Valley girl, 10, bags cow moose

Lexi Pitcher, 10, applied for a cow moose permit a few months back and was one of the lucky ones — and one of the few females — to be drawn.

On her first day of hunting with her dad and papa, she spotted a few cows, but the brush was high over her head. On day two, she was hunting again with her dad in the Big Lake area and snuck up on a cow moose. She used her 30/30, with bullets she reloaded herself, and with one very clean shot the moose went right down. She was ecstatic.

Her dad later dug out the bullet and was surprised to see how far back it had gone into the animal’s skull, confirming Pitcher’s good shot.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the moose was an older cow, about 5 to 6 years old, the kind hunters want.

It is going to feed our family of eight very well for a year, her family reported. It’s tradition for the family to gather and package the meat. Pitcher’s father has always taught his kids to hold a high respect for any animal that provides for the family.