I'm going to Alaska in 2018 with Papa Bear on a moose hunt. I have quartered and processed a few elk and a lot of deer but never anything as large as a moose. It looks like the quarters and ribs must come out whole and cannot be boned out. I am curious if those who have processed moose use a larger knife or just the Havalon or Outdoor Edge replaceable blade knives? Also do you use a Wyoming saw or similar model? I have a couple people wanting to know what I want for Christmas and I thought upgrading cutlery is always a good idea. Thanks for your help.
What knives or other tools do you use on moose in the field?
- Thread starter mcseal2
- Start date
how come they cant be bones out? an Alaska thing? ive used a cheap fisk fold saw on moose elk and deer and it works great for bone cutting. Outdoor edge knife will work great, and a come-a-long is a very special tool for moose, if packing one is an option. good luck! sound fun.
JimP
Administrator
You do not need to bring out the bones of a animal except for certain times of the year.
Check out the information on page 22 of the hunting regulation book
Meat Salvage
Wanton waste of big game meat is an extremely serious offense
punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and 1 year in jail.
You must salvage all the edible meat of moose, caribou, sheep,
mountain goat, wild reindeer, deer, elk, bison, musk-oxen, and
spring black bear, for which seasons and bag limits exist. You
must also salvage either the hide or meat of beaver and ground
squirrel; for small game birds, the breast meat must be salvaged,
except for geese, cranes, and swans; for these you must salvage
the breast meat and the meat of the femur and tibia-fibula
(legs and thighs).
Big game meat you must salvage (excluding bear) includes:
• All of the neck meat.
• All of the brisket (chest meat).
• All of the meat of the ribs.
• Front quarters as far as the distal joint of the radius-ulna (knee).
• Hindquarters as far as the distal joint of the tibia-fibula (hock).
• All of the meat along the backbone between the front and
hindquarters (backstrap and tenderloins).
You are not required to salvage the meat of the head, guts, bones,
sinew, and meat left on the bones after close trimming, or meat
that has been damaged and made inedible by the bullet or arrow.
These portions of the animal may be left in the field because they
are not included in the definition of edible meat that must be
salvaged.
When the salvage of bear meat is required, you must salvage
the meat of the front quarters and hindquarters and meat along
the backbone (backstrap). When the salvage of brown bear meat is
required under a subsistence permit, you must also salvage all of the meat
of the neck, brisket and ribs. (See bear information, pages 24-28.) The
meat is required to be salvaged first, and bear hides and skulls (when
required to be salvaged) may be transported simultaneously with the last
load of meat.
For the butchering job I would make sure that I had at least 2 or 3 very sharp knifes and a way to resharpen them in the field.
Check out the information on page 22 of the hunting regulation book
Meat Salvage
Wanton waste of big game meat is an extremely serious offense
punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and 1 year in jail.
You must salvage all the edible meat of moose, caribou, sheep,
mountain goat, wild reindeer, deer, elk, bison, musk-oxen, and
spring black bear, for which seasons and bag limits exist. You
must also salvage either the hide or meat of beaver and ground
squirrel; for small game birds, the breast meat must be salvaged,
except for geese, cranes, and swans; for these you must salvage
the breast meat and the meat of the femur and tibia-fibula
(legs and thighs).
Big game meat you must salvage (excluding bear) includes:
• All of the neck meat.
• All of the brisket (chest meat).
• All of the meat of the ribs.
• Front quarters as far as the distal joint of the radius-ulna (knee).
• Hindquarters as far as the distal joint of the tibia-fibula (hock).
• All of the meat along the backbone between the front and
hindquarters (backstrap and tenderloins).
You are not required to salvage the meat of the head, guts, bones,
sinew, and meat left on the bones after close trimming, or meat
that has been damaged and made inedible by the bullet or arrow.
These portions of the animal may be left in the field because they
are not included in the definition of edible meat that must be
salvaged.
When the salvage of bear meat is required, you must salvage
the meat of the front quarters and hindquarters and meat along
the backbone (backstrap). When the salvage of brown bear meat is
required under a subsistence permit, you must also salvage all of the meat
of the neck, brisket and ribs. (See bear information, pages 24-28.) The
meat is required to be salvaged first, and bear hides and skulls (when
required to be salvaged) may be transported simultaneously with the last
load of meat.
For the butchering job I would make sure that I had at least 2 or 3 very sharp knifes and a way to resharpen them in the field.
