Hi All,

My cousin and I want to do a moose hunt next year. I suggest NewFi in that I've been there before and have a pretty good idea of what to expect. He suggested Alberta. I really don't care either way.

What "should" I expect in rack size from Alberta??
Any outfitter suggestions? (we're comming from Boston)

Doug - I live in northern Alberta but I really don't hunt moose very much. More deer or elk. There is no doubt the moose took a licking last winter from ticks. They are down in numbers big time. I hear northern B.C. is about the same. I would think you will find a 40 inch bull fairly easily and maybe a 50. There are likely some 60's out there but it's like a 190 whitetail you just don't see them every day. There is likely to be some moose hunters here that can fill you in but I don't think they can tell you much more than what I have. Where in Mass. are you from? My grandfather grew up in Concord.

Hi Doug,

Alberta has a good moose population but due to unprecedented exploration for oil and gas there have been untold miles of new roads pushed into remote areas with the result being that finding a mature bull of 7,8 or 9 years of age is very difficult. If you are stuck on Alberta try the birch mountain area northwest of Ft. Macmurry.
I am an Alberta resident and hunt for meat moose here. For the past three years I have hunted northern BC for moose ( as well as goat and next year stone sheep). Try Tom Vince at Turnagain Adventures 1-250-263-4350. (Unless you want a little moose)

We hunt central Alberta and I will not shoot anything under 45". Getting a bull that size during the early calling season is no problem at all where I hunt. Buddies of mine took 46" and 48" bulls this year and I know where there are more of the same.


Here's a pic of my 2006 Oct. bull.


An approx. 40" bull we turned down...


And a 50" bull I turned down opening day, cuz I was hoping for something really big.

I just returned from a whitetail/muley combo hunt in Alberta, East of Red Deer; we saw several moose, including (3) bulls in the 36" - 42" range. I noticed these bulls are smaller in body size, or appeared to be, than the bulls I've seen previously in Northern BC. They more closely resemble the Shiras moose I've seen in the Mountain States... Not to hijack this thread, but is there any truth to this?? as to the original thread topic and based upon my very anecdotal evidence, it seems a 40"-45" bull wouldn't be much of a problem....

Regards,
Craig Nolan

Thanks for the quick replies!!! I'm not wed to Alberta. I'll look into BC as well.

Bedrock....I live north of Boston on the Topsfield/Boxford/middletom line. Concord is about 40mi west...nice place to live. Your grandad musta been wealthy!!!

Anyway...I'll keep looking for an outfitter and would appreciate other suggestions!!!

Craig Nolan for your info, yes the moose in southern Alberta are Shiras moose.

Demonical, I thought they were, but my guide was convinced that they were Canada Moose. I'm not sure he was aware of the distinction, thank you for the info... FWIW, Alberta is a fantastic place, from the people, the geography to the hunting opportunities... Alberta residents are indeed a fortunate bunch

Regards,
Craig Nolan

Craig, the difference is only in the record book keeping. They had to draw a line somehwere, so in the the books "Shiras moose" only exist in the lower 48, but that's bull (no pun intended). And, in the books all moose in Canada except Yukon and NWT are "Canadian moose."

The reality is that Shiras moose are found through southern BC and AB. If there is such a species as "Canadian" they are predominantly in the northern part of the provinces. Yet, along the the northern edge of both, you have some "Alaska/Yukon moose" that crosses the magical line into BC/AB and SHAAZAAAM! Now they've been changed into "Canadian moose." This is one of the reasons that the biggest bulls in the "Canadian" species of Boone and Crocket come from BC & AB. My brother-in-law killed a huge bull come home from work a couple of years ago (up by Dease Lake) that is no different than the bulls a 100 miles north in the Yukon except that it was in BC and now ranks #2 or 3 (or something) in the books.

It's similar to the Grizzly killed right alone the border of NW BC. If you kill a bear on the BC side of the Stikine or King Salmon River, it's a "Grizzly" even if it squares 10FT. If you kill it on the AK side, it's a "Brown Bear."

thanx Beartrack, I kind of figured that was the case....amazing to see those moose in rolling agricultural and poplar-stand country...

regards,
Craig Nolan

Doug - I don't know if Gramps had a lot of money. He lived there in the late 1800's but he did manage to buy 300 acres on the Flathead River south of Kalispell, Montana in the early 1900's. He came to northern Alberta in 1928 and certainly had some lean years then. Someday I hope to get back to New Brunswick to see his birth place then get down to the Boston area to see that. Gramps told me he rode in the very first car that was in Boston.