Measuring Moose Width

[roymunson]

When people are talking width measurement on moose antlers. how is everyone measuring them?

I shot a pretty nice one and was told to measure maximum width from corresponding point on one side, to corresponding point on the other. On a whitetail, we measure widest outside width that you can obtain with a tape.

Not questioning anyone, but I see some really nice moose shot that people say go 60+ and admittedly am not a good judge of them, but I don't see that much more antler than mine which was 58"

My buddy for comparison, we measured at 54 or 55" I believe.

I'm thrilled with my trophy and it doesn't matter. Not a weener measuring contest, just trying to figure out how its to be done correctly.
My Bull in the field

I'm on the left, my buddy is on the right


My Buddy on the left, I'm on the right

 

[Wingert]

You both harvested Great Bulls - Congratulations!!!

From the 2023 - 2024 Alaska Big Game Hunting Regulations, page 30. The last sentence provides the answer to your question.

https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/regulations/wildliferegulations/pdfs/regulations_complete.pdf

Excerpt:
"Antler restrictions are defined by both an antler spread and a brow tine restriction. The brow tine portion of the 50-inch antler restriction is intended to help verify a legal moose if the hunter is uncertain about antler spread. If uncertain about the antler spread, count brow tines. If uncertain about the number of brow tines, don’t shoot! 50-inch antlers means the antlers of a bull moose with a spread of 50 inches or more measured in a straight line perpendicular to the centerline of the skull."

Hope that helps.

 

[VernAK]

IMO, palmation is a major factor in trophy moose quailty. I have a video of a bull that I'd guess at 70" with very little palmation. I let it walk as I was seeing much nice bulls..

 

[mms2]

agreed when you think of a moose you think of paddles, it matters more than width at least to me

 

[roymunson]

IMO, palmation is a major factor in trophy moose quailty. I have a video of a bull that I'd guess at 70" with very little palmation. I let it walk as I was seeing much nice bulls..

biggest humble brag ever...

mostly just jealous that you get to hunt those things regularly. That's a lot of fun

 

[johnnycake]

Palmation matters to me. My 55" this year sitting on the floor at the taxidermist was a better looking bull, imo, than a dozen or so wider bulls it lay next to.

As for the width measurement, it's the maximum width measured perpendicular to the centerline of the skull. Best way I know to be accurate is to put the bull with one side's antler up against a wall and the skull parallel to the wall, then bring another board in until it touches the other antler. Then measure the distance between the board and the wall.

 

[Scottf270]

I have a bull from 2019 that has very nice palms. Both tall and wide. He was 57". His rack cupped inward. My 2022 bull had shorter palms but his rack layed out and several points went wide giving him a 63"spread.

If they were standing side by side, I'd say 8 out of ten guys would shoot the 57" bull. He just looks bigger. Both awesome bulls I was proud to take. Kinda like having one of each type.

Sometimes the way a tine grows or curves can make a big difference on spread. I like moose period, but remember spread is just measuring air space. Nice bulls you guys took!

 

[JColony]

Best way its been explained to me is, imagine setting the antlers in the sand tines down, then drag it in a straight line. the width between the two outermost lines is your outside spread. Right or wrong??? I'll let the internet be the judge of that, LOL!

 

[VernAK]

biggest humble brag ever...

mostly just jealous that you get to hunt those things regularly. That's a lot of fun

I have a video of a 60" bull and an estimated 75" bull ready to fight and my buddy shot the 60".....Don't ask!.....The 75 stood there for several minutes and I watched him walk as my tag was already punched. Gotta find that video and try to pull a pic off of it. I've seen trophy bulls and friends with me have taken three B&C bulls but this one surpasses by a good margin.

 

[AkRyan]

In a straight line squared. Put the Rachel on the floor and push one side against the wall, square it up and measure off the wall to the farthest point.

 

[Yellowknife]

This is correct way. If I want an exact number, I use the inside corner of my garage. I lay the back of the antlers upright against one wall and scoot it over until the first tine touch's the intersecting wall. Then measure off that wall to the furthest outside tine. The furthest outside tines will rarely be corresponding, and there will often be a single long tine on one side that really ads to the "legal" width. This method takes care of all that.

 

[Dbevans]

IMO, palmation is a major factor in trophy moose quailty. I have a video of a bull that I'd guess at 70" with very little palmation. I let it walk as I was seeing much nice bulls..

I’m more of a brow tines guy myself


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[Scottf270]

Show off......lol.

 

[Nick Muche]

Moose are measured by using the Greatest (outside) spread in a straight line at a right angle to the center line of the skull... Whitetails, and all other antlered game are measured by Inside Spread of Main Beams by measuring at a right angle to the center line of the skull at widest point between main beams.