CrimsonArrow
Very Active Member
Like JimP said, a couple sharp knives with a sharpener, good game bags, and a light tarp. Learn how to do the boneless rib roll and leave all the bones in the field
You have a lot of good advice here already. The meat on the bone regulations came as a result of waste of meat. Many people took huge liberty with the "close trimming" and loss from the "method of take" exceptions. It may help prevent some waste but sure can make it tough to pack one out or fly one out if you have a supercub! That regulation is specific to certain game units only.
I'm not a good enough guy with a knife to quarter a moose with just a Havalon. I break too many blades, so a couple good fixed blade knives and a steel go with me. I also have a light come-along and some rope. My moose always fall in a bad spot and a winch has helped more than once.
I like the idea of a cordless "saws-all" but have never taken one in the field. Most of what I do is from a supercub. Papa Bear flies mostly Beavers, so your weight and space is more generous.
I'm anxious to hear how this trip goes, I believe you'll have a great time and see lot's of game!
I'm not a good enough guy with a knife to quarter a moose with just a Havalon. I break too many blades, so a couple good fixed blade knives and a steel go with me. I also have a light come-along and some rope. My moose always fall in a bad spot and a winch has helped more than once.
I like the idea of a cordless "saws-all" but have never taken one in the field. Most of what I do is from a supercub. Papa Bear flies mostly Beavers, so your weight and space is more generous.
I'm anxious to hear how this trip goes, I believe you'll have a great time and see lot's of game!
tim
Veteran member
I used a normal knife, bone saw and a axe for my moose. moose are just big elk. visqueen, tarps, ropes etc are nice, but the basics tools work just fine.
Medium size axe was extremely useful, especially with the rib cage and removing the horns from the skull.
Medium size axe was extremely useful, especially with the rib cage and removing the horns from the skull.
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JimP
Administrator
You need to go to the Alaska Game and Fish web site and download the hunting regulations page. Then on page 22 of the regulations it will give you the units where you must bring out everything with no boneing allowed. The rest you can bone out the meat but still must bring out all of the meat including the rib meat.
shootbrownelk
Veteran member
alaska2go
Active Member
I do the gutless method on moose. ALOT of people have no idea just how big these critters are. You go to gut one & you'll have 5 gallons of blood to deal with, 300 pounds of guts & slop. You just can't drag the carcass away from that mess. A liver on a big bull will weigh 70 pounds or more. So I have used a cutco knife for 20 years w/ a pencil steel to sharpen it when it gets dull. These new knives with the replacement blades are just not sturdy enough to bone out a moose. I have several buddies that have tried them with breaking blades & loosing them in the carcass. What ever happen to the art of sharpening a knife ???? I also started carrying a Bubba blade filet knife to help with the process. I carry a double cut wood saw 18" blade to saw off the antlers and any bones that need to be sawed. I also carry a piece of tyvek house wrap 10'x10' to set quarters & boned meat on. It is really light weight & I can fold it up to a 8"x8"x2" so it doesn't take up much space. It also works good to tent the meat, it is water proof, & reflects light if it is sunny to keep it cool.
There are very units that require the rib cage to hauled out, but if you have to haul it filet the meat off of it because that joker is HEAVY !! Plus I cut the rib bones at the spine because the regs don't say anything about the back bone have to be carried out.
To give you a good idea how big a 60" bull is, is to walk up to a horse about 17 hands tall. I can fit a whole 4 point mule deer buck inside a big bull moose. Also, there is quit a bit of difference between a 50" bull and a 60" bull in body size.
There are very units that require the rib cage to hauled out, but if you have to haul it filet the meat off of it because that joker is HEAVY !! Plus I cut the rib bones at the spine because the regs don't say anything about the back bone have to be carried out.
To give you a good idea how big a 60" bull is, is to walk up to a horse about 17 hands tall. I can fit a whole 4 point mule deer buck inside a big bull moose. Also, there is quit a bit of difference between a 50" bull and a 60" bull in body size.
AK moose are much much larger than Shiras moose on average. A large AK bull moose is simply massive. Guys telling you moose are just big elk are probably talking about the Shiras variety out West. So the advice to bring large tarps, larger saws, and ax's, like the all metal Estwings, is good advice. While any Moose is large, the AK variety can get huge, so I'd listen to folks that have specifically dealt the AK/Yukon moose were I you. The transporter or guide or who ever you are going with should be able to offer good advice.
tim
Veteran member
as a person who did a couple of Alaskan moose this fall and an Idaho elk. there is not much difference between the 2. yes the moose are twice the size, but the same basic stuff occurs on both animals.
