Field judging shiras

[6haase6]

Did a search and could ring really find anything. Stuff about scoring them but no real tips on applying it in the field. Been looking at pics and reading on the internet. This website seemed to help https://www.flattopswildernessguides.com/shiras-moose-field-judging/. Was wondering if any of you guys had any other tips or tricks?

[Bonnie]

Thanks for sharing , good luck with your tag …

[trophyhunt]

No expert by any means, but a single eye guard will kill any score.  Deep, tall paddles, multiple fronts and width.   @benhuntin

[jrebel]

What is your goal in judging a Shiras Moose??  Are you looking for best scoring or just a really good representative?  The two don't always go hand in hand as official scoring is different than most would think. 

I personally like large wide (individual) paddles with longer tines.  I love big brow tines.  If I was trying to judge a moose, I would go with what gets the blood pumping??  45+ inches wide would be a good moose.  General rule of thumb....ears laying flat will be approx 30" wide.  Palmation on the brows gets me excited.  Some of the best scoring moose I have been around, are kind of ugly (obviously not all)...... Tall, narrow (individual paddles) with flattened points (not deep valleys) that come off the moose's skull like big goofy ears....just don't do it for me. 

I like mass (doesn't equate to good scores), long points, width, character. 

Here are a couple that I wouldn't pass on day one...hour one...minute one.  These are Canadian Rockies moose which are a very close relative to the Shiras. 

Fist two pics are same bull....lots of mass, BIGGG BROWS, curls in as opposed to sitting flat which didn't help score. 

[jrebel]

More traditional...flatter paddles.  Fronts are nice, but not like the previous photo.  Tall paddles that will score very well....but not as wide a paddle. 

Smaller moose in this picture is also very nice....just younger. 

[6haase6]

I looking for tips to field judge for score. If I can field judge for score and it doesn’t score good but it gives me the willies or scores good and doesn’t give me the willies, then I can discuss that with myself at the time. I don’t really have anything in mind with this other than educating myself as much as possible before the hunt and helping for the next guy that is looking for field judging tips.

[6haase6]

Do you know scores on those bulls?

[Ridgerunner]

I don't think B&C scoring is a good measurement of moose. 

When I had the tag I wanted something that had alot of eye appeal to me.  That was double or triple brows, paddles that had a good width to them and points that were off the paddle a little bit, but not super long like a deer or elk.  I did hear from talking to other hunters who had hunted moose that you wanted to look for bulls where the main beam dipped down as that was a trademark of older bulls. 

End of the day you're the one who needs to be happy with whatever you pull the trigger on at the end of the day. 

[benhuntin]

No expert by any means, but a single eye guard will kill any score.  Deep, tall paddles, multiple fronts and width.   @benhuntin

Shoot the biggest one you can find. The score will take care of itself.


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[jrebel]

Do you know scores on those bulls?

I'll find my score sheet for the first bull and post it.  It missed making the books...but not by much.  Don't have the score for the bottom moose.  It wouldn't have made book either, but it is one heck of a bull. 

Here is a picture of another one that is super nice.  Don't have the score on this one either.  I'll be honest.....scoring animals had it's appeal at one point in my life, now it doesn't. 

[Buckjunkie]

There are two scoring systems. B & C and SCI.

B & C for each side paddle length + paddle width + 1 mass measurement at the smallest place between the paddle and the burr + outside width and count the points.

SCI for each side is 2 x paddle length + 2 x paddle width + 1 mass measurement at the smallest place between the paddle and the burr + outside width and add the length of the points. 

Paddle length is a big deal. Paddle length is the longest point parallel to the inside of the antler between two points on top and bottom. If you don’t have 2 or more points on your fronts you measure to the paddle. You can lose 10+ inches on each
side.

[jrebel]

Here is the official score sheet with the top moose.  I cropped the B&C scorer information so I wasn't publishing his address. 

[jackelope]

No expert by any means, but a single eye guard will kill any score.  Deep, tall paddles, multiple fronts and width.   @benhuntin

Yass. A big score needs 3 eye guards.

[benhuntin]

No expert by any means, but a single eye guard will kill any score.  Deep, tall paddles, multiple fronts and width.   @benhuntin

Yass. A big score needs 3 eye guards.

Needs 2 brows. 3 is only one extra point.


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[MADMAX]

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say
 Boy he’s pretty nice and 30 yds from the road
Little weak on eye guards though
Not this guy
Boom
OIL tag done

[Naches Sportsman]

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say
 Boy he’s pretty nice and 30 yds from the road
Little weak on eye guards though
Not this guy
Boom
OIL tag done

That was exactly me last year when my co worker and I saw mine standing up on top of the cut bank.

[hunter399]

Some good bulls in there.
You'll know which one is the special,when you see him.

[brew]

Mine was no monster but being able to "quarter" it up on a road made him a trophy in my book

[6haase6]

Here is the official score sheet with the top moose.  I cropped the B&C scorer information so I wasn't publishing his address.

