Moose dimensions

1899

1899

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I read an interesting article about deer quite some time ago. It stated that a mature buck will be between 18-19" deep through the chest. It also talked about caribou and sheep too, but I don't remember seeing anything about moose in that article.

Do any of you know, for Canadian Moose, what the depth of the chest is for a mature bull?
 
I guess this depends on whether you mean the distance from the hide on top to the hide on the underside, or do they mean an area where an adequate bullet would be fatal.
A good sized bull of the Canada moose sub-specie would stand about six feet at the shoulder, or a bit more, while an Alaskan moose, also found in the Yukon and northern BC, could go seven feet at the shoulder.
I think the over all distance through the body would be a hair over half his height, or a good three feet for a quite large mature bull of the Canada variety.
 
H4831 said:
I guess this depends on whether you mean the distance from the hide on top to the hide on the underside, or do they mean an area where an adequate bullet would be fatal.
A good sized bull of the Canada moose sub-specie would stand about six feet at the shoulder, or a bit more, while an Alaskan moose, also found in the Yukon and northern BC, could go seven feet at the shoulder.
I think the over all distance through the body would be a hair over half his height, or a good three feet for a quite large mature bull of the Canada variety.
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Yes, the distance from the hide on top to the hide on the underside. I was also guessing about 3' or so. I found it interesting that this dimension stays quite consistant, regardless of the animal's weight. For example, on deer a mature 150lb buck would have a very similar top to bottom dimension as a 250 lb buck. The difference in weight is made up more in the length of the animal and it's girth. (I tried to make that last sentence as closed to jokes as possible!)

IIRC John Barsness wrote the article.
 
1899 said:
For example, on deer a mature 150lb buck would have a very similar top to bottom dimension as a 250 lb buck. The difference in weight is made up more in the length of the animal and it's girth. (I tried to make that last sentence as closed to jokes as possible!)

IIRC John Barsness wrote the article.
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It may be true of the average bucks but there are really big monsters that are easily distinguishable as being much, much larger in the chest with the naked eye at very, very long distances. Same with moose you can distinguish some of the big bulls just by body size.

This reminds me of the biggest buck I have ever seen to date, he was huge in body and antlers. I thought it was a horse in a out in a hay field untill I saw antlers. That was a quarter mile away.
 
Republic of Alberta said:
It may be true of the average bucks but there are really big monsters that are easily distinguishable as being much, much larger in the chest with the naked eye at very, very long distances. Same with moose you can distinguish some of the big bulls just by body size.

You sure can.
Also, the larger the moose is, the larger the body seems to be, in relation to the legs.
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ROA - I found the article. It was by John Barsness. He states that a southern buck (small) may be 17" whereas a large northern buck would be around 19". He says that his heaviest ever buck dressed out at nearly 300lbs, yet was still 19" through the chest. A bull elk is 32-35" and sheep, both bighorn and thinhorn are about 18".

He writes about using your scope as a range-finder because, if you know the distance between the thick parts of the crosshairs at 100 yards, and the size of the animal, tou can quickly get a fairly accurate range. Keep in mind this was before the readily available and cheap rangefinders. In fact my Swarovski Habicht owner's manual gives this info in relation to the plex reticle.
 
I remember that article as well 1899 and it is a useful tip. I also have a copy of the US Marine Corp Sniper Training Manual in which they use similar tactics by giving the average human height, as well as the height from the ground of various pieces of enemy hardware such as jeeps, AA guns, etc.
 
99, I remember reading that as well. I think it is mostly true of the average animal but some of them aren't average.

I just threw a tape measure in my bag. If I shoot a giant or see one on the ground I will measure it.
 
Republic of Alberta said:
99, I remember reading that as well. I think it is mostly true of the average animal but some of them aren't average.

I just threw a tape measure in my bag. If I shoot a giant or see one on the ground I will measure it.
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Thanks ROA - I am doing the same thing.
 
Average measurements from top of back to brisket according to Jack O'Connor's book ''The Hunting Rifle''.

Pronghorn antelope = 14"-15"
Small deer = 14"-15"
Medium size deer = 17"-18"
Large deer = 18"-20"
North American wild sheep = 20"-22"
Mountain goat = 22"-24"
Caribou = 24"-26"
Elk = 28"-34"
Moose = 30"-36"
 
captonion said:
Average measurements from top of back to brisket according to Jack O'Connor's book ''The Hunting Rifle''.

Pronghorn antelope = 14"-15"
Small deer = 14"-15"
Medium size deer = 17"-18"
Large deer = 18"-20"
North American wild sheep = 20"-22"
Mountain goat = 22"-24"
Caribou = 24"-26"
Elk = 28"-34"
Moose = 30"-36"
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Thanks!
 
I've got a small bull hanging in a tree just outside. I mean small rack- but a big body- just hanging buy his back legs. Put tape on back and measured across to brisket--40 inches--and the hair on top of hump is almost 5 inches long. I've seen 'em standing with that hair poked straight up too.
Jack O'Conner was a great great writer--when I was a kid I read everything he ever wrote. I have since learned thru my own experience gto take everything Jack proclaimed with a wee grain of salt.
 
H4831 said:
Also, the larger the moose is, the larger the body seems to be, in relation to the legs.
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And also differently proportioned. A young bull will be shaped more like a horse, where an older bull has a huge neck and a deep chest that tapers off noticeably towards the back.

Man I can't wait to go moose hunting.
 
Ganderite said:
Canadian moose come on three sizes. Nortern BC, Northerm Ontario and New Brunswick.

I don't know if it a sub-species thing or diet, but the BC guys are at least double the size of the N.B. ones.
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the one in the south of BC are smaller (SHIRAS) and the bigger ones are in NWT ans Yukon ... body and antlers speaking of course ...
 
All I know is they seem to get much bigger when you walk up on one you just shot.

I've done 4 Yukon moose by myself. My back still hurts.:D
 
Ganderite said:
Canadian moose come on three sizes. Nortern BC, Northerm Ontario and New Brunswick.

I don't know if it a sub-species thing or diet, but the BC guys are at least double the size of the N.B. ones.
Click to expand...

BC has three sub species of moose. In the Kootenay's, the south east of the province, is the small shiras, as has been mentioned.
The majority of BC has the same sub specie as is found all across the northerly bushlands of Canada. This is the Canada moose, or if you want to be correct, american moose.
Only in the north has the huge Alaska moose penetrated into BC from the Yukon.
 
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