USA: The Moose Of A Lifetime (73.75") SW Alaska

[Tundra Tiger]

@BC.Pat ... I'm with you, or close. My largest is 57, though he had a broken tine that would have gotten him over 60. I had never been a part of the taking of one over 70 before; it was freaking behemoth, in every way.

Frankly, as a resident here, we can shoot any bull - visible antler is all that's required. I like moose meat enough that I'm not picky. As a result, I've got a lot of paddlehorns through around 50".

 

[BC.Pat]

I like moose meat enough that I'm not picky.

Yeah I here you, got mouths to feed and hard to pass on any legal moose down here in BC.
All the best
Pat

 

[Greenhunter13]

I'm going to post this report with eye towards being lean on words and heavier on photos. I am happy to answer any questions that anyone might have.

This hunt took place in GMU 17A (a draw hunt) during the second week of September. The hunter was my longtime hunting buddy, who moved to Minnesota last year and came back this year after drawing a tag for 17A. I actually had two moose tags in my own pocket - an antlered tag and an any sex tag. Alas, I did not get to use either of mine; this hunt was all about BJ (my buddy). Also along was childhood friend Darin who was there for the scenery, the photography, and the fishing (spawning silvers!)

I don't know that the lake has a name? It's small (1.5 miles by a few hundred yards across) and is connected at the top to a smaller round pond (where we actually shot the moose).

Because my buddy is a non-resident now, he had a 50" antler restriction, and it had him a bit worried - judging can be tricky. On our third night I called in a bull that I judged to be above 50". Later I would look at photos Darin took and I think it was more likely a 60" bull. But BJ passed on it. The bull came in very aggressively to cow calling, which surprised me as it seemed a bit early still for such behavior, based on past seasons. Still, a positive sign.

Then, on our 5th night, I called in the one he shot. I called it out of the puckerbrush at the north end of the pond. We first ranged him at about a 1000 yards when he came out. We were situated on a ridge on the south end of the pond. There was a steep sided stream between us and his side; it shows in the photos. Again, like the bull two nights earlier, this one came in aggressively, though he seemed ambivalent about my cow calling and was far more interested in my raking and grunting. Whatever. It worked. The yards fell away as the minutes passed, and he eventually stopped across the stream from us, on the ridge on the other side. The final distance was 134 yards. My buddy put him down right there.

My initial guess was high 60s, and I was off. He taped 73 and 3/4 inches - truly the bull of a lifetime. I cannot begin to say how happy I am for my friend, and how blessed I was to have had a hand in its demise.

And as you can see, the fishing for spawning silvers was simply fantastic. We caught far more than we could count.

Have I mentioned how much I like living in Alaska?

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What an Awesome Trip! I love seeing the Hawkeye flag flying as I'm an Iowa native. Also, my buddy and I got drawn for 17a and would love to hear more about the details of your trip if possible. We are heading there in Sept. and in the planning phase still. Would you mind chatting about your trip over phone or email?

 

[Chago]

That's a dream hunt for me. Congrats !