Shiras Moose????

[Deerslayer]

I am planning to draw a Moose tag next fall in the lower 48, and will start scouting in a few months....as soon as the snow melts.
My question is this.....how big would a keeper Shiras Moose be?
I know any bull would be legal, but how wide would you think he would need to be for a guy to feel like he did well? 24"?...28"..more than 30"?...35"?...40"?...what is the number I should be looking for?

 

[schmalts]

I'm no expert but i would think it all depends on the area and unit that your hunting. Like other game it depends on what kind of management the state does for the unit your hunting. You could put a 40" standard in a unit that does not have one on hoof. I would contact a game manager for that area and ask him what to expect.
Just my 2cents.

 

[BuzzH]

I've always heard 40" shiras moose, 50" canadian moose, and 60" alaskan moose are good for the species. Add ten inches to any of the three and you got yourself one hell of a bull.

I'd be tickled shitless with a good solid 45 incher with good palms, good points and mass.

 

[blueticker]

40" is what I would set as a good benchmark. 45" is big and 50" is real big. A lot of Wyoming moose tend to have narrow palms and very few have good brows like the northern moose have. I'd shoot a 40" with strong palms over a 50" with elk-like antlers.

 

[BuzzH]

Heres a classic example of a moose to let go.

I was pretty happy with him at the time, sort of. I should have kept looking but really drew a bad Montana Moose permit. It was a late hunt, started mid-november and went through mid-dec. Getting around was a real bitch because of the snow. I couldnt get into a good portion of the area, way too much snow. I really didnt expect to draw that tag, I couldnt put in for the early one either, had a dall sheep in AK earlier that same year that gobbled up all my vacation time.

Anyway, I'd probably pass on this bull, he's a pinch over 30" I think about 32 or so.

This bull is also a shiras from Montana. I took this photo 3 or 4 years ago. While I'm no moose expert, I would definately shoot this one without having to look twice. I would think he's in the upper 40 range, good points, good brows, and a really classy moose if you ask me. This bull did grow a bit more after the picture was taken, but not a lot. At any rate, I'd be blasting this one for sure.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-24-2003 17:12: Message edited by: BuzzH ]</font>

 

[The Hedgehog]

I think moose are always the animal where you hear of the easiest hunts where large ones are taken.. but are the most difficult animal of which to take a real trophy.

Width isn't any different than a deer or elk.. some wide ones can be only average and some narrow ones can be real nice. I've seen some bomber moose at the taxidermy place in town that were only 30-35". Saw one 36" bull taken in Utah last year that I think was in the 160s, which is a monster moose.

When looking for a moose, look for front forks, or better yet palms. Most importantly look for thick and long rear palms, the more points the better.

I'd say don't look at Alaskan moose before going on a Shiras hunt. Look at a lot of Shiras moose mounts though to get a realistic expectation of how they differ in size from the big ones in Canada or Alaska.

Here's the one I took in Wyoming two years ago. He is 41" wide. Not overly big, but a pretty bull. He was 5.5 years old.

 

[Deerslayer]

Great pix Buzz and Kurt!

Good info to know Kurt....and so true about moose being easy, but really good ones being difficult. I guess they are kinda like sheep in that respect. Anyone can kill a sheep in the lower 48 if they draw,.....but you don't see a whole lot of folks sporting bruiser rams for their troubles.....

.....Kurt, was that a bowkill or rifle kill?

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 02-25-2003 09:48: Message edited by: Deerslayer ]</font>

 

[Deerslayer]

Here are two different moose I took pix of this year.....
This one near Yellowstone....

....and this one in the Snowy Range.....

...shooters???

 

[The Hedgehog]

Deerslayer, What I meant is you will hear stories of the biggest moose being taken from a vehicle next to a road.. happens all the time I guess, from what I hear.

But don't expect it to happen when you get a permit. I think finding a really good bull Shiras is tough work. Much harder than deer or elk anyway.

I'd consider those two bulls marginal if they had some front palms or forks.. being that they don't have it, I'd pass on them. Nice looking bulls though.

 

[Deerslayer]

So say a guy(me

)_ finds a decent moose, but it is early in the hunt and he passes. After hunting all week and finding nothing better, could you expect to get back on that moose? Do they move a whole lot or kinda stay put when left alone.

I have noticed the same moose in the same particular are for a couple weeks without going anywhere......is this the norm or do they move a lot like elk?

It makes a differance when passing one up if you know you won't see him again. But if you can tuck him away while you try and trade up, then the choice becomes a much easier one......

 

[1_pointer]

I ran into the same Bull three different times in about 3 weeks. All were within about .25mi of each other. Wish I'd have a camera, he looked about like Greenhorns. He's the reason I've decided to start putting in for Moose in UT.

 

[tmsander]

I saw the same bull shiras every day while hunting elk last year. Picked up one of his sheds (I assume it was his) during my elk hunt this year. He was a pretty good one (although I'm no judge of them)... maybe a bit better than DS's pictures.

 

[Moosie]

Here is a good Example what you should Maybe passup due to the thickness of the PALM..

If you look at it from that Angle it's not a Bad Moose by Any means.. It's just under 40"s wide.... the problem is, I need to get a better picture of the Palm's but they weren't wide by any means... And since then have realised the lack in judgeing atthe time *SMILE*

Here is the best picture I have of the Size of the palm... I can take a better one but you get the gist.... No girth to it

 

[Wyodeerhunter]

Nice moose everyone!

I agree with what everyone says, but a note on front forks, for some reason many areas not many of the bulls will ever produce front forks. Genetics? I dunno. Its just something I've noticed. I would hold out for at least a 40". I would just look for spread and big palms, also number of points. Below is a picture of a nice bull, except one of his horns got busted. For that reason only that bull made it through the season

.

This 2nd pic shows his only palm lol, he had 10 or ll points but no front forks

.

 

[Deerslayer]

Moosie.....your right, the animals palms are kinda light, but I notice your are plenty thick!

.....you been giving them a regular workout!

 

[Moosie]

Ahh DS, that hurt..

Plenty thick ? I was "THICKER" by about 20 pounds when We hunted together in texas

 

[Deerslayer]

And you wondered why I stayed clear of you after dark!

.....thick sweaty palms give me the hee-bee-gee-bees!

 

[bearstalker]

I've been in the process each fall of trying to find a bull like this. Of course, I'm just dreaming, but who knows, right?

82" Alaskan-Yukon bull. I don't think they get any bigger than that. Wolves eventually took this beast out.

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 03-15-2003 04:13: Message edited by: bearstalker ]</font>

 

[Deerslayer]

damn wolves!

....in another year or two, we won't have ANY game left to hunt!