Accident and DIY Moose hunt

[gremcat]

So where to start. I've got to start somewhere I guess. I grew up in the Adirondacks and hunted colder climates and rapidly changing weather patterns but nothing like AK. I moved to NC 6 years ago. I have had the benefit of hunting WT and Gator with long seasons here. I always wanted to do a moose hunt but it has just gotten more and more expensive to go on a guided hunt. This spring with child number 3 almost here I was hit by a car crossing the street. They ran a red doing 45 and I went up and over the car. I totaled the car but luckily only sustained a shattered leg, head injuries, and my already damaged back took a little more pounding with two herniated discs. I also lost a lot of blood and spent a few months living in a hospital bed.

While in PT I was struggling to find motivation and I guess do to the head injury just generally struggling. The lady that hit me had no insurance or anything so the medical bills piled up. I sold off a lot of my gun collection to cover them. This did not help my mood any. I decided that I have always wanted to hunt moose and it would help me get into shape mentally and physically if I had a goal. I was previously very fit and just big in general at 6'3" and 230 lbs. I decided that I would do a drop hunt and see if I could pull of a moose hunt either solo or with a partner but without a guide. I am working out 4 days a week and doing therapy as well as breaking in some logger boots required by my therapist for me to walk on soft ground. Right now I have a titanium rod holding my right leg together below the knee. I have been told though that it should be stable in roughly a year. My goal is to be strong enough and have the fortitude to handle this type of hunt.

Anyway, long story short I am fairly certain I want to do a lake side/mountain hunt instead of a float hunt. I am thinking a 9.3x62 would be a good rifle. I want it to be remote. I love NC hunting but miss the solitude of the Adirondacks and would love to spend a few weeks in a remote part of AK. My wife and I where in Ketchikan last fall and I have been trying to convince her to move there ever since. If you guys could give me some advice on air services, gear needed ( rent or buy?) and just some general advice to get me started planning I would really appreciate it. Also, if anyone has some good ways of judging moose please share. I think I read here that the brows are the best way to tell if it is legal but trying to tell if it is a shooter is a different story. I am not looking for a monster so much as an adventure. I remember seeing a 9 ft gator last fall in SC when hunting and thinking it was 5 feet. The one I took charged the jon boat above eye level and I didn't realize how good he was until we had him in the boat and I was trying to stick him with a knife. It made me realize that in the moment you can severely misjudge an animal. Would hate to pass on a 58-60" and shoot a 42" with three brows.

Thanks again and I look forward to getting to know some of you.
Jeremia

 

[nidahunter]

Man, you have set a tall goal for yourself, good luck in making it happen! You have had a rough go of it so I hope this is the trip of a lifetime for you. Good luck!

 

[gremcat]

Thanks for the well wishes.

 

[Elkmagnet]

I can't really offer any advice but I would like to read about you accompanying your goal. Good luck!

 

[mdhunter61]

Good on you for setting a big goal to help you recover from the accident!

PM me your email address and I'd be happy to send you some lists I use when hunting remote Alaska (I do mostly ridgetop hunts for moose and caribou). I was born in Alaska and lived there until I was 12; have been back 8 times in the past 12 years to do remote hunts, heading back again in September.

The first thing to do would be download the Alaska Department of Fish and Game hunting regulations, deciphering that book is tougher than the bar exam or a PMP certification test!

Also, find yourself a partner for the hunt - most bush plane services won't drop newbies to Alaska into remote areas on their own, and you'll want a partner to help if you have to field dress a bull moose - you're looking at 1,200 - 1,400 pounds live weight, maybe more.

Good luck with your recovery and with finding a hunt partner!

Michael (mdhunter)

 

[brownbear932008]

If I were looking at what you want to do two outfits I would check into are Sportsmans Air Service out of Galena Joe is top notch. Or Papa Bear is also good I hear great things about them also. Both will be pricey but you will pay in AK. if you get the best. And they are usually once in a lifetime hunts for most so make it worth your time and money. I am really considering Joe both have good areas to drop you.

 

[have gun will travel]

Now this thread I will be watching closely. This hunt is on my bucket list. Good luck on your recovery and dream hunt. Really curious on the cost of this hunt. Big Fin I don't recall seeing an episode of a hunt like this. But I think there was a lot of talk about the expense of this hunt and logistics involved. If my memory serves me right you put a ton of time into researching this type of hunt.

