Archery for alaskan moose

[Oregonbred]

So there is a extreme likely hood that I will be going on a semi DIY moose hunt in Alaska next year with my father and potentially one other person and I figured I'd shoot the idea out there because it's something I want to try (of course I'd bring a rifle and probably a big bore wheel gun for if I did try using my bow any way) how feasible is it to actually get onto bulls with archery equipment or would it be better to focus on just the rifle. I am mainly an archery hunter and a big bull with an arrow is a bucket list accomplishment for me.

Just to add an additional question to this, what would you consider the max range you would take a shot at a moose with a bow(I know it would be largely situation dependent but still), given someone has a probably more than recommended setup.

 

[HuntHarder]

I went rifle this year on my first AK moose hunt. When I shot my moose I instantly regretted not bowhunting. I shot him at 50 yards with a 300 win. and easily could have gotten him closer imo. Would have been a chip shot with the bow. I could see how some areas would be tough with a bow tho. ( on the other side of a slough, across the lake, swampy areas) but if they are rutting, they will come to raking and calls in my limited experience.

 

[Kevin Dill]

To me this is simple. If you're primarily a bowhunter at home then you're primarily a bowhunter in Alaska and everywhere else. Use the rifle if you must, but know you're compromising your satisfaction by doing so.

I stay away from judgment on this issue as it matters not to me what anyone uses for a weapon. I've simply seen it happen many, many times that a true bowhunter defaulted to the rifle to ensure a filled tag and then later admitted regret in doing so.

Along with several friends, we have many combined decades of moose hunting with archery tackle (longbows and recurves in our case) and none of us has ever defaulted to a firearm.

 

[SliverShooter]

To me this is simple. If you're primarily a bowhunter at home then you're primarily a bowhunter in Alaska and everywhere else. Use the rifle if you must, but know you're compromising your satisfaction by doing so.

I stay away from judgment on this issue as it matters not to me what anyone uses for a weapon. I've simply seen it happen many, many times that a true bowhunter defaulted to the rifle to ensure a filled tag and then later admitted regret in doing so.

Along with several friends, we have many combined decades of moose hunting with archery tackle (longbows and recurves in our case) and none of us has ever defaulted to a firearm.


^^^^^ Well said.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

If you take the bow and end up striking out due to not being able to close the distance for what ever reason will you be upset you didnt have the rifle? If so, take the rifle

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

 

[WI Shedhead]

When you go with rifle hunters, you end up being a packer. It’s not that hard in a good moose area to knock one down with a rifle. This is not my experience, but advise given from a guy that has been on 10 moose hunting trips. After the first one, he went with bow hunters only

 

[Oregonbred]

Thanks for the input everyone,
I don't feel like I would be upset if I used the rifle to be quite honest with you because I just want to get out there and experience the adventure.

The method I use doesn't really bother me but I figured I would bring both and try the bow if it was a realistic possibility. because like I said a big bull with a bow would be a pinnacle achievement for me but I'd be hard pressed to say a big bull with a rifle wouldn't make me feel just as happy.

 

[skeptic]

I went on a DIY moose hunt in Alaska in 2002, I was bowhunting. On the second day of the hunt my hunting partner and I called in a 64" bull and that thing came in on a string. I completely lost my shit and tossed an air ball over its back that shaved a tuft of hair off it's hump. I didn't range it and thought it was further away than it was and I just kind of blacked out and melted down. After I missed it, I looked over at my buddy (who had a rifle) and told him to go ahead and shoot, as I was sure it would run away. He blasted it and it dropped in its tracks. I will never forget that. We spent the next 2 days packing that thing out and then we got weathered in for the next 6 or 7. It was awful.

As far as them being huntable with a bow, absolutely.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Take the bow and the rifle. In reference to your other question about how likely is it that you'd get on legal bulls at bow range, it depends on which unit you'll be hunting, the type of access into that game management unit, and how much you know about moose.

 

[Oregonbred]

Take the bow and the rifle. In reference to your other question about how likely is it that you'd get on legal bulls at bow range, it depends on which unit you'll be hunting, the type of access into that game management unit, and how much you know about moose.

I'm trying to do as much research as humanly possible on moose and how to hunt them effectively. It's gonna be a lower pop density hunt from what I've read and heard but the bull quality is quite high.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I'm trying to do as much research as humanly possible on moose and how to hunt them effectively. It's gonna be a lower pop density hunt from what I've read and heard but the bull quality is quite high.

Sounds good.

 

[cnelk]

My first trip I took a bow, my buddy had a rifle.
We got into some really thick stuff where the bulls were and I switched to the rifle.
Shot my bull at 30yds and there would’ve been no way to sneak an arrow thru.
Never a regret.

