who has moose photos?

[northwestalaska]

I was out scouting for moose this past weekend up in Noatak National Park-Alaska and I was wondering how many of you guys have some moose picks that you would be willing to share. Show you stuff!

PS I saw a cow and calf, no bulls.

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals in all of NW Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com

 

[northwestalaska]

Ok I will be first

This was a 2005 moose that I took in the Noatak National Park and Preserve, 53 inches and 1200 pounds. 5 hours of work to get him into the boat and worth it!

His proud rack hangs in my cabin up the Noatak river high on the wall along side a nice bou rack.

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals in all of NW Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com

 

[Muley Crazy]

2005 float trip AK Nonbladayatblabla river 10 days 80 miles. 58.5 wide weighted about 5000 lbs if I remeber correctly 25 more days and do it all over again!!hump

 

[northwestalaska]

Way Cool!

Great shot and a nice looking bull.

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals in all of NW Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com

 

[Muley Crazy]

Float hunting is the ONLY way to hunt AK even if you dont harvest you still get one hell of a trip Keep up the good work !!! Do you know Larry Bartlett with Pristine Ventures??

 

[northwestalaska]

Float hunting in Alaska

Yes I know who he is. He does not work my part of the state but I agree with you that Float hunting is the best way to up your odds that you will see a trophy class animal. Sometimes I have a tough time with some guys who think the 500 extra bucks it to rent my gear is a good investment. When you calculate what the total hunt cost the average guy ($7-9,000) the rental equipment is a very small part of the investments and allows you to cover a lot of country very quietly!

Thanks for the plug and stop by and visit the next time your in Kotzebue!

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals in all of NW Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com

 

[Muley Crazy]

I love hunting Kots, hunted there in 2003. LOTS of bou's and I mean we saw LOTS. Every one I talk to about hunting in AK I Tell them there are 3 ways to hunt up there

1. drive trucks, 4 wheelers, but any were you can drive so can everyone else so expect to see Tons of other hunters doing the same thing!!

2. Drop hunts, get dropped of by air plane or boat and hunt the same area the entire trip only going as far as you are willing to pack an animal back. In moose hunting that not to far. I don't care what kind of shape you are in. Its still a lot of work. Min 8 trips so if you shoot a moose 1 small little mile form camp, that 16 miles of packing (some areas require the meat to stay on the bone) my moose weighted 750 lbs on the bone, includeing the horns and Cape so your pack will be around 93 lbs. pack Frame 4 lbs total weight 97

3. In my opinion the best way to hunt in AK FLOAT HUNTING!! Yes it cost a little more but compared to what you will of already invested its a drop in the hat If it is your once in a life time hunt do it right the majority of big game animals use the rivers as corridors for travel, you get to see new country every day, you get to go to the game, not wait for them to hopefully walk by you.

It is a little more work setting up camp and taking it down but after day 2 your party learns to work as a team setting up and breaking down camp is easy I floated with My Dad 57 two bad knees and a hip replacement, my MOM 56, and my brother 23 so things were a little slower for us but there is no need to hurry! Our only experience with floating was the local river in town in the summer. so we were beginners for sure.

If you pick a smaller river that has shallow water and a few log jams it will limit jet boats and air boats, a little dragging and carrying the boats makes the trip that much more in the end. The last thing you want to do is get home and wish you would of done it different, "worked a little harder". Not always looked for the easy way (lazy way)

Not sure I could spend 7,000.00 on a float hunt even if I tried there are lots of in's and out's that can save you TONS of money. This year I will be able to shoot 2 bous, 1 grizzly (Family in AK no Guide needed) and 1 wolf for under 4000.00 that is everything including air fair to AK form ID and to and from the bush and raft rentals for 10 days

Good luck this year and keep up the good, work mabye in 2010 I will be in your area for a bou hunt!!

 

[Ovis]

Yes I know who he is. He does not work my part of the state
www.northwestalaska.com

LB isn't a hunting guide and therefore does not work any part of the state as far as "hunting" goes. He is however a river guide for small group adventurers and I would venture to say he has been to "your" part of the state a time or two. This is on top of the other services he provides such as the hunt planners Muley has taken part in.

Be careful renting gear from outfitters especially inflatables. Make sure you test drive them before you fly out. Imagine the ass pain if you get to your put in and find out your raft won't hold air. Unless the gear is being replaced every (other) year expect such items to be used and abused.

 

[Big Fin]

Not conventional trophy poses, but I kind of like the one where I am quartering the bull in six inches of water. It was somewhat damp ground when we started butchering, but by the time we were done, we had stomped a pretty good mudhole.

Good luck to all you guys going north in the next month or two.

Work in Process:

View attachment 5062



Finished product.

