This is interesting so far, and thanks for the replies fellas.
I have been putting in down here for moose as long as I have lived here and not drawn a tag. I have every bonus point you can have for them in Montana. I also put in for moose in Utah and Wyoming. Never drawn.
However, if I were to draw I would be looking for a moose in the 150" category, which is Boone for shiras. I wouldn't necessarily expect to kill a moose of that magnitude, but I know it is possible and I would scout and hunt with that in mind. I see at least one moose a year I consider a shooter while out elk hunting or otherwise. I see several, say 3-5 per year that would hit about 40" in width, and that once again is not while hunting for them - just incidental stuff.
I would assume from what I have seen of Canadian moose that on the average they are bigger than our shiras. Now that may not be the case everywhere in Canada, but I must assume that your moose break 40" more regularly than ours. Perhaps the hunting/management of the herds is more like our elk in Montana, and it may be harder to find the older age class bulls, I don't know.
I live about 8 hours from the Alberta/Saskatchewan borders. Southern British Columbia is not too far either. I have heard that there is good moose hunting in the buffalo head hills in southern Alberta. I have checked with a number of outfitters, and they all want about 3,500-5,000 for a moose hunt. This may or may not include gratuities, tags and licenses in all cases. If I could drive, at least I wouldn't have to worry about air fair and getting the moose back home to process.
I would love to "make a friend" in Canada and have them host me for a moose hunt, unfortunately, I'm not sure I have much to trade one of our brothers over the border. You guys have about every species we do, and more of it in some cases. I can do bear, elk, mule deer, white tail, antelope, prairie dog/gopher shooting, etc. If I ended up doing a paid hunt, I would be much more picky with what I shot. Nothing short of 45" and at least double brow tines, because I can do that here on a shiras "if I draw the tag."
Here is a pic of a bear I shot this spring. He weighed 260lb field dressed and squared 6-3. This is probably not very exciting to you Canadians. I expect you guys shoot 7' plus bears every year, or consider them rodents or something. Antelope might be something I've heard you guys are short on though. At least in most areas. Anyone want to trade a 1,500lb 40"+ moose for a 110lb 12"+ antelope?
Really want to hunt moose bad, what can a guy do?
