Any of you AK guys know anything about these guys. Looks like an interesting option for a guy that doesn't have a good spot in mind and doesn't want a babysitter. How would this compare to simple air taxi rates to hunt the same area?
Arrowhead Outfitters

I wouldn't touch this mess with a 10'pole!

I'd think Bethel (Papa Bear) for mooses. They might be all booked up tho.

Stay away, far, far away!!

http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/77805-Arrowhead-Outfitters

Had to laugh, one of the positive posts on the AOD link was a guy claiming they shot "several Booner bou" with them... Funny thing is the entire Brooks Range has a total of four "Booner 'bou" listed in an obvious way... The Mulchatna and Nelchina herds have more than that each on each page of the book.

Yet these heros managed to kill three in one trip...

WOW! Guess it didn't take long to cross them off the list. If you fellas were looking to do a moose/caribou combo hunt, who would you recommend for putting a guy onto animals? Is it altogether better to do the research on your own and be flown to a place of your choosing or would it be more reasonable to rely on an outfit that is flying hunters out to areas that they recommend?

I'd pick one spp or the other and go.

Sounds good. What's an spp?

Species... Trying to do too much on any one hunt is often a combination of compromises...

I hear ya on that one. I was thinking that moose would be the focus of the hunt with caribou being something that I could take if I happened to see one that really impressed me. Just seemed like the way to go to maximize the available opportunities when traveling so far to hunt. Are you saying that the two don't generally coincide in good numbers/quality?

Having never dont it, so take it FWIW..I've just been trying to draw one of the better hunt area's, and will figure out transport if i do draw one of these years (not totally ignorant to who I would use, just wont contact till i have a tag in hand)

I have also looked into a "do it now" hunt, and was leaning towards 40 mile air, ridge top drop off. or papa bear (moose only IIRC).

I'd book a caribou trip with 40 mile air. They do moose hunt also. You looking for this year? If so, they might already be booked up.

Bay Air in Dillingham is a top notch outfit. They cater to the DIY'er. Big bulls if moose is on the menu. Bears can be pesky at times. PM me if you need more info. I have flown with them on 8 trips.

It would certainly be fun to plan a DIY hunt with a focus on a single species, yet be able to spend some serious time seeing some other species. Hunting more than one species with 1st degree intent (intent to kill ) might better be left for those who are 35 years old, give-or-take 10 years. Some people run out of the right (wrong) stuff by the end of the second sweet spot decade; others simply are smart enough by then. If, on the other hand, your desire is to skid into your grave while you still have enough steam to make speedy headway, then go for all of it in one spectacular session.

I agree. It's tough to put together a multi-species, without drawing a tag out of Kotz.

Unit 18 is hot for moose, with harvest tickes. Out of Dillingham is good for moose. I think a bunch of that is residents only. and then you have the bears.. The Koyo region is a draw, and you're a bit late to that party.

I'm mulling a hunt right now. No transporter involved. Dean will roll his eyes when I run this next idea by him..(grin)

I don't know chit about hunting in AK, I do know that I'm a cheap azz. A little extra work is no big deal if it means I'll get to double my trigger time/fun. If that isn't feasible, then I'm all for a good moose hunt too. I'm thinking 2014 for this hunt - possibly a graduation present for my boy/look at the country a bit in consideration of a move for a school admin. job in a village.

Calvin - What's a harvest ticket?

Over the counter tag. No drawing required. The "out yonder" units you'll see as HT. Otherwise, most of the more popular/productive are a drawing for moose.

Wright's Air. They charge a bit but they tend to do well on getting clients into good country. They are based in Fairbanks.

70North is the standard on the Slope with Bushwacker Air coming on.

I tell you what I would do. I would rent a raft from Pristine Adventures or Blue Moose Rafts and have Bettles Air drop me off on the top of the Kobuk or Noatak River. Hunt and fish like villains from September 10th to 25th and have a couple of stops to ship out meat from the town you would float by.

Sincerely,
Thomas

Yeah. That's what I meant.

I know a little bit about about hunting in Alaska........been getting my azss kicked for about 30 years. But I isn't all that smart, so it all fun! (And I could get you a line on that last part if you get serious about that.((Who you know sometimes matters in the Greatland - we might PM and compare notes if it comes to that.))

Very much appreciated Klik! When/if I go forward with a move I'll be in contact and thanks to all for the advice. If any of you fellas ever want to do some deer/antelope/bird hunting down this way just shoot me a PM.

You might consider a float hunt in the southern Brooks Range but it will take some planning. I'd look to the Chandalar River or possibly even the Sheenjek. Keep in mind that most of the areas in Alaska have size restrictions for non-residents, usually it's a 50", 3 or 4 brow tine requirement.

