Maine Moose Hunting Guide

[Mason]

Wait, are there different species of moose? Or is it based on geography or some other factor?

There's one species (Alces alces) with a number of subspecies. A. a. gigas is the larger Yukon/Alaska moose. A. a. shirasi is the smaller Rocky Mountain type. And then there's A. a. andersoni for the Minnesota area moose.

Alces alces (Linnaeus 1758) Gray 1821

Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Free and Open Access to Biodiversity Data.

www.gbif.org

 

[Keeled Over]

Mason, you never fail to impress.

Thank you!

 

[Keeled Over]

 

[Mason]

Mason, you never fail to impress.

Thank you!

Sorta what I did for almost 30 years (wildlife stuff, not impress).

 

[scratchypants]

There are (at least) 2 types in QC (and I suspect elsewhere), although I'm not sure if they are scientifically recognized as a distinct variety. One is the typical, palmated antler style. The other - what the French call an "elan" - is a very sturdy-bodied animal, usually darker in colour, and with fork horns (4-point, or 2x2 - depending where you're from).

 

[Keeled Over]

Which is the larger of the beasts?

 

[Mason]

Which is the larger of the beasts?

The Yukon/Alaska (and Siberian) moose are the largest. The Shiras is quite a bit smaller. Those are the only two I've been around. None are small!

 

[Boreal Birch]

A friend of mine, was as an experienced moose tranquilizer dart gun shootist for Fish & Game in Fairbanks. The helicopter pilot he flew with landed a contract to dart moose for the Minnesota DNR one winter. The pilot wanted someone he trusted to go with him.
On the first moose they darted, my friend, hearing that MN moose were smaller his whole life, used a smaller dose of tranquilizer. The moose didn’t go down, had to dart it again. Once on the ground, he realized that if they were smaller, it wasn’t by much. Yes, he thought the antler spread was, which was maybe due to environmental conditions, but body size wasn’t all that different. All future moose darted got regular sized ejection of drug.

 

[eidsvolling]

Speaking of large moose and "inadequate" cartridges for dispatching the same – I cannot resist posting this, one of my favorite moose hunting tales:

World's Record Moose Verified by B&C

 

[Robin]

Most of the moose hunts I have been involved with here in Maine (5), the shooters used 30.06 or .308 iirc.

 

[memaquay]

The old Lee Enfield .303 with the 180 pill has killed many moose in Canada. It is my favourite cartridge to shoot. I have sold and bought many of the Enfield's, and of course I regret selling the one my dad gave me, which was from 1917 and dead accurate. The latest one I acquired groups around two feet at 50 yards, so basically useless. I am either going to attempt a crown job on it or just buy another one. On the other hand, .303 British is now 79 smackers a box, so I might just stick with the 3006. I procured a calf tag again this year, waiting on my wife's results now. Got a quad this year too, so I have been out exploring many of the back roads I couldn't get to before. Life sure is good in the back of beyond!

Just to add to thread drift and using the wrong size ammo for the right job, I have always been fascinated by the story of Bella Twin, a 63 year old Cree woman who killed the biggest grizzly ever with a Cooey single shot .22 (Canadian made).

Bella Twin, the .22 Used to Take the 1953 World Record Grizzly, and More

On 10 May, 1953, Bella Twin was hunting small game with her partner, Dave Auger, along an oil exploration cutline south of Slave Lake. She was 63 years old.

www.ammoland.com

 

[Gamma1214]

(Thread drift is sometimes my favorite part of this site... more like a campfire conversation when nobody cares how late we stay up)

Single shot to boot?! I'd have thought that .22 might have been more useful as a club! Very cool story.

As for moose... I've never seen one in real life although I keep stumbling around in their woods when I can. Hopefully this summer. (I'll be unarmed so they're perfectly safe)

 

[Alan Gage]

As for moose... I've never seen one in real life although I keep stumbling around in their woods when I can. Hopefully this summer. (I'll be unarmed so they're perfectly safe)

They're perfectly safe even when Mem is fully armed.

Alan

 

[yknpdlr]

Keeled Over - Sorry but I have to disagree about moose being as docile as cows.

When I was in the Yukon, both the race officials and the local residents (First Nation natives) told us to be more afraid of moose than of any bears. We later saw numbers of both along the river. "When a bear takes an interest in you, unless a cub is involved with a momma, it most likely only wants to take your food. But when a moose takes an interest in you, it most likely wants to take your life." The wife of a friend vacationing in the Kenai, Ak, parked her car across the road from the camp they were staying at. A moose appeared and repeatedly threatened her, preventing her from getting indoors. Luckily another car appeared and kept his car between her and the moose so she could safely get to the door.

My son and his wife have just returned from an outfitter in Saskatchewan after a very successful bear hunt. His wife, having only started shooting and practicing with a bow two months ago got an unusually cinnamon colored “black” bear, before my son shot a somewhat heaver black bear, both got theirs with bow and broadhead. He wants to return to the same outfitter for a moose.

 

[lowangle al]

Moose may very well be like farm animals, Just keep in mind that many people are injured by farm animals. A quick google search revealed an average of 20 -22 deaths each year in the US.