Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Permit DM514

I got one of the ten any bull moose permits for east of Tustamena on the Kenai Wild Life Refuge. Lots of moose in there and 25 days to hunt. I am trying to talk my two grandsons into coming down and giving me a hand as I don't think there is ATV access there and me wife and me no longer kids. But, if I have to I will make a bunch of trips and go slow and drink a lot of water!

congrats

No motorized access on the refuge.

Should be lots of wheeler trails and you can take them to the refuge boundary. Plus, you could shoot a “good eating” size moose.

That sounds like an amazing tag! Is a bush plane allowed to land in there, or a boat allowed to deliver to shore?

Rent a horse.

Float plane can land on T lake, or boat across from the Kasilof launch.

Harder than it sounds up here.

Should add, for anyone unfamiliar, Tusty is big and conditions can change quickly and become very dangerous.

Rough country, deadly lake - some of my favorite country, at least up where the sheep, goats and caribou are. My family once spent two unplanned nights and days on the shores of big T, waiting for the wind to go down. Then I bailed out the swamped boat and made my apologies to my boss for being a little late to work. If you count two days of missed work as "a little late". Came out of my annual leave, retroactively, it did....

Had to do some fairly extensive trimming of the black bear and caribou (1 each) that we had taken.

Horse country, which is why I never applied. It ain't the access - you can walk in - so much as the egress with 500 lbs of moose meat plus camping gear. Without horses, your only real option is, as said, take an ATV, boat, or plane to the boundry and work the edges.

I think that I am right next to you. I am in 516

I have 25 days and can spend 25 days hunting for a moose that has antlers and is close to the refuge border. I am after meat, got big antlers already. I am going to contact a friend about his horses and remind my 15 and 17 year old grandsons about all the guns I have given them etc. and they don't want their 72 year old Grammy packing moose!

My dream moose for this hunt is between 3-4 years of age, should have bunch of meat and be good eating. I have and aversion to shooting young spikes, but have done it before, just prefer not to.

I have lost track of all the nightmare stories friends have shared about Tustumena and wind and waves and boats. Only time I was on it was log ago in my old 18' Zodiac and it was a flat blue bird day and was off of it before noon.

Congrats on the tag! I’d bring a boat. The Kasilof landing is easily accessible and will get you to good hunting areas close enough without traversing the length of the lake. A 16 or 18 semi-vee (long shaft) will do the job. Water is shallow around the shoreline so be careful with the prop. The areas along the first five miles have burned in the last several years and do support a good number of moose. Saw up a couple of logs to use as rollers and come-a-long the boat up on shore...it will be fine. Check out the topo maps for typical moose habitat (from the entrance to Caribou Island and then around to Nikolai Creek) and your calling will be rewarded...

Lots of deadfall so a good axe and saw is in order. Many good places to hang and tarp your moose. Campsites are not difficult to find. If you were a couple of days ahead of the season, I’d guess you would have no problem.

ps.
Do yourself (and us😉) a favor and get a RB300 reg. permit and the obligatory lock tag for brown bear as you will likely see one or ten...

Sounds like you have a sound plan. Don't let those blue-bird days fool you. Big T is trying to kill you! Sure - one time I came down the middle of the lake like it was glass... ONE time! That was just the come-on. Fugger is out to get you!

If you kids prove worthless, contact me ahead of time. I'm 72 also - what could go wrong? It will seem like we are 36 again. Or is that 144?

Math sucks....

I do know that in that country I'd be carrying my .338 and not the 260 on a moose hunt.