Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska My Gawd !

Nite before last night, I watched a hunting show about hunting moose in Alaska. Yesterday morning I looked up the web site for the hunt. The outfitter wants $11,500 for a moose hunt. That does not include the flight to Alaska, the flight in and out to the lodge, tips, or licenses/taxes. I believe the web site said the flight in and out to the lodge was about $500 per person.
I have been dreaming about a moose hunt all my life. I want one bull of 60 inches or better. I am afraid that either I have waited too long (I am 61) or the prices have just exceeded my confort level.
Are there any of you thinking the same thing about these prices or am I the only guy out there that loves to hunt, makes a good salary but just can't justify spending such a huge amount of money for a hunt like this?
Talk me out of this, please !

Think you can find a quality moose hunt for under that figure,I'm sure someone from the Alaskan crew can guide ya in the right direction

I'd opt for a fenced game ranch hunt in Africa. I hear it is a GRAND adventure and you get much for bang for your buck.

Rolly,

Don't forget the cost of getting ALL of the moose meat out, processing, etc......this isn't an inconvenience, it's the law. 60" bulls aren't behind every tree and bush either.

Joe

I don't think you will find a much cheaper moose hunt than that. Wanting one 60" or better is a tough bet and not sure anyone will "guarantee" that you will get one. Might check into some of the guides that consistently score on 60" or better. I am sure they are all around that price range you found!

Residents who fly out are looking at $2-3k in transportation costs alone. Add the cost of a raft, food, etc etc.

Folks vastly understimate the costs and complexities of hunting AK. Most hunts are expeditions, with everything flown in.

I would consider that cheap if they can get you a 60" bull....its not easily done.....if they are hunting from a "lodge" with multiple clients, I would avoid this guide as there just are not very many big bulls in an area let alone a 60" waiting for you.....lower your expectations to something in the 50s and moose hunting gets easier.....

I wouldn't go guided, I would do a moose hunt on my own. You can hire a hunt planner to get you into an area that has those kinds of bulls, rent whatever gear you need, food and air service for $5000. I did just that last year for $3200 and could have shot a 60"+ bull but it was way to warm and it was the first day of the hunt. I'm just saying you can do it yourself with a little help without spending $11,000+.

+ 100 on what 458 Lott said.

I agree, I'd rather have to go a couple of times and enjoy AK that much more....

But be aware, you may not see that bull on your first DIY hunt....

And be prepared, I won't go into the bush without a sat phone and probably an epirb anymore... sat phone I'd have shot the 60 inch the first day and called someone in to get the meat and continue on.

Jeff

Rolly,You are only here once, so make the best you can.If that is your dream hunt go for it.You are not getting younger and the hunts are NOT getting cheaper.
I just got back from Alaska with a dall ram & it was worth every penny & then some.And I'm just a plain ol working man with 2 jobs.

RS

Well!! I guess that settles that, no moose for me.

There's always Africa...

sounds like 80 smks at 2650 from a 223 again.... I totally agree!

Move to Alaska. Myself my dad and my little brother took the boat upriver I got a 61 " the first day, My brother got a nice little meat bull the third day. All in all we spent 500 bucks on gas for the boat plus food etc.... I cant imagine anyone paying anything close to that to hunt moose. Then again i guess i am a little spoiled. Between my dad and brothers we have killed three moose over 60 and one just under 60, not to mention a dozen smaller bulls over the last 10 years. Probably not what you wanted to hear but there it is.

Even on a "dream hunt," the memorable part will be a lot bigger than the biggest bull you might find. And that memorable part is the overall experience. I have had the opportunity to kill quite a few bulls, several of them over 60". The best bulls were the ones, however which involved the best hunts.

Then too, size (width) alone is not the only factor (other than legal) in making a superior trophy. I wish I had taken a pic of three racks we had in the neighborhood last fall. The widest of them was also the smallest. The biggest was the narrowest but also most massive overall. In fact the brow palms were spectacular. Only the most picky fool would have turned his nose at any of them.

I suspect you can find some quality hunts at considerably less than the price you saw. Make sure you get good references and get a good handle on what the hunt may involve, be it boats/rafts, ATVs, shoeleather, airplanes, etc. It would also be nice to have some idea on the age, experience, and condition of the person who will guide you (not necessarily the guide.)

There's nothing like seeing an enthusiastic guide help an equally prepared hunter do well on a hunt. Best of luck to you.

Ouch. That's slooow.

Yep but its easy to beat anyone using them.... hence the reference to go hunt Africa..... leave the best, AK, to the few...

Jeff

Even if you pay the $11,500, getting a moose at all is not a sure thing. I just returned from a DIY caribou hunt last Saturday and saw close to 3000 caribou in the first 5 days but didn't see any for the rest of the hunt. Glad that I filled my tag on day five... I have done DIY hunts in Alaska 3 out of the past four years and love it. If I do another moose hunt, I will hire a hunt planning service such as Pristine Adventures, and it will be a float trip. I would not shoot a moose more than 1/2 a mile from the river and should make 1/4 mile my limit. For me and the guys that I hunt with, the planning and organizing of the hunt is a large part of the enjoyment. I just wish that I could hunt brown bear without a guide because finding them is not a problem and I didn't have any problem killing them when lived in Alaska. I guess that the state really has to protect those sources of revenue...

I just got an offer from a booking agent for a company he represents in the Yukon ..... 10 day moose hunt was either $15,000 or $16,000 and there was an additional fee of $5,500 if you shot a moose......said they had a 95% sucess rate.

Their Stone Sheep hunt was a few dollars under $40,000.