Moose Meat Reality...

[2rocky]

Is it realistic for a hunter from the lower 48 who flies into Anchorage and then points beyond to expect to bring back all their meat?

Yes, I know it can be done as checked baggage for a price, and a steep one at that.

I am also aware that there are villages who greatly need meat for their elder populations.

Is there a middle ground where a successful hunter could bring back say 50 # of moose meat while helping the locals? How does that work in regards to verifying that you removed all edible meat from the field?

 

[StHubert]

I would call the Alaskan game and fish and ask them.

 

[the nikster]

Each time I have been to Alaska my party has harvested game. You have to sign a transfer of possesion paper with your name, address, phone number, tag number, hunt unit, etc. Leave this with whomever you donate meat to but keep the locking tag on the antlers and any permits with yourself.
It has worked for me each time.
I then bone out my animal and freeze it overnight at most hotels for free.
I thaw it and process it when I get home.

 

[icb12]

Is there a middle ground where a successful hunter could bring back say 50 # of moose meat while helping the locals?

Why shoot a moose if all you want is the backstraps or half a leg. Just buy a rack off craigslist.

 

[BuzzH]

Why shoot a grizzly or brown bear for a hide and skull...also available off craigslist.

The nikster has your answer for you...gift some/all of the meat to a resident, they appreciate it and its also 100% legal.

When we got off the river this fall, we had several locals asking if we had any moose meat to give them.

 

[icb12]

Why shoot a grizzly or brown bear for a hide and skull...also available off craigslist.

The nikster has your answer for you...gift some/all of the meat to a resident, they appreciate it and its also 100% legal.

When we got off the river this fall, we had several locals asking if we had any moose meat to give them.

I eat grizzly. I don't shoot brown bears, because they taste horrible. I might shoot 1 someday. If the right one ever comes by.

I agree it's legal... just doesn't make much sense to me. Non residents spend a god awful amount of money to come up to Alaska and hunt.. yet are they really only interested a little bit of bone? or some Fur?

I realize there's no price tag on some adventures, no budget for the experience of a lifetime and that some dreams are worth every penny. But really; to kill a 1000+ pound animal for 50 pounds of meat and its head? Makes absolutely no sense to me. I understand guys who come up and spend the money and make every effort to take as much meat home as they humanly can; and when it just can't be done, they give away whats left. I could be mistaken; but that didn't seem to be the aura given off in the original post. It seems as if the intent would be to travel up, blast a moose, cut out the heart and the backstraps, lop of its head and fly home.

Don't get me wrong.. It's your money, your hunt, if you don't want the meat, it is most assuredly your prerogative to give it away. It's certainly legal to do so. Many residents appreciate it even, some consider it a proper toll rate and most all of them wonder why you don't want the meat in the first place.? Drop it off at my place, I'll have pepperoni sticks made out of the whole thing.

All I'm really saying (if I'm saying anything) is that I don't understand the mentality. If and when I ever travel to the L48 for a hunt or hunts, you can bet that I will make every effort to get all the meat home, should I be fortunate enough to harvest anything. I would factor that into my costs/budget/schedule. Meaning, I'm going to have enough freezer space for whatever I may kill and I am going to have enough money to get it from the field to my freezer.

If I don't want the meat, I'm not pulling the trigger. Pictures hang on my wall easier than heads... and can be just as much fun, if not more fun.

 

[stillkickin]

Thanks for posting this, I have often wondered the same thing and will be interested to read the replies. I am solidly in the bring meat home camp, but can understand the other argument also. Main thing to me is that the meat gets used.

 

[BuzzH]

icb12,

I tell you what, its pretty easy to figure out the logistics of getting a pronghorn back from the lower 48. You dont have additional flights out of the woods, etc. You fly into a place like Denver, rent a car, go antelope hunting, take your 20 pounds of antelope meat and put it in your hunting duffle bag or backpack for the flight home.

Its a little more complicated getting 400 pounds of moose meat home from AK to the lower 48.

The moose I shot this year I gave to my buddy who I hunted with and who also lives in Anchorage. Two reasons: 1. I knew I'd kill all the animals I wanted for meat down here. 2. He wanted all of it. When I go back next year, I will handle it the same way if I get lucky and find another moose. I find not one thing ethically or legally wrong with doing so.

