2011 - A 40-year wait produces speechless moment

November 8, 2011 • Voyageur Press


Culver resident, Jim Witkowski, has been applying for a once-in-a-lifetime moose license for 40 years. Yep, he started in 1971.

Well, the tag was worth the wait, because Jim, along with his son Jamie, shot a 37” bull moose estimated at 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 years old near Finland, Minnesota.

Jim and Jamie’s adventure started out by finding a place to stay. They chose a relative’s cabin just outside of Finland and very close to Zone 31 where they were licensed to hunt. “So we had a place to stay, a place to eat... it was nice,” said Jim. “We could cross the road and legal hunt. It couldn’t have worked out any better.” 

The two actually chose a place to hunt about 10 miles up to road on the Beaver State Road. “We found a beaver pond that snakes through a meadow. Water is very important to moose,” said Jim. “We looked for a swampy, wet region and found it.”

On the day of the hunt, Jim recalls Jamie encouraging him to call the moose in. Jim began with a bull moose call and later made the sound of a cow. Within 10 minutes, they had a response. “I did two drawn out cow calls and rattled the brush with a paddle,” Jim explained. “That set the scenario that there is a bull and a cow there.”

“I heard him and every time he called, I called back,” Jim continued. “It was extremely exciting to hear him call back. I kept it up for about 10 minutes and then finally I said I could see him coming. The brush is just cracking like crazy.”

Jim’s heart was pounding and he didn’t even look at Jamie. “I said, ‘I don’t know about you Jamie, but my heart feels like it is going to come out of my chest.’”

“He said, ‘Me too!’”

The moose came out of the brush in a challenge pose and then stepped broadside. “So I said to Jamie, ‘Time to shoot.’ We both shot at the same time and he stumbled. I can still remember the steam rising out of his body above the grass.”

Jim was very happy—he waited 40 years for this moment. “The bull was 37 inches wide, had 15 points and his estimated weight was over 800 pounds. I was blown away with how big he was and how dark he was. He was black.”

“We were speechless,” said Jim about the moment. 

Once the shock wore off, the two went back to get Jim’s oldest grandson Brady. “Brady can’t be in the field when we are shooting. It was important that we share the moment with him.”

It wasn’t until later that Jim and Jamie got over their speechless state. When Jamie was asked what he thought of the experience, he said, “It was the neatest thing. I can’t describe it.”

“It was an indescribable feeling,” added Jim.   

Jim shot his moose with the Ruger 338 Federal rifle he won at the Minnesota Trapper’s Association raffle. “Our neighbors came over around Christmas time and sold us a ticket,” said Jim. “That gun has been pretty successful. Last year, I shot a bear over 400 pounds (near Culver) with that gun, my son killed a buck with that same gun, and now the moose.”

Jim and Jamie are done with their once-in-a-lifetime moose hunt and have mixed emotions. “We are sad that we won’t get to do this again, but that is okay. Other people are waiting their turn and now they get to go.”

Brady can though. If he does choose to moose hunt in the future, grandpa Jim will most likely be willing to tag along.