One Heck Of A Ride

55 More Antlered Game of a crossbow bolt tipped with a broadhead is a lot like the golden arches at a McDonalds. My guide (Darrell’s partner, Tim Ruby) and I saw very few moose, probably because we were hunting public land from a vehicle, driving to places that overlooked likely looking areas and glassing. The first bull we saw was a young animal that crossed the road in front of us. We saw other bulls after that, but there was nothing I was interested in taking until we found a bull feeding at the edge of a beaver pond a short distance from a road. He spotted us as we were approaching and was moving off when Tim grunted and the bull stopped broadside and looked back at us. This Shiras bull moose took only eight steps after being struck with crossbow bolt held by guide Tim Ruby. British Columbia, 2015. “Shoot him!” he said, and I did. Unlike a rifle’s bullet, I could follow the crossbow bolt’s flight until it dipped into the shadows and I lost sight of it. I felt certain it had struck the bull where I’d aimed. “Shoot him again,” Tim said as the bull took a step. I tried to pull the bowstring back to cock it, but I was struggling and really needed Tim to do it for me. Meanwhile, I was watching the bull and saw it wobble and collapse in its tracks. The bolt had nicked a rib and passed completely through his chest, cutting the main artery above his heart before exiting on his far side. He had bled out quickly, pumping out a lot of blood on both sides of the trail while staggering only eight steps from where I’d shot him. It was my first experience with hunting with a crossbow, and I truly was surprised how much power it had as well as how efficient a killing machine it was. I keep the bolt that killed this moose in a place of honor on my fireplace. Moose meat is among the world’s best game meats, and the meat from this animal was especially delicious. I brought as much of it as I could home with me, and a neighbor’s son barbecued it for us.