I will say though, that if you can drive or find another cheap way to get it home, it is a shame to leave moose meat up there. Its great eating.

I agree pictures are cool...but the antlers are too.

 

[icb12]

icb12,

I tell you what, its pretty easy to figure out the logistics of getting a pronghorn back from the lower 48. You dont have additional flights out of the woods, etc. You fly into a place like Denver, rent a car, go antelope hunting, take your 20 pounds of antelope meat and put it in your hunting duffle bag or backpack for the flight home.

Its a little more complicated getting 400 pounds of moose meat home from AK to the lower 48.

The moose I shot this year I gave to my buddy who I hunted with and who also lives in Anchorage. Two reasons: 1. I knew I'd kill all the animals I wanted for meat down here. 2. He wanted all of it. When I go back next year, I will handle it the same way if I get lucky and find another moose. I find not one thing ethically or legally wrong with doing so.

I will say though, that if you can drive or find another cheap way to get it home, it is a shame to leave moose meat up there. Its great eating.

I agree pictures are cool...but the antlers are too.

Buzz,
I respect your argument here, but my argument would be that the logistics are not the issue. You come up here, presumably you KNOW what has to be done should you kill something. It's a fact of life. I would argue that cost is the driving factor. The logistics aren't that hard. Fish boxes, goldstreak, coolers, flights, ups, dhl, fedex,usps, friends, family. It's not THAT hard.
How is it any more complicated than what residents do every year? Residents do the same hunts as non residents; yet they manage to get every bit of a goat from Kodiak to Fairbanks, or get every bit of a musk ox from some god forsaken island on the west coast all the way back down to Sitka. Or get 330# of elk meat and the head from Etolin island all the way to Anchorage. Or get All of 4 moose, 1 caribou, and 1 griz all the way from the Colleen river in the Brooks to Ketchikan. Or 6 blacktails from POW to wasilla. Interstate transportation can be just as expensive and sometimes more expensive than transportation to the L48.

If you come up here to hunt you should know what needs to be done, and have the logistics figured out and be well prepared to pay the costs.

In your case specifically, why even shoot the moose? You knew you didn't need the meat. Proxy hunt for your friends? Why not cut back on your local hunts and bring the meat home? Was it simply that you wanted a moose head on your wall?

I agree; there is nothing ethically or legally wrong with it. I just don't understand the reasoning. In my eyes, your hunt specifically was little more than providing an extra tag for your friend. I'm not sure whether I agree with that or not.. but you certainly didn't do anything legally or morally wrong.

Do traveling alaskan hunters do the same? A guy from Fairbanks drops a big elk in Colorado, does he give away the meat? Is it legal down there? I could tell you that I wouldn't.. but is that the norm? I've never hunted down there so I don't know.

It's not that I think trophy hunters are immoral people, though certainly some are, but so are some meat hunters.

Perhaps the sides are too divided for one side to see the others point of view.. but I've forever wondered the reasoning of "trophy hunting", and always wanted someone to explain it to me.

 

[Oak]

icb12,
I agree with some of what you're saying, but...

Soon this spike steps out, and D whispers " do I shoot him".
Good lord I can't even describe how many things are running through my head right now.
I know for a fact we are running out of good weather, I know for a fact that ANY bull is a good bull on this hunt. I know we are 3 miles from camp. I know these cows have us pegged, the only thing saving us is the wind in our face. I also know that I didn't come here for a spike, and I know that with this many cows, there is NO way this little dink his the head honcho.

If you don't understand trophy hunting, then why not shoot the spike? A meat hunter would have preferred the spike over the big bull, I would think.

 

[BuzzH]

icb12,

I did know what I was going to do with a moose if I shot one...my buddy and I already had it planned. I was going to leave it with him, and thats just what I did.

Cost is definately a factor, but its not the reason I left my moose with my buddy.

Oh, and as to hunting within AK, its dirt cheap to get your animals back to Anchorage...the planes leave remote places largely empty. My buddy and I brought back 5 additional bags from Kodiak stuffed with nearly 200 pounds of fish and crab. We also had 4 blacktails, capes, antlers, and a small pile of seaducks...all back to Anchorage for NOTHING.

