European moose
Alces alces
A trophy bull moose pictured at a feeding place
With the yearly harvest being around 65,000, Moose is by far the most hunted ungulate in Finland. The most common hunting methods are either driven hunts with beaters or moosehounds, or using stopping moosehound. With Finnhunting, You have a chance to try any of these traditional hunting methods, accompanied by experienced guides in areas with healthy populations of moose.
Game management
Management of the moose population is based on good distribution of feeding places and correct selection for hunting based on age and gender.
Driven Moose hunting
A Hunter has been lucky and drawn a good post in a driven hunt
Driven hunting for moose in the Finnish forest is group hunting at its best. After a hearty breakfast, a normal hunting day starts with a briefing and a draw for posts. As hunters are dropped at their posts, dogs and beaters are already waiting for the starting signal and after a short wait you will start to hear barking as a well trained moosehound puts animals on the move.
If you are lucky, soon you will hear branches snapping as the moose moves closer to the line of hunters. Stopping every now and then to listen and smell the air, only to be pushed forward by the dog. Moose have excellent senses and can often locate hunters before a good shot is possible. On a normal hunting day we have 3-4 well prepared drives so every hunter has a fair chance of bagging this great game animal.
Moosehunting with a stopping moose hound
Hunting of moose with a stopping moosehound
Compared to driven hunting, hunting with a stopping moosehound is more individual or for a small group of 3-4 hunters.
When hunting with a stopping moosehound, the idea is to wait until the dog has located and stopped the moose, until this happens hunters will be waiting at the meeting place and track the dogs movement with a GPS system.
When the hound stops the moose, one hunter approaches it within shooting distance. Other hunters, if they are not approaching other moose will be put to posts at strategic locations in case the moose moves.
This way of hunting moose is highly exciting and requires much skill from the dog, as well as the guide and the hunter. Shooting distances can be anything from 10 to 200 meters.