Hunting in Estonia is organized in reserves that are granted in concession for periods of different duration (from 1 to 10 years) to private individuals or clubs where hunting of the European moose can be practiced.
A hunting reserve must have a minimum size of 5000 hectares but for management it can sometimes be divided into smaller parts entrusted to different subjects. Our hunt was organized in the Haarjumaa region. Huntable ungulates in Estonia are moose, wild boar, roe deer, brown bear, wolves and lynx. As for the first 3, before the opening of the hunt, each reserve indicates the minimum number of animals to be killed, usually divided into 33% adult males, 33% females, 33% small. Once the minimum number of animals to be killed has been reached, a request can be made for additional animals, which however will not necessarily be granted (with the exception of wild boar which is usually always granted without limitations). As for the other 3, the licenses are granted by region (and not by reserves). The European Elk. Let's find out together.
The European moose has, more or less, the same habits as that of North America and the Eurasian (the great Siberian moose and that of the Kamchakta peninsula), but it stands out because it is slightly smaller in size. It is a very common wild in all Scandinavian countries and in a large part of Northern Europe. It is present in Poland, in some Baltic Republics and in many of the countries of the former Soviet Union, where the species enjoys excellent health also thanks to regulated and selective hunting. These are its systematic, biometric and morphological data: Class: Mammals; Super Order: Ungulates; Order: Artiodactyls; Suborder: Ruminants; Family: Cervidi; Group: Telemetacarpali; Subfamily: Odocoilini; Genus: Alces; Species: Alces; Subspecies Alces alces alces. Body length: 200 - 300cm; Height at the withers: 160 -200 cm; Weight: 250 - 600 Kg; Coupling: September - October; Gestation: 224 - 243 days; Birth: May - June; Births: 1 - 2; Average length of life: 8 - 10 years, but cases of even 15 - 16 years are known. The trophy falls from December to February and reappears in spring until full development, devoid of velvet, in August. The French call it Elan, the Germans Elch - Eleutier, the British Elk, the Russians Los, the Norwegians Elg, the Swedes Alg and the Finns Hirwi. He is an excellent swimmer and a powerful runner, his long limbs allow him to reach 55 km / h even on rough and / or snow-covered terrain.
The moose loves the tranquility that the immense forests of conifers, deciduous trees, beeches, birches and swamps and marshes can offer. It is thought that in the past it was even present in the Lombard plains. It feeds mainly on willow, birch, alder and rowan leaves, but does not disdain ferns, mosses, lichens and aquatic plants. But it is almost certain that at the base of its diet there is the willow, because it has been noted that where this tree is missing, the elk does not thrive and its antlers are poor. It lives isolated or in small groups and, in addition to the bear and the wolves (if in a pack), it does not fear any other predator, even if it is said that in particular conditions it has been killed even by gluttons, whose aggressiveness and ferocity. On the European continent, moose hunting is practiced by batting, by stalking, by hunting (Walking) during the mating period, even with the use of a call, and by "stopping" with the help of a good specialized dog of the Jamthund, Grahund or Ostsibirisk Laika breed.
The driven hunt is similar to that practiced for all the other ungulates, but the moose takes place with few people and with a maximum of two - four dogs. Aspect hunting is practiced alone and in areas where the density of wild animals is very high. It is expected at dawn and dusk on the edge of the tundra or near the marshes, where it usually goes out in pasture. On the other hand, hunting takes place in sparse and fairly clean woods, where visibility is greater even at long distances. It is preferable to practice it during the mating season and accompanied by a very expert local guide who, if necessary, manages to identify and attract the males even with the help of an acoustic call. The last hunting technique is the “Ferma” one, and it is the most beautiful, the most difficult and the most exciting and which should be tried by everyone at least once in their life. I will try to describe it, but I will hardly be able to convey the emotions it is capable of arousing. The "Ferma" hunting with the dog, as the term itself implies, consists in looking for the traces of a big moose, following them, freeing them on one or two Jamthund or Grahund breed specialists who look like a cross between a Husky-Malamute and a Siberian wolf, and wait for them to find him.
Once the moose is found, a good dog must block it to allow the hunter to take it down with a precise shot after carefully evaluating it. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done, and the beauty is all there. First of all there are several kilometers to travel before finding the right track on which to free the dog, moreover it is not certain that the dog will immediately find the moose, indeed often the precious auxiliary goes so far that the handler to maintain contact is forced to put a satellite radio collar on him. Upon reaching the moose, the dog must try to block it by barking and growling in anticipation of the hunter. The guide who will accompany him will be able to understand from the barking if the moose is finally at the "Stop" so, after having given the very exciting hunter the last instructions, he will authorize him to approach alone to attempt the shot from a short distance. It is hunted in thickets, often with snow or in the omnipresent marshes, and avoiding making noise is almost impossible.