Have a moose hunt horror story? Share it here!

At its best, a moose-hunting trip can be the adventure of a lifetime. Friends and family gather to take advantage of a long-awaited permit, they put their advance scouting to use, and emerge from the woods after a successful hunt with nothing but good memories.

Alas, not all hunts are like that.

No, some veteran moose hunters and guides will tell you the same thing: Once the moose hits the ground, the hard work starts.

So, too, do the chances of something going terribly wrong. Trailers break. The mortally wounded moose falls into a pond. Your ice melts and you’ve got no way to cool your moose.

Many of us have those horror stories of moose hunts gone wrong. Fewer of us are willing to tell our tales.

But some are. Some have learned from their mistakes. Or (perhaps more accurately) some have been present on hunts-gone-bad and want to tell folks how unprepared their Great Uncle Hubert was when he finally got the chance to go moose hunting after 20 years in the state permit lottery.

You know what’s coming next … don’t you?

Yes, we want to hear your tales of woe. Or Great Uncle Hubert’s tale of woe. Or your brother’s tale of woe.

Need a writing prompt? Complete this statement for us: “I went on a moose hunt, and this is how bad it got:”

Write as much as you want. Send along photos, if they illustrate your story. We’ll read them, share your pain, and perhaps pass them along to other readers in the next issue of BDN Maine Outdoors, which will hit newsstands in September.

You can send your stories to me at jholyoke@bangordailynews.com.

We’ll need your name, and need to know what town you’re from. The more details you include, the better. And if it helps, we might be able to share Great Uncle Hubert’s story without actually mentioning his name.

So start writing! Have fun! And if the pain of your moose-hunting disaster is still fresh, and “fun” isn’t part of the equation, trust me on this one: Our readers have been there. They’ll feel your pain. And when they laugh, they won’t be laughing at you. They’ll be laughing with you.

 

 

John Holyoke

About John Holyoke

John Holyoke has been enjoying himself in Maine's great outdoors since he was a kid. Today, he's the Outdoors editor for the BDN, a job that allows him to meet up with Maine outdoors enthusiasts in their natural habitat. The stories he gathers provide fodder for his columns, and this blog.