Nobody is gonna say anything about what you used.

Go hunt.

 

[Blockcaver]

Moose are very doable with the bow! I've arrowed six now, two in Alaska, one in WY, two in BC and one last Saturday in Alberta....it was guided, the other 5 were DIY. Great fun to call them in, tearing up willows and alders, etc. And I am OK with the lower odds on a bowhunt, if you don't get one it's a heck of a good excuse to go back!

 

[Blowdowner]

So there is a extreme likely hood that I will be going on a semi DIY moose hunt in Alaska next year with my father and potentially one other person and I figured I'd shoot the idea out there because it's something I want to try (of course I'd bring a rifle and probably a big bore wheel gun for if I did try using my bow any way) how feasible is it to actually get onto bulls with archery equipment or would it be better to focus on just the rifle. I am mainly an archery hunter and a big bull with an arrow is a bucket list accomplishment for me.

Just to add an additional question to this, what would you consider the max range you would take a shot at a moose with a bow(I know it would be largely situation dependent but still), given someone has a probably more than recommended setup.

If you are real young then bow but if your dad is big on getting actual meat then gun. I’m assuming he’s paying for the trip.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Me and my friend both tagged out on two separate hunts. We split meat so I would have been good even if we had t headed out again. I sort of wish I’d taken a bow.

 

[Oregonbred]

If you are real young then bow but if your dad is big on getting actual meat then gun. I’m assuming he’s paying for the trip.

You would be assuming wrong but I don't really blame you for it with the wording I used in the post. I plan on bringing my .338 win mag along with my compound. Gotta put the 700 grain arrows and 82lb draw to the test somehow after all.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I plan on bringing my .338 win mag along with my compound. Gotta put the 700 grain arrows and 82lb draw to the test somehow after all.

Although several of my clients bring a bow/rifle combination, I had one client that brought both and spent most of the hunt trying to stick a bull moose with an arrow. Fortunately, he whacked a 58" bull on the night of the 9th day, with the bow. That all worked out, but it was getting iffy until he unleashed that arrow at 7:00 PM.

On the flip side, I had another guy that brought both and who tried to arrow a Dall ram, but eventually took the rifle on the 9th day of his hunt and walloped a 10 year old ram at 30 yds with the rifle. He was a little disappointed in himself that he swapped, but oh well.

Bottom line though, bring both if you can, because you never know what Alaska has in store for you. It's a spendy trip and the reason you're out there is to kill [that statement is likely to raise some howls of criticism] and if at all possible you want to make good on your time/money investment.

 

[Oregonbred]

Although several of my clients bring a bow/rifle combination, I had one client that brought both and spent most of the hunt trying to stick a bull moose with an arrow. Fortunately, he whacked a 58" bull on the night of the 9th day, with the bow. That all worked out, but it was getting iffy until he unleashed that arrow at 7:00 PM.

On the flip side, I had another guy that brought both and who tried to arrow a Dall ram, but eventually took the rifle on the 9th day of his hunt and walloped a 10 year old ram at 30 yds with the rifle. He was a little disappointed in himself that he swapped, but oh well.

Bottom line though, bring both if you can, because you never know what Alaska has in store for you. It's a spendy trip and the reason you're out there is to kill [that statement is likely to raise some howls of criticism] and if at all possible you want to make good on your time/money investment.

The experience is what we are after, we've hunted some of the most remote places in the lower 48 and have had our fair share of wild experiences so we want to try something even more remote and wild than achievable at home.
That said I plan on hunting my ass of and don't plan on waiting too long before I pick up the rifle.
because like I posted earlier in the thread while a bow bull is like a pinnacle achievement for me I don't feel like the rifle kill would be much if any lesser for me.
I'm not to concerned about me harvesting as much as I'd like him to get one before he gets to the age where 100lbs+ packs aren't feasible anymore but if killing was a must we would have went guided.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

I'm not to concerned about me harvesting as much as I'd like him to get one before he gets to the age where 100lbs+ packs aren't feasible anymore .....

Yep, a bone-in moose quarter is definitely a load, even for a young guy. It's a chore wading through dwarf birch on sphagnum moss, with 175 lbs on your back.

 

[Oregonbred]

Yep, a bone-in moose quarter is definitely a load, even for a young guy. It's a chore wading through dwarf birch on sphagnum moss, with 175 lbs on your back.

like the marines or whatever branch that started it says, "Embrace the suck." Thankfully I have been training with heavy pack loads for the past few years to keep the body used to getting half an elk out in one go. so it won't be as much of a shock I hope.