Have you been on a great hunt?

[TXPredator]

My partner and I are looking for a great opportunity for a Moose hunt. If you have had a great experience for around the 6k range shoot me a message. Thanks

 

[NorthCountryAB]

6K is a pretty low end moose hunt in my opinion. I wouldnt expect much for that price.

 

[bowuntr]

Most good drop camp moose hunts are 10k+. 6k is a cheap drop caribou hunt. Ed F

 

[WI Shedhead]

About the only way you could do that is off a road. Any flying that price is unrealistic. Been searching hard for a year. 10k with someone reputable is the low end. Good luck!!!

 

[cnelk]

Ive gone to Alaska for fly-in moose under $6,000.
Twice

Both times successful

 

[johnnycake]

Ive gone to Alaska for fly-in moose under $6,000.
Twice

Both times successful

Within the last decade?

 

[Curhunter]

I went on a guided hunt in Alberta with Misty River Outfitters and had a good experience. The guides were great and I lucked out with the other hunters in camp. They were a father and 2 adult sons that were fun to hang out with. Everyone was friendly and serious about hunting while still having a good time.
I hope to go back soon.

 

[william schmaltz]

First fly out moose I did was in 2015. Two guys paid about $1800 each to the transporter. That included flying a moose out. The biggest increases were the last 2-3 years. Insurance and maintenance has gone parabolic as well as just general expenditures. Fuel hitting $10-$15 a gallon at 25 gallons an hour sure doesn’t help. And the demand/supply curve has REALLY gone parabolic. All while uncrowded and quality places become less and less.

I have not done the exercise for several years, but 100 hours of research and phone calls associated with density, habitat, and researching and talking to pilots can no doubt get you a successful hunt at $6k or lower per person (for bush flights.) There are tons of hidden costs that outfitters have driving things upward that are different, but parallel to actually flying you. For example, dozens of non chargeable hours in the air scouting, maintaining strips, floating rivers, landing to check lakes, camping spots, etc. and other logistics legwork. Basically some of the stuff hunt planners would also do for you. Instead, do all that research yourself and find a transporter that services the area of your choosing.

Going rate for a Beaver is sitting around $2k an hour. So one flight in and two flights to bring you, camp, and two moose out is right at $6k a person (hour each way). Obviously talk to your pilot to see what max fly in weight would be to come out in two trips. Hell, you could do three moose plus camp/people out in two trips with a beaver if you keep the flight in below 800 lbs. Look for places where a flight in may be 30-50 miles instead of 100-150. Look at aerial maps for ATV trails to make sure you’re well past those. Check land status. For example, commercial operators need permits for refuges and often times drop off locations must be pre-approved. If you want to hunt a refuge, a shortcut is to call the refuge office and just ask who holds commercial flight service permits. Also, how you access matters. For example a cub on floats can get a moose out in one load compared to the same cub on wheels you will be paying for 2-3 flights for that moose. Lots of other factors come into play when it comes to final trip costs, but there is a start to see if there’s something within that part of your budget.

 

[cnelk]

Within the last decade?

Last time was two years ago. First time was 2016

 

[cnelk]

Within the last decade?

In case you missed my thread…

We went to Alaska

This moose hunt took place in 2021. Some of you already know the results, but a buddy and I went to Alaska in 2021 moose hunting. Here's the story, I’ll post it with lots of great pics.

rokslide.com

 

[Alder_]

It's possible for under 6k per person.
I'm not sure about total.
Fly-out expenses are going to be your biggest.
$1800-2200/hr a Beaver adds up quick.
$960 for locking tag and NR Hunting license.
I recommend you & one other guy.
Keep camp light, but not backpack light.

 

[diamond10x]

Definitely doable but you have to do all the logistics and research yourself. By research I don't mean finding the transporter with the cheapest drop camp offering. I mean actually researching areas to hunt and finding a pilot who will drop you where you want to go. I've done 3 fly-out moose hunts and they have all come out well below $6k each, and that was before I lived here.

 

[cnelk]

^^^ Bingo

 

[Rich M]

$6k is low end if even possible.

 

[SliverShooter]

I have done it from Montana seven times, cost for each trip was:
-With a hunting partner a little over $2k in 1999
-With a hunting partner for $3.5K in 2012 with all the meat processed and antlers back to Montana
-With a hunting partner for 4.8K in 2016 (Stuck in the bush due to weather for two days and changing my flight home cost $800)
-With a hunting partner for right at $5K in 2018
-Solo for Under $5k in 2020 without a taking a moose home
-Solo for a little Under $8.5k in 2021 with all the meat processed in Ak and antlers back to Montana
-With a hunting partner a little over $6 K in 2023 without taking a moose home.

