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Big-game weights
Alaska.com
Alaska's big game -- especially moose, bison and elk -- can be pretty big. How much weight can a successful hunter expect to have to pack out of the wild?
A fully dressed moose will produce 250 to 600 pounds of meat, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. A bison will provide 275 to 700 pounds, and an elk will have 200 to 475 pounds.
The animal's hide and horns or antlers are extra.
| Big-game species | Live weight
of adults (pounds) | Carcass weight (pounds) | Boned-out carcass (pounds) |
| Moose | 750-1,650 | 375-835 | 250-600 |
| Caribou | 150-500 | 75-250 | 55-175 |
| Bison | 800-2,000 | 400-1,000 | 275-700 |
| Elk | 600-1,350 | 300-625 | 200-475 |
| Mountain goat | 135-280 | 65-140 | 45-100 |
| Dall sheep | 110-230 | 55-115 | 40-80 |
| Muskox | 300-800 | 150-400 | 100-280 |
| Sitka black-tailed deer | 70-200 | 35-100 | 25-70 |
| Black bear | 70-350 | 35-175 | 25-125 |
| Brown bear | 375-1,250 | 185-625 | 65-215 |
The table shows the range of fall weights for both sexes 2 years of age and older, except bears. Bears' weights are for animals 4 years and older; their weights can increase 25 percent from spring to fall. Carcass weight is the weight of the meat after the removal of viscera, head, hide and lower legs. Boned-out weight is the weight of the carcass after all bones except the ribs are removed.
Source: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Hunting Regulations (pdf)
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