ADF&G asks Kenai bull moose hunters for tissue samples within 24 hours of harvest

Kenai Peninsula hunters who take a bull moose this fall are being asked to get four biological samples into state hands within 24 hours of the kill.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Friday that research biologists in Soldotna want both testicles and scrotum, feces if present, a portion of the liver, and a section of lower jaw with front teeth from bull moose harvested in Game Management Units 7 and 15. Results will be used to investigate variation in essential minerals associated with health and physiology in moose, according to the release, which says the 24-hour turnaround is for optimal results in the analysis.

Participation is voluntary, and sample kits will be available in Soldotna, Homer, and Anchorage. Wildlife biologist Marjorie Cox is the contact for kits and instructions, at 907-260-2953 or [email protected].

Hunter-supplied specimens are not new here. Units 7 and 15 already require an online Moose Hunter Orientation before hunting, and the DM508 draw hunt in Unit 15B requires a 5-inch section of lower jaw with front teeth reported in person within 10 days.