CO --> AK

[chasewild]

Career took a hard right and I just accepted a position in Anchorage. My wife, 6 month old, and I will be headed north to start a new adventure on July 1.

Although I'll miss hunting velvet bucks, the possibility of hunting sheep, goats, moose and grizz are almost incomprehensible to my tiny lower-48 brain.

Would love to hear from some AK natives about do's and don'ts and maybe some tips about how to hunt or what to focus on for weekend hunts from Anchorage this fall (NOT spots, but help me adjust my expectations for a first fall in AK). I won't have accrued much, if any, vacation time so I'm not sure what my expectations should be for hunting in much, much, bigger and harder country than I'm used to down here in the San Juans.

Post or PM me. Pumped to figure out a new puzzle.

 

[bozeman]

Good luck!! Safe Travels. Wish you the best.......

 

[Dexter Grayson]

The drive There is spectacular! Anchorage almost gets you to AK, just kidding! Los Anchorage can be sketch but it’s a great place to start your Alaskan adventure.

 

[william schmaltz]

Congrats! I'm not a native, but came to the mother land in 2014. Not to be a downer, but just to prepare you - the BIG difference between AK and L48 for me was the quick weekend or after work hunt/trap check/fishing run is very hard to come by up here. Especially based out of Anchorage. I miss sitting in the tree stand after work, shooting a limit of birds before work, running my trap line before lunch on a Saturday, etc. Everything seems like a damn adventure; which is good and bad.

BUT, the opportunity is endless. You're right in the sweet spot for some very good bear hunting a couple hours away as well as world class fishing (even if the natives Alaskans complain the good old days are over). Welcome!

I go into the wilderness without a pistol more often than I go to Anchorage without one

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Make friends with someone with a jet boat and convince them to teach you how to run one in a river. That can open up a ton of hunting and fishing. And wear your life jacket.

Never underestimate the weather and always let someone know where you are going and when you will be back. Alaska storms can kill you if you think it's like waiting out a Colorado storm under a tree for a few minutes.

 

[AlaskaMark]

It will take one year of living in AK before you can get your resident hunting license. It's a good idea to buy a nonresident hunting/fishing license straight away when you arrive, to help show when you got here. You can't hunt sheep, mtn goat, or brown/grizzly bear without a guide until you're a resident. And as a nonresident you'll have to pay for tags that are free to residents. A canoe, atv, or boat are tools you'll likely need down the line for better access. Good luck!

 

[Catchfish]

Alaska is big, people are right when they say small trips feel like a big adventure because things are just spread out so far. I would focus this first year in maybe making weekend trips in different areas just to see the country. The tourist industry is going to be hurting again because of the lack of cruise ships. Also if you start camping on those weekends it will give you a good idea of equipment needed and a better understanding of the weather. I live on the kenai peninsula and really don’t have much experience north of the valley. Feel free to PM with any questions with life and housing questions as well. I lived in anchorage for a few years during college.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Get your drivers license right away when you arrive, that way you can apply for your resident hunting license that day the following year. When I moved up here, I made sure to show up early so I could get my drivers license in order to be a resident for moose season the following year.

 

[chasewild]

Some good advice here. Thanks gents.

 

[Broomd]

Congrats!
Brings back memories from '97 when we did the same thing; although we went to Fairbanks. Hung around for the next ten years.
Be sure to stop at Liard Hot Springs for a soak on the way up. Best on the continent, imho...

 

[Bighorse]

Welcome! Get familiar with big. Nothing happens up here without access considerations. You will learn to be a mariner, pilot, long haul driver, and ATV operator. Make friends and say goodbye to easy. AK residency has its privileges but again, it’s not easy. You gotta commit financial resources and time to get remote. Once you’ve found yourself standing on a patch of open ground and the only thing you hear is wind, birds and ground squirrels you’ve arrived.
Travel safe and bring your skills to make AK a better place for all.

 

[chasewild]

Congrats!
Brings back memories from '97 when we did the same thing; although we went to Fairbanks. Hung around for the next ten years.
Be sure to stop at Liard Hot Springs for a soak on the way up. Best on the continent, imho...

Thanks Frank. Looking forward to seeing what AK has to offer.

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

No problem getting into lots of black bears around there
I would focus on the fishing first
Hunting in AK is not what you are used to
Or the people

 

[chasewild]

No problem getting into lots of black bears around there
I would focus on the fishing first
Hunting in AK is not what you are used to
Or the people

What do you mean with the people?

 

[Muledeerfanatic]

You will see