BANGOR DAILY NEWS • October 1, 2022
Having made a previous commitment to attend a friend’s wedding rehearsal dinner on Friday and to be in the wedding party on Saturday, he didn’t want to take any chances on not harvesting a moose. He called Registered Maine Guide Jesse Cote, whose guiding track record included 134 successful moose hunts since 2011. “He said, ‘I’ll pick you up at 5 o’clock in the morning. I’ll have you a moose in half an hour and I’ll put him in your lap,’” Ellis said. He decided to buy a crossbow. Cote lured the bull, which suddenly turned and presented itself, broadside, at point-blank range. Because of the close proximity, Ellis wasn’t able to use the scope. He still made a perfect shot behind the right shoulder. By 6:45 a.m., barely half an hour after they had gotten out of the truck and begun calling, the hunt was over. The moose dressed out at 632 pounds with an antler spread of 40 inches.