We're not in Texas anymore! Part two...

Due to technical difficulties, I've been unable to post updates to my blog.  I hope I have this corrected and intend to be more diligent with my posts..  I'm still working on getting pictures to post...

Deer season vs. moose season

I just survived my first opening day of moose season. When I say "survived" I mean that literally. In Alaska, each citizen is allowed to harvest two moose each year for their freezers. Private hunting leases are rare because everyone takes advantage of the millions of acres of public land open to hunting. As long as you pull your vehicle 50 yards off the road, you can hunt. Further, if a moose ventures into your yard, it is considered fair game in Alaska.  I just hope my neighbors are good shots!

The moose here are plentiful and quite a nuisance. Everywhere you look, you will see signs posted warning of the danger of an automobile/moose collision. Add to that the herds of caribou that pass through this area and you have quite an interesting morning commute.

In Texas, if you hit a deer with your vehicle, it is at your discretion what you do with the meat.  In Alaska, all wildlife is considered state property.  By law, you are required to notify the State Troopers.  They contact local charities who have registered to receive the meat. The meat is sent to a processor and donated to them on a rotating basis. 

A moose can weigh 1200 lbs. In Texas the equivalent would be to go out to your pasture and kill two full-grown steers for every member of your family. Many families here feed their family solely on the moose they are able to kill and the fish readily available in the rivers and streams. There is quite a political debate with regards to the government's regulation (i.e. control) of sustenance hunting and fishing in Alaska.  In many rural areas, Park Rangers are viewed as the enemy and citizens have filed suit against the federal government in protest to their heavy-handed tactics with sustenance hunters.  It is understandable when we are told a moose will feed a family of four for a year and a pound of hamburger costs almost $7 per pound here.  In Texas that cost is reversed.  At the current price of a hill-country deer lease and all the supplies necessary for the 2 month season, I am comfortable in estimating that venison far exceeds that price per pound...at least in our family!

As in Texas, preparation for opening day begins months in advance. Alaska is no different. You could feel the anticipation building with each approaching day. On the afternoon prior to opening day, Joe's entire office shut down. It was nice having him home early but I really didn't grasp the whole concept until I drove him to work the next morning.

On opening day, our usual commute began 2 hours after sunrise and you could see all of the trucks with trailers parked in clearings. The trailers were to haul the 4-wheelers and I presume the moose if the hunters were lucky. The roads, however, were quiet that morning.

By that afternoon, it was an entirely different story. I traveled my usual route out of town along a 2 lane road and observed several trucks driving erratically headed in the opposite direction. I thought that they must be volunteer firemen on their way to a huge forest fire but I could see no smoke. As I met Joe and headed back into town, I was seeing different oncoming traffic with erratic patterns. Trucks pulling trailers loaded with 4-wheelers were darting in and out of the line of traffic, each trying to gain an advantage on the other trucks and trailers. We had the Alaska version of NASCAR taking place on a two-laned highway!  Then it occurred to me...these were the same men I had noticed earlier leaving their jobs to head home and hook up the trailer and grab their guns. They were returning to the rural area to hunt and were racing to secure a prime hunting spot among the hundreds of other hunters.

I've observed similar behavior along I-10 during deer season. Hunters from Houston and beyond are booking it to the Hill Country to get in that evening hunt. I can only imagine how chaotic it would be if you didn't have a deer lease and hunt by a "first come-first served" basis as they do here.

Since moose season has opened, we have not seen one moose along the roads. We are told they will return with the first snowfall to eat the green vegetation along the easements and clearings. Of course, by that time, it will be dark for 20 hours a day. Currently, I am not nearly as concerned about hitting a moose as I am about getting run over by a moose hunter!

Disclaimer: As those who know me can attest, I am a proud, 7th generation Texan, born and raised in that great State as were my parents, grandparents, and so on all the way back to the Pre-Republic days. I love our State almost obsessively and through my limited travels understand clearly that we Texans are a unique breed. That said, my following observations are in no way are intended to discredit the Republic or her citizens but merely an exercise in comparison for discussion's sake.