Moose Hunting – Alaska Style

As most have figured out by now I have a fascination to Moose.

Whether they are sitting in my yard chewing their ‘cuds’ or lazily walking munching the trees and water foliage, you may sometimes see them running (probably faster than you thought).

We have just passed this years hunting season so I give you some information on that tradition for many people. For most of Alaska, September is moose hunting month. Some areas of the state have additional limited times in mid-winter when it is legal to hunt moose, but for the most part, people hope and plan to take their moose in September.

Only bulls are legal to hunt, and only one per person. In some places, the bulls are further restricted to those with a 50 inch rack spread (antlers measured at the widest point).

Moose are the most sought after big game animal in Alaska. Hunters report harvesting over 7,000 of Alaska's estimated 175,000 moose each year. Going out to “get a moose” is a fall ritual for tens of thousands of Alaskans.

For beginning moose hunters and for seasoned hunters as well, one of the most important things to keep in mind is that moose are huge. Mature bulls can weigh from 1,000 to over 1,500 lbs. Mature cows weigh nearly a half ton. Even calves will weigh over 300 lbs. in September their first year of life.

When choosing an area to hunt and a means of transportation, remember that you will have about 400 to 700 pounds of meat and up to 65 pounds of antlers to transport from the kill-site to home. That's why many seasoned Alaskan moose hunters say “never kill a moose more than a mile from a vehicle of some sort.”

The reason is that you will have 7 to 9 heavy backpacks of meat to carry and will have to walk several round trips between the moose and your vehicle—half of that with well over 50 pounds on your back. It is part of the ‘experience’ but one that can be less enjoyable the farther away from your four-wheeler or rig (Alaskan term for truck).

The season opens September 1st and closes September 30th. A hunting license for an Alaska resident costs $25 annually; no tags are required for moose. For non-residents, a hunting license costs $85, and a moose tag is required--$400. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game closely monitors the populations of all game animals and the harvests each year; when a population declines, the first restriction is on non-resident hunters. They are simply not allowed to buy a license. If population numbers are moderate, bag-limits are instituted; when they are critical, entire areas are closed to all hunting of that species.

The lower Kuskokwim River drainage is currently experiencing such a closure—a five-year moratorium on moose hunting from the village of Kalskag to the Kuskokwim Bay, a distance of about 250 miles. This is the third year of the moratorium, and it is making a difference as there have been a few reports of moose sightings in this area in the last year or so.

Moose are quite large (if you have ever hit one and seen it come through your windshield you’ll know what I mean); a single adult animal weighs about 1,600 pounds and will provide 600-700 pounds of meat—enough to feed a good-sized family for half a year. Not “catching” does not mean the family will starve in urban areas but in the bush where people live on what they harvest could mean less food for them. Caribou are much closer for bush villages usually more plentiful, and easier to hunt. But there is nothing quite as tasty as a young moose taken early in the season before the rut begins. Having moose in your freezer is wealth indeed for many in the bush communities.

For the most part, moose are solitary creatures—somewhat ornery and cantankerous—and therefore more difficult to find and to hunt successfully. In the summer and early fall, they don’t move around a lot and may stand for an hour or more, eating grasses at the edge of a pond. Their dark color allows them to blend into their surroundings quite effectively, even with their large size. Their hearing is acute, and at the smallest noise they can fade back into the trees like an apparition or run great distances requiring more time to track.

Caribou, on the other hand, are herd animals, and the herds are often tremendous. The one that inhabits the area east of Bethel where I managed two school projects in Akiak and Akiachak is area is approximately 30,000 strong. That’s a few tons of caribou! Finding the herd is part of the tracking experience but once found and your hunting job is done. Some people are not the best marksman but even not being a good shot will probably still drop an animal. Their strength and survival is in their numbers, and they don’t spook as easily as moose. It is possible to get within fifty yards of the herd without alarming them if you move carefully.

An adult caribou weighs about 500 pounds and will yield about 200 pounds of meat. Both males and females have antlers, and both are legal to hunt. Caribou is quite tasty, and much less “gamey” in flavor than any lower-48 (Georgia or Idaho) venison I have eaten; but it is not as tender and delicious as moose or my favorite ‘red meat’ Elk.

By mid to late September the rut is starting and Moose are moving around more, in search of each other. Males bellow loudly in the woods, proclaiming their strength and prowess to the females who answer back. (you can dig that part can’t you guys?) Testosterone levels begin to run high in the bulls as the rut progresses. Their urine becomes very strong, and the whole animal becomes somewhat stinky. Their ornery dispositions become even more so. They paw the ground and thrash small trees with their antlers, practicing for the dominance fights they will soon have with other males for the right to breed.

Moose are easier to find and hunt once this process begins; they are more visible, smelly, and more distracted. But the taste of the meat is strongly affected by this hormonal surge, and can be completely unpalatable. “Dropping one” in the last two weeks of the season is far less desirable but if that is your food source it tends to not matter.

I have only gone on two moose hunting trips since I have been in Alaska. I am not a hunter anymore as fishing is more to my tastes. The trip was more about traveling on the river, being in camp with good friends, and experiencing parts of Alaska I have not seen. In my youth and early adulthood was a good marksman with a rifle, and believe I can still kill animals if needed, but it is not something I am drawn too much anymore.

I do recommend to anyone so inclined to get out of the city, head out into the wilds of Alaska and spend a week or so in the bush with family or friends. It allows you a somewhat unique experience of an Alaskan moose hunt and different from the hunts I have been on ‘down south’.

Truly a phenomenal experience for me and the sights, sounds, and the wonderful nights were great to share with friends.

Have an Ice Day !

Ice