Becoming an Outdoors Woman

Moose HuntingBy: Becky Schwanke,

Biologist and Owner of Tuff Kids Outdoorswww.tuffkidsoutdoors.com

www.facebook.com/tuffkidsoutdoors

and

Stacee Frost Kleinsmith

• Introductions

• Personal Experiences

• Goals / Objectives

Moose Basics

Map courtesy ADF&G

Moose Basics

Map courtesy ADF&G

Game Management Units

Moose Basics There are over 200,000 moose in the state of Alaska.

They are common over most of the state; depending on the season of the

year, they may be found from sea level to alpine areas.

Moose are absent from only a few small areas of Alaska, on the far northern

coast, the far western edges of the Aleutian Islands, around Valdez in the Prince

William Sound, and the far eastern edges of the SE panhandle. Moose range is

expanding.

Over 7,000 moose are harvested annually in Alaska; the number is

increasing due to active management.

Moose weigh up to 1,600 lbs

They’re herbivorous; eating willow, birch, and aspen leaves and twigs,

along with sedges, Equisetum, pond weeds, and grasses.

They are important prey to predators such as wolves, black and brown bears

Cow moose generally have 1 or 2 calves per year from age 3-18

Hunter education (Basic Hunter Ed / Archery IBEP)

Hunting license

Moose harvest ticket, drawing, or registration permit

Locking big game tag (non-residents)

Review Regulations (intro sections and GMUs)

Legal definitions

Spike

Fork

Spread and Brow Tines

Maps / Information sources (land ownership)

Alaska Hunting Regulations (federal / corporate land owner

contacts)

Alaska Gazetteer; USGS 1” to the mile maps

Google Earth

GPS

Moose Hunting Prep

Timing and Aggregation

Moose are generally considered solitary animals, concentrating only

during certain times of the year.

The breeding season (known as the rut) happens around the first of

October, but moose start to concentrate as early as the first couple weeks of

September.

• Bulls are moving, using sight and smell to gather harems of cows

• Cows are also moving, preparing for the rut as well

As the rut nears, bulls get increasingly aggitated and aggressive. Bulls

start to make themselves known by breaking sticks, scraping trees and

thrashing brush. Their big antlers act as amplifiers to zero in on both cows

and bulls making noise from over a mile distant. At closer ranges range,

they use visual cues (antler size) to determine who is dominant. Cow moose

are also starting to make their presence known by calling and leaving scent

trails. Bull moose become increasingly "rutty" as their testosterone levels

increase. As September progresses, they become more susceptible to these

audio and visual messages, making it easier for hunters to call them.

Moose often stay together, grouping even tighter post-rut, generally

above treeline where visibility is excellent. Once a layer of snow falls,

biologists capitalize on this time to count moose, taking advantage of this

annual post-rut aggregation.

As snowfall increases throughout the winter, moose are gradually forced

down in elevation where they concentrate in food rich riparian areas. To

avoid overbrowsing, winter hunts are sometimes used to reduce overall

numbers when populations get too high.

Timing cont.

Hunt Preparation – Where should I go?HUNTING THE ROAD SYSTEM

• Pro: Cheap. Anyone with a vehicle can go!

• Con: Crowded in General Season hunt areas. Get up early! Don’t be afraid to sit

and wait sometimes, patience is important. Camp out near your hunting area. Apply

for drawing hunts to minimize competition.

WALKING

• Get good aerial photos (try Google Earth) of your hunt area and target good, open

habitats with nearby cover.

• Safety first! Be especially aware of your surroundings and other hunters when

making a shot.

BY RIVER: Float trips, lake or jet boats

• Pro: Cover a lot of country, different camp sites & terrain to reconnoiter. Quiet

travel when floating.

• Con: Easy to get lulled into a low-effort approach, harder to keep meat dry/cool.

• While floating: look for sign in the mud, LISTEN & be ready

• Hard to see what is up on the bank & beyond: map your openings ahead of time so

you know prime spots to get out and glass.

