The area moose-hunt harvest limit was reached Sunday and the final, twenty-fifth moose was brought into Haines Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s office Wednesday.
Hunters have checked in seven spike or forked, 10 three-brow tine, and eight moose with antlers more than 50 inches.
“No sub-legals were turned in, which is great,” Fish and Game biologist Carl Koch said. “2008 was the last time we had a hunt with no sub-legals turned in, so that makes me pretty happy. Unfortunately, it’s not often that that happens, but hunters did a good job this year.”
The variety in brows indicates there’s recruitment in the population, Koch said. Moose with spike or forked antlers are likely yearling bulls. “Overall, it’s a pretty good mix…if the harvest is an index of the population, which we usually think it is,” Koch said.
Fish and Game failed to complete a population survey last year due to a lack of snow. Koch said the 2016 survey went well and provided biologists with a good indication of the population. He hopes to survey this year in November, when they can still identify male moose before their antlers drop.
This year the hunt was open for its full duration. Koch closed the hunt early in 2017 and 2016.