by a greater proportion of young males. There are probably other differences, and these are generally due to differences in the method of extraction. In our samples, all bulls were caught as a result of luring, and hunters, not mastering this method, used other methods of catching, including using dogs, pens, lying in wait, and also during random encounters. A comparison of the trophy qualities of the animals showed that among those caught on wabu, the number of bulls with the minimum number of shoots was 8, and with the average number of shoots - 1.25 times less, while with the maximum - 2 times more than in the winter catch. On average, a male elk killed in winter had antlers with the number of tines equal to 6.4, and those killed on a wabu had 9.2 tines.

Rutting ecology

Along with the differences caused by the state of the population and the individual characteristics of the development of animals, the sexual activity of the rutting of all moose is influenced by various factors external environment. The action of these factors or their intensity and even the composition itself vary in time and space. This makes it difficult to plan the timing of shooting, since the timing of the rut and periods of peak activity of animals change in accordance with changes in key environmental factors, but some advice can still be given.

Rutting start dates

The time of the onset of the rut depends on the severity of the climate. IN northern latitudes- in Sweden, Norway, Central Alaska, Canada - the height of the rut occurs from the end of September to the middle - end of October (Lent, 1974). According to O.I. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (1948), moose mating on the Kola Peninsula occurred until the end of the first ten days of November. On Verkhnyaya Pechora, the peak of the rut occurred in the second half of September, but in some cases, judging by the degree of fruit development, mating of moose cows occurred in November and even early December (Yazan, 1964). In the central zone of the European part of Russia and Siberia, the peak of the rut occurs in the second ten days of September, and in the south of the range - in mid-September (Kheruvimov, 1969). According to Yu. P. Yazan (1961), later breeding dates in areas with cold climates are a population adaptation of moose aimed at increasing the survival rate of young animals in the first days after birth.

Signs of the beginning of the rut are interpreted differently. A. S. Rykovsky (1964), who observed the moose race in Kaluga region, considered the appearance of combed and worn out trees to be a sign of the beginning of the rut. Similar damage to vegetation by bulls was observed in Tambov region. There, the animals “ringed” young and middle-aged pine, aspen and birch trees at a height of 50–150 cm (Kheruvimov, 1969). O.I. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky (1948) and A.N. Formozov (1952) took the appearance of rutting pits, or “diggings,” as the beginning of the elk rutting. There is an opinion that the beginning of the rut coincides with the autumn equinox (September 23) or with the beginning of leaf fall (Likhachev, 1958; Yurgenson, 1935). E.P. Knorre, who devoted his entire life to the study of moose and their domestication, made the following conclusion regarding the signs of the onset of the rut: sexual activity of bulls begins earlier than that of females. Bulls become mobile, leave their usual feeding places and begin to move widely around the land in search of females from the end of August. Consequently, an increase in the occurrence of moose tracks in the areas crossing clearings, forest roads, and trails is the first sign of the beginning of the rut. The completion of horn cleaning in adult bulls coincides in time with the beginning of the first estrus in the most well-fed, healthy females, and at this time the rut begins in the classical form (digging rutting holes, constant accompaniment of females by males, groaning or “grunting-croaking” of males at dawn, fights between males), with characteristic signs of the rut.

Rutting areas

There are the most conflicting ideas about the location of the elk rut. One of the extreme opinions is that there are no special rutting stations, much less permanent areas, and elk constantly change places and can be found during the rutting season in any area, including in typical winter habitats, i.e. pine young forests (Kheruvimov, 1969). A. S. Rykovsky (1964), on the contrary, believes that during the rutting period, moose adhere to the same territories from year to year and have individual plots with an area of ​​100–200 hectares. E.P. Knorre believes that before the rut, males leave their habitats and move widely around the land in search of females. The rut takes place in areas where summer time females live. The American researcher P. Ts. Lent (Lent, 1974), who studied moose racing in Alaska, came to the same opinion. Our observations led to the same conclusion - elk rutting takes place in the individual areas of adult females. In the north of the European part and in Siberia, the areas of females are confined to the outskirts of vast moss swamps, floodplains of rivers with meadows, oxbow lakes, and willow thickets. In forests transformed by logging, areas include cutting areas in the initial stage of overgrowth, deciduous young stands, and burnt areas. In lands with a predominance of agricultural areas, the rut takes place along the edges remote from settlements farmland, in abandoned and overgrown fields, along forest ravines, and valleys of rivers and streams overgrown with bushes. Most experts who have studied moose rutting note a certain conservatism of moose when choosing rutting areas. In at least two adjacent seasons, the rut often takes place in the same areas.

