2025 Moose Hunt one for the books.

[Southern Heritage]

Where do you start on a hunt of life time.
Quick back story I saw a moose in Alaska when I was 18 working a fish camp. I was in shock that an animal that size roamed the earth and it was probably 600 yds away. So I started saving because somehow someway I was going to hunt one of these things.
I watched prices got from DIY starting at $2000.00 and guided hunts around $8500.00 climb every year. Fast forward all most 15 years (2021) I get enough saved and sign up for a brooks range hunt on horse back. Bad outfitter and bad weather, my dream is crushed. However I kept praying Lord get me back up there. 2023 I shatter my spine and get a couple of fusions. I get diagnosed with AS auto immune disorder. Doc says no heavy packs but don’t give up on your dreams, just be smart.
So I start rehab. Fast forward to to spring of 2025 I reach out to Greg at Ultimate Alaskan Adventure who I met at a SCI convention. Tell him I have a bad spine but this is my dream would he have me. Well he had a cancelation and opening for this fall. I tell him I’m ready just need to be careful with my spine.
Fast forward again to this September. I have my gear dialed in to be sub 50lbs and rifle shooting nickels. Fly to anchorage to find the dreaded fog.
Day 1 I wake up get ready to fly to main camp. Knowing when I walk out side it doesn’t look good. When I get word no flying I go to stay another night and hotel is booked solid. So I find another one.
Day 2 weather is terrible again. However it clears up about 4:00 and off we go with a father son team. We share a 206 plane and fly about 1hr 20 min to there main camp. Soon as we get unloaded, we do introductions and quickly site in our rifles. Next thing I know I’m shuttling gear in solos boat with a jet engine and we head up this river into some gorgeous country. I’m one day closer to hunting without out flying the following day. About 2hrs later and half frozen I meet my guide and a packer waiting on me with some hot coffee and my choice of a freeze dried ready to go for dinner. I make my self home in a bomb shelter tent and get stuff ready for the next 8 days of hunting.
Day 3. Wake up at day light and we climb up a little hill and soon as the fogs lift we start spotting black bears in the high country and I see a bull moose about 1000 yds away. I remember the guide saying he was around 50”s and my going huh I just learned something. I’m not real picky when it comes to Moose as I thought it was a giant. It’s beautiful country and appears to be 12” tall blue berries. Boy was I wrong on that. However I’m already in a much better spot than my past trip. We glass until about 9:00 that night spotting a lot more moose 5 miles down the river on the edge of some timber. Guide and packer are awesome.
Day 4. My guide asked me if I’m willing to spike camp. He likes to hunt further down the river but it’s about 4 miles as a crow flys and we have to cross the river a decent amount of times. I said I’m up for what ever we need to do. So we lighten our bags. Toss on hip waders and tear down camp then head off. The plan was for someone to bring us camp 2 days later.
After about 32 river crossings, getting attacked by an salmon and spotting some really nice caribou and one brown bear we reached camp about 30 min before dark. Let me add I had a bear tag in my pocket so if I saw a caribou or brown bear I could take one. However I was there for a moose. We set up spike camp and string some tarps up and open style Teepee tent and hit the sack. Over all I’m feeling pretty good.
Day 5) we wake up my back is super tight and we climb a heck of a hill. For this Alabama flatlander I struggled. It was only a mile from camp but straight up. However when we got up there you could see forever. We see a really nice bull across the river and it’s headed towards some local resident hunters. Then spot another nice moose about 3 miles away going to another river. I’m starting to realize my landscape may be taller then I thought as the moose just vanish for hours and hours.
We probably spot 7 or 8 moose. Nothing close but we are on them.
Day 6) We climb the mini Everest hill again. We spot all the same moose except the two nice bulls. We hear 7 shots and later watch the residents pack down the mountain with big white meat bags strapped to there back. Kinda looked like what I’d imagine a kkk party would look like coming off a mountain. I joke about the big bull that was 3 miles away going to completely different river that, thay was the land of milk and honey.
Continued below.

