Charles “Tate” Moots’ Alaskan Moose Hunt
October 25, 2011
Just off the Trident Glacier (south of Fairbanks, Alaska,) Charles “Tate” Moots hunt in the Land of the Midnight Sun was incomplete. Although Tate’s goal had been fulfilled, his father’s dream of a moose was not. So with a few extra days and a discounted rate, he headed back to Alaska.
“A friend of mine, a retired guy, worked out a deal with the outfitter,” said Moots. “So I sold a lot of my guns, got the ticket, and headed out to Alaska. I work for the government and will never be rich, so without this deal, I’d never be able to go on such an excursion.”
With the help of Alaskan outfitter Rick Kinmon, Tate and his party made their way back up the Trident Glacier to find a moose. Luckily they found more than one.
“We were pretty far out when we spotted the first legal moose,” explained Moots. “To be legal, the antlers must have a 4 by 4 brow tine or be at least 50 inches wide. The rack on this moose measured 54 inches with ten points on one side and eleven on the other. It was amazing.”
Using a DPMS rifle equipped with Hornady 338 RCM ammo, Leupold optics and Warne scope rings, Tate zeroed in and took the shot. After the party made their way down to the fallen moose, they were dumbfounded by the size of the beast.
“I laid down on the moose with my feet at his front hoofs and my head at his shoulders,” said Moots. “There was still a good foot and a half to his shoulder blades. That made him over seven feet tall at the shoulders or about twelve feet tall including the antlers.”
With the hunt complete, the tough part would be getting the harvest back home. Living by the credo of eating what he kills, he shipped the backstraps and hindquarters back home … leaving the rest for the locals. Now what to do with the rest.
“We cut the skull cap in half because it was so enormous,” explained Moots. “They folded them over each other in a 5 by 5 by 2 foot box and checked that at the airport. The ram horns I kept in my personal luggage … even though it almost put me over the 100 pound limit. The hide was prepped by an Alaskan taxidermy outfit and shipped back New Mexico. In 18 months, I’ll have a new half-life Dall Sheep and a shoulder mounted Moose for the wall. Then all I’ll have to do is find a place for them.”
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Hunting Dall’s Sheep Outside Fairbanks, Alaska
October 17, 2011
No mater how you start, hunting is rife with challenges. It’s never as easy as aim and shoot. That may be the final step, but reaching that final step is what separates the would-be from the accomplished. Add the formidable Alaskan terrain into the mix and you might be biting off more than you can chew. Despite such a challenge, Charles Tate Moots, Tate to his friends, decided it was time to embrace the weather-beaten terra firma and go after one of his dreams — a Dall Sheep.
“A Dall was on my bucket list,” explained Moots. “An opportunity came up and I jumped at it,”.
But hunting Dall sheep entails more than throwing a rifle in your truck and heading to your favorite spot … unless your favorite spot is somewhere along Alaska’s Trident Glacier. Based in a mountain range almost a hundred miles south southeast of Fairbanks, the Trident is an unforgiving region of rock and ice. Getting there is an accomplishment all to itself.
“We hiked one of the meridians of Trident Glacier for about eleven hours,” said Moots. “I’ve been in law enforcement and a federal agent for almost 19 years, but that was the most brutal, rugged terrains I’ve ever seen. Brutal.”
With ten days put aside for hiking, tracking, hunting and returning, the group made their way through the glacier to the base camp and ultimately the hunting ground. On the seventh day, the Dalls finally appeared. From 300 yards, Moots and his party combed through a herd of twenty in search of their quarry. Their target – an eight year old ram as defined by the number of rings or curl of the horn. But the congestion was too severe to get a good look. After identifying a prospect, they spooked the herd in hopes of a clear shot.
“My guide/outfitter pointed one out as they ran,” said Moots. “I got the go ahead and shot. He stumbled, started slowing down and I followed up with a second. Unfortunately, he turned right and and I shot left.”
Repositioning for a better shot, Moots zeroed in and fired again. Hit. A final shot dropped the ram for good and the hunt of a lifetime was complete … almost.
“That was just the beginning,” explained Moots. “We dressed him, cleaned and prepared the meat, filled the packs and headed back to the meridian. Again the most rugged terrain ever with a few extra hundred pounds on our back.”
Twelve hours later they traversed the meridian. A day later they made it to spike camp and another day to the base camp. One day more and they were out.
Returning to the outfitter’s command post, Moots and his guide performed a more thorough inspection of the Dall. Picking a choice piece of his prize, Moots and his party gathered round the fire to recount the trek while the flanks reached the perfect state of sizzle. Tomorrow would easier. A trip to the Alaska state fair for a show, some funnel cake and maybe a game or two. Then it was back to glacier. For while Moots had his quarry, the hunt was not complete.
“My father always wanted a moose. It was time to go get one.”
