Shooting a moose was a day of celebration. This was not about trophy hunting or killing for the thrill of the hunt, this was a tremendous gift that would provide us with fresh protein through the long winter. image 1 of 9
Skinning, quartering and butchering was a massive undertaking. Luckily, the moose fell on the bank of the river just upstream from the cabin allowing us to transport the meat with relative ease. image 2 of 9
butchering one of the hind quarters. image 3 of 9
Hide thoroughly scraped, salted and stretched. image 4 of 9
We smoked roughly 150 pounds of meat which provided us with protein packed snacks and meal supplements. image 5 of 9
The smoking process took several days and required a constant smokey fire. image 6 of 9
All fresh meat was stored in an insulated box buried in the permafrost. image 7 of 9
The head of the moose was buried and we placed a willow hoop over the site out of respect for this great animal. image 8 of 9
Of course, bear activity picked up after we shot the moose and extra precaution needed to be taken. image 9 of 9
