Beginning to buy gear for 2022 moose drop in AK.

[Panhandler80]

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.

 

[AKDoc]

I suspect you're going to get some differing ideas to some degree with this query as well.

After many moose and many years, I've gotten to the point each fall that I always routinely just bring:
a Wyoming Saw (with both a wood and also a bone blade), a Havalon (and lots of extra blades!), and a fixed blade folding knife that I primarily use for busting the joints and other cuts where I tend to break the replaceable blades (always my error).

The last couple years, I've been just bringing/using the all in one below for my knife needs along with my Wyoming Saw with bone and also wood blade. The fixed blade on this knife sharpens-up real nice at home and holds an edge through a couple of moose...

https://www.havalon.com/titan-havalon-orange

I should also mention that I highly prefer and predominantly do the gutless method. However, if we take a bull at last light, then we decide whether to do a long nite with headlamps to get it done, or just gut it to cool until morning. Anyway, the point is that I need to be able to carefully gut it with what I have with me...it's all about the meat and the adventure for me, so I am ultra-careful not to nick anything GI, and get it all out without rupture. I used to bring a Wyoming gut hook, which worked great, but in the past ten years or so, I've just left that at home...hopefully I didn't just jinx myself this fall saying that!

 

[AKaDougie]

How long will you be hunting?
I normally run "gortex" like rain gear, however, I can pull out or make a fire to dry everything. If you are not hiking a lot go with rubber rain gear for a drop camp.

I use a havalon and one fixed blade for moose. I have only needed a saw to remove antlers from skull. For a drop camp I would have a folding wood saw.

 

[Panhandler80]

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

 

[AKDoc]

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

Sorry guy...my post was a bit confusing, which I just edited...meant to say that for the past couple years I just bring the combination folding-blade knife in the posted link for my knife needs, but I also always have my Wyoming Saw with me with of course a bone blade and wood blade.

The unit I typically hunt each fall is bone-in for the quarters, but we can bone-out everything else, which we do for neck and ribs with guts in place...no problem.

 

[Aeast]

Havalon
Cutco clip point outdoor knife
Silky ultra folding saw
Hatchet for wood

 

[thinhorn_AK]

For cutting tools I take:
-havalon or outdoor edge (with extra blades)
-fixed blade (usually a Benchmade or cutco)
-wyoming saw (wood and bone blades)

 

[VernAK]

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

PH,
There is not one best method for any of this. You'll figure it out as you get into the job. The second moose is way easier. Half a hundred and it becomes just another messy job.

For the gutless method, the guts will settle away from the ribs so they can be separated from the spine.
I buy a new Stanley Sharptooth, for bone cutting, every year. Cheap and they really work well.

Take two LED headlamps with fresh batteries for butchering in the dark. If the weather is warm, the bulls won't come to the call until the sun drops in the evening. Then you butcher in the dark! I may have a pic to illustrate.
I do have video of this.......two bulls won't come into my call for five hours but when the sun dropped behind the mountain, both paraded right out in the open 50 yard in front of me. Butchered in the dark!

A very general statement:
If I'm hunting in Eastern Alaska, Goretex will usually suffice. If hunting Western Alaska, I take Impertech rain gear.

 

[Panhandler80]

PH,
There is not one best method for any of this. You'll figure it out as you get into the job. The second moose is way easier. Half a hundred and it becomes just another messy job.

For the gutless method, the guts will settle away from the ribs so they can be separated from the spine.
I buy a new Stanley Sharptooth, for bone cutting, every year. Cheap and they really work well.

Take two LED headlamps with fresh batteries for butchering in the dark. If the weather is warm, the bulls won't come to the call until the sun drops in the evening. Then you butcher in the dark! I may have a pic to illustrate.
I do have video of this.......two bulls won't come into my call for five hours but when the sun dropped behind the mountain, both paraded right out in the open 50 yard in front of me. Butchered in the dark!

A very general statement:
If I'm hunting in Eastern Alaska, Goretex will usually suffice. If hunting Western Alaska, I take Impertech rain gear.

good to know about gravity keeping guts away from back bone. Would stand to reason that they would necessarily be right to sternum. I guess maybe cut from backbone and leave on sternum, the cut other side from backbone after flipping? At that stage entire rib cage can be removed from kill site / animal and each set of ribs then removed from sternum.

