School me on Alaska caribou/moose

[cnelk]

IMO - Just going moose hunting in Alaska is 'big enough'. Dont confuse the experience with the size of a moose.

Tip - enter these words into Google and you'll be 'schooled'

average moose hunt cost, cnelk

 

[OXN939]

Looking at planning a caribou/moose trip for me and my wife in the near future but I have zero experience with Alaska much less Alaska hunting.

Moose is a lot logistically if you haven't been to AK before. Caribou hunting is also, in my opinion, much more dynamic- it's way more about your stalk than most moose hunts I've seen. Example, my buddy killed his bull moose last year while sitting 10 yards from his tent on the first day and we never saw another legal animal. Lots of luck going on there, whereas most Caribou hunts afford the opportunity to make at least a few stalks and see if you can execute them successfully.

40 mile Caribou will be tough to book this late in the process. A lot of transporters for this fall sold out before Christmas '18. North Slope Caribou is a fun, but very austere experience... definitely not one I'd recommend taking a hunting partner on who is used to any sorts of comforts of home.

Feel free to PM if you have any questions!

 

[robie]

As far as finding a partner, that will be difficult. I can’t get my friends to go to Colorado and hunt elk much less go to Alaska. And I’m perfectly fine going solo for a caribou if it comes down to it. Same reason I solo hunt in Colorado. As far as physically, I’m sure I can handle a caribou within a mile of camp in a drop location as from the research I’ve done and people I’ve talked with have said that this is what to be expected during the migration.

No transporter will drop you solo. Especially a first time guy. So if you can't find a buddy to go with you, you will have to look at a guided option.

 

[cnelk]

No transporter will drop you solo.

Que up 'Kevin Dill'

 

[robie]

Que up 'Kevin Dill'

uh oh, I should have said, none that I talked to would drop me solo. Maybe there is someone out there that will but they didn't make my call list.

 

[PA Hunter]

I planned a hunt for 3 years then my buddy never officially committed and I found out allot of transporters book up some years in advance. This pushed me 2 more years further out. I started calling past hunters from transporters and learned allot from them. Most happy to talk with me. I was originally trying to do moose & bou but gave up on that idea. I was told not many areas have both and it is either better moose or better caribou. Unless you do a float hunt start in bou float to moose? Some only take repeat hunters until one doesn’t repeat then you possibly can get in.

 

[VernAK]

uh oh, I should have said, none that I talked to would drop me solo. Maybe there is someone out there that will but they didn't make my call list.

Most reputable flight services will not drop off a lone hunter and handling a moose alone will test you.

 

[FSUHUNTER]

DDavis, i've been pouring over mpas, harvest stats, videos,forums, calling transporters, spoke with Larry B in 2016, called friends in anchorage, and have been researching for several years, and i'm no closer to choosing a transporter (well maybe a little bit - i have a list at least, but most of them don't fit the $3k range i'd like to be. Don't want a float trip for some of the more obvious reasons, looking for an area with at least high 30's success rate,. I've narrowed it to 2-3 gmu's but now i'm trying to find a transporter thats in the $3k range. i'm doing a guided trip to NF this year, but only because it's my 40th and want my brothers to join. I typically prefer on my own and that's how i want AK to be. I think its a whole lot easier if you are okay with spending $7-8k on a transporter... if so, just choose gmu 18, get on one of the waiting lists, and go.

 

[Buck2747]

Have you looked at air taxis and not just hunting transporters? Been thinking about trying that route to See if there is any cost variance.

 

[FSUHUNTER]

Actually, i called a guy yesterday and i think he meets all my criteria, especially the price. Ran his name by a friend who lives outside of anchorage and they checked with their friend and said this person is as good as you're going to get. So i think after several years or research and calling around, i know who i'm going to use and the unit i'm going to go to. Funny how things fall into place, but the biggest thing is you can't be afraid to pick up the phone and talk to people.

 

[Labdad]

Wow times have changed. When i first hunted AK the internet was not the means to learn.

I went on a guided bou hunt, that allowed me to figure things out , then sans my sheep hunt all my alaska hunts were diy.

My .02 take your wife guided. She will have a more comfortable trip. You will get your feet wet and learn a lot. Then a diy will be clearer and easier. YMMV

The only wrong choice is to put it off and not go. I lived a blessed life. Most could not do 10% of the trips i have been lucky to do.

 

[PA Hunter]

I watched every YouTube video for diy moose hunting then tracked down allot of the hunters posting their videos for some info. I can tell you what looks like a great hunt on video can be very deceiving when you actually talk to someone about their hunt.

