Remote Alaska DIY moose drop-hunts and more...

[AKDoc]

I always pause at year end, count my blessings, review a few pictures/relive experiences, and plan for the new year with hope. Additionally, it’s been well below zero for over a week here, so it seems like the right time to encouragingly share some narrative and pictures of remote Alaska fly-in DIY drop moose hunts and other remote fly-in DIY experiences that my hunting partner and I have bundled with our drop moose hunts for the past six years, e.g., grizzly hunting, float trips, and fly-fishing.

I share with fellow hunters here simply to share, and I do so with sincere humility and gratitude in life for many things…my wife and children always top that list. I know that I am a truly fortunate hunter living in a unique state, and I do realize that for many hunters the experiences I share here might be a bucket-list or a one and done trip of a life-time, if ever. Similar to most of you, I’ve worked very hard (and still do) for all that I have experienced.

For context, I’m a thirty+ year Alaska resident, and I’ve always been a very active hunter for all that Alaska has to offer. As an encouraging note for older hunters here…I just turned 67, so I’m in my sixties for all the remote experiences and locations in these pictures over the past six years. My hunting partner (also a long-time resident) is a couple months older than me, and it’s been just the two of us on these hunts. He wanted to get his first grizzly, so for the initial couple of drop-hunts, we did combination DIY moose/bear hunts, i.e., two weeks remote fly-in for moose and then a pick-up and transfer of location for a DIY remote bear hunt for a week.

After my friend got his bear, we started adding a 7-9-day remote DIY float-trip prior to our two-week moose hunts, which we have done for the past three years. After three weeks in the field (many times continuously), we’re always pretty wiped by the time we get back home. My son’s work schedule finally allowed him to join us for the hundred-mile pre-hunt float this past year.

To give you a sense of the areas, a few pictures follow of several (not all) of our different remote DIY-drop moose camp locations the past six years…some images simply capture the view that we saw directly from camp every day (please excuse the poor quality of a couple images). It’s a huge hunting unit in western Alaska, so these pictures may not be representative of locations experienced by others in the same area. BTW, the last picture is taken from the kill-site of my hunting partner’s bull this year…

 

[AKDoc]

I have always sought the solitude of a wilderness experience when hunting…it’s a reset opportunity for me, a time to strengthen perspective in life. I progressively reached a point six years ago that a fly-in/DIY drop-hunt became the best way for me to obtain that reset during moose season, and be away from the dramatically increasing number of other moose hunters around me. With only one exception (on a float trip) we have never seen another person on any of these very remote hunts/experiences for the past six years, excluding a few times that a Trooper landed in a Super-Cub to do a routine check!

We specifically hunt moose to seek the wonderful meat that our families have enjoyed and our children grew-up eating…just had moose breakfast sausage this morning. Second only to personal safety, responsible meat retrieval and care is our absolute top priority in the field. The topography in the drop-hunt locations that we have experienced is often challenging. Moose like wet areas, and these areas were definitely wet with numerous lakes, as well as countless bogs of often funky water. The dryer ground was predominantly tundra, which was a completely different footing when humping meat loads. We’ve learned a couple tricks over the years about humping meat over tundra, but it’s still exhausting.

In these wet hunting areas, we always ensure that the moose is standing on dry ground, and then we head shoot to drop it right there. We are careful in our removal of the hide, and then always change gloves before we field butcher. We get the meat bagged, and then bags are hung as quickly as possible under a tented meat pole with good air flow that we construct from what the location gives us. We are very proud of our field efforts every year and the quality of the meat that we bring home. This past year we had a first-time ever situation due to my error. A bull ran after being shot and jumped into the lake where it died, so we had to pull a floating bull out from the middle of the lake by ourselves. I’m proud to say that we got it done, and had half the meat hanging all in one day without it ever getting wet, which I wrote about a few months ago and more recently on this forum. I wish I had taken pictures, but we were so continuously busy until last light that day…and then ass-kicked. I’m very thankful for the z-drag set-up we had put together in advance and brought with us just in case, as well as NRS straps, my PR-49HD, and those wonderful Prusik knots.

