I'm booking a DIY Alaskan Moose Hunt

[Robinhood21]

First post guys, I've been a lurker for a while now.

This will be a special trip for my Father and I. Our dream hunt has always been an Alaska Moose hunt ever since I can remember. We are calling it our "Father Son Birthday Hunt". By the time we head out he will be 60 and I will be 35. He isn't getting any younger and I figured if we do this it needs to happen fairly soon.

My father is in better shape than the majority of guys his age and I'd say I'm in good to great shape and it won't be hard to prepare physically as good as we can here in Kansas.

I have been doing plenty of research lately and we have 2-3 years until we actually do the hunt. We are avid bow hunters but this will be a trip of a lifetime and we have no problem taking a moose down with our rifles if the opportunity permits. We're not archerytalk purists. I'm thinking of taking a Tikka T3X stainless 300 WSM shooting Barnes TTSX or LRX. My father will most likely be taking his Encore 300 WM and will probably be shooting Partitions.

We both have a good collection of Sitka/Kuiu Gear but I still need to get rain gear. (Probably Kuiu Chugach as that's what dad has and have heard great things about the system)

The Air Taxi we are using is able to carry more weight than other outfits I've seen so weight shouldn't be a huge problem. We are taking everything (tent, bags, cookware etc). We will also be renting a small boat with a 15hp outboard so that should make us more Efficient and will give us a lot more mobility.

I'm looking for any advise from those who have experience . Any advise!
Feel free to post pictures or share your stories if you have them!

Also, a pack list of what you brought on your trip would be helpful as well.

Also, this is a 4 brow tine/50" wide unit.

I appreciate any help!

 

[Bearlodge10]

Awesome, I wish you guys well. My brother-in-law and I were planning a trip for this fall but unforeseen circumstances forced us to postpone so we might be headed up about the same time you are.
Sounds like you have lots of time to get gathered with some good foundations for gear etc. My only thought would be that you consolidate your weapons a bit. I think that just taking one rifle, in addition to your bows would be a wise choice. If you could shoot the same bow set up that would be even better, but that is close to impossible I know.

 

[Robinhood21]

Awesome, I wish you guys well. My brother-in-law and I were planning a trip for this fall but unforeseen circumstances forced us to postpone so we might be headed up about the same time you are.
Sounds like you have lots of time to get gathered with some good foundations for gear etc. My only thought would be that you consolidate your weapons a bit. I think that just taking one rifle, in addition to your bows would be a wise choice. If you could shoot the same bow set up that would be even better, but that is close to impossible I know.

Thanks! I am super pumped! We may do 2019 instead of 2020... not sure if I can wait that long! Good luck to you guys as well! Sucks it got delayed but you do whatcha gotta do.

Actually we are not going to take our bows. Just rifles. Too much hassle with that many weapons!

 

[mcseal2]

I live in your state and am going in 2018 with Papa Bear. I can give you more information after that, I'm researching a bunch myself now. I have a number of moose books I could loan you also after our hunt. Here are a few things my research has netted so far, feel free to critique it those of you with actual experience.

I'm taking a 300WM custom rifle with 180gr Accubonds, so your rifle choice sounds good.

I am buying Simms G3 wader pants or waders, plus the G3 boots. They are expensive but a key piece of these hunts and I want good ones. I can use them fishing after.

I think on raingear I'm going to spend a little weight and double up on jackets, the waders will be the bottoms. I'm taking my Helly Hennsen jacket and getting a new breathable rain shell. I want to stay dry. I'm leaning toward the Kryptek Koldo now but I'm going to wait to see what 2018 brings before buying one. They seem to keep making them better.

 

[Robinhood21]

Awesome and good luck to you in 2018! Sounds like it should be a blast! Thanks for the info.

I live in your state and am going in 2018 with Papa Bear. I can give you more information after that, I'm researching a bunch myself now. I have a number of moose books I could loan you also after our hunt. Here are a few things my research has netted so far, feel free to critique it those of you with actual experience.

I'm taking a 300WM custom rifle with 180gr Accubonds, so your rifle choice sounds good.

I am buying Simms G3 wader pants or waders, plus the G3 boots. They are expensive but a key piece of these hunts and I want good ones. I can use them fishing after.

I think on raingear I'm going to spend a little weight and double up on jackets, the waders will be the bottoms. I'm taking my Helly Hennsen jacket and getting a new breathable rain shell. I want to stay dry. I'm leaning toward the Kryptek Koldo now but I'm going to wait to see what 2018 brings before buying one. They seem to keep making them better.

 

[AlaskaEd]

No need for lightweight breathable raingear, that stuff will soak through eventually. You won't be hiking around much. Look at the Helly-Hansen Impertech stuff. That's what you want in moose country. Lots of guys use the 3/4 length jacket with hip waders. Heck if you really want to stay dry, use chest waders and the normal length jacket.

 

[bowuntr]

Good luck with your planning... that's a big part of the adventure. I'll be going on my 3rd DIY moose hunt this September... I've always used Helly Hanson Impertec on my trips to Alaska but this year I'll be adding Kuiu Chugash to my pack. Ed F

 

[mcseal2]

No need for lightweight breathable raingear, that stuff will soak through eventually. You won't be hiking around much. Look at the Helly-Hansen Impertech stuff. That's what you want in moose country. Lots of guys use the 3/4 length jacket with hip waders. Heck if you really want to stay dry, use chest waders and the normal length jacket.