10-4 on not seeing moose until last light if weather is warm. I’ve received mixed opinions on effectiveness of calling 9/5-9/15 in 17b. Will likely opt to Take advice of pilot.

Thanks for generalization on apparel. I remain clueless and on this front. Paralysis by analysis.

Is this the Stanley saw you’re talking about?

15 in Finish Cut SHARPTOOTH™ Saw | STANLEY

Stanley's Finish Cut SharpTooth™ Saw has SharpTooth™ technology that uses three cutting surfaces to cut 50% faster than conventional Stanley Hand Saws. Induction-hardened teeth stay sharp up to ...

www.stanleytools.com

 

[cnelk]

I also use the Stanley saw - you can see it here in my video of my Alaska gear that I'll be taking in Sept

You may [or not] find it helpful

 

[cnelk]

Here are my clothes layed out. I may remove some of the clothes items before the final pack

 

[VernAK]

CNELK has a great selection of gear and clothes and yes, that is the saw......,<$15.

CNELK, please give us an idea of where you hunt....terrain wise.....near water?......etc.

Good videos!

I most often hunt a ridge at timber line so I can skip the hip and knee boots but I take Crocs for lounging.

Those chairs/stools are important.

I took advantage of Black Friday at Under Armor last year and got down parka and pants at the right price. I now slide out of my bag, start the titanium wood stove and propane stove for coffee, then I park my butt in a chair on the ridge and start glassing. Hopefully I can call one before the sun warms.

 

[cnelk]

We will be landing on a small lake via float plane and hunting the surrounding area that has timber, willows and boggy areas.

 

[Chirogrow]

good to know about gravity keeping guts away from back bone. Would stand to reason that they would necessarily be right to sternum. I guess maybe cut from backbone and leave on sternum, the cut other side from backbone after flipping? At that stage entire rib cage can be removed from kill site / animal and each set of ribs then removed from sternum.

10-4 on not seeing moose until last light if weather is warm. I’ve received mixed opinions on effectiveness of calling 9/5-9/15 in 17b. Will likely opt to Take advice of pilot.

Thanks for generalization on apparel. I remain clueless and on this front. Paralysis by analysis.

Is this the Stanley saw you’re talking about?

15 in Finish Cut SHARPTOOTH™ Saw | STANLEY

Stanley's Finish Cut SharpTooth™ Saw has SharpTooth™ technology that uses three cutting surfaces to cut 50% faster than conventional Stanley Hand Saws. Induction-hardened teeth stay sharp up to ...

www.stanleytools.com

We had good results calling at first light and evening but during the day lots of raking and thrashing. We got into the field the 9th of sept. From what I read you can never go wrong with thrashing and raking but I’m a novice to the moose world for the record

 

[Buckshotaz]

Enjoy your gear purchasing it is all part of the excitement of going on your hunt. I read everything on here and other forums looking for advice on what to buy for my first moose hunt this September. You will find out as I did that everything you need to know is within the pages of this forum.

I just wish that I still needed to buy more stuff just to help contain my excitement for the hunt.

 

[Panhandler80]

Enjoy your gear purchasing it is all part of the excitement of going on your hunt. I read everything on here and other forums looking for advice on what to buy for my first moose hunt this September. You will find out as I did that everything you need to know is within the pages of this forum.

I just wish that I still needed to buy more stuff just to help contain my excitement for the hunt.

I agree completely. Wealth of knowledge. I’m sure you know as well as well as I do that there are some thread that are absolute gold if you research. I’m just a little bit timid right now and worried about the things that I can control. I know I cannot control whether I catch a flight cannot control Moose but I can’t control items and I’m trying to get that in my mind because I know the fact that 2022 will be here instantly when I blink blink

 

[Robinhood21]

All 3 of us had Outdoor Edge Razor Lites

I also brought a Stanley saw from the suggestion of VernAK.

I had a pocket knife I carried on me at all times for basic camp needs.

That is all we needed and won’t change it for next time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Behlftball]

Good luck. I'd love to do this but the logistics scare me lol

 

[VernAK]

Good luck. I'd love to do this but the logistics scare me lol

Logistics are becoming more $$$$$$ every year and more difficult as Feds restrict more areas to hunting.

 

[hodgeman]

The last few moose I've done were all butchered with a havalon and a Wyoming saw. Definitely be prepared to butcher in the dark. The one we shot at last light, we hauled out a white gas lantern for area illumination and a heat source to warm cold fingers over.