We have consistently harvested two or three moose on every DIY drop-hunt for the past six years. We approach our hunting locations in a planful manner, and try to restrain ourselves from initially hiking all over the place for the first few days, giving bulls a chance to come to us without us stinking-up the area around camp. It’s a strategy that has worked well for what we primarily seek…the meat. I’ve humped meat distant from camp, but I’ve more commonly called them to camp and even a couple times to the meat-pole…the latter is definitely preferable these days! It’s an “any bull” unit and the unit reg’s also allow a resident to take two moose…only one can be a bull. We bring ALL of the wonderful meat home and share across our families and friends…a monster bull would simply be a bonus. As a point of reference, I called-in a dozen bulls this year…all satellites, and one with a cow.

We have seen a few monster 60-70+ inchers on our hunts, but they were always in a location or circumstances that would have prohibited responsible meat salvage and retrieval by us, so we passed. Those bulls were also always with several cows…so calling those big boys out of the prohibitive settings to leave the cows behind just wasn’t happening. A trophy-focused moose hunter may have viewed the scenarios differently, and that’s OK.

Guys on this forum have definitely taken much bigger bulls than us. In fact, the largest life-time bull I’ve ever taken was 57”. Ironically, it was the first bull I ever took, thirty years and many moose ago!

Here are just a couple pictures of me with bulls from our DIY drop-hunts that are representative of what we have taken. Please keep in mind that within the larger context of trophy-minded DIY or guided moose hunters with our provider, the size of our moose racks each year are always the smallest by comparison to the many huge racks we see brought into the hanger year after year. A guy took an 82” bull this year on a guided hunt! My hunting partner and I are already booked for next year…another pre-hunt hundred-mile remote DIY float, followed by another two-week DIY drop-hunt for moose.

 

[AKDoc]

Expanding the visual experience of remote Alaska, the following pictures are from grizzly hunting locations and a couple different remote DIY floats that we added to the back/front-end of our DIY-drop moose hunts. I wrote about our remote float trip two seasons ago on this forum…I got charged by a grizzly, which ended well for the bear and me. I’ve already taken a couple of grizzlies many years ago, so I’m not looking for another.

In the pictures you’ll see and recognize a couple of the excellent inflatables that Larry Bartlett has brought to market. Several years ago, we purchased our PR-49HD’s and more recently our Korks, and we are glad that we did because we have sure used them. I am also very thankful for his generous support to fellow veterans. I’m a former Marine/Viet Nam veteran, thanks again LB…

 

[AKDoc]

I’m sorry I didn’t post any pictures of bears taken on those hunts. My hunting partner got a blond boar grizzly at one of the previous image locations, but out of respect, that picture is his to share. Also, my son got his first brown bear this fall on our hundred-mile pre-hunt float (not the bear pictured…that was a “no shoot/same day airborne bear” an old beauty with pure white front claws). The picture of my son and I together with his bear is very special to me, which I will keep for myself (sorry)…it is a beautiful 9ft boar, aged by ADF&G between 9-12.

EDIT: I changed my mind in March, and I posted the picture of my son and I with his bear (post#37, bottom of page two)

The fly-fishing on our pre-hunt remote floats has been outstanding…

 

[AKDoc]

Sharing pictures in this format is an absolute first for me, as I have always been very private. Please know that I have no business associations or conflicts of interest, nor do I financially profit whatsoever from what I have shared here with you. All of our hunts and floats are booked with Renfro in western Alaska…he is an exceptionally good and hard-working man for whom we are very thankful. Can’t say enough good things about Wade and his family. I’m not going to post the costs of my trips, nor the specific names or identifiable details of the locations that we have experienced. I realize other people have shared such information on this forum and others find it helpful, but that’s not something that I’m going to do.

I do hope that what I have shared was at least somewhat informative and helpful…I like helping others. I know that nonresidents must hire a guide for brown/grizzly hunting, which is additionally much more expensive and cost-prohibitive for many people…not that any of these experiences aren’t already cost prohibitive for the majority of hunters! In addition, I’m sure you are already aware that the DIY float trips require some preplanning and a little skill preparation as you may experience some challenging scenarios on the remote Alaska water.

I wish all of you the very best for the new year/new decade. I hope I’ve encouraged some of you older hunters without medical contraindications to get your asses out there…do it wisely and safely of course! There’s a lot to learn, and I’m still always learning. For example, my son and daughter have both enjoyed kayaking as adults, and they urged me this year to get a different style PFD than what you see me wearing…and dad listened, and did it!

Everybody be safe and have fun in the coming new year!

 

[VernAK]

Very well done Doc!

The key word that jumped out at me was "solitude"........solitude is getting more difficult but is essential for me and killing another moose/caribou/bear is secondary to the wilderness experience.

