DIY Big Game Hunt to Alaska help.
I am putting together a fall 2011 DIY Alaska hunt. I think the group will be 3-6 guys. There will be a mix of bow and rifle hunters looking for Black bears, Caribou and / or Moose.
I am looking for tips and suggestions to put this together.
These are a few topics I am hoping to get help from you guys on.
1. Hunt location. Where is the game located?
2. Housing
3. How to get meat / hide back after harvest.
I will have more questions as things proceed.
I really appreciate any help you can offer.
Thanks, Shane
I was a packer in the Brooks Range last year. DIY is a rough one! Without a plane, it is many times harder to get one up there with a time limit. A number of outfitters will fly you out to an area and drop you off for a fee. Some guys do float trips for moose. If you can get out to a caribou area they are plenty up there to harvest. The lowest price hunt we offered was a week for around 12k plus your flight out there. You can do it for less, but it will take some work.
If I was gonna do a hunt on my own it would be caribou with a chance of bear. Buy the grizzly tag, it can be used on any lesser game animal. Get someone to fly you out to an area at the foot of a mtn range. Hunt the caribou and spot for bears feeding on the sides. Hunt out of a spike camp and pack hunt daily.
Thanks Bittner. What does a packer do? How did the successful hunters get the meat home? Did you get to eat any of the big game while you were there?
Thanks
Thanks for the tip tettegouche. Someone else mentioned FISHING ALASKA FOR DOLLARS A DAY also.
Care to share any details from your trip?
Location, shelter, game seen.
I was basically a hired pack mule. I carried gear and did camp chores. Funny thing, I actually had to guide a guy during moose because one the guides had to go home. Talk about a fun time till the boss got another guy out to the camp.
I got to eat everything we shot. Moose is good, but sheep is amazing! Black bear is pretty good too, not many people eat brown bears.
Its was easy to get all the meat back to Fairbanks via our plane. The best way to ship stuff home is coolers and dry ice. However you will pay out your ass, shipping meat is heavy! You have to bring all good meat out of the field before you can bring out a rack. So be ready for a ton of meat to come off a moose.
How in the world did you get hooked up with a job like that? Sounds like a neat experience. Thanks for sharing.
I met a guide while camping in ohio. He told me guys are always looking for young bucks to spread the load. I figured what the hell ,it will give me a leg up for the afgan mts. I emailed every registered guide with an email on the state's list. I hooked up with a guy out of fairbanks, bought a ticket and headed out. I broke even on the trip and got some great gear. Two months living in Ak was great. I cant wait to go back, probably at the end of my current contract in fall 2012.
