Bush Pilots - Kotzebue

[KC]

Starting research for a return to hunt caribou, 2006. This time I will fly into Kotzebue and catch a hop with a bush pilot from there.

Did an Internet search on Maverick Air and got mixed results.

Has anybody had personal experience with Arctic Circle Air or Northwest Aviation? Both are bush pilots flying out of Kotzebue.

Has anybody had dealings with Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals?

The Kelly River and Noatak National Park have been recommended as good places to hunt 'bou. Your Thoughts on these locations? Any better locations?

Is there any place to camp in/near Kotzebue?

Is there a good place to eat in Kotzebue?

I wonder if the native corp will allow people to hunt on their land for a fee?

I haven't hunted in the Kotzebue area before. I need info. recon, etc.

KC

 

[Moosie]

Tbone and Deadeye left yesterday for that area. They'll be back on the 22nd with an update ..... I'll be heading up next year somewere up there, maybe we'll meet ?

 

[Moosie]

Hey KC, I jsut got this Email from a friend of mine that jsut got back fro mthat area :

~~~~~~

Hey Bud,

It was an incredible 7 days.

We flew into Kotzebue a week ago Friday morning and prepped for a week on the Cougarorik River, a tributary of the Noatak. We hunted from the river bottom up onto the ridges. This was an unguided drop camp hunt through Northern Air trophy. We hunted right at the top of the tree line, about 400 ft above sea level.

We had a 350lb griz wander the other side of the river from our camp about an hour after we got there. He spent his time eating salmon though so he wasn’t a bother, just wanted us to know we were in his territory.

Our party of seven killed 14 bulls all just under book. We didn’t see a lot of caribou, less than 50. But most of what we saw was bachelor groups migrating through.

We spent $2300 a piece for the camp. We covered our own cost of getting there and back and transporting the meat and horns. It was a high price but it put us on the biggest herd with the biggest horns.

We fought plane limits of 50 lb bags, 2 max. My bags took some adjusting to get two 49.5ib bags and a carry-on and a coat.

The best moose we saw was about 55 inches and in full rut. We teased him a lot.

I will be downloading my camera as soon as the batteries charge and will send some photo’s.

Best part, Walking through the woods and along the river knowing that you were being followed and watched by things that could eat you. Every day when we walked back to camp for lunch and/or day’s end we would see wolf and griz tracks in the tracks we made that morning.

 

[Tom]

14 bulls, wow.

"Our party of seven killed 14 bulls all just under book." That sounds good.

Bear and wolf tracks, woah. Every day, eh. Good thing there are salmon there to eat.

Here's a camp lead.

Drake's Camp
505 George Fox Way
Kotzebue, AK 99752 Leased out to construction for a few years.
907-442-2736

areaguides.net eateries:

Arctic Blues Espresso & Gifts
Po Box 436, Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907) 442-2554

Bayside Restaurant
Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907) 442-3600
(907) 442-3604(Fax)

Pizza House
Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907) 442-3432

Sue's Bed & Breakfast
Kotzebue, AK 99752 $85/day and she has storage for shipping supplies up
(907) 442-3770 there. (not including food) microwave available.

Uutuku Store
Kotzebue, AK 99752
(907) 442-3337

Anybody been to any of them?

Here's pictures from their 4th of July parade this year.

http://kotzpdweb.tripod.com/parade05.html

Its a place where more people, and their dogs are in the parade than watch the parade!!

Here's the city map, city directory, with phone numbers and locations:

http://kotzpdweb.tripod.com/kotzmap4.html

An air taxi recommendation:

Caribou out of Kotz or Aniak
Posted by Terry/Anchorage on Mon Dec 23 13:14:46 2002:

Two years ago three friends and I flew out Kotz with Matt and Mark Owens (one flys people and one flys gear and game, always get them two mixed up)of Northern Air Trophy. It was an awesome hunt from the start. We had to wait until the bou would get off the land area before we could land. We were in animals (nice bulls) for the entire 6 days. Every day we seen at least 250 to 1000 animals. Some times he was difficult to get ahold of but its well worth it.

This year I flew with Mike McCary of Alaska Bush Sports from Aniak and he too put us on animals when alot of the anchorage/kenai penisula outfitters was having trouble locating the herds. In fact I scheduled my third trip with him for another moose hunt in 2003 out of King Salmon.

Both are great people and I would fly with either again

Terry

http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/forum_archives/hunting/commercial_services/air_taxis.htm

