Post by jrb on May 24, 2006 12:21:33 GMT -5
Picture of my biggest moose. Moose hunting for me is a way to fill the freezer. My brother and i usually try to shoot one moose a year... we split it and it is enough meat for his family and mine. Normally we look for the first legal moose we can find. There are two kinds of legal moose for most of us in Alaska. Yearling spike/forks & Big 50" plus bulls. The spike forks are easier to pack, usually a little more tender, and more abundant. On this trip Ben and I split up and both passed on this bull at different times because we were not sure if he made the 50" mark. During the noon time siesta we talked about each of our close encounters with him. We decided that if we don't see a spike/fork we had better scrutinize this guy if he gives us another chance. Well as luck would turn out he showed himself as we prepared for the evening hunt. I won the coin flip and was able to sneak in to about forty or fifty yards. I wished i had my bow with me, but my rifle is much more effective at filling the freezer. This moose was 53", big by my standards, however big moose in Alaska are 60 plus inches. The first thing i noticed when i walked up on him was the size of his body... much larger than the spikes we had been shooting over the years. We like to weigh the quarters when we get home. A spike/forks quarters usually range from 65 - 80 pounds each with bone in and hoof cut off...no hide. This guys front quarters weighed 90 and his rears wieghed 95 apiece. I have heard tales of quarters over 150 pounds each... i believe it. Anyway just thought i would share some Alaska info. I have started posting more pics on my web site and hope to add a few more stories there also. www.muldoonvideo.com