 

[brownbear932008]

Well I have done this and my buddy also did one. All I can say is if you go to AK. fly out remote which if you want a good hunt it will require that you are looking no less than $4,000 no more than $10,000 pp. Mine I haven't figured up to the penny But here is a lil rundown
1 Commerical airline 650ish east coast to Fairbanks
2 Puddle Jumper 350ish Fairbanks to Galena
3 Transporter upriver/Boat rental 5000
4 Fuel in village 600
5 Tags 85$ + $400 moose $35 wolf
6 Nights in FairbanksX2 $150 + eats
7 Frieght if moose taken back to Fairbanks= outragous amount I didn't have this luxuy cost
8 Frieght to get moose back to lower 48= even more unless you catch the guy that does lower 48 freezer truck haul didn't do it last year. Think it was $800
9 Processing fees in AK if you have moose done I would est. $400-800

These come up to around $8,770 dollars here. I am sure there are cheaper areas to access I think a guy would really have a problem keeping cost under $5,000 to be realistic from East Coast for a good chance at a moose. My solution New Foundland.
These cost were last year 2013. Had an awesome time though in some awesome country only to shoot a moose too small and paying a fine. I found it is very hard to judge a moose on the hoof and counting brow tines at 300 yards is dang near impossible when I thought I'd be hunting thicker cover and no spotting scope in my pack(since I would be in thicker cover). Came up too short 45" I still to this day would guess that moose 55-60". So morale of story if you go count brows no matter what. They all look huge. I prob let bigger moose walk on the trip looking back.

 

[Gellar]

Check out the book "Hunt Alaska Now" by Dennis Confer. DIY hunts in Alaska with planning can be affordable and successful.

 

[gremcat]

One thing that someone mentioned is driving to AK and then bringing atvs or maybe my first gen 4runner and doing a drive in hunt. Is it possible to get an OTC drive in tag and still be remote and not see any other hunters or is it high pressure/draw hunting if you drive in? What I want is an area to myself with the possibility of a legal 50"+ moose for two or three weeks. I haven't decided on a final budget but less than 10 more than 5 is about right. I would like to bring back the meat that is another reason I am thinking of driving. Maybe I could drive to where the bush flight is from and drive back. I imagine there are legal issues/ added costs bringing moose back through Canada though. Just another reason to move there someday soon. My wife is a biologist and I keep trying to convince her to do something like a teach Alaska program.

 

[gremcat]

Looks like roughly 75 hours in the car. Maybe shipping would be a better option compared to gas costs. Might be a nice trip though it looks like it goes through some pretty country.

 

[Bambistew]

You're going to pay for what ever level of "experience" you want to have. The farther you get from Anchorage or Fairbanks (FBX) the more it costs.

On average the bigger bulls come from the central interior and western AK. It will cost a small fortune to get there and back though... will it be a better experience? You have to decide if a bigger rack or "more" solitude makes it, or breaks it for you. I can walk off just about any highway up here 3-4 miles and have all the solitude I want.

IMO, there his high quality moose hunting within 150+/- mile radius of Fairbanks (highest moose concentrations in the state). You don't need a bush hop to a village, nor need to worry about logistic$ of getting meat back to FBX, then home. That said, you will still be looking at $3000-$4000 pp for a bush flight. If you do some sleuthing you you can find a hunt for less, if you go with a transporter vs an outfitter. Better know where you're going though. IMO the solitude fantasy is pretty much a myth. You can run into people and planes anywhere up here. I've been on trips where I didn't expect to see anyone and saw a handful of people, and vise versa. It all depends on the level of adventure and solitude you want. Going to those areas where you won't see many planes, and no people are getting harder and harder to find, and you pay for it. Another thing to consider, weather. The farther you get out the longer the weather delays. A couple years back we had a few big storms roll in back to back, there were guys stranded for 7-10 days. Once things start backing up, it makes it that much harder for transporters to get clients out of the field.

Personally, I've done some pretty cheap flyout hunts close to FBX that were successful and I got all the wilderness experience I wanted, even though we saw a few people. We took some pretty nice bulls too. Giants? No, but 52-58", are pretty nice bulls, we saw bulls bigger but couldn't get on them...

One thing to think consider... if you pay the price to hunt a big bull area, you going to to shoot the first legal bull you see? Going on a once in a life time trip, and counting the days and no moose to show for your efforts and $$$... odds are the first legal bull will get wacked. Living in the bush for 7-10 days can be a miserable experience, or pleasant, not seeing many moose for days on end, makes a guy get a bit trigger happy. Going more remote doesn't necessarily mean you have a better chance of killing a moose.

I would read up on Bigfin's adventure from a couple years back. I think expectation and reality were a bit further apart than he was expecting.

Alaska air has freezers, and you can ship cargo for a lot cheaper than UPS or the like. Getting it boxed and frozen is another matter. Shipping is between $0.50 and about $1.25 a lb. Compared to UPS or FedEx which is about $3-4lb overnight delivery. You have to go to the airport and pick it up on your end.... Depending on how much meat and how close it might be worth the effort. AK Air flies cargo to D.C. and Atlanta, not sure if that's close or not? I would bring home every ounce of that moose meat no matter the cost.

Good luck on your planning. Remember a DIY hunt is just that, don't set your expectations too high and you'll have a great time. I wouldn't plan on any more than 50% odds of success. A moose on the ground is a minimum of 1 lost day of hunting, and possibly 2. Two guys going and 1 moose isn't bad odds. Both getting moose is not out of the realm of possibilities though.

