Solo Moose Hunt in the books.
- Thread starter Wildwillalaska
- Start date
EJMK
FNG
Congratulations and thanks for the great write up! What’s your thoughts on solo butchering and bears? What precautions, if any, do you take? Amazing to me that you can field dress an animal that size on your own and then throw in the remoteness and potential for a visitor and it pushes the amazing status over the top.
OP
OP
Wildwillalaska
Lil-Rokslider
The area I hunt is a predation control area of the state, meaning its a game management are that has a believed overpopulation of bears and wolves. Residents are not required to have a tag and allowed 2 grizzlies per year, non-residents can’t take one per year by over the counter tag—and to incentivize shooting the griz, at least past years (Didn’t check this year) you can even sell the hide/parts.
Add that because it is most certainly an area that has LOTS of grizzlies. I typically see a couple each trip, and when the opportunity arises that doesn’t interfere with tagging out on moose, I jump at the opportunity to poke holes in the, too. So, yes, I keep an eye peeled and precautions in case one comes along while but and same when returning to the kill site.
the nice thing where I hunt up there is it’s pretty open country, and most often the tactic is calling the bulls up out of the super thick stuff. Sure makes for more comfort when you can see distances well, especially downwind. Getting this bull in the morning vs having to butcher one well into the night also was nice. Have done it both ways, and had one really nice bull we got for my father in law like 12 years back, one valley over from this one that was in higher willow flat, so couldn’t see more than 20 yards in any direction, and we got it right at dark and wasnt completely broken down till close to 2am. Wasn’t the most comfortable situation, but kept frequent eye out, scanning surrounding (Even with headlamp), talk often and loudly, but also quiet in between to hear what you can. keep rifles handy and ready.
Enod of the day, it’s something everyone needs to be cognizant of as it’s a potential for an encounter, they happen, not that often, but do occur, and as this year showed, it can prove fatal. So can walking around the neighborhood if you run into the wrong bear at the wrong time. Have a neighbor next road over had to kill a huge old boar that charged him while he was walking his dog off Mackey Lake Road some years back. It was an old emaciated bear in dire need of calories. Run into that dude and its gonna want a bite. Earlier this year, another gent here on the Kenai was found dead after being mauled working in the woods close to his house. So we have bear spray and firearms handy at home too if we need to persuade another town bear from the yard, won’t be the first nor the last—but luckily with the seasons corrected here on the Kenai, we are not seeing the boldness we used to nor the frequency of encounters. So, I’m more concerned about making sure my 8yo and her friends that run around between a few houses here, which we are outside town with room and lots of trees in between homes, than I am a bear walking in while cleaning.
BIG difference for me though, as a resident, I don’t have to worry about DLP rules, if one comes, around while I’m on a kill site, I’m not going to f’ around with it and try to, scare it off, if it’s bold enough to come in while I’m talking to myself and cutting, he’s bold enough to come right back too—I’m going to pick up my rifle and poke a few holes in it. first thing then is a I would reload, and get back to butchering since now my pile of work just got bigger. More difficult scenario for non-residents that cannot hunt bear nor harvest without a guide, so now can’t fire unless it would meet the defense of life or property.
On wife’s late season sheep hunt this August just outside Tok, so north of Wrangells, we saw a big bear working up the valley the day before sheep season opened, it was following a creek bed that would take it within 50 yards of our tent. Not wanting to have to mess with it later in the week, like at 4am in my underwear while it’s trying to take sheep meat we hoped to have hanging, we took advantage of some pre-sheep chores and it turned into bear skinning day instead. Wife shot it just over 60 yards, carcass was a mere 110yds from our tent. We saw more grizzlies than legal rams that trip. We have bears, be smart, take precautions, and if worried about the health of our other game populations and have the chance, poke holes.