Thank you. I was good to practice judging the different measurements and then getting to know what they actually are.

[6haase6]

I’ve got enough support close to the road isn’t going to be a priority to us. The more I look around the more I love big palmed fronts and shorter points.

[trophyhunt]

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say
 Boy he’s pretty nice and 30 yds from the road
Little weak on eye guards though
Not this guy
Boom
OIL tag done

tough to tell from pic, but we passed this bull 20 yards off the road because he had weak fronts. Tough pass

[trophyhunt]

My wife’s 155” Wa bull.

[brew]

My wife’s 155” Wa bull.

nice

[benhuntin]

Mine was no monster but being able to "quarter" it up on a road made him a trophy in my book

My favorite thing to do is load them whole.


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[trophyhunt]

Mine was no monster but being able to "quarter" it up on a road made him a trophy in my book

My favorite thing to do is load them whole.


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he’s not lying, he was pretty disappointed when we had to cut mine in half.  Lol

[brew]

Mine was no monster but being able to "quarter" it up on a road made him a trophy in my book

My favorite thing to do is load them whole.


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he’s not lying, he was pretty disappointed when we had to cut mine in half.  Lol

mine barely fit in the wife's explorer

[HillHound]

Here’s another to help set your calibration, mine from 2018. 38 inches wide, Scored 122 because of his single eyeguard on his one side and a point on each side not being counted because they weren’t longer than they were wide. I could have cared less about score or I wouldn’t have shot him with his single eye guard, I just wanted to get one that was close to 40 or better and this one fit the bill. Know what your goal is and stick to it, The amount of time and help you have definitely dictates how selective you can be.

[jrebel]

Loading them whole is pretty cool!!  We are probably 50% getting them out whole, but that is only because there are argos involved.  I can't imagine packing a moose on my back for miles.       It would literally take an army of folks (or a week).   

[Bonnie]

Those are some nice bulls , I hope my wife can get one like those , we’d both be happy if it was by the road to …

[6haase6]

I’ve got the whole month off and have a pretty good following of guys. The only limits I will have is what we can find for bulls. Getting my every bit of info on moose and the unit I can that way I can find the one and know it’s the one

[MADMAX]

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to say
 Boy he’s pretty nice and 30 yds from the road
Little weak on eye guards though
Not this guy
Boom
OIL tag done

tough to tell from pic, but we passed this bull 20 yards off the road because he had weak fronts. Tough pass

I’m looking forward to see what others are seeing in the areas on their scouts
Definitely would dictate my trigger finger itch level
Never hunted moose
But hoping to see others success
 

[jackelope]

No expert by any means, but a single eye guard will kill any score.  Deep, tall paddles, multiple fronts and width.   @benhuntin

Yass. A big score needs 3 eye guards.

Needs 2 brows. 3 is only one extra point.


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Doesn’t it also help the overall width and/or length of the palms also with more brow tines? I’m an amateur. You definitely gotta have as that will help them score big but 3 brows will help them get to really big score. That’s what I thought.

[hunter399]

What does this guy score.
Scored or judging moose is definitely a new born thing for me.
Pic #1 or pic #2 are different units , different moose.

[trophyhunt]

That bottom one looks like my moose in 2019, think someone put it around 140-145 ish.  Top one is tough to tell, smaller though.

[hunter399]

That bottom one looks like my moose in 2019, think someone put it around 140-145 ish.  Top one is tough to tell, smaller though.

I gotta agree ,it looks exactly the same.

I think this is another pic of the first one.
Little more in his prime before the rut.

I believe this is another of pic #2

[benhuntin]

No expert by any means, but a single eye guard will kill any score.  Deep, tall paddles, multiple fronts and width.   @benhuntin

Yass. A big score needs 3 eye guards.

Needs 2 brows. 3 is only one extra point.


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Doesn’t it also help the overall width and/or length of the palms also with more brow tines? I’m an amateur. You definitely gotta have as that will help them score big but 3 brows will help them get to really big score. That’s what I thought.

No difference in 2 or 3 or 5 brows. The only difference is the total points. You want the brows to fork out as far as possible.  That’s where you get the length of paddle.


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[huntnnw]

I don't think B&C scoring is a good measurement of moose. 

When I had the tag I wanted something that had alot of eye appeal to me.  That was double or triple brows, paddles that had a good width to them and points that were off the paddle a little bit, but not super long like a deer or elk.  I did hear from talking to other hunters who had hunted moose that you wanted to look for bulls where the main beam dipped down as that was a trademark of older bulls. 

End of the day you're the one who needs to be happy with whatever you pull the trigger on at the end of the day.

B&C scoring of moose is terrible! Be the same if we didn’t measure the length of any elk tines when scoring elk.

[BlackRiverTaxidermy]

Here’s a good idea for ya, or anyone for that matter. Being put on by a friend and one of the best guides in the business. I was there last year and Josh is doing it again this year- HIGHLY recommend!

[Bonnie]

Thanks , probably a lot of useful info for us that have never hunted moose .