Well, I booked it. Alaska 2021

[OldCrusty]

A YES he did!! He served in Desert storm, again your facts are off once more and obviously dictate your inflated ego.

 

[OldCrusty]

Solid call. Good luck.

Enjoyed this video thanks for sharing. Are you part of The Best Of The West?

 

[Gunnersdad49]

For those that are following along, we have now booked our bush plane flights in and out. We booked the bush pilot first, then the commercial flights into and out of Fairbanks. I have us flying commercial into Fairbanks a day before our bush flight out so that we can hit Freddy's for stove fuel and food. We are going to get a fleabag motel for that first night, so we can take advantage of any weather window the next day to get into the field.

My initial plan was to use miles on AK Air to pay for my trip, but I didn't quite make it. We budgeted $1000 round trip for each of us to get to Fairbanks and back. Since I have an AK Airlines visa, I was able to get my buddy's ticket as a companion fair, and prices are pretty low right now. We were able to book a return flight first class and still stay under budget. My thoughts were that we will be ready for some luxury, and if we connect with a moose, ticket counter staff will be kinder about checking boxes of meat if we are carrying first class tickets.

We are flying home 2 days after our scheduled pickup. This should give us time for dealing with meat and such, along with drying gear before flying home. It also gives us some wiggle room if the weather socks us in for a day or 2.

Next on the planning list is to sort out meat and taxidermy care, book the fleabag motels, and start working out the loads in the rifles. My hunting buddy decided to ditch his .338 for a .340 Weatherby like mine so that we can simplify our ammo situation.

 

[Horby]

For those that are following along, we have now booked our bush plane flights in and out. We booked the bush pilot first, then the commercial flights into and out of Fairbanks. I have us flying commercial into Fairbanks a day before our bush flight out so that we can hit Freddy's for stove fuel and food. We are going to get a fleabag motel for that first night, so we can take advantage of any weather window the next day to get into the field.

My initial plan was to use miles on AK Air to pay for my trip, but I didn't quite make it. We budgeted $1000 round trip for each of us to get to Fairbanks and back. Since I have an AK Airlines visa, I was able to get my buddy's ticket as a companion fair, and prices are pretty low right now. We were able to book a return flight first class and still stay under budget. My thoughts were that we will be ready for some luxury, and if we connect with a moose, ticket counter staff will be kinder about checking boxes of meat if we are carrying first class tickets.

We are flying home 2 days after our scheduled pickup. This should give us time for dealing with meat and such, along with drying gear before flying home. It also gives us some wiggle room if the weather socks us in for a day or 2.

Next on the planning list is to sort out meat and taxidermy care, book the fleabag motels, and start working out the loads in the rifles. My hunting buddy decided to ditch his .338 for a .340 Weatherby like mine so that we can simplify our ammo situation.

I appreciate this attention to detail. These are the logistical questions I have, whether it be planning a caribou or moose trip these are the overlooked details I'm trying to figure out. Thank you and I'm continuously following.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Ammo and component shortages can kiss my butt. I have finally scraped together the pieces to build 100 handloads for the trip. We will be shooting 225 grain Barnes TTSX out of the .340 Weatherbys.

No real developments on the trip planning so far except work trying really hard to ruin the trip for me by scheduling important things during those two weeks.

I'm picking up bits and pieces of gear, talking myself into bringing this or that, then talking myself back out of it. All part of the fun and anticipation.

142 days to go, but who is counting?

I've been doing some shooting and weighted rucking to try to reduce the weak link in this chain (human factors). Hopefully all goes to plan, and the area recommended to us produces a legal bull or two.

 

[Murphy]

Good luck on your trip!! I'm doing a similar hunt next fall and look forward to hearing how you guys do.

 

[eddielasvegas]

Best of luck on your trip and man does it sound great.

Are you taking a Garmin Inreach Explorer or Mini?


Eddie

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Best of luck on your trip and man does it sound great.

Are you taking a Garmin Inreach Explorer or Mini?


