AK moose: Float trip or Base camp. which do you prefer and why?

[HardcoreHunter]

Bruce, when are you planning on wanting to go?

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Thought I would have already gone but before the hunts are formally booked (as in $$$) the other guy backs out and no outfitter will take a single archer. I even tried to secure a bow and rifle moose (as a single hunter) on the same trip but no luck yet. If possible i'd like to do a brown bear/moose hunt with the option to switch to the rifle if I see a trophy I cannot get to with the bow. Now it look like I'll hafta wait until 2016. My biggest problem is that I work the first 20 days of each month (75-90hr weeks) so I can only hunt the last 10 days in any given month. I take a six week vacation from the 20th of May thru July 4th every year but there's not much to hunt in those months so I go backpacking into alpine trout areas.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

If you've never hunted moose before and you're not a "river guy," consider a drop camp to be a wiser choice.

It's one thing to try and figure out moose behavior and hunting strategies in a week's time in the field....but to be outside your comfort zone with river dynamics and daily camp routines are quite the added stressors.

It sounds like a 1st time moose hunt would be more enjoyable without the added headache of learning and doing many new tasks whildst trying to find and identify a legal bull. With that said, a base camp drop (perhaps on a ridgeline or gravel bar in good moose country) might be the best option.

If you need to go solo, there are services available if you appear confident to the pilot....but handling a moose alone is more daunting than the decision of how and where to hunt in Alaska. The meat care challenges are many and heavy and extremely labor intensive solo.

LB

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Yeah...I don't think I'm ready for that. I need someone to call for me (bow hunt) and assist in the dressing and hauling. At 55 I'm no longer a stud...thanks to the 6 motorcycle spills in my youth. <g> I'm no slouch, took a 75lb backpack up into the eastern Sierras for a week in preparation for elk season but a moose is huge and frankly, the idea of dressing and packing one alone in brown bear country is beyond my abilities and comfort level. Some outfitters have placed me on a "singles list" in case someone bails on an existing hunt but no calls yet.

 

[Alaskan89]

From what i've read of your posts so far, it doesn't appear that you are an Alaskan resident, which means you cannot hunt brown bear. There's a lot of wisdom in the last paragraph of Larry's last post. I've handled several downed moose by myself and it is no easy task, hauling, skinning, quartering, and hanging a butchered bull moose by your lonesome.

 

[VernAK]

Bruce,

As Larry says!

I'm a old guy and have done 50 years of moose hunts and even two or three of we old guys have found it to be too much without young help. Keep looking and something that fits will open up.

It's a great experience.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Bruce,

As Larry says!

I'm a old guy and have done 50 years of moose hunts and even two or three of we old guys have found it to be too much without young help. Keep looking and something that fits will open up.

It's a great experience.

Hunting browns just means hiring an outfitter and paying through the nose. LOL
Handling a bull moose alone is not something I would even consider. I think the price tag is spooking the guys, it all sounds good till the deposit is due. ((((Heavy sigh))))

 

[Alaskan89]

Bruce, have you got an area picked out yet?

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Someplace just west of the Yukon for a big rack unless you got a better idea.

 

[rayporter]

go float. now!

buy all the books on float hunting -even the older ones.

 

[Liv2Hunt]

Does anyone have experience with Kent Kaiser from Alaskan Quest? We are looking to go in the fall of 2016. I'm also waiting for Larry's book and dvds to use to plan our hunt.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

don't do it, Liv. He'll stick you on the Melozi with all of his other groups scattered about and you won't expect better than 25% success success at the very best. He's got a terrible reputation with the AST as well. It's a matter of time before he's off the grid completely, IMO. One year a buddy of mine checked 8 groups of his on one 60-mile stretch...only three moose had been harvested out of over 20 people.

 

[Liv2Hunt]

don't do it, Liv. He'll stick you on the Melozi with all of his other groups scattered about and you won't expect better than 25% success success at the very best. He's got a terrible reputation with the AST as well. It's a matter of time before he's off the grid completely, IMO. One year a buddy of mine checked 8 groups of his on one 60-mile stretch...only three moose had been harvested out of over 20 people.

Thanks for the intel!

 

[shaun]

I booked a drop camp for 2015 through Mark Warnke we will be goin out of Bethal AK. I am super pumped on this hunt!!

 

[Brock A]

I booked a drop camp for 2015 through Mark Warnke we will be goin out of Bethal AK. I am super pumped on this hunt!!

I am doing this hunt as well in 2017

 

[Liv2Hunt]

I booked a drop camp for 2015 through Mark Warnke we will be goin out of Bethal AK. I am super pumped on this hunt!!

Plesse keep us posted!

 

[JPD350]

I had Wright Air service drop us in the foot hills of the Alaska Range and had a fun trip, we saw moose (mostly cows) almost every day and saw one bull that looked close to legal but when we finally had him within 300yds the blowing snow kept us from confirming legal status without a doubt so we came back with no meat.

Like I mentioned the trip was fun but I would not do this drop hunt again, apparently some locals were flown in before us and pounded 3 moose from the area, they had any bull tags, I don't have any problem with locals doing their thing but I am positive it effected my hunt in a negative way since we had no where else to go. It wasn't hard to find the kill sites and determine that the remaining moose were effected by the prior pressure, the last couple days of the hunt we finally had moose moving back into the area but it was a little late and they were only 30 to 40 inch bulls.

All in all 4g's and 13 days in the field I Got some good insight to Alaska weather and terrain, what kind of person I would do a more remote hunt with, what gear worked or didn't work and of course a "little" moose behavior knowledge.

I totally understand the value of Larry's insight and services for the DIY hunter and hope someday soon I can utilize his expertise for the kind of moose hunt I want.

JP

 

[bikerdavet]

Hunting browns just means hiring an outfitter and paying through the nose. LOL
Handling a bull moose alone is not something I would even consider. I think the price tag is spooking the guys, it all sounds good till the deposit is due. ((((Heavy sigh))))

A moose hunt is on my bucket list. Just hit 60 so I am less spry than you Bruce but I am going in 2016. I haven't even started to plan my hunt yet but I am going anyway. Can someone tell me what order of magnitude in $$$ a moose hunt is? I would love to float and hunting a brown bear would be like icing in the cake! Maybe Luke will chime in and offer to give us the grand tour...

 

[Vance in AK]

Bikerdavet, if this is a once in a lifetime trip, I would suggest you start with a call to Larry Bartlett of Pristine Ventures (about 7 posts up). Even if you choose not to go with his hunt planning service you will have gained some good insight. There are other hunt planning services, but Larry has a great reputation & loves what he does.
2nd, brown bear (costal) & grizzly bear (interior) hunting in Alaska requires non-residents to use a guide unless they are hunting with a 2nd degree of kindred blood relative who is an Alaska resident.
Start planning NOW, as most good flight services fill up on flights a year ahead.

 

[bikerdavet]

Bikerdavet, if this is a once in a lifetime trip, I would suggest you start with a call to Larry Bartlett of Pristine Ventures (about 7 posts up). Even if you choose not to go with his hunt planning service you will have gained some good insight. There are other hunt planning services, but Larry has a great reputation & loves what he does.
2nd, brown bear (costal) & grizzly bear (interior) hunting in Alaska requires non-residents to use a guide unless they are hunting with a 2nd degree of kindred blood relative who is an Alaska resident.
Start planning NOW, as most good flight services fill up on flights a year ahead.

Thanks Vance. I'll take your advise and contact Larry. So I wonder who I am related to in Alaska? Maybe someone will adopt me...