Daily activity of bulls during the rut

The general scheme of the daily rhythm of sexual activity of bulls during the rut is as follows: “In the evening, after a day’s rest, the moose feed, after which towards sunset they moan for about half an hour. This is followed by fattening, after which already at full twilight, especially when there is a moon, the moaning of the bulls resumes briefly, after which the bulls fall silent until midnight. At about 1-2 o'clock in the morning they moan, but not for long. Half an hour before dawn the groaning resumes and reaches its peak at dawn. With sunrise, the moaning, as a rule, stops and only in some cases lasts until 7-8 o'clock in the morning. In the daytime, bulls don’t moan.” In the Tambov region, according to V.D. Kheruvimov, at the beginning of the breeding season, moose races can only be heard in the evening dawns. As everything is formed more pair activity of males increases. At this time, the moaning of the bulls can be heard both in the morning and in the evening dawns. At the height of the rut, moose of both sexes moan at any time of the day. Towards the end of the rutting period, the activity of bulls decreases. The following was experimentally established: in a natural environment, bulls vocalize only at dawn and at night. By playing various sounds of the rut, you can provoke bulls to vocalize at other times of the day. It was possible to extend their activity in the morning until 9 o’clock, and in the evening to start vocalizing from 17.30, whereas usually in the morning the bulls were active until 7.00, and in the evening they began to vocalize no earlier than 19.00-19.25.

The influence of weather on daily activity was the same as the influence on activity during rutting periods: in inclement, windy weather, activity decreased, more noticeably (6-8 times) at dawn. In clear, frosty weather, the activity of animals was high. It was also noted that during daylight hours the activity of bulls depended on the disturbance factor. The noise created by working tractors or other equipment, barking dogs, people's voices, and other sounds of human activity led to the cessation of vocalization by the bull even at dawn and dusk. On the contrary, in areas remote from habitation, where there are few people constantly, or in areas with low hunting intensity, the bulls behaved more boldly, responding to the wad even in the daytime.

Hunting management of rutting areas

As in areas for winter hunting (“permanent hunting areas”), it is advisable to carry out hunting management in rutting areas. This includes the construction of salt licks, fodder fields, feeding areas (in the form of areas of “eternal young stands” and (or) fallen aspens), shooting towers, transects for shooting, hunting trails. The last element needs to be explained in more detail. When carrying out experimental work, we became convinced of the great role of preliminary identification of rutting areas and laying out a convenient, rational route in the hunt for waboo. During a hunt, some part of the route, both in the morning and in the evening, has to be passed at dusk or in complete darkness, and in such conditions it is difficult to follow a compass without a road, path or clearing, especially for a foreigner accustomed to hunting in a cultural landscape. Therefore, a pre-laid path is required. It should be fairly clean, without rubble, branches, cleared of small undergrowth and bushes and, if possible, bypassing viscous damp places. This is required to reduce the noise produced by hunters walking along the route: rustling on branches and “squelching” of shoes in damp, swampy places. Experience has shown that moose perfectly distinguish sounds made by humans from other sounds, including those made by moose. The widespread opinion among hunters that during the race the elk is not afraid of noise or human voices, but, on the contrary, follows the noise, is incorrect. Sometimes the bull gives a voice at the sound of a twig cracking under his foot, but this happens precisely in those cases where until that moment the person walked absolutely silently. But even such a seemingly favorable opportunity cannot play a positive role in the hunt. As experience shows, a hunter in such a situation rarely manages to outwit the beast and manage to occupy advantageous position in order to see it and fire a shot, since bulls, having an amazing ability to accurately determine the location of the sound source, very rarely go there right away. Usually, 100-150 m before reaching the jacker, the animal turns away and tries to clarify the situation by smell. In this case, the bull almost always accurately “makes a diagnosis” and leaves, reducing the chances of success at this dawn. Therefore, walking sounds that indicate the presence of a person should be considered undesirable.
Depending on the availability of access roads and the location of the rutting areas, the hunting route can be made in a linear or circular configuration. In the case when the route goes from the edge to the depth forest area, where there are no stopping points and roads, a circular route is being designed. In order to cover 4 areas of the rut with a circular route, we had to walk from 14 to 22 km, depending on the density of individual moose areas. The advantages of the circular route are obvious: new areas are explored along its entire length, which increases the likelihood of success when minimum costs effort and time. In addition, the route leads to the starting point where hunters have Better conditions for rest and preparation for the next hunt, and in the case of hunting an animal - for organizing its removal and processing. In hard-to-reach and sparsely populated areas, it is more convenient to lay linear routes. Even with a relatively low density of individual plots, a linear route 12-15 km long can cover 2 or even 3 sections of the rut. If there are passable roads in the areas, the linear route can be led to the road, in which case hunters can return home in a car sent to this place in advance. In promising areas where work is planned to be carried out constantly, at the end of linear routes (there may be several of them, fanning out) hunting huts should be built, equipped with everything necessary for recreation and radio communications. You can also return home from the hut during the hunt at the next dawn.