The reason I shot that moose is because I wanted to, and thats reason enough.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Few travel to Alaska to hunt moose because they need the meat. They do it for fun, the meat is a bonus. If you keep it, donate it, or leave it with a friend, requires no explanation to anybody who wants to rain on your parade. I'm sure Buzz keeps a lot of people fat and happy, and doesn't regret it a bit.

 

[The Hedgehog]

You sound super confused.

I've forever wondered the reasoning of "trophy hunting", and always wanted someone to explain it to me.

I don't shoot brown bears, because they taste horrible. I might shoot 1 someday. If the right one ever comes by.

If I don't want the meat, I'm not pulling the trigger. Pictures hang on my wall easier than heads... and can be just as much fun, if not more fun.

I Drop it off at my place, I'll have pepperoni sticks made out of the whole thing.

Just how much would it cost in Alaska to have roughly 550lbs of moose meat converted to pepperoni sticks? Can I ship my 2011 Montana black bear up to you? My mom's cats are getting too fat.

 

[Moosie]

If you come up here to hunt you should know what needs to be done, and have the logistics figured out and be well prepared to pay the costs.

Most of us "KNOW" what needs to be done. If someone goes to Alaska to kill a Moose for the meat they are a Fetching IDIOT. Moose meat isn't that much better if at all then beef and it's an expensive way to get it.

99.9% of the hunters go to get a picture like you say... but behind a dead critter.

When I hunted there my Moose meat was bad since it took a day to find it and the temps were HOT !! We still had to hike it back to camp, Pay to have it flown out, and F&G came out to inspect it to make sure we took it all out. Had we not, we would have gotten fined, and lost our rack, etc. Once they inspected it on the doc it went straight to a local to feed his Huski's.

Even if we had't lost the meat, I wasn't shipping it back anyways. Some, but not all. I shipped back some 'Bou terriaki sticks and at that, I think I was at 8-10 bucks a pound, maybe more ?

Some people like MEAT, other like RACKS..... I'm more of a Rack guy myself.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Some people like MEAT, other like RACKS..... I'm more of a Rack guy myself.

I also like big racks, but it appears icb12 likes the meat.

 

[Moosie]

I eat grizzly. I don't shoot brown bears, because they taste horrible. I might shoot 1 someday. If the right one ever comes by.

Since you are shooting it for the Meat, how will you know which one is the right one ?How will you know what it tastes like before you shoot it ?

or..... Will it have to be a "BIG" one for you to shoot it ? Will that be the right one ?

Hint : If you shoot an animal because it's big, you are "trophy hunting". Now you know what a trophy hunter is. (You're welcome).

 

[Bambistew]

Just how much would it cost in Alaska to have roughly 550lbs of moose meat converted to pepperoni sticks? Can I ship my 2011 Montana black bear up to you? My mom's cats are getting too fat.

Probalby in the $1500-1800 range.

I'd much rather see someone donate or give meat away than stick it in their freezer for 2 years and then throw it away when its no good.

I've given away quite a bit of meat over the years and knew that it went to good home.

 

[icb12]

icb12,
I agree with some of what you're saying, but...
If you don't understand trophy hunting, then why not shoot the spike? A meat hunter would have preferred the spike over the big bull, I would think.

Oak,
I wondered who would bring that up. Even if I am a meat hunter, that doesn't stop me from trying to harvest the largest most mature animal I can. If there is a little elk and a big elk side by side, not many meat hunters are going to shoot the little one. It's just that the "trophy" comes second. In the case of the Etolin hunt, I was standing in the middle of 28 cows, and only one little bull. I was reasonably certain that their was a much larger bull nearby. Had we climbed over the top of the hill and not seen the big bull, neither Derek nor myself would have hesitated at that point to drop the spike. Then we would have spent the next week looking for another bull. Lot of factors there. 1st day of a ten day hunt, the spike was awfully little, and I was nearly positive that there was a larger bull nearby. I guess I could make the claim that bigger bull = more meat.. but I won't lie, that wasn't my primary reasoning. We all want that pride and prestige that comes with large animals. Just for some of us; apparently it comes secondary. Not to mention with the elk, I wasn't looking for the biggest one, only to give away all the meat. Actually bought another freezer to keep all the meat. We had to. None of us had ever hunted elk before, and there was substantially more meat there than any of us were expecting.

icb12,

Cost is definately a factor, but its not the reason I left my moose with my buddy.

