Author Topic: Continental Divide Alaskan moose hunt. (Read 9743 times)

Grizzlykiller · « **on:** September 27, 2009, 06:44:42 PM »

Last weeks endeavor to fill the freezer. Yes I used my 2004 Polaris 600 fourwheeler and my Pac Rat trailer. Without it it'd be a long long walk.

At the trailhead about to roll.

Taking a break to adjust the load and water the tundra at about mile 13.

First nights campsite 43.6 miles in. The trail was tough and to avoid setting up camp in the dark we took a break here on the spine of the Continental Divide. Everything to the left goes to the Bering Sea. To the right the Chukchi Sea.

The mud was a pain to deal with and added lots of additional weight.

Moved another ten miles the next morning and set up base camp and this bull was across the drainage from us. A nice end of the week bull but not what I was looking to kill the first day.

By the third day I'd looked at a few more bulls and decided that this one was going to be the one to kill. A lot of you guys can judge elk and deer racks fairly accurately by field photos, I'll let you guys do some spread guessing to see if anyone has a good idea what the spread is here..

Back at camp the morning after killing the bull woke to a bit of snow.
Headed out on an all day ride looking for a grizzly but only saw families no legal bears.

And the morning of pulling out.
Total round trip was 179 miles on the machines. Lots of sore parts and a bad case of monkey butt but nothing broken. A fine hunt and a good bull.

I kept it short in the narrative, don't want to bore anybody with tales of moose hunts.
I'd love to take a week off and head down and hunt with my brother during the elk hunt at Rimrock but can't swing it. Work gets in the way again.

BLKBEARKLR · « **Reply #1 on:** September 27, 2009, 06:46:48 PM »

Sweet bull, man I miss Alaska

Joe

Wea300mag · « **Reply #2 on:** September 27, 2009, 06:48:22 PM »

Sweet moose, great pics.

andrew_12gauge · « **Reply #3 on:** September 27, 2009, 06:50:53 PM »

I couldnt even begin to guess how wide that bull is but hes definately big enough and from the photo narrative it looks like an awesome hunt

jackelope · « **Reply #4 on:** September 27, 2009, 07:51:41 PM »

i did a little made up calculating and i'm gonna guess him at 68" wide.
i have no clue and totally pulled that # out of my a$$. either way, that is a hell of a hunt. congrats and i am way jealous.

Skyvalhunter · « **Reply #5 on:** September 27, 2009, 08:19:17 PM »

64" .. Damn I wish I had an argo to pack my moose out but it really wouldn't have been much good there

Jason · « **Reply #6 on:** September 27, 2009, 08:38:20 PM »

congrats on a great Bull!! 67"

actionshooter · « **Reply #7 on:** September 27, 2009, 08:53:10 PM »

That looks like a bunch of fun right there!! I'll go 59" on that bull

shanevg · « **Reply #8 on:** September 27, 2009, 10:58:43 PM »

That hunt looks frick'n amazing! I can't imagine how fun that must've been! I have no idea how to judge moose racks so I won't even guess but I do have a few questions for you.

How many times did you guys get the ATV's stuck? Were you the only hunter? Why no other moose?

Looks awesome and I am insanely jealous!

sisu · « **Reply #9 on:** September 27, 2009, 11:12:30 PM »

Quote from: BLKBEARKLR on September 27, 2009, 06:46:48 PM

Sweet bull, man I miss Alaska

Joe

I do to but we're going to remedy that as soon as we sell the house!

bowhunterforever · « **Reply #10 on:** September 27, 2009, 11:59:29 PM »

Looks like it was a hunt of a lifetime!

Awsome bull!

Congrats

Grizzlykiller · « **Reply #11 on:** September 28, 2009, 12:55:52 AM »

Well the bull was 64 inches so you guys are ok moose rack judges.

