Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska DIY Moose Hunt

Howdy,

A buddy and I are considering a DIY Moose hunt. I've been looking at "Pristine Ventures" Un-guided hunt planner. What do you guys think about this? Is it a good idea? Whats the chances of two "experienced" hunters from the lower 48 coming up there and bagging a couple of decent moose? We don't expect monsters but would like an oppurtunity at decent sized animals. Are there better deals out there?

Two guys on Two moose?

It is do-able, but I'll suggest flipping a coin to decide who is the shooter and try to get one moose.

They're a LOT more work than you can even imagine.

If you are talking to Larry, I presume you plan to float?

yes it is very possible. but get all your ducks in a row. read larrys book and hunt alsaka now by dennis confer. a float it the only way to go.

I'd say 2 for 2 is a stretch to assume you'd go 100% and even for teh care of the meat. Its way more work than you'd guess for most folks.

And there is always weather... if its hot, it gets REALLY hard at times to even see a legal bull. Much less in a shootable place.

I'll say this, I'd try to make the hunt as long as I could time line wise, but to make sure you are capable of preserving the meat if you shoot one on day one, or have a sat phone and call in a pickup of the first... and be well aware there is a cutoff for I can't shoot past this date or time, even if the season is still open.... to be able to get the moose cut up and out in time.

If you shoot it next to the river, but not in the river, life will be ok. IN the river sucks, probably not as much as more than a mile from the river but it still sucks....

I"d alot 2 days minimum to take care of a moose after you shoot one. Just to be on the safe side and recover and rest etc...

and if you are floating be aware of camp take down and set up, and packing that meat and protecting it not only from elements but scavengers....read that bears for one thing...

One fine day out of camp, my two buddies and I shot four caribou and a moose. This pretty much meant the rest of the hunt was spent hauling meat to camp. One less person and one more moose would not be a great time, unless your timing was very good. By that I mean...above all things, do not shoot two at once... .

Could be a great thing, if you like eating moose. But I'd put the hopes on killing one moose and getting it out to camp before shooting the second one, for sure. And after hanging the parts and pieces you spent a couple days hauling, you might decide one is plenty .

Dennis

Second the notion that one moose is about a half moose too much for two fellas. What really works is to plan on two trips , two years. One year you are the shooter, then switch.

No one can walk away from here without the idea of returning, that is how some of us ended up just living here.

If you guys are at all out of shape...skip to ***

Most of our moose need to be mature (50" minimum spread) to be legal, and real nice moose are over 60". Our last moose meat shipment (for two quarters and backstraps on a pallet) was 495 lbs bone in. (The outfitter was meatless for months and we transferred two quarters to his family because of the effort he puts out and he transported our meat with his.)

Bear trouble is a possability. Two guys, elbow deep into taking the moose apart is a grand time for nature to take it's course.

It would be a big float party to haul out two moose, men, gear, camp and a ton of rapidly aging meat, hide and headbones...

Hire an air taxi who is busy flying your area every day, have them fly your area plenty before you land. Plan on $300 to $500 an hour (which is mostly insurance and fuel costs) then the next day or so, kill a moose. Haul the moose, piece by piece, (under bear guard) to a place your pilot can crash land a Super Cub, to get you guys out. The meat and/or head bones come out last. You pay for both ways, (if you go in three hours you pay for six) times how ever many trips it takes.

Then you get to care for and pack the outfit and meat to probably Anchorage for the trip home.

*** Or go to Canada and shoot what will seem like a big animal with a 3' rack for about 1/4 of the cost (and adventure) sleep in a lodge and have the meat cut, wrapped and frozen...all 300lbs of it.

If the idea of earning a good bull is of interest, stay tuned.

It is possable to make a trip here and return with no meat, and have had the time of your life. Be warned... if you come here, plan on returning...Best wishes.

Can a non resident hunt in Alaska "unguided"?

For moose, yes.


There is a tread over on AOD where 4 guys downed 4 good bull moose on a float.

Hunt hard, give yourself enough time, and don't leave any tags unpunched..(grin)

If you are a US citizan, yes. If you are a citizen of any other nation in the world, including Canada, then no. I have a friend from Scotland who's married to a US citizan and has lived here for many years. He can fish, but he can't hunt -- unless he hires a guide.

Dennis

Pete,

Sheep, goats, and brown bear/grizzly hunting require guides for non-resident American residents. I'm not sure if it is the same for non-resident aliens without digging out the regs, and I don't know offhand where I stashed 'em.

