Caught a moose

LoggerDan

WKR
Joined
Jan 8, 2023
Messages
507
Location
AK
The hunting on the Kenai Peninsula had been pretty swell. Myself and sometimes my partner had always been privvy to some kind of action, whet it be a beaver, a completely out of place caribou, cows and calfs, salmon, swans, berries, beautiful weather, too small black bears and just a general good time.

A couple of days ago I spotted a moose from my glass spot, ascertained it was a bull and regardless of size, moved in. I closed within 50 yards but couldn’t make out if it was legal or not. My field glasses recently went bad. I would rather use one eyed binos than none. Moose are supposed to be easy enough to spot. Long story short, lost him and with plenty of shot opportunity, it was a thrill but a let down.

Came back next day, hunted that timber with no luck. Went back out with a partner in tne evening. On the way back towards the rig, we both see a moose after seeing much fresh moose shit showing a lot of green lush food. We split down separate pieces of ground separated by a thin belt of spruce. I came around a very slight bend, and saw him and recognized him as the bull from the day previous. I gave him a quick glance with the one eyed binoculars and saw a spike coming down alo his eye. No wonder the day before I couldn’t find the other side of the rack.

He saw me and bolted. I hollered “hey” really loudly and he bound into the timber and I ran up and saw him tnere, threw my rifle up and shot him where the skull joins the neck. Down like a thousand of brick.

Carried out arear quarter and the neck and straps. Went to the cabin ten minutes away, grabbed good headlamps and two old native ladies with their sleds.

ihad shot the small bull at 8 something, took out one side and rolled the carcass. The front quarter we puton elevated logs. We left some smelly long underwear shirts on the trees arou and we both pissed a good long watery piss.

We got ther at 11, and it didn’t take long to beat feet there. I suggested we all pop off a few pistol rounds apiece before we cut into the spruce. We all did. Our helpers where Nancy and Hannah, both native women from up north. The oldest was 69. She came just for the chance at the pelvis, the colon , kidneys, liver, tongue and jowls and the stomach.

The old gal was so happy. You could seeher tears and if you understand the inflection and word usage of Alaskan native people , you knew she was happy. “ I never got to have my growing up food in a long long time.” Her husband has passed. The other wanted to take stuff back to her folks, today. I was somewhat worried about bear there, as I have seen quite a few browners there. But these ladies didn’t care. Tough. Totally reliant and comfortable with men with rifles and pistols. At the kill sight, i was told to get a fire going, tend it and watch for bears. They would do the rest.
At 3:20 something, we leave the cleanest looking carcass i had ever seen in the field short of wolves. Those gals took everything! The pelvis, the ribs separated from the backbone and the spine kept for broth. The who.e head fleshed. Everything. The whole time i was getting anxious about allthe weight for tnese ladies and crossing the tundra with two knee deep crossings. Nope. Got er all. I cannot exaggerate on this. The only thing left was skin, both intestines, skull and rack, neck bones, lower legs and small assorted internal organs. The rack was wedged up as high as I could reach. The older lady was the best butcher I had ever seen. Packs loaded and sleds laden, we made our way back. Onyx said it was 864 something yards in a straight line. The creek crossings were fun and wet. We unloaded meat off the big sled and everyone took turns being ferried across the deep ditch. I went down one time! Soaked! Having a blast. Besides everyone being tired, we were all having a ball and it was good natured fun. We all tookturns helping each other out and it was your only as fast as your slowest mule. What a great hunt, the whole week. Pulling out most of a moose in two trips is pretty cool.

Those two ladies were as tough as they come. Ot an ounce of worry or misery or drudgery. Just happy for tne good times and the good meat and the chance to use skills not used in so long. Next, big bears.


For those interested
Ruger African 375 ruger, iron sights
factory hornady 270 grain

kifaru duplex and fulcrum (thanks Nate)
goodwill wool sweater
key brand logger jeans
cheap 50 dollar caddis hippers
vortex binos with one bad barrel.
hahaIMG_0070.jpegIMG_0079.jpegIMG_0076.jpegIMG_0071.jpegIMG_0073.jpeg
 

Geewhiz

WKR
Joined
Aug 6, 2020
Messages
2,596
Location
SW MT
Man this is great! Thanks for the write up! I love your gear list. Proves the point that its not the gear, its the hunter. Nice gear is cool, but not always entirely necessary. Congrats on a pile of great meat!
 
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