Choosing a place for the driver and shooter.

The jacker fails to see most of the bulls approaching the wab, not because the wrong position for the wab was chosen or mistakes were made when luring, but due to the caution of the animals, their habit of not approaching directly the location of the supposed opponent before the situation has been carefully studied. This behavioral trait of bulls has already been mentioned. It should only be added that the distance that the animals maintained with enviable consistency between themselves and the lure was about 100 m. Having reached the indicated “mark,” the animal becomes silent, begins to sniff the ground, listen, and in such a situation often recognizes deception. If a person has not given himself away by the noise or incorrect voice of the waba, and the air movement is towards him or to the side, the bull goes around the place of the waba in a circle and detects the trace of the person or identifies it by smell. In this case, the bull stops making even a barely audible voice before, and his steps become completely silent. Based on such a change in behavior, one can confidently judge that you have been detected and further “game” makes no sense. Luck can be achieved by placing the shooter between the approaching bull and the lure. In this case, success no longer depends to such an extent on the behavior of the bull, but is almost entirely determined by the skill and experience of the lure, his ability to lure and choose the right place for the shooter. It is even easier and more effective to hunt in permanent areas equipped with shooting towers.

Methods and techniques of hunting.

Despite the variety of situations that arise in the process of hunting elk during the rut, there are only two fundamental different ways hunting: 1) waiting for the animal that responded to the wab and the approaching animal; 2) approach, concealment and luring of animals that respond to the call, but remain in place. The different mobility of bulls and the methods of hunting them depend on several factors, the main one of which is the presence of a female with him. Consequently, one of the jacker’s primary tasks is to determine the bull’s status—whether it is single or in a group. When luring, one should take into account the patterns in changes in the tone of the bull’s voice and the volume of the mechanical sounds it produces, associated with age, which determines the absolute rank of dominance. We have developed such tactics for identifying the situation in the rutting area. The wabu began with the protesting voice of a middle-aged or young female (and - uh - uh - uh - eh - x; uh-oh-o-a-ah-h) first once, then after 3-5 minutes. 2-3 more times at intervals of 40-60 seconds, each time increasing the volume. If there is no response after 2 minutes. the bull's voice was given - "grunting" (ooh-oh) - in the same sequence as the protesting voice of the female. Then they also “croaked” (o-o; o-o). Without waiting for an answer, after a one- or two-minute pause they made a cracking sound of branches, breaking them with their feet or hitting dead wood or thick dry branches with a thick stick. Failure to respond to all methods of luring is very rare and can be caused by two reasons: 1) animals are stolen from the site by dogs, predators or people; 2) a group of chasing moose consists of a female and a medium-sized, middle-aged male. The female is in heat, and the male, following her relentlessly, does not give a voice due to his low absolute rank of dominance. He is afraid of rivals. Further efforts to find moose in this area will not bring the desired success at this dawn. The optimal solution should be considered a transition to the next section of the rut.