Is it:
Northern Air Cargo Kotzebue AK 907-442-2744

Anyway, two recommendations for Northern Air Trophy, whatever their phone number is, Moosie's buddies and that guy at outdoorsdirectory a few years ago. Consistency!

Hey, last year the Alaska Air part of the trip had a 3 bag limit, 50 lbs each, so you'd only have to pay for an extra bag to and from Alaska, not flying around it. Or mail some stuff up there ahead of time, like KC figured out last year.

Maverick Air has the $350/person gear rental, I saw that.
http://www.alaskadreamquest.com/rates.html#hunting
Plus, they have a click for references link there.

KOTZEBUE AMENITIES
KOTZEBUE HOUSING

ALASKA TECHNICAL CENTER DORM, (907) 442-3733 FAX (907) 442-2764
(dorm for students only, not hunters)

BAYSIDE, 442-3600 FAX (907) 442-3604
DRAKE'S CAMP, (907) 442-2736 leased out for a couple years.
LAGOON BED & BREAKFAST, (907) 442-3723
NULLAGVIK HOTEL, (907) 442-3331 FAX# (907) 442-3340
SUE'S BED & BREAKFAST, (907) 442-3770 $85/day with storage space to ship to.

KOTZEBUE RESTAURANTS & DINING

EzMart convenience store has cheap food and is open 24 hours.

ARCTIC BLUES ESPRESSO & GIFTS, (COFFEE ONLY) (907) 442-2554 .
BIG DIPPER COMMUNITY CIRCLE, (COFFEE ONLY) (907) 442-4172
BAYSIDE RESTAURANT, (907) 442-3600
BISON STREET STORE , (907) 442-2758
EMPRESS CHINESE RESTAURANT, (907) 442-4304 OR 442-4305
KOTZEBUE PIZZA HOUSE, (907) 442-3432
MARIO'S PIZZA & DELI, (907) 442-2666
MIKE'S TAKEOUT, (907) 442-3289

AIRLINES

ALASKA AIRLINES, (907) 442-3474
BAKER AVIATION, (907) 442-3108
BERING AIR, (907) 442-3943
CAPE SMYTHE AIR SERVICE, (907) 442-3020
HAGELAND AVIATION SERVICES, (907) 442-2936

AUTO RENTALS

KIKIKTAGRUK INUPIAT CORPORATION, (907) 442-3165

CAB COMPANIES

THE OTHER CAB, 442-3001
POLAR CAB, 442-2233
CITY CAB 442-2229
B & D TAXI 442-2244

NATIVE CRAFTS

ARCTIC BLUES ESPRESSO & GIFTS, (907) 442-2554
NORTHWEST ARCTIC BOROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, (907) 442-2500

STORES

ALASKA COMMERCIAL COMPANY, (907) 442-3285
HANSON'S EAGLE QUALITY CENTER, (907) 442-3101
ROTMAN STORES, INC., (907) 442-3123

TRAVEL AGENCIES

INUIT TRAVEL, (907) 442-4085

 

[KC]

Tom:

This is great stuff. I just copied it to our AK recon file.

Thanks

KC

 

[northwestalaska]

Hi guys:

I owne Northwest Alaska Rentals in Kotzebue Alaska. I work with back country hunter, fisherman and flaoters who are interested in Kobuk and Noatak Nat Parks.I have lived in Kotzebue for 6+ years and I rent equipment for back country trips in Kobuk and Noatak National Parks. Most of my business is with summer floaters and fisherman but I also work with the hunting crowd that comes up in Sept each year.

I spend a great deal of time in our back country and know most or the places that you will end up floating. My equipment is 12 and 14 foot rafts and 13 foot AIRE canoes. I can rent you all of the bulky equipment for much less than you can bring it up and that includes your stoves as they are haz-mat.

I hunt a great deal and I know how important it is to have quality equipment that you can rely on and that is all we rent. Because our hunting season is only 5 weeks long I rent all of my equipment out quickly. When you decide when you are coming up give me a call at 907-442-3944 and let’s talk.

Walt Maslen
Northwest Alaska Rentals
Kotzebue Alaska

 

[Moosie]

Hey NorthWest, Welcome to Moosies Hunttalk.com. Thanx for the Info. If I could Bug you for some more Info I have a Couple of questions.

How does the Float trip work ? I mean, can you give me a Average hunting experience ? We fly up to Kotz, then hop on a plane up river and float back ? along the Way we hunt the drainages and rivers and such ? How long is the Hunts usually and what can we expect for a Float duration ? (Float every day and hunt while Floating or float one day, hunt a day, Etc.) How many people Float usually ? Whats the Odds of Killing bou and moose ?

I also heard that the Kelly River Area jsut Split the Hunting areas for Moose. Are you familiar with the rivers enough to help us ddecide on what drainages to put in for to be the most successfull ?

How much can a Raft hold ? If a few guys wanted to shoot 2 bou, a moose, and a Brown (My dads in AK (King Salmon so I don't need a "guide" with me for Browns), Could we get that done ? What type of River Class is it ? I float Hells Canyon every year and am Familiar with floating and Float gear but I'm asuming the river is different up there.

Anyways, Full of questions And would love to see some Pictures too. Do you have any hunting pictures or raft pictures or a website ?

Thanx in advance !!

 

[Cathunt MT]

Rub it in Moosie "Mydads in AK King salmon I dont need a guide for brown bear" Rub it in........

 

[Moosie]

OHHHH, did I mention my DAD's in King Salmon and I don't need a guide for Brown bear ?!?!?!