Hunt Preparation – cont.BY AIR: Fly-in hunts

• Pro: less competition, more country all to yourself

• Con: expensive!

• Fly-in hunts have weight restrictions- be prepared to pack light

• Same day airborne: you can't shoot any big game until the morning after you

flew in.

BY ATV: Hunting with 4-wheelers and ARGOS

• Pro: Can get away from crowding along highways

• Con: There can still be crowding…

• Stop and glass often!

• Before firing up the ATV: look around, glass for game.

• Do not shoot from a running ATV

Hunt Preparation• Hunting takes a lot of preparation, especially the first few times.

• Be prepared to spend several days gathering gear, practicing with your gear

(especially your gun) and planning.

• Don't forget to test your gear before bringing it hunting!

• Shoot your gun until you are familiar with it and it doesn't intimidate you.

Practice picking it up, taking a shot and putting it down again. Practice reloading.

• Train on quick recognition of shot placement. The ADF&G e-range on College

Rd is a great resource, but you can also just watch wildlife movies and mentally

point (or physically if you have a big screen!) out the vital areas.

• Practice shooting from different positions and using a rest. Make shooting sticks

or experiment with using what you find around you.

• Have a plan not only for getting out there, but bringing back 500+ pounds of

moose meat.

Hunt Preparation

Firearms

Many options here, 7mm, 308,

30-06, 270 are generally as

small as you would go for

a youth or new hunter.

Maximum expansion bullet

will be necessary. A 300, a 300 Win

short mag, or 7mm mag are preferred

moose guns, especially when in

grizzly country. A 44 or a 45 cal

handgun can also be used, in addition

to a variety of archery setups.

Shot placement is critical on a moose. They have dense thick rib bones and

vertebrae.

The Heart / Lung area is the best vital area on any big game animal.

CENTER OF MASS

Size Estimation

Spread 54”2x3 Brow TinesAge ~ 5-10

Spike – SpikeYearling Bull

Fork – ForkYearling Bulls Spread ~ 40”

3x3 Brow TinesAge ~ 3-4

Spread ~ 30”2x1 Brow TinesAge ~ 2-3

Brow Tines

Beware of:

• Mid-Bay Points and

• Short points (points that are

shorter than they are wide)

Basics of the Hunt

• There’s always a chance of seeing a bear, bring required locking tags or harvest tickets

• What is good moose habitat? Think cover, food, water, shelter, arrangement

• Find lookouts above treeline, or where sparsely vegetated; study the prevailing wind dir.

• Be prepared when you leave the boat or the road/trail; insects, rain, dark, hunger, etc.

• Radios can’t be used for communication, but hand signals work good with preparation

•Always confirm the moose is legal before you shoot

•Always confirm there are no animals directly behind the moose (avoid pass throughs)

• Do not rush the shot

•Always try to have multiple eyes on the moose, if you hit it, you need to know asap

• Be prepared for the work ahead, maybe an evening stalk is a bad idea

• Your pack will be heavy, be ready (meat/antlers can be 400-600+lbs)

• Early mornings are best for hearing and seeing moose

Think like a moose… can you get him to come to you?

• Use your camp as a hunting tool.

• Position your tent, campfire, etc. to best hunt the terrain.

• Put your camp near good moose habitat (look for sign).

• Wear your binoculars. Look up and out often, glass if you are at the edge of an

opening. Be aware of your camp relative to landscape features, thinking about how a

moose might move through the area.

• Keep a clear shooting path between places where you will be

standing/sitting/sleeping and places where a moose might feed.

•Always have your rifle at hand. You never know who may wander through.

• Bring your gun to bed. Have the gun ready in the tent in case your moose shows up

at the edge of the meadow first thing in the morning. Don’t forget to position your

tent so that you have a good view and a clear shot to some good habitat (lake edge,

sedge area, etc.) if at all possible. If you can't make that happen try to make a "safe"

route between your tent and a good perch where you unlikely to be detected.

