Beginning to buy gear for 2022 moose drop in AK.

[AKaDougie]

Was afraid there’d be a wide variance of opinion here too.

AKDoc, 10-4 on gutless. Hopefully we can get everything taken care of same day in the day light. Neither the all night trips nor returning to idle gut pulled the next morning sound particularly attractive.

How do you handle ribs off backbone and sternum without some sort of saw? And if going gutless, how get ribs off without puncturing GI tract? I have a couple DVDs that I need to start watching once a month or so. Just hard to find the time

I do not hunt moose in a unit with on bone requirements. So I guess it all depends on where you are hunting, however, I would not want to pack out a hind quarter bone on more then 1/2 or even 1 mile.

I always try to butcher with gutless method. Ribs off bones you just cut them out with extra care around the guts, the top of ribs will have nothing but air behind them (normally with good kill).

If it turns dark (normally does) we make a meat stash, pack out one load, sleep and pray nothing finds the meat stash by morning. Meat stash - always try to keep it at least 100 yards away, cover from rain, get it off ground, and make it visible on approach for next load out. Always approach with extreme caution and never do this in the dark (to dangerous from terrain and bears).

 

[TheGrayRider]

My buddy brought a cheap orange handled, machete-type tool with blade on our moose hunt for use around our campsite. Cleaning away brush to set up tents, cooking area, cutting meat poles, clearing trails, etc. Very handy and useful.

 

[Kanderson]

Still very confused / conflicted about what to do for wet weather outer gear. So many options and so many people swear by each one of them.

Still chewing on that.

Hoping knife / tools suggestions be a little more “cut” and dry. Hahaha.

What selection of knives are popular skinning, caping and breaking down a moose a bone in unit? I was thinking a havalon and replacement blades, a fixed blade quality drop point and sharpener, and a saw of some sort. Maybe a bone saw that could double as wood saw for meat pole and random cut requirements around camp???

Also, while I certainly don’t want to deal with fleshing cape, I need to be prepared to if weather dictates.

I'm sure you have gotten a ton of responses on rain gear, I use the Yukon rain gear from Kuiu. I bought it because my brother and I planning a few hunts in Alaska over the next couple years. I used this rain gear in Montana on a elk hunt where it didn't stop raining for like 3 days. I stayed warm and dry with the Yukon gear. Just sucked that it rained for 3 days

 

[Kanderson]

Still very confused / conflicted about what to do for wet weather outer gear. So many options and so many people swear by each one of them.

Still chewing on that.

Hoping knife / tools suggestions be a little more “cut” and dry. Hahaha.

What selection of knives are popular skinning, caping and breaking down a moose a bone in unit? I was thinking a havalon and replacement blades, a fixed blade quality drop point and sharpener, and a saw of some sort. Maybe a bone saw that could double as wood saw for meat pole and random cut requirements around camp???

Also, while I certainly don’t want to deal with fleshing cape, I need to be prepared to if weather dictates.

I've used a Havalon for a couple years and have happy with the performance