I have tracked every one of these hunts on an excel spread sheet. The above costs are close to every dollar spent for anything once leaving my house until I return. It includes food (including while in the bush), travel, lodging, car rental, tips for my pilot. It does not Include any gear, clothing, my selfbow, arrows, broadheads, ect… If you do not have camping equipment, hunting gear, and clothing, capable of holding up in extreme conditions, there is an additional cost. Living and hunting in Montana and hunted Alaska numerous times, I already have most every needed piece of equipment and gear. Most people do not.

My experience, being cheep often bites you in the ass, it often costs more in the long run. It never saves you as much as you thought it would, creates a lot of stress, and your hunt is never, never, never, as enjoyable. Plan on your hunt being a vacation, budgeting an additional 20-30% more than you think it will cost. If you make budget great, if not it is still good, less stress and better focus on your hunting. FYI, this is coming from a guy with an accounting degree and background, I can be cheep, really…..I mean really frugal.

For some perspective. If I drop the string on a moose, to get it out of the bush it is automatically $2K+ (flying the meat out of the bush and the increased tip to my pilot). Another 2K+ to have the meat processed and get it back home via Air Cargo. You can give the meat away, but the meat is soooooo good, I keep it all. I fly the antlers as baggage.

There are a lot of variables that affect the cost of a moose hunt. What kind of car do you rent, rent a U-haul van ( much less), or do you use a taxi and/orUber. Do you stay in a hotel, BRBO, sleep on a friends couch, or camp in the woods? If/when weather delays getting in and out of the bush it costs $250/night for the hotel going in and $175 coming out. I used Alaska Air miles on most of my moose hunts, if you do not have air miles add $500-1,500, depending on where you live. Changing my plane ticket while in the bush in 2016 after being weather delayed was $800 for me, it cost me $1,900 for the kid. Do you buy your food at Fred Meyers and eat in your room, go fast food, or go out for a nice restaurants? Do you give your meat away, take part/all of it home as excess baggage, ship by freezer truck, or use Air Cargo? Do you process the meat there or at home? Is there enough time to get the meat frozen so you can check it in as extra baggage? Do you have a friend or someone else who will take the meat to a processor, freezer, then to Air Cargo and ship it.

Your bush pilot is the largest expense and most important decision. Be selective, your life literally depends on this decision. Do your own homework, do not ask me for my pilots information, I do not give it to anybody.

 

[cnelk]

$6k is low end if even possible.

How many have you done?

 

[AK Troutbum]

Man, the prices that I’m seeing these days just make me sick. I’ve done quite a few fly-out float fishing trips over the last 30+ years, but I didn’t do any fly-out float hunts until my first back in 2003. That entailed a commercial round trip flight from Anchorage to Kotzebue, shipping all our gear to include an 18' raft, a super fat camp with real food ie., 10 lbs. of potatoes, steaks, whole chickens, fresh vegetables, etc., for a two week hunt, and then a approximately 1 hr. each way flight from Kotz to a remote river gravel bar in a beaver on tundra tires. We killed a grizzly, a moose, and 3 caribou, plus had some of the best arctic char fishing of our lives, all for about $3500 total which we split two ways. The beaver flight was our largest expense at $2500 ($1250 each). We probably couldn’t touch this same trip today for less than $15-$18k. So these trips are probably about 5x more expensive today than they were 20 years ago, and I definitely don’t make 5x more today than I did 20 years ago…..just saying.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Rich M]

How many have you done?

I spent $3250 on an antelope this year.
Mule deer go for $6,500 at the same place.

I havent been able to touch Alaska for less than $10k. Flights from orlando have been absurd.

 

[johnnycake]

Without a friends/family connection to the transporter, good luck to anybody trying to find a fly in moose hunt in AK for under $6k. Maybe if you're just hopping in the plane for a sub 30 minute flight---and even that is still a big maybe.

All in? For a nonresident? Pfft. Not buying it.

 

[NorthCountryAB]

My apologies I thought you were looking for a guided hunt. I really cant comment much on the DIY Alaska game. I have had numerous clients that have hunted with me do drop camps in Alaska and the general consensus is the costs of the drop camp hunt are about the same costs as my guided hunt.
Keep in mind we are Canadian moose, not Alaska/Yukon.
When I initially seen the $6K moose hunt I was surprised, a good whitetail hunt in Saskatchewan or Alberta is going for $6K. I dont think you can even go to Newfoundland and shoot a spike bull for $6K anymore.

Flights, food, fuel, guide wages, new equipment is all through the roof.
The only expensive bill I enjoy paying is the guide wages and flights. And thats because good guides and good pilots are worth their weight in gold.