Alaska DIY drop camp question

[Lrs183]

Hello,

As a prelude, if anyone has some insight but would rather share it privately, feel free to message me on here.

Does anyone have a recommendation or know of opportunities to get flown in for a diy moose hunt as a solo hunter? I understand the 2 person policy is essentially designed around safety (or greater cash flow per group, or both). However, that doesn't make it any easier for someone who's up for the challenge but doesn't have hunting friends with either serious enough intentions, the desire, money, or all of it, to go and moose hunt.

I've got plenty of time in the woods both solo and group, both in the lower 48 and Alaska. Ranging from doing a solo haul road 5 mile death march caribou hunt, Montana elk, deer etc.

Thanks for the insight!

 

[casey.sonora]

I've been on two transported moose hunts with the same outfit in 20’ and 22’. Both times had the same hunting partner. Two guys total. One moose first trip, moose and a caribou 2nd. Things I would really think about if doing moose solo. Location of kill in relation to pickup. Not knowing any better as first time moose hunters we killed the first moose we found 1.7 miles from the landing site. Packing the meat wasn't bad but with so many bags they get to be in a few locations and I was very worried of a bear stealing my meat. Along with the time it takes to pack all those loads. So if I was going to solo I think a float later in the season is what I would do. Then you have a raft to move meat after the kill that you can call towards the location you have chosen to kill him. Also consider the bone in and bone out units as that can be good or bad depending on your post kill strategy. Float/logistics, later season/more callable, later season/cooler for meat concerns.
None of this is deep dive stuff but I've kicked the tires on a solo and that's what I've come up with.

*I should also say that I personally would not do a solo moose due the duty to you have to the meat. For me the possibility of meat loss is not acceptable. Legality aside the stress of that for a novice moose hunter like myself....Not what you are out there for. Getting the meat out of the field can be some of the worst kind of stress I've ever felt. You caused this problem! It makes you feel like a bad person. Not how I want to role or how I want to honor the animal and nature. Just me, plenty of dudes do it all the time but for a NR without a really solid logistics and support plan. Not worth it.

 

[diamond10x]

Until you've been around a dead mature AK bull and their sheer size, and actually handled and packed one a little bit, a solo hunt is probably not a good idea. I'm not saying it's not doable as it certainly is, but I can promise you there is no other animal in North America that requires the amount of work and care that a full grown AK moose does. It makes a 5 mile death march caribou seem like cake. Its a couple day job even with two guys if only having to go half a mile. Something to think about there. Also I'm sure there are plenty of guys on here you could vet to find a hunting partner to go with.

 

[2KHEARTSHOT]

I went on a solo hunt this past fall and was successful. I shot a bull on my last hunting day. I butchered it that evening and packed it all out by 2pm the next day. The bone in meat and skull weighed just under 700 pounds on the scale back at the dock. It was a half mile hike to the lake with about a 150’ ridge I had to climb up and down each way. I left the bone in the quarters which added weight but made the meat much more manageable to handle compared to just having 100plus pound sacks of loose meat. It’s a weird feeling being completely alone for a week, but I had a 375 and a 480 Ruger to keep me company. I’m glad I decided to just go do it and go solo. I wasted many years on people promising that they’d go with me only to back out. If you are serious about it then just go do it. If you have experience hiking in the mountains you will be fine. Set a realistic distance that you won’t exceed and stick to it. Just remember that it’s a marathon and not a race.

 

[Robinhood21]

I went on a solo hunt this past fall and was successful. I shot a bull on my last hunting day. I butchered it that evening and packed it all out by 2pm the next day. The bone in meat and skull weighed just under 700 pounds on the scale back at the dock. It was a half mile hike to the lake with about a 150’ ridge I had to climb up and down each way. I left the bone in the quarters which added weight but made the meat much more manageable to handle compared to just having 100plus pound sacks of loose meat. It’s a weird feeling being completely alone for a week, but I had a 375 and a 480 Ruger to keep me company. I’m glad I decided to just go do it and go solo. I wasted many years on people promising that they’d go with me only to back out. If you are serious about it then just go do it. If you have experience hiking in the mountains you will be fine. Set a realistic distance that you won’t exceed and stick to it. Just remember that it’s a marathon and not a race.

Impressive! Physically and Mentally!

 

[Beendare]

Its do-able…just more expensive.

The flight to drop you is the same be it one or two guys. The problem lies in visualizing the country. I’ve pack a few elk out solo in the lower 48. Hard ground, get it to a trail and hump it out.

In many parts of AK where these moose live is boggy ground or swamp. You sink to your knees or worse.
Try that with 80# on your back.

I’m not saying don’t go…just listen to the guy dropping you off. Most times a raft or sled is handy.

 

[Djacker]

Call papa bear or renfros and ask them. Butchering will be alot for 1 guy. Packing a bull is doable for 1 guy. I packed 3/4 of my dad's bull .75 miles this year, took me the better part of a day. Then all of my bull 600 yards solo 4 days later.

 

[ndbuck09]

take heed of the note above where you're going to be moving 700 plus pounds if you don't shirk the Alaska law on meat salvage. Imagine moving all that weight in the dark, in thicker alders than you can imagine, and it's raining, soft and 38 degrees and you're soaked from it raining for days and sweating through your high end rain gear.

Key is to be realistic in how far away from the pick up zone you can kill. Also, not sure about your butchering skill but a mature moose is likely to take you 6-8hrs solo to get all cut and bagged so you're moving all that weight after all that work.

 

[Djacker]

take heed of the note above where you're going to be moving 700 plus pounds if you don't shirk the Alaska law on meat salvage. Imagine moving all that weight in the dark, in thicker alders than you can imagine, and it's raining, soft and 38 degrees and you're soaked from it raining for days and sweating through your high end rain gear.

Key is to be realistic in how far away from the pick up zone you can kill. Also, not sure about your butchering skill but a mature moose is likely to take you 6-8hrs solo to get all cut and bagged so you're moving all that weight after all that work.

Sounds like you were on my hunt. Damn those alders suck!! At first glance they don't look bad. But after 50 yards of walking in that jungle, I was ready to fly home.

 

[AKBorn]

I went on a solo hunt this past fall and was successful. I shot a bull on my last hunting day. I butchered it that evening and packed it all out by 2pm the next day. The bone in meat and skull weighed just under 700 pounds on the scale back at the dock. It was a half mile hike to the lake with about a 150’ ridge I had to climb up and down each way. I left the bone in the quarters which added weight but made the meat much more manageable to handle compared to just having 100plus pound sacks of loose meat. It’s a weird feeling being completely alone for a week, but I had a 375 and a 480 Ruger to keep me company. I’m glad I decided to just go do it and go solo. I wasted many years on people promising that they’d go with me only to back out. If you are serious about it then just go do it. If you have experience hiking in the mountains you will be fine. Set a realistic distance that you won’t exceed and stick to it. Just remember that it’s a marathon and not a race.

Thats pretty impressive, congrats and well done!