Eddie

I’ve got the mini. My buddy had the explorer on our last caribou float and The mini did everything I needed it to do. Plus side is it fits in the side pocket on my final harness and he’s always with me. I think if I had the full size one it would end up in my pack and sometimes not be on my body.

 

[eddielasvegas]

I’ve got the mini. My buddy had the explorer on our last caribou float and The mini did everything I needed it to do. Plus side is it fits in the side pocket on my final harness and he’s always with me. I think if I had the full size one it would end up in my pack and sometimes not be on my body.

Good to hear and thanks for your reply.


Eddie

 

[Wapiti1]

I think you have seen some threads on it, but really look at getting a rollup sled for meat hauling.

Have fun.

Jeremy

 

[Gunnersdad49]

I think you have seen some threads on it, but really look at getting a rollup sled for meat hauling.

Have fun.

Jeremy

I have been checking out the ones that Larry Bartlett designed. I haven't settled on anything yet though.

 

[TheFool]

This is my dream, going to follow along for sure. Good luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gburk]

Dream trip right here! Thanks for the documentation so far! Following along.
I hope you’re taking Gunner, my kids would be pissed

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Dream trip right here! Thanks for the documentation so far! Following along.
I hope you’re taking Gunner, my kids would be pissed

Gunner was my yellow lab. Sadly, he isn’t around any more. The silver lab in my profile was his replacement, but he is about worthless. This trip will just be myself and a buddy.

 

[Muzzy48]

When you have a good one and lose it...sometimes it’s hard for the next one to live up to the legacy of the one it’s replacing. I just put my lab of 16yrs down in January. I miss having a dog around but having a hard time getting another one as it will be tough to replace her.

Enjoy the hunt! Look forward to hearing about how things go. Good luck!

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Not much news other than my excitement level is already about redlined. Booked the hotels in FBX for before and after the trip. Added $9 of trip insurance in case weather hoses us.

Trying to decide if a Bull Magnet is going to make the trip or not.

We have gotten some small packets of seasonings and hot sauce to keep the meals edible after several days of dehydrated food. Also planning on some sausage and hard cheeses.

 

[sndmn11]

Did you find bullets?

 

[william schmaltz]

No vote for me on the bull magnet. I've got one and used it on my first couple of trips, but I don't even know where it is now. If you will have a canoe paddle on the trip anyways, that will work just as good or better. A dead tree branch also makes a nice, hollow antler sound when smacked into the willows. The best sounding vocal moose call comes from a thick cardboard food saver tube IMO. I walk around with a canoe paddle in hand and a cardboard tube in my wader belt. the results have been positive

 

[AKBorn]

If you can spare the weight, bring the bull magnet. I had the same debate because there is just no good way to pack that giant cone of fiberglass. After quite a bit of side by side testing with a variety of bottles and jugs, there was a resounding difference between how far the sound would throw and how deep and clear I could make the calls with the magnet. I also felt it made a huge difference in the field and was able to pull many many bulls in on a string with it. Far better than cupped hands or a Gatorade bottle anyway. Good luck! Sounds like you guys are gonna have a blast!

I'm with you on being able to reach out much farther using the Bull Magnet than anything else i tried. I think the furthest we got one to come was from over 3 miles away on a ridgetop, and nothing else I tried would have projected that far (albeit Schmaltz's suggestion of the cardboard tube sounds intriguing). When he got within rifle range we could tell he was just under 50 inches and only 3 brow tines, so he got to walk. Was still really impressed that the calls were reaching that far.

 

[VernAK]

I'm with you on being able to reach out much farther using the Bull Magnet than anything else i tried. I think the furthest we got one to come was from over 3 miles away on a ridgetop, and nothing else I tried would have projected that far (albeit Schmaltz's suggestion of the cardboard tube sounds intriguing). When he got within rifle range we could tell he was just under 50 inches and only 3 brow tines, so he got to walk. Was still really impressed that the calls were reaching that far.

I've bought two Bull Magnets at garage sales for $5 each. I leave them hanging in a spruce at our hunt location until the next season.

I've called in dozens of bulls with a bull magnet.