How much can I expect to pay for a AK moose hunt?

[Kevin Dill]

I figure to spend about $5000 to $5300 to hunt moose in Alaska....door to door. If I kill a moose I need to add the following:

$1000 to get the meat and head back to town.
$1 per pound to take meat home.
$100 to fly antlers home as baggage.
Meat processing fees at home, if applicable.

Moose in the area I hunt tend to top out around 66", though some obviously get bigger.

 

[Zak89]

"Ya need a young man's legs and an old man's wallet!"

Reading this was depressing because it's true

 

[Voyageur]

"Ya need a young man's legs and an old man's wallet!"

Amen, Vern. One of life's great paradoxes.

 

[NUGGET]

Everything posted above is true. But If your dream is to hunt Alaska make it happen. It’s amazing how much one can save if he puts his mind to it. Find a little side hustle. Purge stuff you don’t need.

Make it happen. No excuses. One thing is for sure. It’s not going to get any cheaper!

 

[VernAK]

I figure to spend about $5000 to $5300 to hunt moose in Alaska....door to door. If I kill a moose I need to add the following:

$1000 to get the meat and head back to town.
$1 per pound to take meat home.
$100 to fly antlers home as baggage.
Meat processing fees at home, if applicable.

Moose in the area I hunt tend to top out around 66", though some obviously get bigger.

View attachment 158979View attachment 158980View attachment 158981

Kevin,

Did ya git him?

I've got a file full of similar pics besides many hours of video. Great for long, dark winter evenings.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I should start charging people 10k, I can take them on my boat for a week, DIY, I just drive the boat lol. Probably illegal or something since I don't have a guide license.

 

[jruff002]

i believe it was Randy Newberg who said your gonna run outta health before you do money, bout as well as it can be put.

 

[NUGGET]

i believe it was Randy Newberg who said your gonna run outta health before you do money, bout as well as it can be put.

I don’t get that quote. Verns quote is more spot on. I like how every summer I see old people attempting to drive big motor homes around Alaska. I find the irony that in life by the time most people can afford one they can barely see to drive it.

that damn thing called life gets in the way. Pretty easy to keep saying next year for 20 years.

Wheels up sept 6th. Hoping to get another 230 bull

 

[jruff002]

I don’t get that quote. Verns quote is more spot on. I like how every summer I see old people attempting to drive big motor homes around Alaska. I find the irony that in life by the time most people can afford one they can barely see to drive it.

that damn thing called life gets in the way. Pretty easy to keep saying next year for 20 years.

Wheels up sept 6th. Hoping to get another 230 bull

The way i take it go do what you wanna do and can afford. If i have a hesitation to do something because of the high price it's generally because i'm too tight to spend that much money on it rather than it being something that i can't afford....to each his own.

 

[Theringworm]

We all have wants, desires and needs. The needs ......well, they likely don’t apply in the hunting world unless you are a subsistence hunter/gatherer living off the land. Some, but not most aren’t going to starve if you eat “tag soup” one year.

So for the rest of us, they are all wants and desires. Not a thing wrong with that and honestly you should have them to make life enjoyable and memorable. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you view it) everything has a price, many things have a hefty tag, however there are usually always cheaper options. Those cheaper options may require more leg work on your end, may be less convenient, less coordinated or may have inferior results compared to your want/desire but it IS still possible to complete your goal. How bad do you want it? This forum and others is a great way to get feedback from people who have “been there done that“ so that you can accomplish your wants/desires. Don’t let prices deter you. There is a way to either do it for less, or sacrifice to save up to pay more.

I am throwing in the towel on my annual deer leas which will save me thousands of dollars a year in lease fees, diesel, maintenance etc. That money now goes into my “bucket list hunt fund”. It adds up pretty quick. Hoping to to do a big hunt every 3-4 yrs if I save appropriately. I am okay sacrificing hunting Whitetail every year for opportunities to do other things. I reckon I can whitetail hunt until I am dang near dead so I can pause from wanting to do that every year here in TX. Going to Alaska, Yukon, BC to hunt moose, sheep, mtn caribou, goats etc, well the clock is ticking on my physical abilities to do those. So, I made the decision to get them in now, and focus on the easier hunts later.

