Arrowhead outfitters south brooks range

[WI Shedhead]

Have been following and doing research on a drop 14 day moose hunt, and like what I see. Anyone willing to pm me with info about them particularly this years hunters? Lookin for a 2025 hunt archery

 

[Dilrod]

I will just respond no PM.

We did a north slope fly in caribou hunt, so can’t speak to the south slope moose. But the pilots were great, and the outfit seemed good. We had no issues (outside weather related). It was a good time, and Mike and Misty were super responsive throughout the entire process.

 

[Nick Muche]

Very low density moose area. Better know how to effectively hunt moose. With the new owners I wouldn’t worry about the safety, or logistics.

 

[JBWinter]

Very low density moose area. Better know how to effectively hunt moose. With the new owners I wouldn’t worry about the safety, or logistics.

when you say hunt moose effectively are you pointing towards ability to call? stalk? Glass? pick good habitat? just curious what you would define as effective moose hunting. To clarify, this is not sarcasm or a slight or anything, genuinely curious

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Not answering for Nick but adding that moose densities are not like the areas where you might see 4-6 legal bulls in a week. In the central to east southern Brooks you might hunt for 10 days and see 2 bulls with heft and potential legal width or browtines. Being successful there might seem "less" opportunistic if you struggle with ID a legal moose or are unlucky enough to only see tweeners or sub legals.

But that's not to say you wont shoot a 60"+ bull but that you shouldn't expect to see 3-4 sixty inchers to choose from.

Unless Mike has struck out new areas from when Howard operated the biz the areas of their use traditionally offer 50% success on good years and 25% success consistently. Several of the spots Howard dropped folks in back in their hayday were spots I had been hunting for years...fast forward 7 years of them using the areas and harvest rates started to decline for those 60-70" bulls. Now they are an anomaly and I abandoned those sweet public land spots to avoid Arrowhead, Bushwacker, and then Sessions clients (GMU 24 and 25).

It's still hunting, just gage your expectations before hand so you're not disappointed by how few moose you see in a 10-12 day period. All you need is 1-2 nice bulls and patience usually pays off nearly 50% of the time.

 

[JBWinter]

Not answering for Nick but adding that moose densities are not like the areas where you might see 4-6 legal bulls in a week. In the central to east southern Brooks you might hunt for 10 days and see 2 bulls with heft and potential legal width or browtines. Being successful there might seem "less" opportunistic if you struggle with ID a legal moose or are unlucky enough to only see tweeners or sub legals.

But that's not to say you wont shoot a 60"+ bull but that you shouldn't expect to see 3-4 sixty inchers to choose from.

Unless Mike has struck out new areas from when Howard operated the biz the areas of their use traditionally offer 50% success on good years and 25% success consistently. Several of the spots Howard dropped folks in back in their hayday were spots I had been hunting for years...fast forward 7 years of them using the areas and harvest rates started to decline for those 60-70" bulls. Now they are an anomaly and I abandoned those sweet public land spots to avoid Arrowhead, Bushwacker, and then Sessions clients (GMU 24 and 25).

It's still hunting, just gage your expectations before hand so you're not disappointed by how few moose you see in a 10-12 day period. All you need is 1-2 nice bulls and patience usually pays off nearly 50% of the time.

Really appreciate the response. and I don't mean to jack the OP thread, but I am in the data gathering phase of a couple hunts. I am planning to Haul road for caribou this fall, and as part of that was planning to do some recon on the way back for moose potential a year or two after that. I was considering those units and trying to make something work based from the haul road, knowing I need to get past the 5 mile zone to get into the units adjacent. I have been e scouting for now, different methods for hike in and float out or some version of that. Perhaps that is completely infeasible and I am going to see that this fall, but for now its worth a look. I am curious how far away from the road Arrowhead is generally getting with clients, and see some lakes, that certainly look like likely landing spots for them. I would be trying to avoid those areas if they were generally nearish the road. Also in those units, it sounds like Deadhorse is running Air Boats up a fork of the Koyukuk river. Potentially 25 to 45 miles they say. I can see where that would be as well. They are having some success it seems, but based on the number of hunters that would be in that drainage area.... I would be avoiding that for sure. Anyways, If two guys gave it a 10 day go and saw a bull or 2 that may be legal and resulted in one harvest that would still be an epic trip in my book! As with most hunts, I assume effort in has a direct relation to success out. Thanks again for the response Larry! I have 2 of your books en route to my house currently for my reading pleasure, and have been looking into your rafts. I am not sure which direction we are all gonna go yet, but may even be looking into a rental option depending. I do not have anything specialized like you offer.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

Thanks for the kind words.

If someone called me with the goal of 2 guys shooting 2 bulls off a haul road float hunt I'd tell them I couldn't help them. The haul road opened to the public (hunters) in 1995. Since that time and way before it, (1) those little creeks and small river forks that are present on topographical maps do not all check out to be navigable waterways that reconnect to the road system, and those that are would require old-school lining upstream for 7-10 river miles to get beyond the corridor boundary (daunting task); (2) the only couple of rivers that are floatable are hunted pretty skillfully by those who know. Pickins are slim even if you work hard for days to get in somewhere to find a moose, much less two legal bulls. At best I would suggest that group allow themselves 14 days outfitted with 2 packrafts and sack full of grit...go up there and make strikes where your research leads you and the land teaches you. You would likely harvest one legal bull and see other younger bulls and learn a freakin ton of valuable lessons with adventure to boot.

If, however, you expand your expectations to start at the road and float west to downstream take-outs or drag east and then float to a take out. Both require bush logistics and its late in the game for securing that for this season.