Help Me Hunt Alaska Please

[OUTDOORSI]

How yall doing, im new to this thing so help me learn would ya. So im looking to do a self guided hunt in alaskas interior next year any help on float plane services, i would like to fly float down, and not expensive, i want to hunt, moose, caribou, black bear wolves, mainly moose or caribou, the others are added bonuses, yall probably understand.

Thanks

Chris

Hunt 4 Life

[Kusko]

What is your budget?

[M.T. Pockets]

Kusko asked the first question that needs to be answered. The next is how much time do you have. Then, how much wilderness experience do you have and are you and your partner(s) physically and mentally prepared. You've got to have your mind right for a trip like this. Chose your partner carefully, then your equipment & clothing.

Kusko and the rest of the Alaskan residents can help you a lot, I'm from the lower 48 and have hunted Alaska on an unguided trip to Alaska. I would suggest caribou for your first trip, buy a black bear tag if you like, and buy a wolf tag for sure. I'd suggest caribou because your odds for success are much higher and the logistics of handling and caring for the meat are easier.

There are also some excellent books available on self guided hunts in Alaska. I wouldn't rule out hiring a hunt planner, this isn't an outfitter, it is someone who points you in the right direction and helps you with the gear you may need. They charge a fee that may be well worth it for you and your crew.

[OUTDOORSI]

Thanks guys i have all the right equipment. i was thinking a fly in float out trip cause i have a achiles raft, i drew a good elk tag in utah, was out for 16 days, i can take it i just need to get my friend ready. I have as much time as is needed. So what should i do.

[M.T. Pockets]

Check your PM for a couple helpful sites to help you plan an Alaskan hunt. I spent a couple years reading "Hunt Alaska Now" by Dennis Confer before I went. This was very helpful, but that was a few years ago and things have changed a lot since then.

The biggest obstacle for a non-resident (and probably most residents) is getting all your stuff to the field to hunt, and then getting all your stuff back again, plus all the meat. Even if you have all your own gear and go unguided, it would be hard to hunt caribou from your door and back again, for under $3,000. Moose can add a couple thousand in just meat transportation cost. It costs a lot of money to fly weight out of the bush to a village, and if you take it home, it costs a lot more. It is hard to get your clothes & guns to Alaska on the airlines without paying excess baggage. If you're bringing a raft & camping gear I'd suggest shipping it ahead of time and first compare what it would cost to rent one there.

Do your research on which rivers to float, conditions change from year to year. If a river comes up frequently, don't expect to be alone.

Sounds like you've got wilderness experience and that's good. Alaska's wilderness is bigger and less forgiving than anything in the lower 48. Make sure you pick a partner that you could spend a few days with in a tent during bad weather. Bears are most everywhere that you'd find moose or caribou, with some precaution they shouldn't be much problem. You're much more apt to get hurt in the plane or on the river.

It's a challenging way to hunt and I'd encourage you to do it while you can. The sooner you do it, the sooner you can go back.

Sounds like the first thing you need to do is find an air taxi that can do what you want them to do. Research them carefully with recent references from last year and do call them.

[Kusko]

There are a pile of factors that go into an Alaskan hunt. Everything must planned to a "T" or the consequences could be fatal.

Here's is a prime example. A group from the lower 48 came up to hunt caribou. They got off the jet in Dillingham and a few hours later, they were on their charter. Well, with TSA's new rules, they flew into a remote area WITHOUT ANY MATCHES OR LIGHTERS! TSA had taken them and they had no idea. They lived, but imagine if they were to truly rely on fire?

I agree with everything that MT has said. The cost of everything has gone up and $3000 is on the low end for caribou now. A typical charter is $1000, airfare from the lower 48 is $700, license and tag $415, extra luggage and such $500, new gear, hotel, car rental, $?$?$? etc. etc.

[Tennessee Elkman]

I also want to do exactly what outdoorsi wants to do in the fall of 2008. I'm trying to plan early but keep running into the "wilderness will eat you up" issue along with the cost factor. The reason I want to do it on my own is two fold. One is to save money and the second is to do it on my own. I'm a guide in New Mexico for elk and the fall of '08 is when I'm planning on not working and hunting for myself. Pleasee give us some specifics on who we can contact, who you would recommend, where we should consider going, etc. Thanks Guys!

[Kusko]

You need to buy or check out a few books on self guided Alaskan hunting. Pick a couple of areas you would like to hunt and what you would like to hunt and I can help you from there.

[Tennessee Elkman]

Kusko,
Any suggestions for books or hunting areas?

[Tennessee Elkman]

Mostly intrested in moose hunting. Flying in and floating back down a river with all our gear. 8-10 days. Does that sound reasonable?

[catdaddy]

this is gonna sound stupid but get a canoe to hunt up there,there should be a ton of chain lakes and stop where theres sighn shoot some game and go down stream and hunt like that

[fabsroman]

If I'm not mistaken, you can shoot 2 caribou. Now, I don't own a canoe, but somehow I doubt that you can pack the meat from 2 caribou out in a canoe. What about keeping the antlers to be mounted. What if you happen to get a moose and you are hunting from a canoe? Is it possible to fit these animals in the canoe after they are packed?

[Skyline]

What a lot of guys forget is the logistics of getting your gear from the lower 48 to Alaska. If you are planning on flying then you had better use a good outfit that supplies most of the gear for a drop camp, ie....rafts,tents, etc. With current baggage limits you can't take much with you and excess baggage is rather pricey.

If you are planning on taking your own boat and gear then you will have to drive and it is a long drive (I guess the other option is a car ferry from Seattle) and this may be your only realistic alternative if you want to bring back all of the wonderful meat from moose and caribou. It also saves problems with shipping the moose and caribou racks.

Driving a vehicle to Alaska and back will take a number of days, depending on where you live, so factor in that extra time off and with fuel, hotels and meals it adds up to a fair amount.

Then you can charter a flight (s) to take you and your gear in. As M.T. Pockets pointed out, there will be additional charter costs involved to get the meat out.

Bottom line is, even doing it the 'cheap' way isn't cheap.

[ol_spark]

start here willowair.com then got to forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2

might get you started