The Haines area moose hunting season closed more than a week early on Monday night after wildlife managers exceeded the target take. As of Tuesday morning, 27 moose had been taken, a number that could change slightly in the coming days as the 72-hour deadline to report moose closes.

Of the moose taken, 14 had three or more brow tines, four had antler spreads that were at least 50 inches wide, and seven had spiked fork antlers, usually associated with yearlings. Those numbers line up somewhere in the middle of historic averages, said Carl Koch, the area management biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish & Game.

"Overall, it's a healthy moose population," he said.

There were also two sublegal bulls taken, meaning they didn't meet the requirements for antler size or configuration. Those included one that was mistaken for a spiked fork and another that was under 50 inches.

One of the sublegal bulls was taken by Heath Scott, the police chief, court records show. Violators face a mandatory court appearance and up to a $500 fine, with the final amount decided by the judge.

Koch said he believed that generally, hunters are good at self reporting violations.

"Of course I don't know this year if any went unreported," said Koch, "But it's a small town, everybody really cares about the meat, and they almost always do the right thing."

Up to four sublegal bulls have been taken in the area since 2015, Koch said.

Koch said weren't any hunters who reported taking a moose that escaped from the Kroschel Wildlife Center on Sept. 12 and was believed to be legal.

"Did a moose walk up to them or behave strangely - the answer is no. But there's no way to know. He didn't mark the animal," said Koch.