Alaska costs

[MuleyFever]

I didn't see a post on this. What were your costs outside the transporter/guide and airfare. Basically what did you pay once you got there and back other than those mentioned. Including hotel, food, shipping gear, meat prep, etc. Include weight of meat shipped if applicable.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I don't remember exactly but it wasn't what I'd call expensive. AIR B&B one night each way, couple Uber rides to and from airport, couple meals eating out, took all gear on the plane as checked bags, bought a couple fish box's and checked probably 100 lbs of meat on the way home. Maybe $5-600 per person?

Maybe @BRTreedogs remembers better than I do.

 

[shanny28757]

similar experience here.
-2 nights in a hotel.
-2 days worth of meals
-couple airport runs to and from
-extra baggage fee for meat

expect at least few hundred extra dollars depending on where you stay, if you eat steaks or ramen, etc.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Well we did it kind of the expensive way.
I think we spent about $750 each
Also bag fees have gone up since our trip.

There were only 2 flights a week and I wasn’t comfortable with trying to do all 3 legs in one day.
So we broke our flights up and stay the night in anchorage.
So this cost us the Air bnb and some on the flight’s. We broke up the flight on the way home as well in case we decided to do some other excursion around anchorage.

Also getting an Air bin was probably more expensive but we each wanted our own room and bathroom.

Something I didn’t think about in the way up that cost us a lot of baggage is we picked up our bags in Anchorage and checked them again the next day.

But you can check them to your final destination, which we did on the way home.
Alaska air requires all meat to be vacuum sealed now, which the transporter provided but it was a total pain and we lost a day of fishing to package meat.
Personally I’d only bring meat home again if it was sheep or moose.
And if moose I’d pay a broker to deal with it.
You can save money by donating your meat.
Not getting lodging in Anchorage
Not drinking beer
And checking whatever bags you don’t need all the way thru.
Also you could find a hotel that has a shuttle.
But over all with everything extra we did it was only $250 ish each more then the cheapest option.

 

[WeiserBucks]

Not drinking beer

You can't be serious? Remember how much $$ Mark saved us along with his impeccable driving skills?

 

[BRTreedogs]

We also did not harvest anything with antlers large enough to accuse extra fees.

 

[WeiserBucks]

We also did not harvest anything with antlers large enough to accuse extra fees.

That's a win. We should do it again

 

[BRTreedogs]

You can't be serious? Remember how much $$ Mark saved us along with his impeccable driving skills?

I didn’t say it was an option for us.

I just said it was an option

 

[hereinaz]

Yeah, plan on at least another $4-500 per person. Sounds right for our two different trips over the last few years. You might scrimp and save a little, but not much unless you sleep in the airport and eat PB and J you get at Walmart with your propane canisters.

 

[HuntHarder]

hotel on front and back end of hunt I would budget 500ish if double occupancy. You may need an extra night on either side depending on weather.
Eating out, beer and uber rides maybe $200.
Shipping meat back: I have checked 100 lbs of caribou meat on AK air. Used to be 100$ for one overweight bag + 2 fish boxes, so $150ish. On my moose hunt, I had meat processed by a processor and shipped back to me using trophy express. That came out to about $6.00 per lb all in, including processing, packaging and shipping. Getting horns and cape back varies as well. I was able to split a crate with a few other guys on caribou hunt drop shipped to one of our houses. That was $500 each. The moose hunt I was not able to split it with other guys and that was close to $600 IIRC using AK Trophy.

My totals
Hotels/food- $500-700
Meat- $100-$200 if checking bags If processing and shipping using and expediter $500-$1000 depending on amount of meat.
Horns and cape- $500-$1000 depending on what you have done and if you can split it with others.
Tip for pilot or outfitter- Depends on your style. My costs were $500-800
Shipping gear- I checked all my gear on my flights. Roughly $100 each way.

 

[Cyril]

One other factor is where you are hunting out of. If you are hunting out of an Alaska airlines hub, it will cost you less, or similar to above with minimal hotel fees etc. If you need to book a flight to a remote village, it will cost you an additional $500 to $1500 round trip for ticket with no meat/trophy freight or fees. If multiple guys are successful, you may pay one way ticket out at a couple hundred to $750 each and may need to charter a flight back to guarantee your meat is on the flight with you or you will need to have an alternate plan for meat(cooler or freezer option in village and expediter in anchorage).

 

[wyosam]

No beer and not bringing home meat? Ef all of that.


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[MuleyFever]

Alaska air requires all meat to be vacuum sealed now, which the transporter provided but it was a total pain and we lost a day of fishing to package meat.

The policy on meat just says it has to be in a leak proof container. I talked to Alaska Air and they said the meat does not need to be vacuum packed.

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

My 2 Week 2024 AK Trip...

.Round trip flight from Phoenix to Anchorage: $495
.Checked rifle case: $75
.Rental TRD Off Road Tacoma: $2,700
.Hotel for first and last two nights: $650
.Processing and shipping meat: $1,200 (Didn't have time to do it and check any on the place back)
.Processing and shipping skull: $750 (My buddy did this, could be more money for someone else to do)
.Purchasing food/cooler/supplies: $400
.Return checked rifle case: $75
.Fuel: $300
.License/Harvest Ticket/Locking Tag: $975

TOTAL: $7,620

 

[BRTreedogs]

The policy on meat just says it has to be in a leak proof container. I talked to Alaska Air and they said the meat does not need to be vacuum packed.

Everyone on our trip we talked to said it was required.

I don’t think our transporter would of offered us all those free bags if it wasn’t.

But good luck. Worst that happens is they refuse when you get to the counter and you just toss the meat in the trash.

I’m not sure. It seems to very on what is considered leak proof.

I think every employee you talk to could give a different answer.

I would of way rather went fishing or hunting another day if there had been another option.

 

[Nick Muche]

It’s not required but I’d certainly impress upon anyone to ensure it’s leak proof.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Must of been our transporters way of keeping us occupied to save on gas.
What a crock.