12 Day Fly in-Fly out BP Moose Pack List

[Where's Bruce?]

I am slowly adding UL pieces to my bow hunting war chest but invariably end up with a pack that weighs too damn much. For you guys that have been dropped in the middle of nowhere to bow hunt moose in central AK in mid-September...what's on your pack list? Bear in mind there is no boat, spike camp or anything else waiting for you, it's all on your back.

 

[Stid2677]

What is your weight limit and mode of transport? That is what dictates my packing list.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Bush plane. Weight won't be a concern flying in (just me and my pack, bow & shotgun) however, if the hunt is successful we'll get hit with a fee for transportation of the meat. I don't wanna be packing 75+lbs of gear on this trip.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

depends on the region and habitat type, but I'd stick with a sheep-style hunt (55-65-lbs) plus the tools for the trade when you got a bull down. That'll add about 6 lbs to your normal kit when bustin a moose down to bags and dealing with it for a week or more. If you'll be on a ridgeline hunt and shooting off the hills where you'll have to get it back uphill to the strip...an external packframe will serve you well.

If you'll be in muskeg and tundra, bring a plastic sled to drag your qtrs and neck meat bags back to camp...this beats packing it any distance on your back over tussocks and swampy substrate.

Some tools you'll need for moose: a meat hook, a 10'X10' tarp, 28X60" TAG Bag set, meat thermometer, citric acid and spray bottle, contractor trash bags for warm weather (meat immersion), a bone saw, and some parachute cord or 2 ea 12' river cam straps for lashing meat bags to a sled or packframe.

 

[Yellowknife]

If you are flying-in, flying-out... The difference between 50 and 75lbs of gear isn't going to mean squat compared to the weight of the moose. Certainly not enough to push you to another airplane round trip on the demob. Light is still good anytime you are talking aircraft, but you aren't going to be actually "backpacking" anywhere from the airstrip/lake, since you will be limited to shooting things no more than a mile or so from your pick up point.

Also these kind of things depend heavily on the aircraft used, and the size of the lake/runway. Big big difference between a Supercub vs a C185 vs Beaver. Also, many of the drop off hunts are flat fee with a set wt limit. You can usually assume that a moose is going to be a second trip regardless, so you might as well camp somewhat comfortable. If it's supercub, that might be a different matter. Basically what I'm saying is that you shouldn't get too hung up on numbers until you have an idea what your trip is going to look like.

Larry's advise is generally pretty good though. Mid-Sept can be COLD at night (depending on elevation), so warm gear and a dry change of clothes is pretty important. A saw/axe, light rope and some light pulleys can make a huge difference when working with a dead and down bull and for hanging quarters.

Yk

 

[Ray]

rope-a-long but if you can't afford that weight then become familiar with "z-drag" systems used in white water rafting to manage water filled rafts. Suprising mechanical advantage using a few caribiners and rope.

http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread734949/pg1

Unless you are flying in to a spot that requires you to hike a while to get into a hunting area I would not be overly concerned about the weigh of the gear going in.