Add that because it is most certainly an area that has LOTS of grizzlies. I typically see a couple each trip, and when the opportunity arises that doesn’t interfere with tagging out on moose, I jump at the opportunity to poke holes in the, too. So, yes, I keep an eye peeled and precautions in case one comes along while but and same when returning to the kill site.
the nice thing where I hunt up there is it’s pretty open country, and most often the tactic is calling the bulls up out of the super thick stuff. Sure makes for more comfort when you can see distances well, especially downwind. Getting this bull in the morning vs having to butcher one well into the night also was nice. Have done it both ways, and had one really nice bull we got for my father in law like 12 years back, one valley over from this one that was in higher willow flat, so couldn’t see more than 20 yards in any direction, and we got it right at dark and wasnt completely broken down till close to 2am. Wasn’t the most comfortable situation, but kept frequent eye out, scanning surrounding (Even with headlamp), talk often and loudly, but also quiet in between to hear what you can. keep rifles handy and ready.
Enod of the day, it’s something everyone needs to be cognizant of as it’s a potential for an encounter, they happen, not that often, but do occur, and as this year showed, it can prove fatal. So can walking around the neighborhood if you run into the wrong bear at the wrong time. Have a neighbor next road over had to kill a huge old boar that charged him while he was walking his dog off Mackey Lake Road some years back. It was an old emaciated bear in dire need of calories. Run into that dude and its gonna want a bite. Earlier this year, another gent here on the Kenai was found dead after being mauled working in the woods close to his house. So we have bear spray and firearms handy at home too if we need to persuade another town bear from the yard, won’t be the first nor the last—but luckily with the seasons corrected here on the Kenai, we are not seeing the boldness we used to nor the frequency of encounters. So, I’m more concerned about making sure my 8yo and her friends that run around between a few houses here, which we are outside town with room and lots of trees in between homes, than I am a bear walking in while cleaning.
BIG difference for me though, as a resident, I don’t have to worry about DLP rules, if one comes, around while I’m on a kill site, I’m not going to f’ around with it and try to, scare it off, if it’s bold enough to come in while I’m talking to myself and cutting, he’s bold enough to come right back too—I’m going to pick up my rifle and poke a few holes in it. first thing then is a I would reload, and get back to butchering since now my pile of work just got bigger. More difficult scenario for non-residents that cannot hunt bear nor harvest without a guide, so now can’t fire unless it would meet the defense of life or property.
On wife’s late season sheep hunt this August just outside Tok, so north of Wrangells, we saw a big bear working up the valley the day before sheep season opened, it was following a creek bed that would take it within 50 yards of our tent. Not wanting to have to mess with it later in the week, like at 4am in my underwear while it’s trying to take sheep meat we hoped to have hanging, we took advantage of some pre-sheep chores and it turned into bear skinning day instead. Wife shot it just over 60 yards, carcass was a mere 110yds from our tent. We saw more grizzlies than legal rams that trip. We have bears, be smart, take precautions, and if worried about the health of our other game populations and have the chance, poke holes.
OP
OP
Wildwillalaska
Lil-Rokslider
On the topic of bears, I’ll throw this one in, since it was hands down the most intense feelings of dread I’ve had in the field. It’s area of dense bear population on the AK Peninsula. I had just harvested an amazing old big bear late in the evening. but the deal was I got him on a moose kill. Had a buddy with me, which it wasn’t a hunt I’d prefer to do alone. Think with big bears, it’s smart of have back up.
The issue this night was the moose kill. Had swirling winds for few days, all these bears are fresh out of dens and hungry. Lots of the, roaming about, and this spot was prime real estate with this guy gone. As darkness fell, we had a bear come walking in on us. the wind was blowing hard enough you really couldn’t hear great yet, and we are about 70+ yards out into a grass area between alder patches so thye don’t make much noise unless they choose to. This dude didn’t make any, I just happened to look up right as he came around the corner of the alder edge. We both yelled, and he eventually turned and trotted off into the alders.
Cutting quicker now that it was almost completely dark, and sure enough, from the other direction, he comes another brown bear walking right in towards us. Even with the wind dying down, still never heard anything, granted he was further away, like 100 yards, just looked up And there he was ambling in. We were trying to get done, so one kept cutting, other yelled, cut a little and keep an eye on brownie. He kept coming, just more slowly ano flanking around. Even once down wind, yelling more, waiving arms, he was still slowing circling and coming. Partner has his 375 in hand, I finally stop and grab my rifle, both yelling, he’s still c0ming, throw a round into the ground in front of me. He pauses and shakes his head, but doesn’t leave. Another 338 round and a 375, both into the ground, but closer to his direction, and he too finally decided to wander off into the alders. I was tagged, and the bear was smaller than what my partner would want to take, so it was a scenario of trying to keep the, off us long enough to finish up and get out of there.