Make a plan, and stick to it. Having more money is nice and makes it easier but there is always something bigger, more expensive that puts you in your place and is unobtainable. The biggest deterrent for most is lack of motivation, determination, and willing to sacrifice. Don’t let the person in the mirror tell you otherwise.

just my .02

 

[ReinsuranceShooter]

We all have wants, desires and needs. The needs ......well, they likely don’t apply in the hunting world unless you are a subsistence hunter/gatherer living off the land. Some, but not most aren’t going to starve if you eat “tag soup” one year.

So for the rest of us, they are all wants and desires. Not a thing wrong with that and honestly you should have them to make life enjoyable and memorable. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you view it) everything has a price, many things have a hefty tag, however there are usually always cheaper options. Those cheaper options may require more leg work on your end, may be less convenient, less coordinated or may have inferior results compared to your want/desire but it IS still possible to complete your goal. How bad do you want it? This forum and others is a great way to get feedback from people who have “been there done that“ so that you can accomplish your wants/desires. Don’t let prices deter you. There is a way to either do it for less, or sacrifice to save up to pay more.

I am throwing in the towel on my annual deer leas which will save me thousands of dollars a year in lease fees, diesel, maintenance etc. That money now goes into my “bucket list hunt fund”. It adds up pretty quick. Hoping to to do a big hunt every 3-4 yrs if I save appropriately. I am okay sacrificing hunting Whitetail every year for opportunities to do other things. I reckon I can whitetail hunt until I am dang near dead so I can pause from wanting to do that every year here in TX. Going to Alaska, Yukon, BC to hunt moose, sheep, mtn caribou, goats etc, well the clock is ticking on my physical abilities to do those. So, I made the decision to get them in now, and focus on the easier hunts later.

Make a plan, and stick to it. Having more money is nice and makes it easier but there is always something bigger, more expensive that puts you in your place and is unobtainable. The biggest deterrent for most is lack of motivation, determination, and willing to sacrifice. Don’t let the person in the mirror tell you otherwise.

just my .02

The sentiment here is perfect.... my brother said getting to hunt moose is a like like eating one... take it one bite at a time or you will never see the finish.

 

[keller]

My buddy always wanted to moose hunt. Can't afford it he says.bought a new pontoon last year. Just spent $30k on a side by side but still can't afford a moose hunt. Probably the wife.... it's all about priorities I told him.You can convince yourself of anything..

 

[Larry Bartlett]

most groups today spend about $8000 per person for moose DIY. inflation is about 7% per year.

expect $9000 per person by 2022. just an educated guess.

non-res figures above. my personal hunts cost about $5000 per person for remote moose and i own my rafts. Logistics are expensive!

 

[Trial153]

most groups today spend about $8000 per person for moose DIY. inflation is about 7% per year.

expect $9000 per person by 2022. just an educated guess.

non-res figures above. my personal hunts cost about $5000 per person for remote moose and i own my rafts. Logistics are expensive!

Out of curiosity, what pressures are causing 7% inflation, from a cost stand point ?

 

[VernAK]

Out of curiosity, what pressures are causing 7% inflation, from a cost stand point ?

Alaska hunting trip inflation is market based........Demand far exceeds supply so prices are creeping up. Some air services have dramatically increased prices as mentioned in another thread.

Back in late the 80s and early 90s, I would fly in to an excellent moose location [140 miles] for $600 with any reasonable amount of gear and my moose was transported in that fee. Moose season aircraft crashes were numerous and finally FAA clamped down on pilots and aircraft putting many out of business.......as many needed to be. Today that flight would cost me $3k and a moose would be another $1K.

