The Flathead Valley is a small section of the EK and some prominent bios. tend to discount the presence of "Shirasi" even there. I tend to agree and have NEVER seen, since I first worked there for the BCFS 50 years ago, a Moose, that I thought was a "Shirasi".
I spent months there living alone, no breaks, doing forestry work, did patrol work there earlier and spent a six week stint there managing a private silvicultural project some months before moving to Vancouver.
I doubt that ANY "Shirasi" exist in The Flathead, The Wigwam or The Lodgepole and I also think that the reason some say they do is to enhance the commercial trophy collecting industry in the EK.
Nothing, "written in stone", but, the VERY nice bull Moose I saw in my last visit to "Butt's-ez" as locals call it, was definitely NOT a "Shiras" and he was near the summit of the pass.
Yes, Moose tend to be larger further from the 49th, but, many HUGE specimens are shot in central BC still and those from certain areas of the Kootenays are also VERY large. I have helped with some real monsters over the years, never cared to hunt/shoot one myself, find it boring, not at all like hunting Elk.
Any pictures of these monsters you have helped with, or any pictures of elk you have taking in the last 10 years.
Thanks
