Man...that is a great write up on your hunt.
Admire what you was doing on your ownfor sure.👍🏻
It suuuks you couldn't shoot that moose in that area but if it was in another with no restrictions you could have.
And with you saying you hadn't hunted the area in 14 yrs and basically no one hunting the area like you said now.
The state should have a max# harvest for a area like that then shut it down once that # is met.
A different approach instead of antler restrictions.
So I'm guessing it used to be a popular area and good #,s and good bulls got taken out of it and the antler restrictions are put in place to allow it to rebound again.
Some states have exceptions that allow older guys and kids to harvest game outside of limits that apply to other age groups.
Geuss they ain't got nothing like that up their for just the scenario you encountered with that young bull.
Question....
Could a NA up their have shot that bull in that area per NA sustenance hunting rights like they are able to on their lands.
Some key pieces were left out, unit 15 suffered from an over population of brown bears. Calf survival was non existent, a lot of 15 sits in federal park/preserve and the feds were in denial about the brown bear population. The state told them there is x amount of brown bears in unit 15. Feds were no their isn’t, well 10-11yrs ago they finally had a brown bear hunt on the federal preserve not in the park with a 10 bear quota if x amount of sows were shot the hunt would be shutdown.
First few days some bruisers were shot, anyhow this year the feds finally said they have a bear problem. On state lands it was opened to bear baiting for brown bears few yrs ago. I like to think the moose population is on the rebound and your suggestions would not work. Granted the 2 brow tine bull in the pictures needs be taking out of the gene pool. He will always be a 2 brow tine bull, chances of that bull getting to over 50 inches is slim to non.