 

[jray5740]

I have been researching this as well for a while now, and this question is probably going to be silly but who knows......I spent two summers playing in the Alaska baseball league in the early 2000’s, and spent a ton of time fishing dreaming of hunting. I was able to drive to the rivers I wanted to fish and do my thing, which got me thinking.

What if/would it be possible to simply rent a Jeep in Anchorage, drive to a place where you can hunt and simply hunt within 8-10 miles of your vehicle with a spike camp? I guess what I’m getting at is I drove all over Alaska from the peninsula to Fairbanks and much of that land looked great for hunting......so why transporters if this is possible? Residents of Alaska who don’t own planes hunt somehow from their vehicles to a location and camp, couldn’t a non res do this as well?

 

[VernAK]

Yes, you can do that. A van would probably be a better choice and easier to rent.

There will be Alaskans parked all along the road and hunting deeper with their ATVs. If you choose the Denali Highway and park in a pullout, watch where you step.

The better choice would be the Dalto for caribou but rifle hunters must walk five miles of tundra to legally hunt.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

You hear this one a lot, from people who have never hunted moose:
..."well, I'm just gonna hike in 10 or 12 miles, maybe over that pass, and pack a moose back to the road by myself...."
....well, no... you're probably not...

 

[jray5740]

Yes, you can do that. A van would probably be a better choice and easier to rent.

There will be Alaskans parked all along the road and hunting deeper with their ATVs. If you choose the Denali Highway and park in a pullout, watch where you step.

The better choice would be the Dalto for caribou but rifle hunters must walk five miles of tundra to legally hunt.

Thanks for the info Vern, I figured the more popular roadways would have many hunters within an arms reach of the road/Oit on atv’s. I was thinking more main road to less known road to smaller two track to camp type of thing.

You say watch your step.....is this in reference to hunting in a locals honey hole or is there a danger there that I clearly don’t know about?

 

[jray5740]

You hear this one a lot, from people who have never hunted moose:
..."well, I'm just gonna hike in 10 or 12 miles, maybe over that pass, and pack a moose back to the road by myself...."
....well, no... you're probably not...

Well I have hunted moose on several occasions, I fully understand the magnitude of what chasing a moose entails. However....

I agree with you man, I think you took my mileage statement as I would be hoofing it on foot. I was meaning that distance from a main road on a Jeep trail/two track and maybe hunt a few ridges once there from my vehicle with a spike camp.

Although I would say you also hear that statement a lot of “mocking someone’s idea because for whatever reason I know more/I’m smarter than you”.

You do your thing, I’ll do mine.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Ok, friend...I apologize for the condescending tone...but when someone says they will "simply" hunt moose "10 miles from vehicle"...it tickles my funny bone...
....and Vern was likely talking about stepping in human poo.....hunting the road system is nasty...

 

[jray5740]

Ok, friend...I apologize for the condescending tone...but when someone says they will "simply" hunt moose "10 miles from vehicle"...it tickles my funny bone...
....and Vern was likely talking about stepping in human poo.....hunting the road system is nasty...

I’m not gonna say I don’t doubt the ability for someone to pack a moose or any animal for that matter for a distance like that with mountains like those or the ones here in CO....but I’m sure someone has and someone probably will again.

To be honest I doubt the ability to be able to DIY a moose hunt in the manner I was curious about (rent vehicle and camp), without a transporter for a drop.....but I can’t afford a guide and even a transport is pushing the budget....I will say the Colorado moose hunts I have been on were Easy Peezy, but carrying a moose that is down 500 yards from the truck is different

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Many Alaskans use boats to access rivers and tributaries to search for their DIY moose. There are lots of good (and some crummy) comments in this thread.
The advice to pick one species is almost exactly what I would give, except, Alaska allows you to use a tag on a “lesser” species. That means that if you buy a moose tag for $900, and there are caribou that are in the area, and caribou can be take. With a tag and harvest ticket, you can shoot a caribou on your moose tag. Or you could put it on a black bear, or wolf, etc. all of this is dependent on specific units, and can change every year, so make sure you verify with ADF&G.

I say this because in some units you could get a caribou tag for the wife, a moose tag for you, and end up legally killing 2 caribou.

Your mountain gear, especially rain gear should be top notch if you are taking it to Alaska. There are times where you cannot get a plane in for 3-5 days due to weather. That means your 10 day trip could have 3 additional days of terrible weather tacked on to it. A shelter with a stove like the Kifaru or Seek Outside tipis can make those days much nicer and give you a chance to dry some gear.