What do you use for a come along, or what do some of the rest of you use? We have cable ones we use on the ranch, but they are darn heavy and have only a short cable. Internet searches showed me some continuous rope pullers that would be better, but they don't look much smaller than the cable ones we have. Any certain brand you all recommend? Thanks!
Also I have decided to take an Estwing axe instead of my Gransfers Bruks 19" axe I love. It sounds like moose bones can be darn hard on an axe, and I hate to screw up my good one. I'll stick to using it on wood and if I screw up a $40 Estwing on this hunt I can grind a new edge on it and not care when I get home. I have a couple of the Estwings I keep in my trucks for use on the ranch and they have held up well to my abuse.
Every time I saddle my horses now that are both about 15.1 hands and 1250lbs I think about having to quarter one of them. Good thing my horses don't know that, they might not like me much. Its going to be a long wait for this hunt as much as I already think on it.
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I use a cable come-along, not sure who makes it but it's pretty basic. They are a little heavy but worth the weight to me. Like I said, my moose always seem to fall in a bad spot! It is a double duty tool in case I get the cub stuck somewhere and stays in camp or in the airplane until I need it. I try not to hike too far to shoot a moose. They have gotten heavier over the years, especially since I've been in my 60's!! I really depend on calling and let the moose do the walking.
Too bad you can't bring your horses...wouldn't need a come-along. I wouldn't let them know that you size them up like a moose either, you might be in for a wild ride next time you saddle one up!!
I have generally used a saw instead of an axe. Just a personal preference I guess. I don't know how many moose I've taken apart or helped take apart over the last 40+years hunting up here. I don't think there is a real right or wrong way. Just how you are most comfortable doing it.
Too bad you can't bring your horses...wouldn't need a come-along. I wouldn't let them know that you size them up like a moose either, you might be in for a wild ride next time you saddle one up!!
I have generally used a saw instead of an axe. Just a personal preference I guess. I don't know how many moose I've taken apart or helped take apart over the last 40+years hunting up here. I don't think there is a real right or wrong way. Just how you are most comfortable doing it.
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Yeah I don't think the horses would appreciate my train of thought. I wouldn't quarter them anyway, they are good ranch horses that took years to get where they are, the hard part is done now LOL.
Thanks for the information.
I don't have to worry about the plane being my responsibility at least. With Papa Bear we have a 100lb/man limit not counting the camp gear they provide and I'm probably overthinking what to take to stay under it. It sounds like it should be easy, I can go on a backpack hunt in the mountains of Wyoming or somewhere similar with a pack under half that. Alaska is different though and 10 days is a while to pack food for. It just takes more stuff, heavier rain gear, axe and saw, waders and wading boots, it all adds up pretty quick. I'll save weight where I can but want to have what I need to make the hunt as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
Thanks for the information.
I don't have to worry about the plane being my responsibility at least. With Papa Bear we have a 100lb/man limit not counting the camp gear they provide and I'm probably overthinking what to take to stay under it. It sounds like it should be easy, I can go on a backpack hunt in the mountains of Wyoming or somewhere similar with a pack under half that. Alaska is different though and 10 days is a while to pack food for. It just takes more stuff, heavier rain gear, axe and saw, waders and wading boots, it all adds up pretty quick. I'll save weight where I can but want to have what I need to make the hunt as smooth and enjoyable as possible.
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For knives I have a couple fixed blade knives I think I'll take. I've had both for several years and have used them a lot. They are both made by Battle Horse knives with O1 carbon steel and I've gotten pretty good at sharpening them over the years. I have a ceramic steel that weighs 2.5oz I got from Cabelas that's good for touching them up, and a Spyderco sharpmaker kit I think we'll take in case we need something more. I have some Havalon and an Outdoor edge replaceable blade knives, but have never come to love them except for caping. They are great tools and lightweight, I just always carry a fixed blade for work and am used to having a knife I can abuse a little more.
The one Battle Horse knife is their Blackwater model. It's a light slim little knife with a 3.5" blade and a really comfortable handle. I figure moose aren't going to be a quick butchering job like a deer or even an elk, so I want a comfortable handle that won't give me any sore spots when using it.
The second is an older model that looks similar to their current Scout Platoon. It's a little bigger knife with a 5.5" blade but has always felt pretty agile when using it. I usually don't like a blade that big, but this one has always seemed comfortable even doing finer work, just fits me I guess. I've done a lot of deer and a few hogs with it as my primary knife and a Havalon for caping or fine work. The longer cutting edge lets me take the hide off with less strokes, and I have no problem quartering with it. As much as I like to save weight in my hunting gear, I still always seem to take one good fixed blade with me even if I have the replaceable blade knife also.
