Are you curious about the largest moose taken in Maine this past week? Whether you’re excited for the hunters, a little envious or just plain curious, here are some of the biggest bulls brought in — each with antler spreads topping 50 inches.
Richie Watson, a 16-year-old from Veazie, tagged a 52-inch bull in Zone 1 that tipped the scales at 856 pounds. His uncles, Keegan and Dylan Thomas of Evergreen Guide Service, guided the hunt.
“We’ve been taking him hunting and fishing for as long as he could go,” Keegan said.
The hunters had seen five cows and a smaller bull earlier in the week, but heavy hunting pressure pushed them to try new ground. After an hour of cow calling, raking alders and grunting, they finally drew a bull within 20 yards, giving Watson his shot.
“This is the best day of my life!” he said.
Another standout bull came from Zone 18, where James Bear, a non-resident from Pennsylvania, brought down a 59-inch, 864-pound bull — the third he encountered that week. Earlier that day, another moose of similar size had come within 15 yards but bolted before he could take a clear shot. Bear said he never saw another hunter all week.
Opening day brought success for Crystal Velazquez of Buxton in Zone 1. Her bull, taken around 6:20 a.m., measured 51 inches and weighed 886 pounds. Her team had scouted several days in advance and discovered a fresh wallow. By Monday morning, they were in place before dawn, calling, when the bull finally stepped onto the road.
Velazquez was prepared to come home empty-handed, recalling Zone 1’s low success rate during last September’s hunt. “But God blessed us and we were very fortunate to come home with not only a moose, but a trophy,” she said.
Persistence also paid off for Travis Dionne of Fort Kent, who after 25 years of applying finally drew a permit for Zone 2. With his wife and kids alongside him, he harvested a 51-inch, 874-pound bull on opening day at 7 a.m.
Jessica Kimball had deferred her permit last year after her boyfriend, Chad Dyer, also drew one in the same week and zone. This year, she traded her Zone 8 cow permit for a Zone 4 bull, where Dyer, her subpermittee, shot a 55-inch moose weighing 865 pounds.
Angela Rogers of Casco shot one of the heaviest bulls of the week — a 965-pounder, nearly half a ton, with a 51.5-inch spread — in Zone 4 while hunting with her husband, Jonathan, and Russell Pond Adventures.
Correction: A previous version of this story misstated who shot the moose with Jessica Kimball’s permit. It has been updated.