After the animal's response, the hunters' further actions are determined by how far the bull is from them. If he is close and the luring was done with the protesting voice of the female, one should expect a quick approach of the animal. It is necessary, without waiting for repeated answers, to choose a place for the shooter in front, in the direction of the bull, and, leaving it, return 100 m back, and then continue to hammer, speaking quietly and changing the aggressive tone to a neutral one. If the animal rarely voices and approaches slowly, it is necessary to increase the intervals of vocalization, coordinating them with the rhythm of the bull’s responses, slightly reduce the volume and give the waba, turning away from the bull, holding the pipe not up, but towards the ground. As a rule, after such a technique, the bull begins to respond more actively and quickly approach, coming into the shooter’s field of view. If the male’s response comes from afar, the wab needs to be repeated several times at the indicated intervals and only after clarifying the direction and the fact of the bull’s approach, stop the wab, place the shooter on the “number” (or on a specially constructed storage shed - tower), then take your place and continue to wab . As the bull approaches, it is advisable to increase caution and avoid even the slightest movements. You should always adhere to the rule of giving your voice less often than the bull does, and when the animal is close, knock in at the moment when the bull responded. This helps to increase the activity of males and is conducive to success.
If the bull responds but does not approach, there is no point in waiting for his approach. Having determined the direction and approximate distance to the place from where the bull is responding, you need to move in this direction, reducing the distance to about 300 m. Then clarify the situation in terms of the direction of the wind, the configuration of forest stands, specific stations where the rut is underway(it is assumed that the lure operator knows the hunting area well). The starting position for further actions should be taken on the leeward side, as silently as possible, silently moving to the voice of a bull (like a wood grouse song). Then the shooter moves forward 50-70 m in the direction of the bull responding to the wab, carefully, constantly covering himself with vegetation, avoiding open areas. Having determined by his voice that the bull is large, strong and not showing caution, the buller should beckon by “grunting” (preferably with a grunting jar, not with his voice) and, with a positive reaction, strengthen his voice, “crackle”, and let out a roar (woah). Most often, the response of bulls to such actions by the jacker is favorable for hunting. The bull also responds with a “woah” voice, begins to break branches, and moves towards the jacker. The usual distance at which the bull moves away from the female is within 100 m, but he immediately returns back to the moose cow. This can be repeated several times, which allows the shooter to more easily detect the animal, remaining unnoticed, and fire a shot.

Dates and times of hunting, equipment and shooting.

The initial period of the rut, especially the first 10 days, is most favorable for trophy shooting. At this time, bulls with good trophy horns that were not damaged during fights are suitable for luring. Knowing from the experience of past years the peak time of the rut, you need to subtract 25 days from the average peak date. As a result, a date will be determined from which to begin testing the bulls' reaction to the waba. In the forest zone of the European part of Russia, the average dates of the peak of the rut fall on September 17–20. Therefore, you can start walking around the rutting areas and checking the reaction of bulls to the waboo from August 23-26. Often during the initial period of the rut, bulls approach the wab in silence. If the bull's response is not heard, this does not mean that he is not nearby and the rut has not yet begun. When re-checking, you should carefully examine the places where the waba was produced. You can often smell and find traces of a bull that came here: hoof prints on areas of open ground, a fresh dig, a broken bush. This means that the rut has already begun. The bull did not come to the wad immediately, but, using his phenomenal ability to accurately determine the location of the sound source, he arrived later. The areas where bulls approach should be considered promising for luring and shooting this season.