Oh, and as to hunting within AK, its dirt cheap to get your animals back to Anchorage...the planes leave remote places largely empty. My buddy and I brought back 5 additional bags from Kodiak stuffed with nearly 200 pounds of fish and crab. We also had 4 blacktails, capes, antlers, and a small pile of seaducks...all back to Anchorage for NOTHING.

The reason I shot that moose is because I wanted to, and thats reason enough.

You're right, that is reason enough I suppose. And I'd say you were relatively lucky, I've spent a lot of money get meat and fish back home; from inside Alaska. Did you ship all that back to the L48? Or just the capes and antlers?

Few travel to Alaska to hunt moose because they need the meat. They do it for fun, the meat is a bonus. If you keep it, donate it, or leave it with a friend, requires no explanation to anybody who wants to rain on your parade. I'm sure Buzz keeps a lot of people fat and happy, and doesn't regret it a bit.

Great! You basically just restated half of what I've already said... without adding anything to the conversation....

You sound super confused.

Just how much would it cost in Alaska to have roughly 550lbs of moose meat converted to pepperoni sticks? Can I ship my 2011 Montana black bear up to you? My mom's cats are getting too fat.

How so? Not following your logic with this post..
I would guess it would cost about as much as it would for someone to ship it to the L48. Or more. How is that helping your stance here? I'm willing to pay more money to deal with the meat than it would cost you to ship it, so what's the big deal in taking it home with you. Do you simply not want it? Dealing with meat is part of hunting.. and it costs money, why not factor that into the price of hunting in Alaska?.

Most of us "KNOW" what needs to be done. If someone goes to Alaska to kill a Moose for the meat they are a Fetching IDIOT. Moose meat isn't that much better if at all then beef and it's an expensive way to get it.

I would agree with you; but even if meat is a low priority.. why not take as much of it home as you humanly can?? It is part of hunting IMO. THAT's what I'm confused on. From what I've seen and read here, neither you nor Greenhorn seem like the type to shoot a huge moose only to take the head home. Like I've already said plenty of people shoot large animals and take as much of it home as they can afford or fit, etc etc. I'm purely wondering what the reasoning is to come up and shoot a big moose and take nothing but the head.

I'm beginning to realize that Buzz hit the nail on the head..
"because I wanted to"

I also like big racks, but it appears icb12 likes the meat.

Take both when I can get it. :hump:

Since you are shooting it for the Meat, how will you know which one is the right one ?How will you know what it tastes like before you shoot it ?

or..... Will it have to be a "BIG" one for you to shoot it ? Will that be the right one ?

Hint : If you shoot an animal because it's big, you are "trophy hunting". Now you know what a trophy hunter is. (You're welcome).

Lot of factors go into the "right" one. Time, place, Gender, Color, Hide shape, General condition, freezer space, money on hand, and yes size. I'll have a decent idea of how it tastes based simply on where and when I shoot it. Alpine blackbears taste different then fall salmon stream bears, taste different to a spindly spring bear stuffing itself on beach grass.
Yes it will have to be big, but you won't see me giving away the meat either. I'll take it all home. Burgers, Sausage, dog food. I don't particularly care for Brown bear meat, but I'll take it. And if someday I luck out and am looking at the perfect bear..I'm still not going to shoot it unless I a prepared to deal with all the meat.


How can someone pay to ship a big bulky 80# moose head down to the lower 48 and then pay for whatever taxidermy, but you can't ship 10 fish boxes full of meat home... Or even half that. 5 fish boxes.

I'm not against trophy hunting at all.. I don't see a moral or legal issue. I just don't understand why you wouldn't want the meat or as much of it as possible. By all means, give it away, plenty of needy people out there who do appreciate it. I've already said that.. But why don't you want the meat?