Didnt have another bear walk in, but heard two fighting or mating just up above us and back towards the direction we were about to pack out. Very loud pack out, partner kept talking, and I was huffing and puffing like a dying cow packing the hide out. Very happy to have a partner on that night, would have happily accepted a couple more too.
Not that scared of bears, but do respect the heck out of them as they are incredibly durable, powerful, fast animals designed to overpower and kill whatever they decide they need to.
So the mound this old gent is laying on is a buried moose carcass. In the second picture, bottom right, in the dirt/grass you can make out part of a lower moose leg. These guys love moose, on Kodak, same or worse for deer kills, so be smart and better to be overly cautious and not need it, than the reverse.
The issue this night was the moose kill. Had swirling winds for few days, all these bears are fresh out of dens and hungry. Lots of the, roaming about, and this spot was prime real estate with this guy gone. As darkness fell, we had a bear come walking in on us. the wind was blowing hard enough you really couldn’t hear great yet, and we are about 70+ yards out into a grass area between alder patches so thye don’t make much noise unless they choose to. This dude didn’t make any, I just happened to look up right as he came around the corner of the alder edge. We both yelled, and he eventually turned and trotted off into the alders.
Cutting quicker now that it was almost completely dark, and sure enough, from the other direction, he comes another brown bear walking right in towards us. Even with the wind dying down, still never heard anything, granted he was further away, like 100 yards, just looked up And there he was ambling in. We were trying to get done, so one kept cutting, other yelled, cut a little and keep an eye on brownie. He kept coming, just more slowly ano flanking around. Even once down wind, yelling more, waiving arms, he was still slowing circling and coming. Partner has his 375 in hand, I finally stop and grab my rifle, both yelling, he’s still c0ming, throw a round into the ground in front of me. He pauses and shakes his head, but doesn’t leave. Another 338 round and a 375, both into the ground, but closer to his direction, and he too finally decided to wander off into the alders. I was tagged, and the bear was smaller than what my partner would want to take, so it was a scenario of trying to keep the, off us long enough to finish up and get out of there.
Didnt have another bear walk in, but heard two fighting or mating just up above us and back towards the direction we were about to pack out. Very loud pack out, partner kept talking, and I was huffing and puffing like a dying cow packing the hide out. Very happy to have a partner on that night, would have happily accepted a couple more too.
Not that scared of bears, but do respect the heck out of them as they are incredibly durable, powerful, fast animals designed to overpower and kill whatever they decide they need to.
So the mound this old gent is laying on is a buried moose carcass. In the second picture, bottom right, in the dirt/grass you can make out part of a lower moose leg. These guys love moose, on Kodak, same or worse for deer kills, so be smart and better to be overly cautious and not need it, than the reverse.
. Nice bull, and that 2nd bear is huge!!!
EJMK
FNG
Great stories and advice. Thank you.
justinspicher
WKR
You ain’t hard core unless you live hard core.....
Awesome write up. Congrats on those critters.
Awesome write up. Congrats on those critters.
OP
OP
Wildwillalaska
Lil-Rokslider
Sh*t, don’t get me wife started on this. That big bear above was one I never intended to come home with. I have bears at friends homes and offices, rugs at brothers and mothers home, plus couple rugs and hides rolled up in our closets. They do take up a lot of real estate and part of my 2020 campaign for a life size on the 10’2” bear above. Losing so far. Told her on that trip I was going mostly to spend time with friends I never get to hunt with due to their work and help out with some stuff at the lodge. Told her it would have to be a big old knarley bear for me to shoot it. First full day of hunting and oops.
Last several years Ieeally have only shot or helped buds shoot griz when we are moose hunting due to the population there.
Last several years Ieeally have only shot or helped buds shoot griz when we are moose hunting due to the population there.
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