Salvaged rail-killed moose

[two-feet]

Not a hunting story but...

So my buddy calls me and says a moose calf has just been hit by the train in Telkwa and he talked to the COs and got a permit to salvage it. Sweet! My buddy picks me up, its -25c and a beautiful sunny day. We drive out near to where it had been hit and hike in. It got smacked pretty good and made it just a few steps off of the tracks and out to the river ice.

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r748/two-feet1/roadkilldinner3_zps48024366.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/two-feet1/media/roadkilldinner3_zps48024366.jpg.html)

We were not sure what we were getting into but we got out the knives and started to cut. It had been hit through the mid-section and on the hips. We did the gutless method and took off the 4 quarters, back straps and neck meat. There was actually a good amount of meat to be taken. Both rear quarters got trimmed back to around mid femur due to blood shot, both fronts were fine as were the straps and neck. Found this little guy as I was skinning...

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r748/two-feet1/photo2_zpsdae5585f.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/two-feet1/media/photo2_zpsdae5585f.jpg.html)

So we packed it out and brought it to my Dads shop to cut, we ended up with about 90lbs of boneless meat after it was all said and done. On the weekend I broke out the grinder and Me and the boys had a good old sausage party

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r748/two-feet1/roadkilldinner2_zpsbe906b10.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/two-feet1/media/roadkilldinner2_zpsbe906b10.jpg.html)

I marinated the b-staps and put a good sausage coil on the grill with them. The beer flowed like wine!

http://i1365.photobucket.com/albums/r748/two-feet1/roadkilldinner_zps21d0611b.jpg (http://s1365.photobucket.com/user/two-feet1/media/roadkilldinner_zps21d0611b.jpg.html)

As a side note I was talking with my friend whom is a fish and wildlife bio with the prov govt in town here. I showed him my pics and he sent me this info on the tick (dermacentor albipicus) I found on the moose

http://esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/wildlife-diseases/documents/Winter_ticks.pdf (http://esrd.alberta.ca/fish-wildlife/wildlife-diseases/documents/Winter_ticks.pdf)
http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/wld/documents/wldhealth/ticks_fs.pdf

[ElliotMoose]

Nice to see that the animal didn't go to waste! Good on you guys. Looks tasty.

[pescado]

Good for the CO for saying it was OK to retrieve the animal. That doesn't seem to happen often in a case like this.

[markt308]

cool story, great share

[Fred1]

mmmmmmmmmmm

[LYKTOHUNT]

Maybe before anyone else says it "me and the boys had a good old sausage party" thats funny but good job salvaging it. How long do you thinks it was dead before you got to it and I know you said -25, just wondering

[bccanadian]

Great pics and thanks for the article on winter ticks. It was interesting

[kilometers]

Cool post.
Permit to salvage? Sounds interesting I may have to look into that

[two-feet]

Maybe before anyone else says it "me and the boys had a good old sausage party" thats funny but good job salvaging it. How long do you thinks it was dead before you got to it and I know you said -25, just wondering

It may have been there 6-8 hrs or so, the meat was still very warm. Did i forget to mention that a careless swipe of my knife punctured the bloated gut cavity and i got sprayed in the face with the goodies? Exquisite.

[treehugger]

Good on ya! I've seen a few "it was like jello" posts... nice to see someone actually get some decent meat for a change.... milk fed moose at that! ;)

[lovemywinchester]

Good for the CO for saying it was OK to retrieve the animal. That doesn't seem to happen often in a case like this.

My good buddy's Mom and Step Dad found an Immy of the side of the road this fall that had been hit. It was still alive. The CO's said they could deal with it as they wish (too busy to go there). They killed it and are eating like kings this winter. The CO's sent them a hat and letter thanking them for calling it in and helping out.

[yamadirt 426]

Very good positive thread. Cos sound like good guys

[itsy bitsy xj]

Nice that it didn't go to waste

[Dusty Roads]

Awesome! Great job guys! Good to see it get used and the results look fantastic!

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

This surely is a very fine use of this animal after its most unfortunate end! Most interesting to read up on that curious tick, I was wondering what variety that was prior to reading as far as the link to its identity.

I must say I am also very happy to hear of these stories of CO's allowing for recovery of an animal. Thank you for taking the time to share these images and words here with us all Sir!

[panhead]

Good to see you guy's taking it away from the preditors ... and living "high on the moose."
Wonder just how many critters them Loco's take every year ... must be a staggering number.
I repair Loco air brakes for a living and know they don't like to stop ...

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These days an air head can enter University and come out a bubble head.

[Above the Treeline]

Great work guys!

[Sapper1]

I use to work for the railway when we got a call about a wounded moose that got hit by the train long story short one of the trigger happy track supervisors said he'd take his rifle and dispatch it when we got there the cow moose was standing on her front legs and had a smashed pelvis it took the ****** 4 shots to kill the animal cause he was afraid to get to close to it. And all that meat went to waste. Good work on salvaging the animal guys its good to see it didnt goto waste

["No Choke"Lord Walsingham]

I use to work for the railway when we got a call about a wounded moose that got hit by the train long story short one of the trigger happy track supervisors said he'd take his rifle and dispatch it when we got there the cow moose was standing on her front legs and had a smashed pelvis it took the ****** 4 shots to kill the animal cause he was afraid to get to close to it. And all that meat went to waste. Good work on salvaging the animal guys its good to see it didnt goto waste

A truly sad and reprehensible tale that, most unfortunate! Just the antithesis of the original post of this thread... I too am glad that things went much better in two-feet's story (as mentioned above) but can't help but wonder if such a positive outcome is more the exception than the rule when it comes to animals such as Moose; Deer, Elk and Bears that meet their end via some form of vehicle or conveyance. Even more so when the astonishingly high numbers of such are considered... It's all nearly unfathomable if one wants to be in a happy mood! As such, I must say once again that it really makes my day to learn of such meat being put to good use!

[Sniperdan]

Many years ago I hit a deer with a pickup truck. I dragged it in behind a snowbank and then went into town and obtained a permit from the CO's. I went back and recovered the whole deer. The front shoulder was a complete write-off but the rest of the meat went into the freezer and was good eating. I wouldn't hesitate to ask the CO's for a permit for any road kill providing you know exactly how long it's been there and can deal with it quickly.

[two-feet]

This is my understanding of the allocation of moose in BC:

Inventory work is done to determine moose population

FN harvest is estimated (guessed)
CN mortality is estimated (guessed)

Then the rest of the allowable harvest is given to the guides and resident hunters.

[panhead]

Me and a couple of bud's were coming home from a moose hunt many moons ago empty handed and were south of Quesnel when a buck ran out onto the highway and right into the side of a cube van. He was thrown back into the ditch and the driver just kept going. I don't think he even knew he hit it. We pulled over and took it as we had a tag. Front shoulder gone but the rest was perfect. Nice buck too ...