# Moose antler size by age



## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

I've been trying to do appropriate homework before applying for my big game tags for this year, and I've talked to several different CWMU operators, most of which have had close to the same response. "If you draw here you could probably expect to harvest a 3 1/2 year old moose" when I ask them what size of antlers that would possibly be, no one can give me a straight answer. 

So I have been scanning the net for any resources that might tell me what size antlers a 3 1/2 year old moose might have. I mean, is this a so-so bull at this age or a dink, or? And as afar as I can tell there is about zero, in terms of resources out there that shows typical growth of antlers compared to age class of bulls. Anyone have any ideas on where I should be looking?


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## elk22hunter (Sep 7, 2007)

I would say that the bulls they are talking about are bulls that are finally at risk of being shot. The year before their racks were very small and not too much interest in them. At 3 1/2 they would be compared to a 16-20 inch 3 or 4 point buckie. Not too much for weight or width but starting to look mature. I would think that you would find a bull in the 30-38 inch range with smaller palms or sometimes almost palmless with more of an elk looking rack.

If that's big enough then go for it. It is still a young moose in my oppinion.

This is the best to expect









This is the average


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

so then my next question is, If I put in for a CWMU, and actually draw for moose, can they restrict which bull I shoot at? Or is it basically just a trespass permit to hunt the animal you want to pursue? My only real experience with CWMU's so far have been Folley Ridge when Fred John ran it (so I never even got to hunt) and Deseret (which is an amazing exxperience) 

I'm really having a tough time deciding what to do on the draw this year because I have 8 points for moose, which is nowhere near enough to draw on a public area, and the odds are better for drawing on a CWMU. I don't want to give up my bonus points that I've accrued, but a the same time I'd almost like to just get the moose tag out of the way because I'd really rather be accruing points towards a goat or sheep tag. :shock: 

I tell you, I wish I would have thought this out 9 years ago when i started applying for OIL tags. :?


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## rutting (Jul 11, 2008)

pm sent


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## Huntoholic (Sep 17, 2008)

elk22hunter

If you can see the pictures enough, how old on these two?

[attachment=0:1lpiogck]Moose1.JPG[/attachment:1lpiogck]
[attachment=1:1lpiogck]Moose2.JPG[/attachment:1lpiogck]


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## NoShot (Nov 23, 2007)

This is my 3 1/2 year old bull from a CWMU, 38" 4x5 with not much palmation
[attachment=2:3g88clhh]DSCF0251.JPG[/attachment:3g88clhh]
[attachment=0:3g88clhh]untitled1.JPG[/attachment:3g88clhh]

My Brother in laws 3 1/2 CWMU bull, 32" 5x5 with a bit of palmation, we did draw different CWMU's
[attachment=1:3g88clhh]untitled.JPG[/attachment:3g88clhh]


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## Packout (Nov 20, 2007)

Elk22 nailed it. 

Wasatch- If you draw a CWMU permit there are no restrictions on size and there are no restrictions on where you can on the ranch (unless the ranch has a closed/resting area disclosed in their management plan). This is the year to draw a moose CWMU tag. 

Hunt- I'd guess the first bull at 5+. Decent width, palmation, and mass in the beam. The cape is colored and salty, the neck is barrled. Just an educated guess though.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

the 2nd bull I would say he proubly around 6+ years old. The first one around 5+. both are good bulls.


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## Huntoholic (Sep 17, 2008)

Thanks for the info. Always learning.


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## Smokepole (Oct 21, 2008)

Wasatch

You made the comment that you should have started putting in for a different OIL 9 years ago. However, since you didn't, I would suggest holding out for a Moose hunt you will always be happy with. If you burn your moose points now and shoot a 3 1/2 year old bull because that is the best you find, will you be happy with that? If you will be happy go for it, if not hold out! Only you know if you have enough years left to wait and reach max points to draw a second OIL permit in your lifetime.

What I tell someone to look for when they are hunting moose is; 1- If the antlers appear to be sagging (or bending down) at the brow tines, then the bull has enough bone (wieght) on his head to make him a good mature bull, 2- wide and long palms, 3- at least a double brow tine on both sides. If the bull has all this, it should score well.

Smokepole


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## Gaston (Dec 6, 2008)

This is my 3 1/2 YR old moose 41 inch , zero palmation.


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## Moose Hollow (Apr 26, 2008)

Remember that Utah has some nice Bull Moose.

And it might be good to wait if you have very many points.

Here's a few of Utah bulls 2 of these were 50" + bulls. 
I'm not sure of there ages.

These were northern Utah.

http://www.moosehollowoutdoors.com


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## rutting (Jul 11, 2008)

Now those are some nice Moose beautiful pictures


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

God I'd love to score on something like that. The killer is that I see moose that are pretty close to that size near our property on the Ogden unit, but the odds of drawing there in my lifetime are like 1731:1. In other words, I'd be just as well off trying to draw a lotto ticket, winning and buying a hunt :lol:

Really I'd be happy with a mature moose with decent palmation and a couple brow tines per side. I don't need a record book moose, but I certainly wouldn't shoot the first one I saw until I had seen what the area had to offer. It really looks like the CWMU's are the best odds of drawing, but with that being said, The CWMU reviews I'm looking at http://wildlife.utah.gov/cwmu/ really don't have much to offer in terms of size harvested etc. And the operators generally give you just a quick, abbreviated response, and I can't really blame them because I'm just the pain in the butt public hunter that they have to put up with in order to get their tags for their paying clients, and god knows that they don't financially benefit if I pull out the biggest moose on the property.

So I guess the help I need at this point is, are there better resources for seeing what a potential CWMU has to offer? If anyone knows where to find some harvest statistics that are CWMU specific that lists the age class harvested that would be a good start. Meantime I guess I'm going to start talking to some taxidermists and see what they've seen.


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## sawsman (Sep 13, 2007)

Had this guy stroll into deer camp last year.....









sawsman


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## HJB (May 22, 2008)

8 points may get you a Morgan/South Rich tag. Last year while deer hunting I saw 8 bulls in one day and all of them were bigger than most of the pictures of moose harvested. I think this unit is underestimated, and there are tons of bulls. I gave this info out last year and put a fellow forum member on this small bull. The average bull that I was seeing was about this size, and I saw a few bigger bulls. Fish and game told people that the moose on this unit were very few, that's not so. This is all public land as well. Most of these bulls will be in the same spot this year and guess what? They will be much bigger  [attachment=1:1p5elk7g]IMG_0469.JPG[/attachment:1p5elk7g][attachment=1:1p5elk7g]IMG_0469.JPG[/attachment:1p5elk7g]

Hopefully this guy doesn't mind me posting his pics.


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