Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska DM 783 - advice please!

My dad drew the DM783 hunt this year. We live in southeast and neither of us have been on moose hunts. Or at least on a successful moose hunt. So interior moose hunts are foreign to us at this time.

So if y'all have some practical advice about this particular hunt, or solid general moose advice, stuff to have, things to avoid, etc. I'd love to hear it.

We currently have no set travel or hunt plans, and the season for this draw hint goes until mid February if I recall correctly.

Thanks in advance!

Go early... it gets incredibly cold there. Frank Glaser's (Alaska's Wolf Man book subject) stomping grounds way back when.

No developed campgrounds to speak of. Good, though winding, road. Did I mention cold?

Not sure if Black Rapids Lodge is open, but I doubt it. Did I mention cold?

A muzzle loader hunt designed to get the moose along the highway to reduce road kills.
There's a few side roads etc......check with local folks in Salcha.

Didn't you make a thread about this already a while back? Somebody did on here anyhow and I swore they mentioned it was their dad's tag.

I have the same tag and set several game cameras out. Lots of cows and a few small bulls but the one decent sized bull I was watching got killed the other day during the regular rifle hunt. I have trail cam pics of them getting it out on their wheeler. No biggie I guess. One of my other game cams on a power line ROW was stolen. It was about a half mile hike from a decent access point along the highway and surrounded by steeper and thicker areas so I figured it was a safe place for a camera, but such is life.

Is your old man willing to take a cow?

I made a post a few years ago about gmu20 moose hunt that *would have* been my first moose hunt... but our truck broke down outside of haines on the drive north. We turned around just in time to catch the ferry back to Juneau. We already had the week off so we did an alpine deer hunt on admiralty and came down with two forkies.

But anyway, yes my dad is not particular about cow or bull. He'd rather not shoot a youngster but other than that all is fair game.

I hear it can get cold up thataway.

Skinning moose at -40 is no fun.. I go sooner than later..

Your dad has a smokepole? I've got a couple thundersticks. I can give you some shooting tips/lessons at the local range.

Big issue is you can't travel with "ammo" (loose powder). You'll need some available at the other end (FBX or ANC). Blackhorn 209 is the stuff you want.

Unless you're going with stick and string . . .

My dad has muzzleloader and archery endorsements.
I have archery but no muzzleloader. Might take you up on those lessons.

We have been challenging each other to get better with the bows lately so that might currently be how he's leaning.



I'm also curious, for those of you who moose hunt -- obviously it's my dad's tag, but are backup shots allowed on moose if only one person has the tag? If I also had a muzzloader could I legally back him up, or am I just there to pack meat?

Dude, I swore that same "back up" question was asked when I referenced the past instance of this hunt being talked about on this forum.

Total deja vu going on here.

I believe the answer generally is no, unless there is some sort of official handicap with your dad involved. Bison is the only exception that I am aware of, outside of DLPs.

ADF&G encourage back-up shooters for brown bears and I have heard Troopers say they do not care about any of that when there is a question of losing an animal.

That is good to hear.
I have heard that about brown bears but not moose. I have never seen anything official concerning that with the bears and I didn't want to give bad info. Is that stated somewhere in the regs or just something that is commonly accepted?

As for moose I don't think it is legal at all or at least not officially acceptable. I could be wrong I guess. A call to ADFG is probably best, like usual.

So what are your thoughts on a wingman and fat chicks?

I don't know much about being a wingman. I am ALWAYS all about the fatties though.

Winner.

I was remembering a similar conversation too. Searched all my posts and found it. Was totally me replying to the draw hint results thread. Pardon my short term memory.

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...true/re-the-results-are-out#Post15811309

So what is y'alls best estimate on when that area consistently get too cold to be fun?

I think a lot depends on individual cold tolerance and if you will be tenting or motel. (Are any open then?) Having a warm place to go to makes a big difference. Also, every year is different, so tough to have a lot of certainty.

That said, I’d say git r done before thanksgiving.

Ha! It is all good but at least I can confirm I am not totally nuts!

The back-up shooter questions comes up often with the Delta Bison Hunt.
There has ben several incidents where both the primary and secondary shooters are super excited and the back-up
shooter fires without confirming which bison was the intended target. Could be embarrassing!

Which is why they collect bullet and cartridge information on back-up shooters.

Is the 2000 ft-lb rule still in effect?

For bison? I am unsure about a FT LB rule but believe the bullet must be at least 200 grains. They may also need to be .30 or bigger. I can't quite remenber.

Yes. I was referring to Delta bison hunts.

Did some sleuthing.

Weapons Legal for Bison Hunting

Bison may be shot with any centerfire rifle, handgun, muzzleloading rifle, bow-and-arrow or crossbow that meet the criteria listed below:

Rifle/handgun: must fire a minimum of a 175 grain bullet having a minimum of 2,800 ft/lb energy at the muzzle.


More info here re: BP, muzzle loaders, bow
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=deltabison.weaponslegalhunting

Seems I remember a 2000 ft-lb requirement @100 yds. If so, not the case anymore.

Also, appears to not be a caliber requirement except to meet the above.

Sorry for the hijack, 907.

I am almost positive just a couple years ago it was 200 grains. Oh well.

I remember similarly.
2000 ft/lb @ 100 yds?

Not a ballistician.

It is open, I just drove by there on Thursday and I know they are also open in the winter, at least before Covid worked it's magic up here.