Moose & Grizzly Combo: How far in advance to book?

[nyrifleman1]

I retire in June of 2026. This is my retirement gift to myself. How far out should I start looking to book?

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Sooner the better to lock in the price. It won’t get less expensive unless you luck into a cancellation hunt with a sizable discount.

 

[bmrfish]

Maybe see how far out your outfitter is booking? Our current hunts in Alaska were booking 3 years out.


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[Mykolaivka887]

I retire in June of 2026. This is my retirement gift to myself. How far out should I start looking to book?

See if your outfitter will book one or the other as a primary specie, with the other animal on a trophy fee (if killed). I'd be very, very, very careful about booking combo hunts in Alaska. The reality is that it's a hell of a lot of money up front, with very low odds of success. I definitely wouldn't recommend any combo hunt in Alaska, no matter who it's with or wherever it's at. Now, if you can set aside 28 days, then that does raise your odds, though ....

 

[Kevin Dill]

Assuming a very good reputable outfitter/guide hunting good areas x 12 days and 1x1 guide to hunter:

Your odds of killing a moose are good. Your odds of killing a grizzly are markedly lower. Your odds of taking both (as mature trophies) in 12 days are lower yet. This is where your research, homework and reference-checking are critical. But don't think it's impossible or useless to try. I hunted the Yukon several years ago with a good outfit. I stalked and killed a great black bear the first day hunting, followed by a bull on day 5. Both were taken with my recurve and of course I bucked the odds. The bear could've easily been a grizzly. I concur with the advice to consider one specie as primary (maybe moose) with the second taken on a trophy fee basis. Just keep in mind you'll still be spending the thousand or so dollars on a grizzly tag, just to have the option.

Do your homework in the coming year....make your decision....and book your hunt. I advise getting some type of price guarantee or statement from your outfitter so you know what to expect.

 

[Panhandler80]

Not to derail but nearly every successful moose hunter I’ve talked to has mentioned seeing several to lots of grizzlies. As a result of those accounts I had just assumed tagging each would be pretty simple. Where does the difficulty arise? I guess simply seeing them (presumably at long distance) means little because they don’t respond (in general) to calls and a stalk is very hard due to the speed at which they often cruise, and tendency to leave an area entirely “the bear went over the mountain, the bear went over the v mountain”…????

 

[Scottf270]

If both animals are present in an area, the key is killing the moose early and having a good bear claim the carcass. Turns it into a bait hunt. Can be very effective.

 

[Panhandler80]

If both animals are present in an area, the key is killing the moose early and having a good bear claim the carcass. Turns it into a bait hunt. Can be very effective.

Hmmm. Duh. Hadn’t thought of that. I bet that would help. Especially if you’re able to drop the moose in the right terrain / spot.

 

[nyrifleman1]

Thanks gents.

Is the Yukon generally a better option than AK?

Or are both relatively equal depending upon the outfitter?

 

[VernAK]

If both animals are present in an area, the key is killing the moose early and having a good bear claim the carcass. Turns it into a bait hunt. Can be very effective.

We go in for a 10-12 day moose hunt and if we get a moose early, we can usually see a grizzly on the gut pile within a few days but it may be a sow and cubs. We take a grizzly about every second year.

 

[Mykolaivka887]

Yeah, I never book my hunters into combo hunts, because it creates too much pressure on the hunter.

In terms of moose/grizzly, I always list moose as the primary animal and we focus solely on killing a bull well over 60 inches, and we only take a grizzly when (if) it presents itself.

This option seems to take a lot of stress off the hunter, in that he or she isn't in a total panic to kill two animals when we're on day 7 and the weather continues to be bad and the animals aren't cooperating.

 

[chinook907]

An outfit I've worked for as a small side hustle does moose/grizzly combos, in probably the very best area for moose (quality and quantity), and that is also of the best areas for Interior grizzlies.

All of the guided hunters would get a good bull, and something like 1/3 to 1/2 of them or so would also get a grizzly.

Like several of the guys above said, some would get their bear on the gut pile of their moose. Others, the outfitter would fly them a short distance to a better spot for grizzlies after they killed their moose.

And this is no advertisement, just giving some information. Whenever I go out there again it will be on my own time & dime.