That's the jacket I plan to take with the Simms waist high waders as bottoms. I may decide to go with chest waders, but for now I'm thinking the pants would be best. I'd use them more at home as this may be a once in a lifetime trip for me. Lots of people who have gone in the past recommended waders instead of hip boots to me, keeps your butt from being wet the whole time from sitting on wet boats seats or logs.

I figured maybe taking the Helly Hennsen and a breathable jacket with pit zips as my regular jacket would be wise. I like the roomier cut of Kryptek, plus the hood and cuffs on Kryptek, after owning the Kuiu DCS guide jacket and the Kryptek Dalibor II jacket. I want room to layer a puffy coat and base layers under my jacket. I might leave my Dalibor II at home and take the Koldo rain jacket instead so I have 2 rain jackets if one fails.

 

[Robinhood21]

What would be the standard on tipping for a DIY Drop camp hunt?

Thanks!

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Get familiar with moose antlers. This video from ADF&G is a good start. Is This Moose Legal? on Vimeo

In a 50" unit, you don't want to drop a 48" bull.

Also look at some of Larry Bartlett's caribou videos about meat salvage. AK troopers are sticklers on wanton waste of game meat.
Bring a deck of cards. You should plan on having days of weather that socks you into your tent.
You will fly out on time only if the weather cooperates. You may be delayed on your return by several days.

Be bear aware. Cook and store food and trash well away from your tent, preferably down wind. Moose are big heavy animals, so dropping one in the water is a big mistake. Bring some rope and carabiners and pulleys (or combos like this Carabiner Pulley - EOD Gear ) for making a simple mechanical advantage for moving the animal if you have to.

Plan on being wet. Those big swamp donkeys spend a lot of time in really wet areas.

 

[Robinhood21]

Get familiar with moose antlers. This video from ADF&G is a good start. Is This Moose Legal? on Vimeo

In a 50" unit, you don't want to drop a 48" bull.

Also look at some of Larry Bartlett's caribou videos about meat salvage. AK troopers are sticklers on wanton waste of game meat.
Bring a deck of cards. You should plan on having days of weather that socks you into your tent.
You will fly out on time only if the weather cooperates. You may be delayed on your return by several days.

Be bear aware. Cook and store food and trash well away from your tent, preferably down wind. Moose are big heavy animals, so dropping one in the water is a big mistake. Bring some rope and carabiners and pulleys (or combos like this Carabiner Pulley - EOD Gear ) for making a simple mechanical advantage for moving the animal if you have to.

Plan on being wet. Those big swamp donkeys spend a lot of time in really wet areas.

Great information! I actually did watch the "is it legal?" Video but will have my father watch it as well and will probably watch it again before we leave for a refresher. I'm going to check into that m at salvage video! Thanks a bunch!


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[Kevin Dill]

Noways.... Mebbes.... Probleys.... Whoppas....

4 classes of bulls to understand. It's the middle 2 that get so many guys in trouble when 50" is the breakoff. Learn to tell the difference between a Probley vs a Mebbe and then shoot the high end of that category. The one sure thing worse than no moose is a moose you kill, butcher, pack, give 100% away and receive a citation + fine for a memory. And do understand a very concrete principle: Our ability to be reasonable, logical, objective and make good decisions is inversely proportional to the amount of adrenaline, endorphins and excitement affecting us at that moment. It's one thing to evaluate an online video or image of a bull, but quite another to do it when he's mucking around in the spruce and willows at 80 yards. You've got to turn off the circuit-message in your brain which gets all panicky and says "shoot before he gets away!".

 

[VernAK]

If you have to ask yourself if he's over 50"......not worth the risk!
Moose season opens 9/1 in my neighborhood and the Wildlife Trooper is overwhelmed with sublegal bulls harvested by excited hunters.

 

[Robinhood21]

If you have to ask yourself if he's over 50"......not worth the risk!
Moose season opens 9/1 in my neighborhood and the Wildlife Trooper is overwhelmed with sublegal bulls harvested by excited hunters.

Good advise. I'm going to make a moose antler silhouette and set it out from 100-700 yards. Then record the hash marks on my reticle for every 50 yards and have the findings taped to the stock of my gun. I'm hoping that helps.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Noways.... Mebbes.... Probleys.... Whoppas....

4 classes of bulls to understand.

Like my Grandpa always said, there are three kinds of fish. Bigguns, Liluns, and Minners

 

[standswittaknife]

We took Simms chest waders that could role down to pants. It really paid off when we dumped a bull across a slough. We
Couldn't get back to our boat so we had to cross. It wasn't anything dangerous but thankfully we had our chest waders to not get wet. They are also nice for extra insulation on cold mornings.


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[standswittaknife]

Oh and Kevin has done several writeups on the bowsite about this topic that are spot on. Once I'm at a computer I'll link it over.


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[Robinhood21]

Oh and Kevin has done several writeups on the bowsite about this topic that are spot on. Once I'm at a computer I'll link it over.


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Great thanks


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[Robinhood21]

So chest waders... do I need to buy wading boots as well? I'm not familiar with waders so I apologize for the noob question.


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[standswittaknife]

We used chest waders w wading boots. The boots had to have a good rubber sole like hiking boots. What size are you? I have a great pair of Chotas I used on my first trip that were a tick to small. In pretty sure they are 10.5 or 11s


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