 

[Daniel0307]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and pictures! I love seeing the joyous grins on your faces representing the passion and effort you put in! Congrats on your success

 

[Kevin Dill]

Excellent. I've always been drawn to, and appreciative of, the men and women who hunt or fish simply for the experience, adventure and value of the chase.... and it ends there. Those who seemingly are looking for recognition, admiration or social/societal rewards just tend to be too busy with that part of it, and I simply don't enjoy that scene. Sharing...yes. Social rewards....not even a little.

 

[Reload]

Thank you AKDoc for your selfless time given to all of us! Words to take heed and re-read for certain

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Wonderful posts...thank you!

 

[Grambo]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. By your writings you have brought us all along.

 

[Agross]

Thoroughly enjoyed this read . Excellent write up and beautiful pics . Sincere, thank you for sharing. You are a true sportsman and living the dream . As mentioned, yer smile says it all

 

[Sourdough]

Fun read...........thank you.

 

[live2huntelk]

Thanks for sharing your passion for Alaskan moose hunting with the Rokslide community. Many non-resident and resident hunters truly benefit from your experiences that you have shared. As with most Roksliders, I sense you get great satisfaction out of sharing your adventures with like-minded hunters. May you have many more years of hunting prosperity......it is what motivates us to stay in shape.

 

[ReinsuranceShooter]

AKDoc... thank you for sharing your adventures. From reading the above, it would appear that it is not only me who appreciates your emerging from the commentator/offeror of assistance role. Please know that your native content is great and adds a lot. Keep it up (as well as the pm’s you offer as an assist to folks trying to learn/get up to AK to do their hunt of a lifetime).

 

[Mt Al]

AKDoc, thank you for the encouragement. In my mid 50s and fear "the end" - not death but of being able to do what you're doing. It's so great to see you and others out there getting it done.

Larry Bartlett and Pristine Venture's rafts really seem to hit this niche very nicely. I use a packraft and will likely never put anything in it bigger than a boned out deer, but the videos of the Kork...looks great for all kinds of things, especially a very comfortable fishing trip. Doubt I'll need one but if I ever bite the bullet on a similar trip, might have to do it.

Thank you for sharing.

 

[JPD350]

I enjoyed your write up and thanks for sharing.
There are so many benefits to getting out in the wilderness and opening your eyes to a saturation of what it has to offer, for me it's the healthiest thing I can do for mind and body, kind of like a complete workout for both.

 

[AKDoc]

Thanks a lot for all the appreciative and kind responses. That was really thoughtful of you all, and I genuinely enjoyed sharing with you. I value Rokslide as a community of hunters willing to supportively share and help one another, and I'm glad to be part of it. It is evident that we all have much in common, which is priceless!

 

[AKDoc]

AKDoc, thank you for the encouragement. In my mid 50s and fear "the end" - not death but of being able to do what you're doing. It's so great to see you and others out there getting it done.

Larry Bartlett and Pristine Venture's rafts really seem to hit this niche very nicely. I use a packraft and will likely never put anything in it bigger than a boned out deer, but the videos of the Kork...looks great for all kinds of things, especially a very comfortable fishing trip. Doubt I'll need one but if I ever bite the bullet on a similar trip, might have to do it.

Thank you for sharing.

I'm glad you were encouraged sir.

This last season my hunting partner and I were going through our gear in the hanger. We had just gotten picked-up that day after two-weeks in the field. There were a couple other groups of hunters, who had come-in the previous day, and were now waiting to fly back home. As always, we all shared stories and experiences of our hunts as we worked getting our gear ready for shipping back home. One of the hunters circled back with us to say that he appreciated hearing about our experiences in the field, and we talked some more during which I told him that my hunting partner and I were both 67. The look of surprise and relief on his face was really funny. He said that he didn't want to ask, but was really curious because he and his hunting partner really wanted to return to do it again and feared that they would be too old. I think he was very early fifties, but I didn't want to ask him!

 

[AKDoc]

Excellent. I've always been drawn to, and appreciative of, the men and women who hunt or fish simply for the experience, adventure and value of the chase.... and it ends there. Those who seemingly are looking for recognition, admiration or social/societal rewards just tend to be too busy with that part of it, and I simply don't enjoy that scene. Sharing...yes. Social rewards....not even a little.

Very well said KD...I am absolutely like-minded.