The Camp

SIGHT

• Moose can see movement, contrasting colors. Use this to your advantage rather than

disadvantage.

• Found a shed antler? Plant it! White antler shapes at the edges of meadows

• Blend in with your surroundings- camp at the edge of the opening in the brush so you can see

them but they can't see you against the background.

SCENT

• Moose have big nasal passages – and a great sense of smell. Pay attention to wind direction

relative to your camp and major clearings where you might have a shot.

• Remember, fires occur in Alaska all the time, so campfire smell is okay! Cooking things over

the fire, however, may be an issue (but not always).

SOUND

• Turn your camp into an interesting place for moose to investigate. Scrape, call and break

sticks at every opportunity!

• If there are particular places where you want the moose to be for a clear shot, go to those

areas before you start to scrape and break sticks- even for firewood.

• Try not to make non-natural loud sounds: loud laughter, shouting, motors and other clearly

human noises may push off the big one.

The Hunt

If you are stationary: Get to know the terrain. Where are the travel corridors? Where

are the meadows? Where can you get a shot?

• Look for sign (past and present). Moose scraping on trees, leaf stripping and

browse clipping, footprints, old beds, new beds.

• Take time to thoroughly glass the area many, many times a day.

• Take turns every few hours looping out to glass the "moosey" or clear shooting

areas while someone stays at camp. All that calling at camp doesn't do any good if no

one is there to shoot the moose that is called in!

• Whenever the hunting party breaks up, communicate clearly about where everyone

will be and avoid overlapping areas. Someone may miss an opportunity if they are

worried about whether there are people behind the moose!

The Hunt

If you are on the move: Start the day with a plan. Do you know what kind of terrain

you will be moving through? How will you know when you get there?

• Stop at promising features like stands of tall trees (to climb and glass), overlooks,

edges of ponds or river banks, edges of meadows. Give yourself enough time to sit

and really glass for 15 minutes or so at each stop.

• Walk a bit. Sometimes a great spot is a 5-10 minute walk from the trail or river.

Pack so that you have what you need to stalk a moose in an easy-to-grab bag.

• Give yourself enough daylight at the end of the day to make a good camp. Take

time to call and scrape in the evening.

• Look for sign. If you see fresh sign, toss out the plan for the day and follow the

fresh lead.

The Hunt

• The best scenario is for the moose to remain oblivious to your presence before the shot.

• Your goal is to get the clearest, most accurate shot.... without spooking the moose or before

he/she wanders off.

• Make a plan for stalking. If you are with other people, make sure they know what you are

doing.

SIGHT, SCENT, SOUND

• Wear neutral colors

•Approach from downwind

• Move quietly: no plasticky fabrics, metal clinks

• If the moose is moving, take note of the direction and assume they will keep moving

• Put a shell in the chamber, then back on safety (as quietly as possible).

• If you will be out of sight of the animal while stalking, use a fellow hunter and hand signals

seen through binos to keep on track (be sure to arrange your hand signals ahead of time).

• Remember that stalks can last for hours or a split second. Keep a small backpack or fanny

pack with the essentials (as well as your gun) with you at all times. This should include extra

ammunition, ear plugs, butchering equipment, 1-2 dry bags, license and tags, camera,

headlamp and a little food and water. Enough to get started on the butchering until

reinforcements arrive.

• Now is a good time to triple-check the number of brow tines and estimate antler width if

you are in an area with antler restrictions.

The Stalk

• Is you gun is clear (no obstruction in the barrel)? Don’t forget your safety. Be patient.

• How far is it? Know your effective range!

• What is around the animal? Standing in water? Just stepping into the river? Any other

moose behind the one you are targeting? Think about how this will affect life after the shot.

• Get a good rest. Think about bullet / arrow trajectory.

• Don't succumb to pressure. Do YOU think you can make that shot? Don't worry about what

anyone else thinks. Shoot when you are ready. You will be responsible for the consequences.