Productive time for hunting wabu is limited to 1.5-2 hours during dawn. To check 3-4 areas of the rut, you have to save every minute of time. Waiting for a long time for the bull to approach one area will lead to the fact that subsequent areas will have to be approached after sunrise or in the evening, when it becomes completely dark. To determine the situation at each of the planned sections of the rut, we walked along the route without staying long at the site of the wreath, and during the twilight (morning) and even night (evening) time we managed to cover each section in one dawn. The goal was twofold: a) to identify the presence of bulls on the site and the state of their sexual activity and b) to attract bulls closer to the hunting route. In the morning you need to be at the first section of the rut half an hour before dawn (at 4 or 4.15), and in the evening - an hour before sunset (18.00-18.30). If the animal responded while it was still dark, but it turned out that the bull was promising both for luring and as a trophy, the wabu was stopped. The rutting area was abandoned and the route continued to the next area, where a wab and an attempt to catch the animal were also made. If the result was negative, the hunters returned to the first site and attracted the bull that had responded earlier.

Speaking about the dependence of hunting tactics on lighting, we focused on a shooter with normal vision using rifle with an open sight. Availability optical sight increases productive hunting time by about 15-20 minutes. This is a lot, considering that there is often a delay in the approach of the elk (at dawn) by 3-5 minutes. makes it impossible to produce aimed shot from a carbine with open sights. At dawn, situations also arise when it is necessary to fire a shot at dusk, and the front sight and especially the slot are invisible. The general conclusion on this issue is clear: the presence of an optical sight contributes to the success of hunting. It is better if it is mounted on a high bracket, which gives a good view even when shooting from an open sight. It should be noted that the performance is unsatisfactory smoothbore weapons and rifled caliber 5.6 mm. The 7.62 mm caliber is suitable (cartridge 7.65×51; x53, with an expansion bullet), but the best result was given by the 9×54 cartridge. Despite the fact that shooting is carried out at a slowly moving or standing animal, errors when shooting on this hunt occur more often than during winter hunting. The hunter's anxiety takes its toll, preventing him from making an accurate shot. What makes harvesting more difficult is the increased strength of the bulls when compared to other periods of the year, their vitality, so to speak. We noticed that the depth of the wound channel of bulls shot during the rut in some cases was significantly less than with the same wounds and the use of the same (standard) cartridge during winter fishing. Basically, these differences were noticeable when fired from the front into the chest. In two cases, 9-mm bullets weighing 15 g, when fired from a Bear carbine from a distance of 70 and 80 m, hit the base of the neck and got stuck, one in the muscles of the shoulder, the other in the tissue between the shoulder blade and ribs. With similar shots during winter hunts, the bullet pierced the elk carcass diagonally to the pelvic part. When photographing skins from bulls hunted on wabu, two circumstances caught our attention: the thickness of the skin, almost doubled compared to normal, especially on the front part of the body, and the increased strength and even, one might say, hardness of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. The tested knife, which was used to cut an elk carcass during a winter hunt without additional sharpening, had to be sharpened more than twice when cutting a bull killed on the waboo. Apparently, one of the reasons for the reduction in the damaging effect of a bullet is the increase in the strength and hardness of the integumentary tissues of bulls during the rut.

From additional equipment Equipment needed for hunting waba includes a pipe and a snorting jar, a compass, an electric flashlight, a hunting knife, and a whetstone. Clothes should be the same as those usually used by game hunters in the autumn: a jacket and trousers made of gray cloth, the same color or gray-yellow, a hat or cap. It is better to have leather shoes impregnated with a water-repellent composition, but in the absence of such, ordinary rubber boots are also suitable. Trousers should be worn untucked, over the top. This will reduce noise when walking. You can put plastic film in a small fabric or thin tarpaulin handbag (with a shoulder strap) along with accessories to protect you from the rain.

V. Glushkov

Hunting and game management

September is the most wonderful and beautiful autumn month, filled with gentle, non-scorching sun, clear air and a luxurious autumn palette. It is at this time that it begins mating season elk (rut), and their roar can be heard far around the area. In September, you can watch real tournaments between forest giants, and for hunters this is a kind of command for the start of roar hunting.

Behavior of moose during the rut.

As with any other hunt, for it to be successful, the hunter should study in great detail the habits and behavior of animals during the rut. The fact that the elk rut has begun can be determined by the same signs as in all representatives of the deer family.