If it's because you can't afford it.. then why are you hunting? If it's because you don't like the taste... then why are you hunting? If it's because it's too much of a hassle.. then why are you hunting? Dealing with meat is (IMO) a large part of hunting. Certainly not all of it. But a large part.

 

[The Hedgehog]

I'll get around to answering your holier than thou, and funnier than shit post when I get some time.

For now, I just want to take a quote before you edit it..

Oak,
I wondered who would bring that up. Even if I am a meat hunter, that doesn't stop me from trying to harvest the largest most mature animal I can. If there is a little elk and a big elk side by side, not many meat hunters are going to shoot the little one. It's just that the "trophy" comes second. In the case of the Etolin hunt, I was standing in the middle of 28 cows, and only one little bull. I was reasonably certain that their was a much larger bull nearby. Had we climbed over the top of the hill and not seen the big bull, neither Derek nor myself would have hesitated at that point to drop the spike. Then we would have spent the next week looking for another bull. Lot of factors there. 1st day of a ten day hunt, the spike was awfully little, and I was nearly positive that there was a larger bull nearby. I guess I could make the claim that bigger bull = more meat.. but I won't lie, that wasn't my primary reasoning. We all want that pride and prestige that comes with large animals. Just for some of us; apparently it comes secondary. Not to mention with the elk, I wasn't looking for the biggest one, only to give away all the meat. Actually bought another freezer to keep all the meat. We had to. None of us had ever hunted elk before, and there was substantially more meat there than any of us were expecting.





You're right, that is reason enough I suppose. And I'd say you were relatively lucky, I've spent a lot of money get meat and fish back home; from inside Alaska. Did you ship all that back to the L48? Or just the capes and antlers?


Great! You basically just restated half of what I've already said... without adding anything to the conversation....


How so? Not following your logic with this post..
I would guess it would cost about as much as it would for someone to ship it to the L48. Or more. How is that helping your stance here? I'm willing to pay more money to deal with the meat than it would cost you to ship it, so what's the big deal in taking it home with you. Do you simply not want it? Dealing with meat is part of hunting.. and it costs money, why not factor that into the price of hunting in Alaska?.

I would agree with you; but even if meat is a low priority.. why not take as much of it home as you humanly can?? It is part of hunting IMO. THAT's what I'm confused on. From what I've seen and read here, neither you nor Greenhorn seem like the type to shoot a huge moose only to take the head home. Like I've already said plenty of people shoot large animals and take as much of it home as they can afford or fit, etc etc. I'm purely wondering what the reasoning is to come up and shoot a big moose and take nothing but the head.

I'm beginning to realize that Buzz hit the nail on the head..
"because I wanted to"

Take both when I can get it. :hump:


Lot of factors go into the "right" one. Time, place, Gender, Color, Hide shape, General condition, freezer space, money on hand, and yes size. I'll have a decent idea of how it tastes based simply on where and when I shoot it. Alpine blackbears taste different then fall salmon stream bears, taste different to a spindly spring bear stuffing itself on beach grass.
Yes it will have to be big, but you won't see me giving away the meat either. I'll take it all home. Burgers, Sausage, dog food. I don't particularly care for Brown bear meat, but I'll take it. And if someday I luck out and am looking at the perfect bear..I'm still not going to shoot it unless I a prepared to deal with all the meat.


How can someone pay to ship a big bulky 80# moose head down to the lower 48 and then pay for whatever taxidermy, but you can't ship 10 fish boxes full of meat home... Or even half that. 5 fish boxes.

I'm not against trophy hunting at all.. I don't see a moral or legal issue. I just don't understand why you wouldn't want the meat or as much of it as possible. By all means, give it away, plenty of needy people out there who do appreciate it. I've already said that.. But why don't you want the meat?

If it's because you can't afford it.. then why are you hunting? If it's because you don't like the taste... then why are you hunting? If it's because it's too much of a hassle.. then why are you hunting? Dealing with meat is (IMO) a large part of hunting. Certainly not all of it. But a large part.

 

[icb12]

I'll get around to answering your holier than thou, and funnier than shit post when I get some time.

For now, I just want to take a quote before you edit it..

I'll wait until you can manage to fit me into your busy schedule.