• What time is it? Do you have time to follow up a bad shot? Keep in mind that the moose

will need to be butchered immediately to keep it from rotting. Are you prepared to butcher in

the dark?

• Whether you make a bad shot or a good shot, the moose will likely move after you pull the

trigger. You will need to track the moose and possibly shoot it again (so bring your rifle).

Remember that shot placement at close range can differ from shot placement at 200 yds.

The Shot

Always validate your harvest

ticket before you start to cut!

And remember to fill out your

harvest report, paper copy or

online when you get home.

Success!

Moose Field Dressing - Prep

If you want to keep the shoulder cape or the full sized cape, you’ll

need to make certain cuts to ensure a taxidermist can easily put the cape

back together (Decide on this before you go into the field)

Be prepared to leave evidence of sex on the meat. You get two

opportunities here, removing the first hind quarter or the second.

Be prepared to keep your meat clean (no dirt or hair, and as dry as

possible) – bring tarps and rope

NEVER store meat or raw hides in plastic for any length of time - If

you do not have adequate air flow, bacteria rapidly spreads and meat and the

hide will quickly start to decompose. Use ample, large clean game bags.

Moose are fairly clean animals, but there are a few things you should know about before

hunting.

•Abscesses (Pus pockets; generally localized infections)

•Antlers, Peruke (knobby velvet covered, lack of testosterone)

• Chronic wasting disease (degeneration of the brain)

• Cystic hydatid disease (Lung cysts)

• Liver tapeworm cysts

• Lumpy Jaw (localized infections)

• Moose fly, hock sores (localized fly bites and related sores)

• Muscle tapeworm cysts

• Worms, seen and unseen

• Papillomas (large skin warts)

the causal viruses can be

transferred to people

Moose Field Dressing – Understanding Parasites

Severe Papillomas

Harmless

Muscle Tapeworm Cysts

Moose Field Dressing

Gutting 1st

Gutting 1st

Pros:

• This effectively starts the cooling process

• Reduces any chance of bloating and complications

• Keeps the ruminant contents away from the meat

Depending on the situation, you may need to be flexible on your technique.

Moose are very large and it takes a very long time for heat to dissipate once the animal is

down.

Cons:

• With your hands up in the chest cavity,

you’re cutting blind

• If you cut into the stomach, intestines, or

the bladder, you can contaminate the area

• You can accidentally cut into and

contaminate the tenderloins

Moose Field Dressing

Caping and quartering 1st

If you have plenty of time to completely field dress the animal, you can consider

Caping and Quartering 1st

Pros:

• This effectively keeps the ruminant contents contained

• The cape can be used to keep dirt/veg away from the meat

• Minimal cuts can be used, keeping loose hair away from the meat

Cons:

• The stomach/intestines will bloat and you

Still have to remove them before finished

• The meat stays warm longer

Moose Field Dressing

If you have plenty of time to completely field dress the animal, you can consider

Nice weather and ample daylight is SO MUCH NICER!

Before meat goes in game bags, you may want to let it air dry a little – let a thin crust

form on the outer layer. Meat poles are ideal for this. Tip: you can easily slip a

game bag around a hanging quarter. Scraps should go directly into game bags.

* If flies are out, you’ll need to

quickly get your meat covered

up! Or use a smoke fire to

keep them away until you put

game bags on.

Ideal looking, clean and dry, moose meat bags!

Ideal looking, clean and dry front shoulder. Minimal

crust, dirt or debris to trip.

Front Shoulders –

Some tough steaks,

and shank = burger

or stew meat

Hind Quarters – Some

tender steaks, some

tough steaks, and

shank = burger or stew

meat

Moose hunting is an amazing way to bring the family together to put meat on

the table. Think of all the incredible aspects of moose hunting with the whole

family including spending quiet meaningful time together!

There are so many life skills we learn when hunting, such as working together,

self awareness, keeping our environment clean, making fire, cooking outdoors,

staying warm and dry, enjoying and learning about wildlife, etc.

Final Thoughts

Thanks and Good Luck!