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andy100808 Search: | | | Brad Erickson's moose hunt: Almost heaven sent Photo courtesy of Brad Erickson Hennepin County Sheriffs Sgt. Brad Erickson of Minnetonka with the bull moose he shot in the Alaskan interior last month. The antler spread was 74¼ inches and when officially measured might be among the top dozen or so moose killed worldwide. A late uncles generosity allowed Erickson to make the hunting trip. Brad Erickson, a Hennepin County Sheriff's Department sergeant, couldn't help feeling his late uncle watched over a hunt he always dreamed about. By , Star Tribune Last update: October 7, 2008 - 11:56 PM Featured comment Let's do the math. Erickson has taken two guided moose hunts to Alaska. These hunts probably average about twelve to thirteen thousand dollars each. Add additional costs of hotels, air fair, etc. and this guy has supported the Alaska economy to the tune of twenty five to thirty thousand. All to hunt an animal that is not exactly on the endangered species list. I believe non-resident moose hunting licences are four hundred dollars. With incidentals he has funded the Alaska DNR by probably at least a thousand dollars. To those who are critical, only one question. How much have you contributed? 29 comments | BIG-GAME HUNTING Related Content More from The bull moose that emerged from the thick underbrush 260 yards distant along a clear stream in the Alaska interior took Brad Erickson by surprise. But then everything had been a surprise. The moose, yes. Also the earlier re-connection with an uncle Erickson hadn't seen in 12 years. And, when that uncle died, enough money set aside in his will for Erickson to do what his uncle had always wanted to do, but never had. "I saw the bull. It had a huge rack. But I didn't have time to count brow tines, to see for sure if he was legal. I fell to one knee, found the moose in my scope, and shot,'' said Erickson, 47, of Minnetonka. Just as quickly, the animal disappeared in the brush. Immediately, an outpouring of thoughts descended upon Erickson. Everything had happened in a rush. Did the bull's antlers possess the necessary four brow tines on one side to make it legal? If not, was the inside spread of its antlers at least 50 inches, another legal benchmark? And what of his guide, the 21-year-old named Jake? This was their sixth day in the bush together, and the first chance they had had to wash up. They were splashing water on their faces when Jake looked upstream and saw a cow moose. Until then, they had seen only one moose, a legal bull. But nothing great. Erickson had passed. "When Jake saw that cow, he whispered to me and I went for my rifle,'' Erickson said. Erickson, a Hennepin County Sheriff's Department sergeant who for seven years led that agency's sniper squad, is firearms savvy. "After the cow came out, the bull followed it into the stream. I went to a knee and shot. Then Jake said to me, 'I didn't tell you to shoot. I just wanted you to see the cow,' '' Erickson said. Rewind to 2006. John Svegal, Erickson's uncle and a retired Honeywell engineer, dies of cancer. A few months later, Svegal's wife, Betty, also dies. Both were in their 80s. The relationship between Svegal, a decorated World War II veteran, and Erickson was special. Though for one 12-year stretch the two hadn't seen one another, it was Svegal who had taken Erickson hunting as a boy, teaching him that you don't shoot what you don't eat. It was also Svegal, a dog lover, who, after the pair had reconnected in 1987, occasionally sneaked Erickson's law enforcement narcotics dog treats he wasn't supposed to have. It was also Svegal who, in his last days, while recounting his few life regrets to Erickson, revealed he had always wanted to hunt in Alaska. But never had. Doubtless, Svegal knew Erickson's chances of hunting there on a law enforcement officer's salary weren't good, either. So when he died, Svegal left enough money in his will for his nephew to hunt in Alaska. The will could have been changed by Erickson's aunt after her husband died. But it wasn't. Erickson flew to Alaska for the first time a year ago last month. He wanted a moose. "I didn't get one,'' he said. "But I did carry my uncle's photograph with me, and one day I climbed the highest hill in the area, and I put his photo under a rock. You're probably not supposed to do that, but I did it anyway.'' Returning to the Twin Cities, Erickson met two hunters who told him about Joe Schuster, a former Minnesotan who is a reputable Alaska guide. With enough of his uncle's money to hunt in Alaska again, Erickson booked a return trip. "I worked security for 12 to 16 hours a day at the Republican National Convention, and after that, I was ready for a break,'' he said. "When the convention ended, I flew to Alaska to hunt.'' But after six days in the bush, Erickson had yet to pull the trigger. He didn't have to kill something to honor his uncle's memory. Were that the case, he would have already drawn down on a grizzly he and Jake had stalked. "I don't have anything against killing grizzlies,'' he said. "But I have never forgotten my uncle telling me not to kill something unless you intend to eat it.'' Then, suddenly, the cow moose appeared. Followed by the bull. And the shot. What -- or who -- had pushed the animals into the open? "When we walked upstream, we found the bull 40 yards from where he was when I shot, lying in the water,'' Erickson said. "He had tried to get back across the river, following the cow. I hit him right behind the shoulder, where I had aimed.'' The bull likely will be recorded as one of the top 15 moose ever killed in North America. Its inside spread measured 74¼ inches, with six brow tines to a side. Its antlers bore 32 points and a Boone and Crockett green score of 239. Said Erickson: "I believe my uncle had something to do with that bull coming out of the brush.'' Dennis Anderson • Comment on this story | | Comments are subject to the site's and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or approval of the Star Tribune. Readers whose comments violate the terms of use may have their comments removed or all of their content blocked from viewing by other users without notification. | Post your comment: Title (Optional) Your comments: Hannah lifts the ball over the keepers head for a St. Louis Park goal vs Mpls South from other StarTribune.com readers and today. A new career awaits. Look through thousands of listings to find your new job. No catch. We pay renters when they sign a new rental lease. Vita.mn presents Hawthorne Heights with Emery, the Color Fred, Tickle Me Pink and the Mile After at Station 4 on Nov. 16. Star Tribune. All rights reserved. | | | | | | | | | | 425 Portland Av. 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