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Hunting Dall’s Sheep Outside Fairbanks, Alaska
Alaska Trapping – Living the Dream
July 25, 2011
Over the past several months I have been living one of my life long dreams. Now, with ambivalent feelings I find myself at end of this amazing wilderness adventure.
On October 10, 2010 I packed up my truck and flat bed trailer and left for the trip back to Alaska, with enough supplies, tools and equipment to survive anything that Alaska could throw at me. In fact, my wife and I have been residing in Alaska since October 1, 2009.
The first month of my adventure I spent living near Brad’s cabin in an army surplus 10 man squad tent. I could have moved into Brad’s cabin. But spending time roughing it in the tent, which we would be using for our actual wilderness-trapping excursion, would be a good shake down test of my survival skills.
To read the rest of this article, click here. David Duncan is a regular contributor for Michigan Sportsman, an Outdoor Hub Network member.
Outdoor Hub, The Outdoor Information Engine - Alaska Trapping – Living the Dream
Alaska Becomes 8th State To Enact “Firearms Freedom Act” Law
May 28, 2010
Alaska became the 8th state to enact a Firearms Freedom Act, the 7th enacted clone of Montana’s original bill, when Alaska Governor Sean Parnell signed HB 186, sponsored by Rep. Mike Kelly (R-Fairbanks) today.
In a prepared statement, Rep. Kelly said: “The Alaska Firearms Freedom Act frees Alaskans from overly-bureaucratic and restrictive federal firearm regulation, and allows our state to assume the responsibility for regulation. The Interstate Commerce Clause is used by the federal government to regulate firearms that cross state borders. The Alaska Firearms Freedom Act makes it clear that Alaskans will be responsible for firearms that are made in Alaska, for use in Alaska, and have ‘Made in Alaska’ stamped on them. Read more
Picture This: Squirrel Hunting
May 25, 2010
Bob and Forrest father and son do a little squirrel hunting in Northeast Indiana. Bob and Forrest hunt all types of animals, but they use what they shoot. I have not tried squirrel, but I have been told it tastes far better then chicken
USSA Unveils Exciting New Program to Defend Sportsmen’s Rights
March 29, 2010
(Columbus) – Today, the U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance (USSA) officially unveiled a dynamic new initiative aimed at building an army of sportsmen from coast to coast to protect America’s outdoor heritage for future generations.
The USSA’s Sentry Program is free to join and represents the most intense effort ever focused on attracting sportsmen to become active players in the fight to preserve hunting, fishing and trapping rights whenever they are threatened. Read more
Starting Out Young
February 15, 2010
by Mac Moad
Tanner Colten Moad, 5 years old, is one of the coolest kids I know. The youngest of 4 children of mine, Tanner never stops moving.
Before gun season in central eastern Oklahoma, the traditional bow season usually takes priority. I had taken the first week of bow season off from work in an attempt to tag out early at the request of my wife Lori. In her mind, if I was to tag out early, my deer season would then be “dear” season, with lots of additional chores getting done that get overlooked during each year’s deer season. Read more
How Pristine Were Our Ecosystems Before Western Exploration?
February 9, 2010
Oh, if only we could return to the days before man got into our wilderness areas and destroyed everything. Imagine how wonderful it must have been. Nature doing a fine job all on its own and then all of a sudden man expands his reach and destroys it all.
This is what I hear all the time. Even our education factories teach our kids this inaccurate history. Few have ever heard of what it was really like. I know I have had many discussions with people about the Lewis and Clark Expedition. I admit I was one of those who dreamed about how wonderful it must have been. What could be more exciting to a man who loved the outdoors than to be a member of the Lewis and Clark troop? This would provide a participant the opportunity to see the forests, the plains, the rivers, the valleys, the birds, deer, moose, elk, bison, mountain goats, wild sheep, tons of beaver, muskrat, mink, lynx, bobcat, mountain lions, coyotes, wolves, oh, my. What am I forgetting. I might have been in for a rude awakening had I been there. Read more
February 1, 2010
Interview With Will Graves: Author, “Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through The Ages”
January 26, 2010
Below is an interview, moderated by Jim Beers, with Will Graves, author. It took place on January 24, 2010 in response to reports of cystic Hydatid disease from worms that have been reported in wolves in Idaho and Montana.
Jim Beers is a retired US Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Biologist, Special Agent, Refuge Manager, Wetlands Biologist, and Congressional Fellow. He was stationed in North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York City, and Washington DC. He also served as a US Navy Line Officer in the western Pacific and on Adak, Alaska in the Aleutian Islands. He has worked for the Utah Fish & Game, Minneapolis Police Department, and as a Security Supervisor in Washington, DC. He testified three times before Congress; twice regarding the theft by the US Fish & Wildlife Service of $45 to 60 Million from State fish and wildlife funds and once in opposition to expanding Federal Invasive Species authority. He resides in Eagan, Minnesota with his wife of many decades.
Jim Beers is available for consulting or to speak.
Learn more about Will Graves below. Read more
