Been feverishly planning and researching. Today was a big leap of progress. Was able to reach the biologist for the unit. Of all the biologists I have spoken to in the TV show endeavor, he was probably as helpful as any I have ever met.
He helped me line out dates even better, told me that the area we are hunting is a migration area, gave me the dates +/- 2 days of when the peak of migration and rutting is, confirmed my strategy of hiking into the sloughs rather than hunting the river, and told me plenty of other things about the terrain that will change my hunting tactics.
Trying to sort down to the minimum gear basics is very tough. Just so much you need for ten days in the bush, plus the added requirements of what it takes for filming.
Once I have that sorted down, I will probably take pics and post them here. Will give my checklist of what we brought that worked, what we brought that was unnecessary, and what we failed to bring that would have been very helpful.
Trying to get in touch with the transporter to see if the days we have plugged in could be amended to reflect what the biologist told me today. Hopefully he has some flexibility in that schedule.
Other than that, it is just sorting, cleaning, and refurbishing things we need. I think we will all lose some weight on this trip.
Needless to say, the budget is shot. I am going to do it the least expensive way I can, but want to do it in true "once in a lifetime" fashion, so the costs are beyond what they are when I hunt the more accessible areas around Fairbanks. Hopefully the experience is worth the extra cost.