49 Degree North Moose

[huntnphool]

I think I will have WF70 carry my .338, he has a bear tag anyway, and I will take Popes advice and pick up some 200gr. Noslers just in case but I really am going to do my best to take one with archery gear.

Thanks Passion, those are perfect. I just wish it showed arrows pointing at labeled explanations.

[Gutpile]

I don't know how to judge them either but every time I see one I cannot believe how big they are. Find the pic of the guy on one of these moose threads and go a little bigger than that one. I'm not knocking the animal but there's sp many moose in the two units we've talked about it's just silly. If you didn't see at least 2-3 bulls a day I'd be surprised.

You'll know he's mature, great big fat belly, sway back, long bell, huge hams. You're just gonna know if he's the boss.

I don't want to give the impression that I fancy myself a moose pro but I've hunted there since I was pre-pubescent and I'm 40 now. For the last ten years lets say 100-200 trips for bear, grouse, atv ing, elk, deer whatever  I've seen at least one a day 90% of the time.

[WDFW-SUX]

More basics

http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=huntalaska.moose

[boneaddict]

Sounds like my other moose contact didn't draw49 Rob...know what that means?

[huntnphool]

Sounds like my other moose contact didn't draw49 Rob...know what that means?

ya, I better plan on making more pack trips in and out of there

[popeshawnpaul]

About field judging...  First and foremost look for at least split brow tines and if they have 3 or 4 per side, that's a big one.  Small ones will have a big point for their brow tine.  Without split brow tines, it's really hard to make any book.  The reason is they measure the length of the palm from the back of the palm all they way to the front.  If the front brow palm is split then you get to measure it all the way up to the split in the brow.  It bought me an extra 6 or 7 inches per side on my moose.  Next look a the palms and points.  If the points are big and long, they generally have smaller palms.  Mine just happened to have huge points and decent sized palms, so don't use the long points as a rule that they must have small palms.  You want long and wide palms.  No matter how long the points are, you only get 1" for each one.  So don't pick them based on long points.  You generally want 6 points on each side minimum, not counting the brow palms.  When I look at a moose I see two things, the brows and the palm size.  Width is all that is ever reported, but it's not that important.  Many narrow moose score big.  My moose was a narrow moose and was only 45.5" wide, but the split brows and long palms put him at 149" gross, over the B&C minimum of 140".  

Now we can get into the theory of the scoring system and that is where I have a problem.  I don't think the scoring system gives the moose enough credit for the bone it grows.  Take mine for example...it had huge sword points almost 20" long, yet the moose only gets 1" for that?  It makes no sense.  Also, the split brow thing is kind of ridiculous.  I've seen some huge 50" moose with a single brow that won't make B&C because they don't have split brow palms.  I can go on and on, but this is one reason I'll never enter my moose into a book, I just don't agree with their scoring system.

[Gutpile]

pics!!!!!

[popeshawnpaul]

Bone has some good ones as well for Shiras.  It's good to start looking at pictures of moose and their scores, so you get an idea.  The most important thing to look at is the split brows...

[huntnphool]

Very Interesting Pope, great info, thanks. That second link Passion sent has a drawing of a rack that points out all those things you mentioned, now I can tell where I should be looking. It shows the brow tines and how they come off the palms. I wasn't sure what you were talking about when you told me to hold out for double brows, now I know.

[huntnphool]

Awsome pic, I was hoping you were going to post one. Those brows look like what I had imagined, the drawing is more palmated with little nubs coming off.


The pic brings up another question. How do you cool down the meat that time of year. Its going to take me hours to get it out, is there cold storage anywhere close that you know of?

[huntnphool]

So this one wouldn't score that well since his brows are not split? This is going to be increadable.

[boneaddict]

YOU have NO IDEA!

[popeshawnpaul]

He would score well because he has palms of about 20" long and about 12" wide.  He also makes up for it in width.  He loses a lot with no double brows though...

You bring up a very valid issue with cooling off the meat.  In my hunting area I had snow a few days before in Sept...and some was still left so I put my quarters in the snow despite the fact it was hot during the day, the snow stuck around.  In your instance you will have to do what I do for elk hunting...

Bring lots of tubs and huge coolers.  The moment you get one down, have one of your hunting buddies go down and buy 40 bags of ice.  You are going to have to put the quarters in the coolers if the cooler is large enough, or put them in huge cheap wal-mart rubbermaid type tubs.  The fact is it's going to be difficult to get it all out quick and down to cold storage.  I guess if you got enough guys and it drops near the road.  What if you are 1.5 hours from cold storage and it drops 4 miles from the road and it's 80 degrees...  You will need to keep them in tubs until you get them all out and to cold storage.  Then, you have the problem I had...how do you get them home?  It's 85 degrees in eastern washington...  I loaded my meat in ice and drove them to my taxidermist and cold storage here on the westside.  I bought tons of ice bags and just stacked the quarters in our jeep.  I took out the back seat and it filled the whole interior of the jeep.  By the time I got to cold storage the ice was gone and the quarters were getting warm.  I needed more tubs to keep them cold.  If I had to do it again I would have 5 huge tubs and be ready to buy tons of ice...

[Wea300mag]

This thread is awesome, I'm learning a lot about scoring moose.

[DeKuma]

Maybe we should set up a contact list for all the succesful Moose hunters to call when they need help!  I know that it could be pretty hot over there at that time and you will need to cool it quickly.  Chewelah has cold storage available, and Colville/Kettle Falls is not far and may have some as well.