Heavy bodied and long-legged, with a drooping nose, moose (Alces alces) are the largest members of the deer family. They range in color from golden brown to almost black, depending upon the season and the age of the animal. Full-grown males (bulls) stand almost 6 ft (1.8 m) tall at the shoulder, and males in prime condition weigh from 1,200 to 1,600 lbs (542 –725 kg). Adult females are somewhat smaller and weigh 800 to 1,300 lbs (364 – 591 kg). A 1,600-lb (726-kg) moose will dress out at about 950 lbs (431 kg), yielding approximately 500 lbs (227 kg) of meat. Alaskans and nonresidents annually harvest 6,000 to 8,000 moose, which translates into about 3.5 million pounds of usable meat. Only bull moose have antlers. The largest moose antlers in North America come from Alaska, the Yukon Territory, and the Northwest Territories of Canada. Trophy class bulls are found throughout Alaska, but the largest come from the western portion of the state. Moose occasionally produce trophy-size antle
Post: 18 November 20:09