I still go every year as I have nearly every year since 69 because I dreamed of it as a youth in the 40s and 50s after my Dad came back from Alcan/Canol construction with numerous black and white photos. I don't need to shoot another moose but I hope to see another wildlife scene that hangs in my memory until I die.

I very vividly remember just a few years ago as my fellow Geezer and I were sitting on the point of a ridge glassing for moose when I got that feeling........ turning around, I saw 16 light phase wolves in the brush watching us. Not a shot was fired as they scurried through the dwarf birch. They stopped 3/4 mile away and laid in the sun....frequently howling a reply to my howl. One to remember among many!

 

[NUGGET]

Alaska hunting trip inflation is market based........Demand far exceeds supply so prices are creeping up. Some air services have dramatically increased prices as mentioned in another thread.

Back in late the 80s and early 90s, I would fly in to an excellent moose location [140 miles] for $600 with any reasonable amount of gear and my moose was transported in that fee. Moose season aircraft crashes were numerous and finally FAA clamped down on pilots and aircraft putting many out of business.......as many needed to be. Today that flight would cost me $3k and a moose would be another $1K.

I still go every year as I have nearly every year since 69 because I dreamed of it as a youth in the 40s and 50s after my Dad came back from Alcan/Canol construction with numerous black and white photos. I don't need to shoot another moose but I hope to see another wildlife scene that hangs in my memory until I die.

I very vividly remember just a few years ago as my fellow Geezer and I were sitting on the point of a ridge glassing for moose when I got that feeling........ turning around, I saw 16 light phase wolves in the brush watching us. Not a shot was fired as they scurried through the dwarf birch. They stopped 3/4 mile away and laid in the sun....frequently howling a reply to my howl. One to remember among many!

Great story Vern. If you have time you should post up some old school photos. Also if you guys ever find a GPS let me know. We lost one on geezer ridge about 6 or 7 years ago during the spring.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Probably safe to say the annual inflation in costs (for outfitters, transporters and other services) is tied to the more subtle hidden costs of being in business. Liability insurance always increases annually. Aircraft mechanics, parts and supply costs ever upward. Aging equipment needs replaced and always costs more....from a raft to a truck to a plane. Employees are ever more costly as years roll on. The simple fact is that very few service-oriented small businesses can operate year-to-year without increasing costs at least a paltry 2 or 3 per cent.

I think the biggest thing driving prices upward on moose diy is insufficient services. When you have a commodity and people are beating your door down to buy it....in advance....it's almost an automatic your prices are going up. There's no incentive to hold prices. Little competition. More money makes business run nicer and reduces stress.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

what kevin and vern said!

 

[ReinsuranceShooter]

Kevin - nice job in outlining basic cost increases that are often overlooked but are very real... you almost lost me though until you finished on the big one... with waitlists that are 2-3 or more years long, they obviously have yet to find the price that is correctly clearing the market. With demand going relatively unabated, and supply remaining relatively static the price is bound to continue to increase. Hopefully reinvestment occurs as Kevin suggests or it encourages others to join the game as the profits will help overcome barriers to entry. To be clear- that latter means more hunting pressure (yuk) but of all of us, who doesn’t want to see everyone sharing in these experiences/ making memories.

 

[Kevin Dill]

For the record, I don't foresee competition ever putting a lid on prices. It's not like you can just buy a plane and get in this business. The reasons are so many as to be impractical to list here.

I think we'll see prices for semi-outfitted and transported diy hunts go up steadily in coming years. It almost has to given the price of fully guided hunts. The price differential serves to drive a LOT of would-be hunters right to the laps of transporters and hunt planners. They can't handle all of them. The message may be subtle, but it gets through: "I need to be charging more because Pilot X is charging way more and keeping busy". Why is he so busy? Because he's still 1/2 or 1/3 the cost of a full-on guide.

There is no incentive to hold prices....think of it as an oil shortage.