My moose hunting spot this year is going to cost me a tank of gas in the truck. Pretty sure I won't see anyone either.

 

[Bambistew]

Showing up with a trailer full of ATVs and expecting to find a place to hunt is setting yourself up for a huge disappointment. This is big country, most of it with little game. Everyone and their dog has an ATV up here and without knowing the trails I wouldn't even bother. Lots of trails are argo trails, which will lead you to a river/swamp crossing. Not knowing the country will get you in trouble in a big hurry. You'd be looking at a day or two from the highway to a good spot, and that's if you have a plan and know where you're going. Idiots die on ATVs in hunting season every year, trying to cross rivers.

The drive will take you 6-7 days one way, probably $3000+ in gas. Gas is about 30% more in Canada.

You can look at harvest stats on line. The F&G has info ranging back to the early 80s. Harvest rates, NR/Res, antler sizes, transportation type, etc etc. you can look at it until you go cross eyed.

https://secure.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=harvestreports.main

If you want an area all to yourself, go on a guided hunt in Canada. There is no such thing in Alaska. Just say'n.

 

[brownbear932008]

That is some great solid advise Bambistew you are spot on in saying that. I had one of the best tags in AK. went in thinking there would be moose on every river bend.
Well the reality was we couldn't get to our area because of low water conditions so we ended up in a totally different hunting situation and area fighting the crowds and larger vessels on the river. Still was the hunt of a lifetime though and the memories will live forever between me and my 77 year old uncle. A week in the bush sure was nice. But like you said truely there are few places in AK. that doesn't get hit I think. I was amazed at the boat traffic on the river we hunted to be 100 miles from any village of any size by river. But you could go off the river and not see a sole.

 

[brownbear932008]

One thing that someone mentioned is driving to AK and then bringing atvs or maybe my first gen 4runner and doing a drive in hunt. Is it possible to get an OTC drive in tag and still be remote and not see any other hunters or is it high pressure/draw hunting if you drive in? What I want is an area to myself with the possibility of a legal 50"+ moose for two or three weeks. I haven't decided on a final budget but less than 10 more than 5 is about right. I would like to bring back the meat that is another reason I am thinking of driving. Maybe I could drive to where the bush flight is from and drive back. I imagine there are legal issues/ added costs bringing moose back through Canada though. Just another reason to move there someday soon. My wife is a biologist and I keep trying to convince her to do something like a teach Alaska program.

I'm not saying it can't be done but I think odds will be very low unless you hunted multiple years learning an area better. Had another friend who did a float hunt from roadside parking killed a 50" moose after getting off the river and was driving back into town bull off the roadway. LOL Gotta remember moose numbers per mile are low compared to what we are use to in the east with say deer. And in most areas I don't think residents have to follow the 50" rule so those bulls die young AK. residents depend on the meat for winter survival all these factors keep numbers down a little in most areas close to any good access.

 

[gremcat]

so fly in sounds like the way to go then. I want remote and I was told the road system in AK is non existent for a lot of the remote areas. I can handle some with a winch and a set of lockers but this is supposed to be a hunting trip not a wheeling trip and I don't want to spend a week bushwacking and not getting back far enough anyway. Or worse break something way back there and not be able to get out.

 

[mdhunter61]

One thing that someone mentioned is driving to AK and then bringing atvs or maybe my first gen 4runner and doing a drive in hunt. Is it possible to get an OTC drive in tag and still be remote and not see any other hunters or is it high pressure/draw hunting if you drive in? What I want is an area to myself with the possibility of a legal 50"+ moose for two or three weeks. I haven't decided on a final budget but less than 10 more than 5 is about right. I would like to bring back the meat that is another reason I am thinking of driving. Maybe I could drive to where the bush flight is from and drive back. I imagine there are legal issues/ added costs bringing moose back through Canada though. Just another reason to move there someday soon. My wife is a biologist and I keep trying to convince her to do something like a teach Alaska program.

Anyplace you could take an ATV during moose season in Alaska, you're gonna have lots of company. And not knowing the trails and the terrain, you could put yourself in some pretty tough or dangerous predicaments, it happens every year.

One other note - in many units, the non-resident moose season doesn't last for 2-3 weeks, many units run about 10 days for non-res.

 

[brownbear932008]

Gremcat I would lean toward flyout myself or if your comfortable in a boat a float hunt can be good if the right river is picked. But better know what your doing with a boat and it can be a lot of work. Check out papa bear lots of good reviews and they are resonable on the price Joe at Alaska Sportmans Air is a little pricey but he is remote though and has a great operation.

 

[gremcat]

Thanks and I apologize if these are basic uninformed questions. Just trying to start somewhere.

 

[brownbear932008]

Hey just hang around promise to post your hunt when you go and get yourself in working order ready for that moose packing. We love to read the stories around here kinda like we are living the hunt ourselves. I tell you a good bou hunt up there is the way to go for a first timer I had an awesome experience doing that one. But the prep and planning is some of the most enjoyable things seems it just gets more exciting every step you take.