The moose begins to dig holes, then urinates in them, then rubs its back in this mud. It is known that moose have a kind of skin growth on their neck, it is also called an “earring”, and the older the male is, the larger the “earring” he has. There is an explanation for the presence of this outgrowth in the elk: thanks to the “earring”, it sprays its scent as high and as far as possible. Hunters have probably encountered these characteristic depressions in the ground made by elk at the beginning of the rut. This period is also characterized by the fact that the males have a very pungent odor, so strong that not all dogs can work on elk at this time. Why don’t dogs, even a person can feel it when he’s near the elk’s urinary pits.

Already in the first days of September you can hear moose roaring in the forest. Adults are the first to open the season, and the most active moose rut begins around the twentieth of September. When the rut is in full swing, one female can be harassed by three or four males at the same time. It also happens that the rut lasts throughout October, but by the end of it young males enter the mating rut. But few people know that the preparation for this important event in a moose’s life takes quite a long time. Moose actively feed, trying to gain maximum body weight, and by the end of summer the males become very well-fed.

By the time the hunt begins, moose have ten centimeters of subcutaneous fat on their backs, and the total fat on the moose’s body can be up to seventy kilograms. Around the fifteenth of September, the horns of males lose their “velvet” completely. In the fall, you can see trees damaged by elk antlers in the forest. During the rut, males rub their heads against trees, leaving on them a secretion secreted from the glands that are located on the head.

The moose is a solitary animal, in this state it spends most own life. Therefore, the male attracts several females at once, but does not have permanent companions. Only during the rutting period do moose unite in pairs that coexist for up to six days. The male uses the female several times a day. After this, the female no longer needs him, and the male begins to look for a new partner. There are situations when stronger and older males try to take a moose cow away from their rival, but the female herself chooses who to stay with. However, during the rut, elk calves born last year are close to their mothers and are not touched by adult males.

If compared with deer, then moose, of course, are inferior to them in beauty mating behavior. Red deer trumpet so that you can hear them far away, but moose are not so loud. However, not only males, but also females make calling sounds in moose, thus they communicate with each other. These sounds are similar to a jerky, short moo. They can only be heard well in calm weather or at night, sometimes at dawn. During these periods, sounds travel along river valleys for several kilometers. The roar of females and males can be distinguished by their timbre. Moose cows scream protractedly, calling for males. And the male briefly sounds like a grunt. By the end of the season, the sounds made by the males become plaintive and whistling. At sunset and sunrise, as well as at night, males vocalize and females snort in response.

Male tournaments.

In terms of the spectacular spectacle, elk fights are not inferior to deer fights, only in the former it turns out to be more powerful and ferocious, since they exceed deer in body weight. The battle begins with a kind of prelude. Opponents scare each other: they dig the ground with their hooves, wave their horns, and make mooing sounds. If the enemy does not retreat, then the males rush towards each other with fury. The blows of their horns are so powerful that it can be heard within a kilometer radius. If the strength of those fighting is not equal, then everything ends very soon with the escape of the weaker one. If the forces are equal, then the duel can last several hours. At the battle site, the grass is completely trampled down to the ground. It is a rare case that the outcome of a fight is lethal, although the fights between males are very brutal.

In a duel, moose can cause significant damage to each other: lacerations, broken ribs, damaged horns. Moose antlers have a spade-shaped structure, so rivals do not get entangled in the horns, but the sharp shoots on them can inflict a serious and even fatal wound on each other. Even if the rut is long enough, most moose cows are covered in a short time. And the fewer uncovered females remain, the less frequent the fights between males become.

When hunting elk, you should not forget that these animals pose almost the greatest danger of all living on our territory. The aggression of males during the rut increases not only towards the opponent, but also towards predatory animals and people. When defending and attacking, the elk hits with all its limbs and horns, and may well mutilate it to death. Of course, the elk tries to avoid encounters with humans, but a wounded animal is always dangerous. Therefore, before going after an elk, a hunter needs to outline an escape route. An elk is not a timid animal; if it goes on the attack with its hair raised on its withers, it is unlikely that a shot will scare it.

