The Biggest Moose Ever: A Tale of Three Records
Moose are the largest members of the deer family and one of the most impressive animals in North America. They can weigh up to 800 kg (1,800 lb) and have antlers that span up to 2.5 m (8 ft) across. But among all the moose that roam the continent, there are some that stand out as the world’s record for their subspecies: the Canada moose, the Alaska-Yukon moose, and the Shiras moose.
The World’s Record Canada Moose
The world’s record Canada moose was shot by Michael E. Laub in British Columbia in 1980. He was hunting with two friends and a guide near Vizer Creek, along the Lower Yukon River. He spotted a bull moose grazing on a mountain slope, about 400 yards away. He did not realize how big it was because he had never seen a moose before.
He descended on his horses and tried to get closer to the moose. He fired a shot but missed. The moose ran into the brush and he followed him. He caught up with him again at about 250 yards, but he was facing away from them in the thick grass. He fired another shot and hit him. The moose went down, got up again, and moved off.
He galloped through the brush and got behind and above the moose, with the sun at their back. He was now only 25 feet from his moose. He grabbed his rifle out of its scabbard and fired his last bullet. The moose fell for good.
His guide was ecstatic. He jumped up and down like a little boy. He knew what Laub didn’t: that this was a world’s record-sized moose.
Laub’s trophy was officially scored at 242 points by the Boone and Crockett Club, which maintains records of North American big game animals. The score is based on the size and symmetry of the antlers, measured in inches. The previous world’s record for Canada moose was 261 5/8 points, set by Heinz Naef in Yukon in 2013. However, Naef’s moose belonged to a different subspecies than Laub’s moose, so they are not directly comparable.
The Canada moose is one of four subspecies of moose recognized by the Boone and Crockett Club. The others are Alaska-Yukon moose, Shiras moose, and Wyoming moose. The Canada moose is found in most of Canada and parts of the northern United States. It is smaller than the Alaska-Yukon moose but larger than the other two subspecies.
Laub’s moose had an antler spread of 75 5/8 inches and a greatest width of 65 inches. The rack weighed about 100 pounds. The moose itself was estimated to weigh 560 kg (1,235 lb), which is close to the maximum weight recorded for this subspecies.
The World’s Record Alaska-Yukon Moose
The world’s record Alaska-Yukon moose was shot by Rex J. Nick in Alaska in 2010. He was hunting near Pilot Station on Native corporation land in Game Management Unit 18, along the Lower Yukon River. He had applied for over 30 years for a once-in-a-lifetime tag.
He was hunting with his friend Jason Parlari when they saw a bull moose at about 65 yards. Nick used a .300 Winchester Magnum with open sights and 180-grain Winchester ammunition to shoot the moose.
He did not know how big it was until he measured it later. His trophy was officially scored at 266 4/8 points by the Boone and Crockett Club. The previous world’s record for Alaska-Yukon moose was 263-5/8 points, set by Heinz Naef in Yukon in 2013. Naef’s moose belonged to the same subspecies as Nick’s moose, so they are directly comparable.
The Alaska-Yukon moose is one of four subspecies of moose recognized by the Boone and Crockett Club. The others are Canada moose, Shiras moose, and Wyoming moose
The World’s Record Shiras Moose
The world’s record Shiras moose was shot by John M. Oakley in Wyoming in 1952. He was hunting near Green River Lake, Wyoming, in the Wind River Range. He spotted the reflection of antlers on a bull moose that was stripping leaves from willow tips.
He did not know how big it was until he measured it later. He had to shoot the moose four times with a .270 caliber rifle to bring it down. His trophy was officially scored at 205-4/8 points by the Boone and Crockett Club. The previous world’s record for Shiras moose was 205-1/8 points, set by A.E. Chandler in Wyoming in 1939.
The Shiras moose is one of four subspecies of moose recognized by the Boone and Crockett Club. The others are Canada moose, Alaska-Yukon moose, and Wyoming moose. The Shiras moose is found in the Rocky Mountains and adjacent areas of the United States and Canada. It is the smallest of the four subspecies.
Oakley’s moose had an antler spread of 57-1/8 inches and a greatest width of 48-1/2 inches. The rack weighed about 40 pounds. The moose itself was estimated to weigh 360 kg (800 lb), which is close to the average weight recorded for this subspecies.
Oakley’s hunt was featured in several magazines and books, and his trophy became a legend among hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. He sold his rack to the Jackson Hole Museum in Wyoming, where it is still on display. He says he feels honored to have harvested such an amazing animal.
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