Somebody should work up a price list for Ranger. Flying into the Brooks from Fbanks, and flying a moose out is getting up there in price. Not to mention gear rental, etc. Off the top of my head, probably 6-7k for a father/son trip. (at a bare bare minimum)

It definitley isn't a cheap proposition doing a fly-in hunt in Alaska. The float hunt we did back in 07 cost us roughly $7k for 2 hunters and it included flying out 2 moose plus raft rental gear from Larry.

I think i'm going to do another one in the fall of 2014. Float hunting for moose can be one of the most relaxing ways to hunt moose, that is until you put one on the ground!

And this is a specific example of where the higher dollar binos become more than just "nice glass".

That's actually a little cheaper than I had anticipated. At what point will I need to start putting in deposits/making reservations for a Sept. 2014 hunt? I'm in pretty good shape when it comes to glass of all types. The country I hunt here is another place where good glass is almost a requirement.

I can't answer that question specifically other than to comment that prices won't be getting less as you wait --- since fuel and insurance seem to never trend downward in the bush aviation business. (I don't blame them for charging what they do.)

So it isn't unheard of to put money down a year and a half+ out?

IMO, it's never to early to put in your deposit and reserve your spot. Then spend the remaining time researching your hunt area/areas, gathering equipment and talking to the bio's in that area.

What would be the best weeks to plan a float trip on say, the Sheenjek if I'd like to try for both moose and caribou?

Best time IMO would be to leave around the 15th and return the 26th but it all depends on how far up the Sheenjek you want to go.

The later you go the better your chances are to tag a bull moose. The season runs 5 through 25 Sept and caribou are generally open all the time. Keep in mind there is a 50", 4 or more browtine restriction for nonresidents in this area.

The further up the river you are the better your odds are for a caribou, once you start hitting timber then the odds go down but they go up for moose.

If I were to do this hunt I would fly with Wright Air out of Fairbanks. For raft rental I would suggest Pristine Ventures out of Fairbanks and talk to Larry Bartlett about which boat to use.

http://www.wrightair.net/

http://www.pristineventures.com/forums/

Thanks again! That's the kind of info worth a ton to me. The offer stands if you care to come this way for some hunting.

No problem at all and thanks for the invite.

1 more suggestion, you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by hiring Larry to hunt plan this thing for you. I don't know what he charges but I used him back in 07 and it was worth every penny. He will fill your head with all the info you need to hunt whatever area you go into.

Trophy moose in the Brooks? Hmmm! The Brooks in Sep't. after Labor Day? Hmm! I wouldn't touch it.
Bear in Fairbanks

Why do you say that? Are trophy bulls unrealistic there? Why is post Labor Day a bad time to be there?

The brooks can be nasty weather-wise, and the later in the season, the better the chances for bad weather. Last year was a good example - there was a lot of snow in the mountains by Labor Day.

This was taken Sept 9, 2011. We came out in a whiteout that afternoon, with 2+ feet of new snow on the way over the pass.


My impression of moose density north of Atigun is very low, but I have never hunted them up there. South of Atigun seems much better habitat. Flying could potentially change everything...

He's looking at hunting the south side of the Brooks. I've hunted it in mid to late Sept and had 50+ degree temps for 6 out of the 8 days we hunted and those 2 days it was in the low 40's, it was one of those days when I took this pic.

Why did you drag a 55 gallon barrel in there? Bear bait?

For trophy bulls, I'd be thinking the woods.

I should admit that I'd be perfectly happy with a representative, legal bull. What would you fellas say the average bull is going to be on the south side of the Brooks? I would like to have a good shot at a sizable caribou. It may be that I'm going about this all wrong, I know that it was said that a combo trip would be a compromise. Perhaps it would be better to try to fly in and just do one or the other in an excellent spot for that particular species. It's sounding more and more like it's not very feasible to expect much from a combo hunt.

Is this your first trip to Alaska?

It will be. Not my first rodeo by any stretch, but first time to AK. Would you say that a guy is better off when trying to find a really good caribou or two if he flys into an area as opposed to a float type of hunt?

I was just going to reccomend that maybe you should consider a caribou hunt, as they are a bit easier to find without all the restrictions of hunting moose.

Personally, I like float hunts but plenty of people do drop camps for caribou and hunt from there. I like float hunts because it opens up more country to hunt, whereas hunting from a drop camp your limited to the area where they drop you off.

If you decide to do caribou, go in mid to late August on the north side of the Brooks. Maybe float the Killik down to the Colville and get picked up in Umiat. Lots of options up north.

That would work absolutely perfect with my schedule. Is that area a 2 caribou area for NR?

Looks to be a limit of 5 for non-residents.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=huntingmaps.bygmu&gmu=26