Back a number of years [1972 to be exact] I was hunting with two companions who had never shot a moose yet. We made camp across a large Lake on a Sunday evening, and were up well before first light, full of anticipation. Imagine our delight to find that fresh snow had made an appearance overnight.

We split up and headed out just as the eastern sky was lightening up a bit. The area we were hunting had been logged about 4-5 years previously, and since clear cutting was not the practice there, we were hunting from old skid trails and roads that #####-crossed the logged area. I chose the far left trail, and had only walked for about ½ hour, stopping frequently when I heard a heavy rustling off the trail, ahead to my left. I stopped by a small Alder bush and waited. in another 10 minutes or so, a young Bull Moose walked out of the brush and out onto the skid trail, not 15yards away. A 180 grain Partition from my 308 Norma Mag in the neck dropped him in his tracks. I stripped off my coat and rolled up my sleeves and dressed him out [not being shot in the lungs, he was nice and easy to clean up perfectly]. I had blood on my hands and arms, of course, and a small amount on my shoes, but otherwise I was pretty clean. Used some of the snow to clean up good, propped the moose open and headed back to camp for a breakfast meal. Just as I started to head for camp, I heard shots that I knew came from where one of my companions would be. 6 shots were fired, and then silence.

I reasoned to myself: I don't need to go and help him, he's shot a couple of deer before and dressed them, he'll do fine. Back to camp I go, build a fire, make another pot of coffee, cook bacon and eggs, and soon the third member of the party shows up. He has not seen any moose, and asks me about the one shot, and then the 6 that came later. I, of course, shared my experience with him, and told him that I was sure that it was T.....who had been shooting later. We waited at least an hour and a half, and were just about ready to go and try to find T..... Lo and behold, here he comes into camp, Blood from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet, everywhere there was blood. Additionally, he looked just a bit pallid, and declined any breakfast.

After finding out he had shot a decent Bull Moose, we congratulated him, Then he asked: "Who shot the moose lying on the trail?" I told him it was me. His reply: How in **** did you get it so clean, and why aren't you bloodied up at all?" I just told him it was all in the method used.

He then proceeded to tell us the terrible time he had cleaning his animal. He said he never realized how much insides a moose had!!He had not split the brisket, and had practically crawled inside of the lung area to get eveything out. Additionally, one of the shots fired had clipped the stomach, and he said the smell had really made him sick. [We could smell the stuff on him, too] Anyway, we went to recover his animal, and he hadn't been kidding about being sick. There was plenty of evidence around the kill area!!

I still rib him occasionally about that one.
On moose sized game, I have always found it easier to split the brisket to clean them. Makes it handier to stay reasonably clean myself, too.