For Those DIY Guys

[cfdjay]

Hey everyone. I wanted to share a response I made on facebook for the MANY of newcomers to Alaskay DIY Moose hunting. And granted, I've done it once so I'm still in the newcomers camp. That being said I've been getting A TON of messages asking very specific info about my experience. I see it trending that way on Rokslide. I hope maybe this sheds some light about how I feel (and most others) when asked for information about DIY Alaska hunts (Moose Specifically). By all means if there are issues with what I post, please send me a message with your reason. But, in short, this is how I see it:

"Hey guys I wanted to reply to all the messages I've gotten about information requests. I want to answer all your questions as respectfully and forthcoming as I can all at once. I owe you that respect as fellow outdoorsman just as you owe me the respect of my answer, even if you don't like it.
The questions I've been getting asked were the same questions that took me 2 years to answer for myself. There is a reason DIY in Alaska is so sacred. It's because you have the option of "hitting the easy button" for $30k and call it DIY. Most people can't afford that. I'm one of them.
Your next option is to do the leg work yourself. 2 years worth of it for me. And I'm telling you that was 2 years of doing something almost daily. Calling, texting, emailing, googling....etc.
I encourage you to do that leg work. You will learn SO MUCH. And ultimately you'll be able to call it a DIY hunt without an asterisk like most. Good luck to you all... I'll be following."

 

[PathFinder]

This is quite a refreshing alternative to the attention seeking bravado of those who seem dead set on ruining everything for a few likes.

Sent from my Pixel 10 using Tapatalk

 

[cfdjay]

Man. Honestly I didn't even think of it that way. But I SO appreciate that. That's my naivety. I have been bombarded with very specific questions lately. Ones that I'm not sure I ever asked someone assuming the etiquette. Then again, facebook and etiquette don't equate.

 

[ProRoad]

but, where's your honey hole?! JK, respect man, thats a lot of work and I hope you had a great hunt. That's a bucket list item for a lot of us! Hell, Most of the fun is in the planning right?!

 

[cfdjay]

but, where's your honey hole?! JK, respect man, thats a lot of work and I hope you had a great hunt. That's a bucket list item for a lot of us! Hell, Most of the fun is in the planning right?!

Couldn't agree more. People miss out on that. Hard to express that in words when Alaska and the "easy button" still sucks lol. My pilot and I had this talk. And he really got it when I said If you're "thinking" about it...It's prob not for you.

 

[BRWNBR]

I started my guide business by reading topo maps on the toilet. Then weeks on the ground figuring out the country. 80 something grizzly bears later I felt like I had it dialed in.

The internet is ruining hunting and fishing. People want to help and be kind and I get it. But it’s created it’s own monster for people not willing to fork out the coin for a trial and error trip like we used to do.

Back in the day we often didn’t even know what game unit the pilot had dropped us in and had zero communication with anyone and just hoped the pilot made it home and wrote down where we were.

 

[Nykki]

My dad and I moose hunted together for the first couple years we lived in Alaska. Neither one of us knew anything about moose other than they were big and rather plentiful more than fifty years ago. I was like BRWNBR and studied topo maps when I wanted to try a new area. I've only flown out twice,once to Nome on an invite from a friend who lived there and once a couple years ago on another invite. The rest of my hunts I studied maps,scouted and went and killed moose most years. The planing can be fun but also frustrating especially when trying a new place.