As mentioned above, it is best to start hunting roar at the very beginning of autumn. The duration of this type of hunting depends on the rutting period, which in turn depends on the area where all this takes place. If September is hot like summer, then moose endure their mating games for some time, this means that the hunt for roar is also postponed. However, not only this can hinder the hunt, but, for example, gusty wind, rain, slush, since in such weather the moose is practically inaudible. Moose rarely make their sounds during the day; most often, this happens early in the morning or late in the evening, sometimes throughout the night. When the male is in search of a female, he is quite dangerous, and his roar is similar to the roar of a bear. These sounds, if heard close up, in silence, are very eerie, especially if the moose itself is not visible.

Moose hunting during the rut takes place in places where elk weddings take place. These places can be found by certain signs that are invisible to the average person, but understandable to every hunter. One of the main signs is damaged trees and bushes, on which traces of horns are visible. The second sign (we also wrote about it above) is the holes at the rutting site, which the male knocks out with his hooves. These pits can reach up to one and a half meters in diameter at the top, and up to twenty centimeters in depth. And they emit a characteristic smell of urine.

So, you have found the rutting area, you can begin preparing for the hunt. You should arrive at the hunting site before the sun has risen or at dusk, since elk are most active at this time of day. If you are going to hunt at night, then you should have a special hunting flashlight with you. While when hunting other animals one must remain silent, when hunting elk one must be as noisy as possible. Go straight to the hunting spot, breaking bushes and branches. Thus, the elk must understand and hear the approach of the enemy, then perhaps he will come out to meet you. Since this animal is aggressive during the rutting period, it can appear suddenly and unexpectedly, which means keep your gun ready. With this type of hunting, you are guaranteed a thrill.

Most often, they hunt elk in twos. You should approach the rutting area from the leeward side. One of the hunters “wabits” - imitates the roar of an elk or cow, thus luring the male. However, it should be remembered that you must be ready to shoot at any moment, so the place where the hunter is must be with good review. At first you need to “drive in” slowly, since the elk may be nearby. It is necessary to increase the volume only if the animal does not show itself in any way. If the male responded, then you need to continue “hammering” only at the moment of his movement. To make it more believable, you can break the branch. And get ready to wait for him to appear, keep your gun ready. Aim for the skull or between the shoulder blades. A wounded elk is shot close to just below the ear, approaching it from the side.

If you hunt elk, then you must follow safety precautions especially carefully and do not forget about the rules of hunting. It happens that the hunter makes a mistake and shoots at the second hunter instead of the animal, mistaking him for an elk. Therefore, until you see the elk, do not shoot under any circumstances. At night or at dusk, the roar of an elk causes fear, but despite this, it is necessary to maintain composure and maintain restraint.

This hunt is one of the most interesting, however, be careful, as the animal is aggressive and dangerous during the rutting period. Despite the fact that the elk walks quite calmly, without being afraid of anything, it is almost impossible to approach him. They have an excellent sense of smell and acute hearing, so it will quickly detect a hunter who is trying to approach him. If you scare away the animal, there will definitely be no hunting that day.

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Male moose reach sexual maturity at the age of 1.5 years. If in a state of “rest”, in December - January, the length of the testes in males of this age is 68 - 70, width - 35 - 40 mm, and the weight of the pair is 75 g, then in September, during the rut, these figures will be 85 - 90, 40 - 45 mm and 150 - 163 g. If, further, the ratio of the weight of a pair of testes to the slaughter weight of males (index in ppm) at rest is 4 - 5, then during the rut, i.e. 2 - 3 months earlier, - 11 - 12.

Study of the size and weight of testes in moose of different ages showed that they reach their minimum weight in March - April (54 g), maximum (300 g) in September. While maintaining approximately the same ratio of testes weight to slaughter weight with adult males, 1-5 year old bulls begin to increase testes weight somewhat later than older males. The subsequent (after the peak of the rut) decrease in the weight of the testes is also delayed in young bulls. This last feature is of extremely great biological significance.

