No moose hunt this year. I planned on flying to Holy Cross, one of my villages, to do dentistry for a week or two. Then I had two contacts that were supposed to help me get set up to go and try to catch a moose. (Catch with a high powered rifle, that is). I was pretty excited, albeit a bit nervous since I have not killed any big game yet. Cleaning an animal that has 300-500 pounds of meat is a bit daunting for a first attempt. But I felt confident that with a good guide I could have a successful hunt and properly care for and clean the animal.
Then work stepped in..........one thing after another began piling up and before I knew it, my entire Holy Cross trip was no longer possible timing wise. I could go back to Holy Cross later, but moose season is primarily just September. Needless to say it's a bit frustrating and a bit disappointing. My new plan is to concentrate on caribou this winter. A much smaller animal with a much longer season. I have some really good friends here that I trust to teach me how to hunt with respect for the animal and the meat it provides. I really want to learn how to properly harvest and clean the kill, so perhaps it will be better to learn with them and then try for the big moose next year.
(Note: photo is cleaning ptarmigan w/ Ryan and Travis Fall '06)
