Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Alaskan Float Trip for moose and caribou

My very good friend and I are planning a float trip for moose and caribou. Possibly 2022 or 2023. I have hunted Northern AK out of Kotzebue but neither of us have done a float trip.
Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Bob

Delete the notion of "float hunt means a comfortable camp" from your head.

Figure out how to operate nimbly. Camp setup/sacking, food preparation, all activities other than hunting need to be expedient.

An expedient camp might not be the safest, from a weather standpoint. It's fine to bring additional gear (bomber tent) and not deploy it until needed. An extra 15lbs for a 4-season mountain tent and accessories won't kill you.

If you don't abide by the above, you'll spend the entire hunt camping.

This advice is how I expected it to be. Hunting is by far the main interest. I can camp comfortably at my house..

Thank you,
Bob

The demand for fly-in hunts exceeds the supply so start looking now for reputable outfits. Prices are climbing rapidly.
To hunt for both caribou and moose on the same trip limits your selection drastically.
Floating out moose requires serious boats. Do you have the boats or intend to rent?

My best friend and I did a guided float hunt in 2019 for brown bear, moose, caribou. It was an experience of a life time. Buddy killed a bear and I killed a moose.

It was a lot of work but glad we did it. Hardly ever saw the sun. Slept in 2 man tents. Saw lots of bears, only one moose, and a few caribou. Stayed in one small cabin first two nights, then moved down river and set up camp in two others spots was all that we moved, before floating down to our pick up point.

If you're thinking about a guided hunt I can pass along the contact of the guide that we went with and I would recommend him. However, his prices aren't on the cheap side. Matter of fact, when I look at his current price list I don't know how I was able to do it.

We will be renting our boat. We are from AZ. The Caribou is not as important, I was told this before, that it would drastically reduce our areas. Moose is our main reason for going. Would wolf and black bear tags be advisable to have with us? Are these animals that would be possible on this float trip?

Bob

Where "Roughly" are you planning to float...This is helpful in advising about probability of using other tags....??? And as a "general rule" a tag for bear also would be prudent, as they are "cheap" relative to cost of the overall adventure. Also note that you can use tags for different species if the tag for that species is cheaper then the tag you are in possession of. You will need to be aware of unit and sub-unit boundary, as harvest of species change by the location you are and the day of the harvesting, as you float the distance.

Also be aware that photos "often" record not only the date, but the time and exact location the photo was taken.
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Hire a hunt planner and one that specializes in float hunts, Larry Bartlett would be that guy. He has the boats to float any river in this state and they are designed for float hunting Alaska's shallow rivers and carry the type of loads you will have should you get 2 bulls. I hired him back in 2008 , we could have taken a bull that was very close to 70" the first day but it was warm and we had a long float ahead of us so my buddy passed him up, I ended up shooting a 52" bull with dropdown brows on the 5th day of the hunt, it was a fantastic time and one that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Yea,,,,,, what he said....
LJ

Leave plenty of days for hunting as opposed breaking/pitching/ and floating every day.

DIY moose in Alaska is one of my favorite trips.
A lot of good advice above. I would echo Vern.
Good transporters with good areas fill fast. That
would be my number 1 right now.

I have not used Larry but know of guys that have and
all had great trips. Well planned out and great experiences.
Just for logistics reasons alone , I would use Larry in a heartbeat.

The "ONE" downside I have heard about float hunting, is that by its very nature, the streams-creeks-rivers are lower then the surrounding countryside. And it can be frustrating, because most streams-creeks-rivers are lined with thick vegetation, and it can be hard to find a high spot to look that area over.

Very valuable info I appreciate your reply.
Area is unknown at this time we have a lot of research to do.

I passed a 50" MOOSE my first day north of Kotzebue on a drop camp hunt. That memory burns in my mind every time I see moose antlers in a trophy room or a garage. I wish I had taken him but was looking for a 60" plus for my fireplace... I didn't follow the golden rule. Never pass up the first day that you would shoot the last day....

Speaking of Larry Bartlett, you might check out his video on float hunting.

https://thinkoutside.fishalaskamagazine.com/backcountry-hunting/

Good luck.

L.W.

most 2022 hunts are booked by now and 2023 is filling up fast. you really have to think ahead to get a hunt booked now days.

Larry has several videos and books out related to float hunting and they are all very good, when it comes to float hunting there is none better than LB IMO.

During the '80's I owned a 16' Avon white water raft & rowing frame - the whole schnizzle. I did four or five float hunts above the Yukon. If you've seen the movie "The Revenant" then you can have some idea about what a float hunt will be like. After the first camp is broken down and set back up again everything is wet and stays that way the rest of the trip. Constantly setting up camp and breaking it back down every day or so sucks. The wind is ALWAYS in your face, no matter how many twists and turns the river makes. And God help you if you're floating navigable waters where locals hunt. Your raft may well be sliced up when you return to camp from a day of hunting. Overall a float hunt is a miserable option compared to other types of moose hunts.

The ONLY two good points about float hunting versus a fly-in camp are: 1) when you get a moose you don't have to carry it very far, and 2) you can often have nice fishing to augment your freeze dried meals.

I stopped float hunting because even back in the '80's float hunting was becoming very popular. The last float hunt I organized and went on I saw two other camps. In other words I was hunting the same territory behind two other groups. And the river I was on was not easily accessible. It required a half-mile haul from the drop off point to reach the river. That is not why you want to hunt moose in Alaska. If you want crowds just stay in the L48.

If you can be assured of being the only party on the float and if you are assured that you will not have interference from locals along your way then float hunting can be a successful, albeit miserable, way to hunt moose. If you will not be the only party on the river or if you will be floating navigable waters then do not go.

Add on to AGL - I think you can use your tag for "equivalent cost" animal, as well as lower cost ones.

I'm too lazy to check right now......

hunting in Alaska can be wet no matter what method, be prepared. There is no way you can be assured you will be the only one on the river, it is not your private park. Some places get more pressure than others, typically hunters get spread out on a river and will be far and few between. If one comes up here with the expectation of never seeing another human that you need to adjust your expectations. If you plan to hunt the Koyukuk you will see plenty of hunters, if you hunt the Black river, not so much. You can choose where you want to go.

Local's slicing rafts, rare, what did you do to pizz them off..? Treat local's with respect as you are in their backyard and you will get along fine...
Freeze dried food = last resort back up chow, you can bring a lot of groceries on a float trip, bring a grate to cook on, do some fishing, usually find ducks on the river as well...... also there will be grouse, when hunting its great to acquire your sustenance as you go.

Exactly right, gravity is a powerful force and you will be a the lowest level, typically visibility is very limited, take advantage of bluffs to do some glassing and calling is key.