I have a little tub of the Tuff-cloth that weighs next to nothing and does a good job of keeping the carbon steel blades in good shape. I'll reload it before the trip for our knives. My buddy that's going always takes his Grandpa's old Kabar folding hunter 2 blade knife on trips so he will need to keep his from rusting also, and need my sharpener.
I'll probably throw in the Rapala 4" fillet knife that's only 3oz for food prep, have a clean one at camp.
The one Battle Horse knife is their Blackwater model. It's a light slim little knife with a 3.5" blade and a really comfortable handle. I figure moose aren't going to be a quick butchering job like a deer or even an elk, so I want a comfortable handle that won't give me any sore spots when using it.
The second is an older model that looks similar to their current Scout Platoon. It's a little bigger knife with a 5.5" blade but has always felt pretty agile when using it. I usually don't like a blade that big, but this one has always seemed comfortable even doing finer work, just fits me I guess. I've done a lot of deer and a few hogs with it as my primary knife and a Havalon for caping or fine work. The longer cutting edge lets me take the hide off with less strokes, and I have no problem quartering with it. As much as I like to save weight in my hunting gear, I still always seem to take one good fixed blade with me even if I have the replaceable blade knife also.
I have a little tub of the Tuff-cloth that weighs next to nothing and does a good job of keeping the carbon steel blades in good shape. I'll reload it before the trip for our knives. My buddy that's going always takes his Grandpa's old Kabar folding hunter 2 blade knife on trips so he will need to keep his from rusting also, and need my sharpener.
I'll probably throw in the Rapala 4" fillet knife that's only 3oz for food prep, have a clean one at camp.
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Huntinguy0120
Member
Love my Estwing Axe! I'll 2nd and 3rd that remark. I use it to clear brush, knock off hoofs and knock the horns off pretty quickly. Just make sure you close your eyes, and your mouth, when you get to the eyeballs.. don't ask me why I know
I also used my brother in laws KOA (knives of Alaska) on a deer this year and the phrase "too sharp" was said a few times haha!! Great steel, great edge, would be durable on a few animals every season
I also used my brother in laws KOA (knives of Alaska) on a deer this year and the phrase "too sharp" was said a few times haha!! Great steel, great edge, would be durable on a few animals every season
gonhunting247
Veteran member
- Jan 21, 2014
- 1,216
- 797
mcseal2,Probably already covered, but on some hunts like the Koyukuk hunt I went on; you are required to take the ribs w/bone in. We cut the ribs right at the back bone. It made it reasonable to handle. As far as tools, we just used the regular knives I always use. At the time that was a Schrade sharp finger and a couple Victorinox paring knives. I did have my small Wyoming saw that I cut the ribs off the backbone and I cut the neck off the spine at the shoulders, so it was easier to handle. I had a super short pack to the pontoon boat though!
We also gave a friend along the way, one of the racks of ribs for his hospitality. We sacked out on his cabin floor. It was nice to get off the boat for a night and he was happy for the ribs (his choice on which part of the meat he wanted, I'd have given him some backstrap)!
We also gave a friend along the way, one of the racks of ribs for his hospitality. We sacked out on his cabin floor. It was nice to get off the boat for a night and he was happy for the ribs (his choice on which part of the meat he wanted, I'd have given him some backstrap)!
For me, I leave the meat on shoulder and hind quarters. Instead of huge blobs of meat to handle.
A small block and tackle*
Knives, choose your poison. I love my Gene Ingram lite hunter/skinner combo.
But I just got my Half Face Blades Crow Scout Jr I am dying to blood.
Came out beautiful and it sports my Newfoundland moose antler scales.
Estwing axe
Rope especially if solo . Good for tying legs .
I also do the gutless method. It is the cleanest way to dress a moose. And no standing in guts and blood.
DO NOT SHOOT IN WATER!
Be realistic about how far from camp or pick up you shoot your bull.
Shoot one over a mile or two and you'll be sorry...
Bullwinkle has the last laugh....
A small block and tackle*
Knives, choose your poison. I love my Gene Ingram lite hunter/skinner combo.
But I just got my Half Face Blades Crow Scout Jr I am dying to blood.
Came out beautiful and it sports my Newfoundland moose antler scales.
Estwing axe
Rope especially if solo . Good for tying legs .
I also do the gutless method. It is the cleanest way to dress a moose. And no standing in guts and blood.
DO NOT SHOOT IN WATER!
Be realistic about how far from camp or pick up you shoot your bull.
Shoot one over a mile or two and you'll be sorry...
Bullwinkle has the last laugh....