Males in the second and third years of life, which are usually driven away from females by older and stronger males, turn out to be not useless in nature. They serve as an “insurance” age group, helping to ensure 100% fertilization of moose cows during the period of weakening or termination of sexual activity in adult strong males.

The timing of the onset of estrus in moose cows does not depend on either age or body condition. They are determined by a complex of environmental factors, individual characteristics and physiological state of animals. However, in terms of fertility indicators - the number of cubs per female who gave birth - age and fatness have a specific meaning.

In the Pechora taiga, for example, and, perhaps, in most other places in our country, moose bear their first litter at the age of 3 years. At the same time, the number of embryos per first-time moose cow is noticeably less than per one giving birth again. This number increases in moose cows of subsequent ages and reaches a maximum at 6.5 - 7.5 years. In elk cows older than this age, fertility rates gradually decrease. However, even in the oldest moose cows these indicators are not lower than those in young animals. This speaks in favor of the fact that in nature there are practically no animals that are incapable of reproduction due to old age and decrepitude. Usually, moose cows do not live to this state, dying from other causes (fishing, predators, hunger, accidents).

The age of elk cows affects not only the size of the litter, but also its sex. If we take all moose cows on average, then for every 100 bull calves they give birth to the same number or slightly more or fewer heifers (depending on the state of their living conditions).

Young moose cows at the age of 1.5 and 2.5 years give birth to offspring 1.5 - 3 times more heifers than bulls; at the age of 3.5 - 5.5 years - approximately equal number of bulls and heifers, at the age of 6.5 - 9.5 years - slightly more heifers (10 - 20%), and at the age of 10 years and older - almost 2 times more bulls are born.

In elk cows with one embryo at almost all ages, heifers noticeably predominate over bulls, and only in 10-year-old and older elk cows, on the contrary, in the offspring there are 2 times more bulls than heifers.

In moose cows with two embryos, on average, bulls predominate; in animals under 5.5 years of age and 10 years and older, this predominance is especially pronounced. Only elk cows aged 6.5 - 9.5 years give birth to an equal number of heifers and bulls.

In paired offspring, on average, individuals of different sexes predominate (71%), but only males (20%) and only females (9%) are found.

The sex of the offspring is also influenced by the wintering conditions of females preceding the rut. It has been noticed that the less well-fed a moose cow is at the beginning of the mating season, the more often bulls predominate in her offspring, and vice versa.

Adult and strong males cover both young, middle-aged and old elk - the one encountered that is in a state of hunting (estrus). In the older age group, females predominate by one third, and among the males of the older age group there is a significant number of weakened and sick animals ( external signs- weak and ugly horns) that are not able to withstand the competition for a female - therefore, old moose cows are covered mainly by younger males. In all cases, therefore, mating of sires of different ages is achieved, which produces the most viable offspring.

Each sexual and age group, thus, is necessary for the moose population to carry out self-regulation of numbers and structures in relation to the requirements imposed by the habitat, including disturbance factors, fishing pressures, and everything that in one way or another affects the life of moose.

Among Pechora moose cows, approximately 2/3 give birth to one and 1/3 give birth to two cubs. In the Kirov region, the percentage of moose cows giving birth to twins is higher and approaches 35%. In more southern regions (Volgograd, Rostov, etc.), the fertility rates of moose cows are even higher, which is apparently explained by a longer growing season, which provides moose with complete food for a longer period, and which, most importantly, shortens the period of winter hunger strikes.

It is rare for moose cows to be pregnant at the age of 1.5 years - 15% of all cases; among moose cows over one and a half years old this is already 84%.

The main reasons for the loss of elk cows are their exhaustion and postpartum inflammation of the genital organs (chronic metritis). There are known cases of emptiness caused by injury to moose cows during the rutting period by aggressive bulls, the presence of underdeveloped, infantile genital organs in adult moose cows, or a mummified fetus after a failed birth.

Knowing the most productive ages of females and the significance of different sex and age ratios in the moose population, it is possible to artificially control their reproductive process.

Y. P. Yazan. ELK. HUNTING FOR UNGULATES.-Publishing house "Forest Industry", 1976