As for how many times we got the machines stuck? Too many to count. We packed a major load of wood in to have for fire at night so that added to the burden going in. The trail was muddier than usual and we dealt with some serious mudholes.
The trail is actually an old road that was built in the 50's and has deteriorated into a fourwheeler trail for the first 25 miles. After that it's an old cat trail headed across tundra to a mine.
Add the snow and it's a real challenge. We both have Warn 2500 lb winches on the front of the machines and without them we'd be hurting.
My partner rides a Yamaha Grizzly 700 and with the 27 inch ITP Mud Lites it gets around well.
Anyway we were stuck maybe 30 to 40 times where we needed to winch to the other machine to free the stuck one.
As for me being the only hunter this year it was my turn. Last year he did the killing. Here is his bull from the same general area.

We can't consume the meat from two moose in one years time and being 53 miles from the trailhead it presents a problem moving a load like that so we alternate year to year who is the shooter. The year before my son was the shooter.
Here is the bull from that trip and it was killed maybe 3 miles from this years bull.

And his Grizzly. Can't leave out the grizzly bear killed with his .308 Winchester Model 99 Savage.

For you bullet and caliber guys this years bull was killed with a handload my brother did for my Mark V .300 Roy. It's the 200 grain Nosler leaving the barrel at 2997 fps and it's the perfect choice for this hunt. Hit's hard and shoots flat and is an excellent bullet and caliber for grizzly also.
This years bull took one shot thru the lungs at 299 yards and died a minute later.
Alright I'm a windbag, I'll go back to lurking now.

superdown · « **Reply #12 on:** September 28, 2009, 09:51:40 AM »

did your son use the same rifle for the moose and what load was it ?

popeshawnpaul · « **Reply #13 on:** September 28, 2009, 09:58:47 AM »

Awesome thread.

257 Wby Mag · « **Reply #14 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:22:19 PM »

What a amazing story and pics!! Awesome on your boy, hellava grizz and moose! Thanks for sharin.

shanevg · « **Reply #15 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:27:22 PM »

That is so freakin' awesome! I am truly jealous. Makes sense why you only shoot one a year though. Just curious, what are you guys attaching the winch to when you get stuck? Do you just winch up to the other machine? What if they both get stuck?

Anyways, congrats for this year and past success in recent years!

bucklucky · « **Reply #16 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:31:24 PM »

OH MAN!!!! I WANA GO!!!!!!

Great bulls and grizz.

NWBREW · « **Reply #17 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:38:23 PM »

This what I love....The stories and pics of a awsome hunt with the followup of previous years with your son.. Congrats..that looks and sounded like a hunt of a lifetime for me.....AWSOME

PacificNWhunter · « **Reply #18 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:39:19 PM »

Outstanding, beautiful Bull.

Grizzlykiller · « **Reply #19 on:** September 28, 2009, 08:59:30 PM »

My kid shoots that Model 99 that my brother gave him pretty well and it works just fine with a factory 180 grain silvertip load.
It's about time to present him with a .300 Weatherby Mark V for his high school graduation present, the genuine death ray for moose and grizzly in my opinion.

I gotta be careful I don't just go overboard and load dozens of dead moose and grizzlies into this thread, I realize it's Hunt Washington and not the Alaska Outdoors Directory. My only saving grace is I was raised in the Ahtanum hunting them hybrid buck deer so I feel a kinship. Or whatever.
His first moose killed with that Savage. And no he ain't "long arming" dang he was 10 and about 85 pounds.

His Second bull with the Savage.

And his first grizzly at age 10 with the little .308 Savage.

Ok thats it. Back to lurking.

jackelope · « **Reply #20 on:** September 28, 2009, 09:01:10 PM »

any interest in adopting me? i don't eat much.

257 Wby Mag · « **Reply #21 on:** September 28, 2009, 09:14:44 PM »

Oh, please do, overload this thread with giant moose and grizz pics. Throw some good bou pics in while your at it!! Its your thread man! Waiting patiently..... grin....

actionshooter · « **Reply #22 on:** September 28, 2009, 09:22:08 PM »

I'm OK with some more AK pics

shanevg · « **Reply #23 on:** September 28, 2009, 10:45:50 PM »

Yeah, no need to lay off the pictures, we can handle it!