Caribou, moose, deer, and other game do not require guides.
Basically, "outfitters" may provide rental gear and transportation to the field - plus meat transport out. They may not legally set up pre-established camps for clients nor participate in any way in the actual hunt or getting the kill salvage from the kill site to the transport site. Technically, the client is supposed to pick the area they want to go to without much outfitter influence or advice, but that is both unreasonable and unenforceable.

Guides can pretty much do everything except pull the trigger

OK- Dennis above confirms what I remembered about non-res aliens while I was doing the above.

Dennis-
There is no "kindred" waiver?

I have now gone to the regulations and become confused. It says that "An Alaska resident is... -a person (including an alien) who is physically present in Alaska with the intent to remain indefinitely and make a home here..." It goes on to suggest that they do get Alaska hunting licenses and all the rights that go along with them. But then later it says "Nonresident aliens (non-U.S. citizens) hunting any big game must be accompanied in the field by an Alaska-licensed guide."

So I've called the Troopers, to see what can be sorted out. Stand by...

Dennis

Sounds like the distinction is between a "Resident" Alien and a "Nonresident" alien???

There is for non-res but I don't know about for Aliens.

Just got a call back from the Trooper. The distinction is in fact one of residence. If you are a resident here by definition, you get to hunt after you've been in Alaska for 12 months and meet all the regs -- makes no difference whether you are a US citizen or a "resident alien". If you just drop in to hunt and you're from another country, you have to hire an outfitter regardless of species being hunted.

So I've learned a new thing today... .

Dennis

I would look at a moose caribou combo hunt. 2 moose is a stretch but a bou/moose will up your odds. Larry does a great job.

NO!! Period!! The regs are vey specific about that. A non-resident ALIEN is required to have a licensed registered guide in order to hunt any big game in Alaska. In all practicality, you'd book withthe registered guide but probably hunt with his assistant guide out of their camps.

As to the original poster's question, in no way should you expect 2 guys on a float hunt for moose to take an animal each. In some areas, it's illegal to bone meat out there's another 15% or so in added weight. You'd better make sure ALL of the edible meat is taken. That means the meat of the front & hind quarters, both ribs, backstraps & tenderloin AND, last but not least, the meat on the neck. Don't get caught trying to go "light" on this one. Even if you fly in & out of your hunting area, and try to "go light" with the meat, the flying service WILL report it to fish & feathers. They could get their "tit in the wringer" if they didn't. We Alaskans have little sympathy for wanton waste.
In addition, on the river we hunt, we've seen 2 guys in a raft with a moose each and terribly hot weather trying to float out. If the river is low, believe it or not, they had to get out & literally pull the raft thru shallow water. Normally, it's about a 1 long day's float out and we've seen these guys about 1/2 way down river, 3-4 days after they passed our camp. There's no way that we could see that they could keep the meat from spoiling.
In short, you don't realize what you're up against by wanting to take 2 moose on 1 float hunt. In addition, I fail to see why 2 guys need 2 moose. 1/2 moose lasts my wife & I for a year & we eat it all the time. We see G.I.'s doing this all the time- game hogs pure & simple.
Bear in Fairbanks

I've gone on two float hunts. Each time I rented 14' rafts. IMO you can't expect to float a raft with two guys in it, plus all of their gear, plus the meat from two moose. A 14' raft can carry about half a ton (1,000#). Two guys and their gear will weigh about 500#. The meat from a bull moose will weigh at least 600#, probably more. Twice I've seen rafts loaded with two guys, their gear and the meat from one moose, and the raft kept scraping the bottom and any more weight would have sunk the raft. You would be trying to carry about 1,800# in a raft rated for 1,000#. Even if the raft would float when carrying that much weight, I don't think there's physically enough room for two guys, their gear and the meat from two bull moose on a raft. I've done it with two caribou and that's OK but two moose, forget it.

I think the other guys are right. Consentrate on doing one moose right and plan on returning for the second moose.

KC

That is true -- but a "resident alien" who fits the "resident" categories can hunt under the same categories as resident citizens. Just learned that from one of the local Troopers, which is kind of important to me because we have a friend here who is a "resident alien" and thus gets to hunt just like I do. Which he doesn't know yet...

Dennis

Tell him he owes a Welshman a pint for asking the question!