Field Judging Moose

[Edpre]

Also posted this on the AK forum, thought I'd post it here too:
Getting prepped for my Sept. Alaska Moose (17B) hunt! Definitely looking forward to it. Getting the gear ready, studying maps, etc. One quick question - Any tips/tricks to field judging moose antler width? The only I've ever heard that a decent bull measures about 24" across at the mid-shoulders (widest part), so twice that plus a little bit and it's legal (I'm in a 50" unit).
Other than that, I'm just cutting back on the gear/food list to make the max weight.
Anybody else doing AK moose this year?

 

[boneaddict]

Do you want the experts opinion?

Count three(or four) browtines, its the only way to know for sure your bull is 50" and legal.

 

[lhrbull]

ears at a 45 degree angle are suppose to be 27 inches so two of those make it a 50 plus three or four brow tines are easier to estimate. i used a 50 inch tape while sighting in so at 100 yrds i knew how much of my cross hair was covered.

 

[springbear]

been there and all I can tell you is that we tried to figure out a way. read all the books and talked to every body on how to figure out if it is 50" or not...
If a bull steps out that is over 60", you will know. My buddies bull finally stood up where we could get a look at him and my friend asked me how wide he was... How many eye guards did he have.. I said are you kidding, shoooooot that thing. The bull was 66" wide with like 5 brows on one side and 5 brow and a dropper on the other.... just plain big... pretty obvious even to new moose hunters.
The real problem is the bulls that are just close to 50".. As somebody mentioned above. COUNT the brow tines.
I went home empty after passing on a bull that I was 90% sure was wide enough. I have killed a 47" Idaho moose and I was sure that this bull in AK was bigger.... How much bigger, I could not put an "inches" to it. I also could not count 4 brow tines. I could clearly count 3 and there was some other junk on there, but I could not positively count that 4th point.
Believe me, after 2500 miles in a truck, 200 by air, and another 100 floating, and only seeing a hand full of moose, I had most of the slack out of that trigger. My ultra mag is still pissed about letting him walk... I ended up taking the round out, and dry fired once, turned around and walked off and didn't look back...
good luck.

 

[Edpre]

I'm pretty confident that when a slammer steps out, I'll know it. I'm also pretty sure that I'd do the exact same thing as you would have, given the same opportunity. I know brow tine # is most important. The reason I ask about field judging tips is for when I glass one a mile away that doesn't exactly scream "I'm a SLAMMER!". If I had a reliable rule of thumb, it would be easier to decide whether to pass and look elsewhere or get in for a closer look.

Keep 'em coming.

Ed

 

[mainer]

LAST EDITED ON Jun-28-07 AT 03:32AM (MST)[p]If the main beams leave the head at an upward angle, and/or the palms don't start at the outside of the ear tips or further out, then it bears closer examination because it's probably not something you want. Unless you want one in the 40's. Side view: palms longer than tip of nose to base of antlers? That's a good thing. Have a great hunt. Guy

 

[elknut]

I'm going this fall also to AK on a draw permit (first Moose hunt). Looking forward to it. I've read 10"s from eye to eye, move out the same distance twice and your at 50". Seems to work pretty good with all the photos and videos I looked at.