Elkpiss · « **Reply #24 on:** September 29, 2009, 10:51:15 AM »

Im speechless...

.. Lucky ass kid thats for sure... whats a grizz tag cost in Alaska? is their a trophy fee aswell? Sounds like a big dollar hunt.. and to do it every year.... wow... Must be nice, so jelous.. I love hunting moose... No *censored* adopt me too.....

And i would love to see your Trophy room.. *censored*, i cant breath right now..

hunterofelk · « **Reply #25 on:** September 29, 2009, 03:23:49 PM »

Your a talented picture taker! Would love to be spoiled on Alaska hunting! Does this area have restrictions on the moose you can shoot? Do you have much competition? What do you do with the grizzly...sausage? Do you hang the racks outside?

lostcat · « **Reply #26 on:** September 29, 2009, 03:45:18 PM »

Keep it comeing. I am sitting here in the middle of my dear season not knowing if elk season is going to be doable(damn knee). This just gets me all excited to read things like this that are not in a magazine.

Buckmark · « **Reply #27 on:** September 29, 2009, 03:46:49 PM »

I have never been a jealous person but this thread is tempting me for sure, love the fact that its not a, fly me in, put me up in a warm cabin, shuttle me around and take care of my kill hunt, looks like all DIY...

Grizzlykiller · « **Reply #28 on:** September 29, 2009, 10:25:01 PM »

Really. You guys are into pictures of dead moose huh. I can do that.
As for the grizzly tag cost it's not unreasonable at $500 bucks. What deters most blue collar average sportsmen is the guide fees.
At this time the cost of a guided hunt for grizzly on the Seward Peninsula would be around $13,000 bucks. Add in airfare. Taxidermy. All the new gear because your making that trip to Alaska you've always wanted to make and add another whatever pile of money. The incidental purchases in town you'd make for your family. Tip for the guide. Now your spending big money.
Big coin. And we could debate all year long whether it's an outrageous amount to pay for said hunt but lets just say it's not like your going to the Powder River country on a guided mule deer hunt. Lots of overhead for the guys doing the guiding.
And the grizzly bear is not the best table cuisine so the state does not require you to harvest any meat unless it's killed under a subsistance permit. Loins are ok at certain times of the year. Ravens gotta eat too.
Anyway as for moose there are some restrictions on non-resident hunting and most around here prefer that. Competition? Not much. You may see a few rigs at the trailhead but to encounter guys in the field is very rare.
Lots of opportunity but also a ton of work and logistical footwork goes into it. But guys do come and kill em every year from Outside.
So. Dead moose.
A nice bull killed on September first. Picture was a scan so it sucks. Velvet was just peeled off. 61 inches I think.

This trip we killed two bulls and the velvet is still on. 66'' or 67'' I think.

Stripped clean and me laying in it. I'm 5'10''

My brother and his 2nd bull.

A pair of bulls my brother and I killed. Both 58''

A nice bull killed by a good friend. 65 inches I think.

A bull killed by another friend from Washington. 62 inches I think.

Back in the days when I was too stupid to insist we only kill one bull. From left to right 58'' 62'' and 54''.

Alive....

And dead. 61''. 227 B&C.

saylean · « **Reply #29 on:** September 29, 2009, 10:28:25 PM »

man...what to say here...

I gotta move to alaska. great thread man.

Elkpiss · « **Reply #30 on:** October 05, 2009, 01:16:37 PM »

This is an amazing thread..

I killed my first moose last year and fell in love with killing such a big animal.. how long does it take you to drive their from wa? You must hall a good size trailor with all the quads.. i would love to do that trip some day.. No guides just go for it.. awesome.. i would like to know more about it..

!! how much was your out of state tag and license?

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Author Topic: Continental Divide Alaskan moose hunt. (Read 9743 times)

sisu

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