Tom Miranda is the 17th bowhunter to complete the Super Slam, killing all 29 North American big game species with bow and arrow. It took him 13 years to achieve his Slam, and along the way he documented it in print and video.

The 3-minute clip below highlights the moment of truth during Tom’s fourth moose trip to the Yukon. He had already completed the Super Slam at this time, but his Alaska/Yukon bull moose for the Slam wasn’t a big one. As he explains in the video, arrowing a trophy bull had been his nemesis, but all that changes on the final afternoon of a 10-day hunt.

Tom and his guide spot the massive bull in the trees while boating slowly up the river, and thankfully the moose doesn’t flee. Either the cover is thick enough that the bull believes he’s hidden, or there’s also a chance the moose simply isn’t afraid of anything — it’s likely he’s never seen a human before.

Whatever the case, the guide turns the boat around and shuts off the outboard. The current will quietly drift the boat downstream, and the hope is the moose will still be standing in the trees. Of course, Tom isn’t hunting with a rifle, so range, shot angle, and a perfectly clear shooting lane all must be acceptable before he will release an arrow.

As you’ll see, the distance turns out to be 40 yards, and while there is a clear shooting lane, the shot angle isn’t ideal — the bull is slightly quartering toward. Tom decides to shoot, and slips the arrow as far forward as possible without hitting the leg bone or shoulder. Initially, I thought arrow impact was too far back for a quick kill, but as the bull runs, the shot placement looks a little better. The bull runs only 60 yards, so it’s clear Tom’s broadhead caught the back of the lungs.

Every bowhunter has his or her No. 1 bucket list adventure, and Alaska/Yukon moose is mine. But unless someone gives me a winning lottery ticket, I’ll have to dream and continue watching videos such as this one.

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