Hunting Moose in Alaska

[jstone]

OK i got an offer for me and a buddy to go up to Alaska for a Moose Hunt. I will be going in 2012. I am going to start to get all of my info. Talk to the guy who is offering the area up. I am taking-my bow, once in a life time experience. For those of you who have done it any advice would be greatly appreciated. O ya the place is 150 miles North of Anchorage.

[Bean Counter]

Are you paying big $$$? How do you know this will be a trip of a lifetime? Has your buddy hunted with him before? Have you checked references?

[Skyvalhunter]

Float hunt, pack in hunt, flyin hunt? So you are going with a guide or a transporter(diy)?

[klickman]

Are you paying big $$$? How do you know this will be a trip of a lifetime? Has your buddy hunted with him before? Have you checked references?

150 miles isn't a long ways to go to get away from crowds.  Be careful there are guys that will advertise to outsiders who don't know Alaska and burn them once they get up there.  What area is being made available there isn't a lot of private ground 150 miles north of Anchorage?

KLICKMAN

[300wsm]

Unless it's private, I would say it would get quite a bit of pressure from locals.  It\f it's a once in a lifetime trip for you then I would suggest going more remote on a float or drop camp.  P.M. if you want more specifics.  I've gone three times and would offer any help I could.  Cohoho seems to be very knowledgeable about Alaska.  I'm sure there are others with great info as well.  Just don't jump at a chance to go to Alaska and expect it to be a successful trip unless your resources are very trust worthy.

[upwind]

I don't know what these other guys are talk en about crowds ,people hunt like they hunt around here road hunters just get off the trails and you will get away from the people not much private land.I lived in Wasilla and never had that problem getting a moose just get away from the roads and four wheeler trails .A Argo helped get back in the swamps :chuckle:maybe that's the secret :rolleyes:Delta junction has a high population of moose you can get permission to hunt on the military base.but the key is to get away from the people find aplace where you can see along ways off and be patient.

[AKBowman]

Moose hunting really is not all that hard, lots of work but you dont have to be an expert. I would forego the guide and save your $ maybe use it to get dropped off or packed in somewhere.

Timing is everything for moose hunting, you can kill them anytime from Aug 10 - Sept 20 but if you are going archery like you say then do not go in Augus or even the first two weeks of Sept. Get in there as late as you can.

Pretty much every major creek drainage will have moose in Sept, there are lots of good places to go in the Chugach within 50 miles of Anchorage. I hunted different drainages from 97'-2002 and got packed in on horse back, it was about $150/horse one way so about $600 round trip. Not saying you dont need a guide but seriously get up into the major creek/river drainages between 2500 and 4000' in mid-late sept and you will be in moose.

[OSCAR1987]

Is that 150 miles on the Parks highway or the Richardson Hwy??

For the Richardson I would do this:
Get some rafts, drop in at Paxon lake and float down the Gulkana to Sourdough (40 river miles). There is a taxi service available that takes your rig to a secure lot and then drops it on the pre-determined day at the take out.
You will have the time of your life. Takes from 4days to a week depending on how many nights/days you stay camped. Try to get a bear tag. also there are Caribou in that area as well...Kill 'em all! The lake is 6 miles long so bring a small outboard.

For the Parks: Cancel and do the above!   

[jstone]

Well the area that i was going to go into is supposedly not open to out of state hunters? or they decided not to want me and my buddy around. So i think i will look into the float hunting trip? Thanks for the advice. I will discuss this with my hunting partner. I want to go but i don't have the big money for a guide. I know it will take a few thousand and i expect that but don't want to break the bank. I am looking to bag a good moose. Thanks All

[Bearhunter]

It will take more than a few thousand for a float hunt/bush flight trip, probably a minimum of $4000 before you leave your house.

[AKBowman]

Well the area that i was going to go into is supposedly not open to out of state hunters? or they decided not to want me and my buddy around. So i think i will look into the float hunting trip? Thanks for the advice. I will discuss this with my hunting partner. I want to go but i don't have the big money for a guide. I know it will take a few thousand and i expect that but don't want to break the bank. I am looking to bag a good moose. Thanks All

If you're are looking at doing the Gulkana that someone mentioned in this thread then you will need to know a few things;
As mentioned the lake crossing is about three miles long, Paxson is a long skinny lake and if the wind is blowing in your face you will absolutely need a small kicker of some sort.

On about hour 30 until about hour 40 of the float there is a 5-8 miles section of river (just before the west for of the gulkana joins the main fork) that has no current, you will want a kicker here as well.

The river can be REALLY low in Sept. some years so you might end up doing a lot of pushing/pulling the raft through the shallow spots.

The area is not really a great spot for moose. Not to say there arent moose in the area it just takes a lot of work to get on them and there arent that many. A legal bull will be larger than 50" or three or more brow tines on one side. First legal bull you see you should shoot.

I've done the float 6 times all in August or early sept. Its world class grayling fishing and good rainbow fishing the whole way down to Sourdough.

We've always driven o the lake dropped everything off drove the car back down to Sourdough and hitchhiked back up to the lake. This way the car is there when you get down to Sourdough. No one messes wiith your car/stuff up in AK do that $hit up there and you can get shot so you should be fine leaving it there for 8-11 days.

PM me and I can give ytou more info

[OSCAR1987]

I did that same float in June 4 separate years over fathers day and there is always a few moose then. There is also a portage around some small waterfall, rough section about 1/2 way through the trip, so be prepared.
We also saw Griz and boo.
Best fishing ever as Akbowman said, too.
I miss Alaska!

[littlemac]

It will take more than a few thousand for a float hunt/bush flight trip, probably a minimum of $4000 before you leave your house.

You got that right.  $$$ in most cases.

But definitely worth the trip and adventure.

[jstone]

So would caribou be cheaper?? And maybe could be more successful??

[engelwood]

From what I hear the only places you could save by doing caribou would be a hundred on the tag, and might cut one flight out of the bush off the total cost. At a minimum, depending on total flight miles/hours, like said above, you will be in $4k before you leave your door, best thing is to do moose and shoot a bou while up there. Just my