AK Moose Logistics and Planning

[bklotthor]

Group of 3 hunters starting long-range planning for a DIY drop camp moose hunt in AK, likely 3-5 years out depending on how far air taxis/transporters are booked. Just got back from a DIY caribou float hunt and want to start laying groundwork for moose while it's fresh.

Not fishing for specific outfitter/pilot names as I know good contacts are hard-earned and guys don't want to blast that on a public forum. More interested in the process and resources so we can do our own homework:

• Best resources for researching air taxi operators vs. transporters (directories, associations, ADF&G lists, etc.) and understanding the practical differences between the two for a drop camp setup
• How far out do people typically need to book for a decent air taxi slot, and does that vary much by region/unit?
• General guidance or opinions on moose population/density trends across GMUs — where to find harvest data, ADF&G reports, or other public data to help narrow down units worth targeting
• Any planning pitfalls specific to moose vs. other DIY AK hunts (meat care/pack-out logistics seem like the big one, but curious what else catches people off guard)

Appreciate any pointers toward where to dig; reports, threads, ADF&G resources, etc. Happy to do the legwork myself once pointed in the right direction.

 

[MikeP]

I went with Renfros out of Bethel. Drop camp situation. You can bring your own camping supplies or pay them to provide. That part of Alaska did not have the 50 plus inch requirement. Obviously you want to kill a big one, but the difference between 48 and 52 is not much. I wouldn't shoot one far from camp. They are huge. 8 hrs for us to cut and pack the first one we killed, and 6 for the next. We were required to have bone in quarters which could be 150 lbs for the hind for a mature bull. Those loads actually carried better than the loads without a bone (such as the massive chunk of neck meat). If you killed Renfros would come pick up that moose weather permitting and get it to a freezer. It is a fun hunt. There was a group of 3 when we were there and they all killed one. We used a trucking company to get our meet home

 

[cgasner1]

This is why you don’t go to Alaska boys and girls