View attachment 5063

 

[Ovis]

Big Fin

Nice moose. Looks like you only managed to cut the tip of one of your digits off...not bad.

 

[elk_hunter]

2005 float trip AK Nonbladayatblabla river 10 days 80 miles. 58.5 wide weighted about 5000 lbs if I remeber correctly 25 more days and do it all over again!!hump

Oh man...I'd need to change my shorts...what a toad!

 

[northwestalaska]

Orvis

Orvis:

I inflate and assemble All of my equipment with my clients befor we take the gear to the flight service. I agree that it is vital to check out all of you r gear prior to loading it into the plane, great advice!

As far as LB and Pristine Adventures I have not seen him operating out of Kotzebue during the past 8 years during hunting season. Does that work for ya? You have a real hard on for me Orvis and I don’t know why? I hope our paths cross some time down the road so we can share a beer and mend this fence.

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals in all of NW Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com


Big Fin..Great moose!

 

[Big Fin]

Ovis:

Good spot with that. I did peel open that finger while doing the quartering.

I no longer assume the lock blade is locked. It got a bunch of tallow in the lock notch, allowing the blade to close onto my finger just at the moment I placed all my weight on the knife while cutting the tendon in the rear hip joint. Index fingers cut very easily when two hundred pounds of pressure squeezes them between the knife blade and handle.

Thank god for duct tape.

I agree. Only one digit damaged is a good trade for the fun we sacked on that trip.

 

[Ovis]

As far as LB and Pristine Adventures I have not seen him operating out of Kotzebue during the past 8 years during hunting season. Does that work for ya? You have a real hard on for me Orvis and I don’t know why?

Walter

No, it doesn't. It isn't Pristine Adventures...it is Pristine Ventures. Whether or not he has been in Kotz in the past 8 years I don't care...I was just setting the record straight that he is not a licensed guide therefore does not guide hunters. Your post made it sound as if he did.

You should feel grateful about my hard-on. I'm damn sexier than those Tundra Wookies you have roaming around Kotz. I also make some mean Muktuk.

 

[Muley Crazy]

NWAlaska I knew what you were saying but to someone not understanding float hunting rental's/ hunt plan's one might think we were talking about guides/guiding I think Ovis was just trying to make it clear that he was not a guide but more of a pointer of the right direction most of his hunts are more based out of Fairbanks airport hubs which is good for someone looking to shoot a moose DIY style, which is good as 2/3 of the moose killed in AK are killed within 100 miles of Fairbanks but I'm sure I'm preaching to the preacher!

By the looks of your web sight it looks as you run a TOP NOTCH outfit and I look forward to a hunt someday soon out your way. Do you have a cargo trailer we could drop ship heavy gear to as to cut cost? How about a area we could pitch a tent as we wait for our fly out day and upon return. The KOTS motel Is out of this world for my budget.

 

[northwestalaska]

Muley Crazy

I have a conex that I keep my gear in. A lot of my guys send up their stuff a few weeks ahead of time and I store it for them. Nothing is more frustrating than to have Alaska Airlines loose ½ of your gear and boy it happens way too often. There is a so called camping area called “Tent City” but your best bet is “Drakes Man Camp” Drakes runs a heavy equipment construction operation and they run a low budget camp for all of the work crews that come up to Kotz. They are WAY cheaper that the $175 a night that the Hotel charges and they have a nice kitchen so you can cut costs in the meal department. Let me talk to Toby Drake and I will get you guys a rate and a contact number.

Kotzebue is a fantastic place but it cost a bunch to live and even more to visit! But the hunting and fishing is like nothing else in the state!

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals in all of NW Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com

 

[Muley Crazy]

You hit the nail on the head with that last post thats good to hear that you help cut costs with your hunters I still remember walking into the store to buy some OJ for breakfast and it was 12 bucks!!!! So stupid me I say hell no I will just buy beer Opps dry town 40 bucks for a 12 pack of fake beer DAM!

lesson learned !!!

 

[Ovis]

You hit the nail on the head with that last post thats good to hear that you help cut costs with your hunters I still remember walking into the store to buy some OJ for breakfast and it was 12 bucks!!!! So stupid me I say hell no I will just buy beer Opps dry town 40 bucks for a 12 pack of fake beer DAM!

lesson learned !!!

Next time take the beer with you and save your money from those money grub'n Kotzsuckers. Answer to your problem...

Powdered Beer

 

[danr55]

You want Moose photos.. well here ya go...

 

[northwestalaska]

Dan:

You moose look like he might be a little under sized? Are you sure that he is 50+ inches and 4 brow tines. And do you wash all of your animals in the pool befor you harvest them?

Too funny!

Walt
Northwest Alaska Back Country Rentals
Your best bet in rafts, canoes and camp rentals in all of NW Alaska
www.northwestalaska.com