 

[Southern Heritage]

Day 7) We are socked in heavy we climb mini Everest and maybe 15 min after sitting down we hear a cow calling. It sounded close. After my guide looking puzzled on the next move he said let’s go for a walk about. So we go down the mountain then back up another to find we can’t see very far. So we go down another valley then back up to find the prettiest marsh and timber a Moose hunter could hope for. We immediately start spotting moose. Let me add the fog had listened and the previous two valleys were bogs. I’m soaked but loving every minute of it. I’m also starting to hurt. Fast forward to about 3:30 weeks spot a bull. I don’t have a lot experience but it looked big. We move in and get 400yds from it. My guide is hesitant. It only has two brows and not really wide paddles. There is 2 cows at 180 yds then 3 cows by the bull. I remember asking my guide are you are okay shooting him here. Without missing a beat and big ol smile he tells me you worry about the shot. I’ll handle getting him to the river. Fast forward about 45 min we try calling and the bull moves up the hill and then beds down again with this one blond cow. We make our move and get into 200 yds. My guide explains he isn’t 60”s probably 55 but legal. If I like him and will be happy he is good with it. We wait him out and he stands up and starts moving. No shot. He gets to about 250yds and he is straight up a hill/mountain and I sneak one in there. All I see is feet in the air then nothing. As I sit there and take it in I can’t help but tear up. What a incredible moment. We gather our things and head up the mountain but we can’t find him. For 45 mins we look but you can’t see 10’ in this willow thicket. We find a boulder we had marked and still no luck. So I go way left of where we knew he was and we are all thinking worst case and there he lays. I can’t even even holler I’ve found him. I’m absolutely speechless on how big these critters are.
I get my composure and call out that I’ve got him. We gather around and take a break. I can’t help but get big ol alligator tears again. A moment I was told wouldn’t happen, couldn’t happen but here I am. I noticed my guide gets out a measure tape. It goes to 60”s and we had room to spare total width was 65”s. We cut brush away and take pics. We gut him and load our stuff back up to make the 4.5 mile trip back to camp. It’s around 11:00 when we get back. I’m soaked to the bone from walking from the bogs, my boots filled with water and I’m on cloud 9.
Day 8) we eat breakfast and tear down camp. A super cub drops off a second packer. We hike 4.5 miles back to the moose of my dreams. I have no idea what we are getting into but I’m nervous. We snap a few more pics and get to butchering. It takes 4 hours to cut and bag the moose. These little red biting flies destroyed us. We then packed meat, horns and hide down the mountain 5-600 yds from the kill. We are 2.25 miles from another river and get confirmation from the pilot he can land there. So he goes to our day one camp gathers our stuff and drops it off on the new river.
After moving everything to the meat tree we all load up with camp, meat and smiles and make our way to our new home.
We chose a terrible path hitting more bogs and thickets but find the river. We then search for our drop of supplies to find it 1 more down the river. At least it’s flat and easy walking. My pack was around 90 lbs and I’m feeling it. We set up tents in the dark and ate dinner all exhausted headed for bed.
Day 9) we head back to the meat tree and grab more meat. I’m probably around 80lbs but these packers are putting me to shame. We head back to camp and then back to the meat tree. This time we find our meat is buried and we have a bear. We make a lot of noise and quickly load the packs and head back to the river. It’s late afternoon when we arrive to the river and get unloaded. At this point I’m not getting around to good. All we have left is the horns and cape. I honestly regret not going back for the last trip. Even though I wouldn’t have had to carry anything. I should have gone to finish it out but I listen to my guide who was right. All I would do is slow them down. They where great sports and even better attitudes but they where ready be done with the mountain
Day 10) I can’t really get around. My back and hip are killing me. Weather is awesome and super cub shows up and starts hauling moose meat and supplies back to main camp. After 4 loads I load up, then packer 1 then 2 then guide then horns all make it back to base camp. I’m still on cloud 9 and not ready to go home. That’s when I find out a 206 is coming and I can fly out if I like or can stay until the next day. I decide to head home. They load up two more hunters shuttle them to a bigger air strip drop them off and come back to get me. Then comes back and gets me to go pick them up so we all can take off on the bigger strip. They really have this logistic thing down. I get checked in to hotel and move my flight to the following evening
Day 11) I make the worst most painful flight which was all night to Alabama. On day 12 I have found out my hip socket is messed up and my hip went out of place on the pack out. My right leg was measuring 1.50”s shorter then my right.
So add that to getting repaired list.

To sum it up don’t let people tell you what you can and can’t do. My brain never let me quit until I got home. It wouldn’t because it knew I had no other options. Also don’t ever quit on your dreams not matter the cost. I’m just a simple landscaper. Dave Ramsey probably hates me but buddy I’m living life to the fullest.
I hope you enjoyed this little write up. I’m sure the grammar is terrible and even with spell check I’m sure I missed a few.
Thank you for reading

 

[TCUHunter34]

Great bull. Congrats!

 

[Gpw]

Sounds like a hell of a trip. Glad you finally were able to get your moose!

 

[Elkhuntinfool78]

Congrats on a dream come true and a great bull!!

 

[AKDoc]

Way to go, sir!! A great write-up and a solemn reminder to us all about personal grit...very commendable on your part! I'm truly glad your Alaskan moose dream was realized, and I wish you the very best in your recovery. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us!