I am from minneasota and i am going to retire in about a year would like to go to alaska to hunt moose before i leave to the great hunting grounds.anyone got any advice on the best route to take. my rifle is just a 6.5x284 lapua hope that is big enough. thank you. Bob Koch

Hi Bob,
Welcome to the Fire.....we need more info.....guided or not guided....float trip or drop-off hunt....ATVs.....are you driving to AK or flying....how many hunters in your group....what is your expectation for a moose....are you capable of packing out a moose??????

And where the hell is Ramsey?....:)

Vern

6.5x.284 will kill a Moose.

As for the "route" from MN I'd go west by northwest.

Seriously though, guided or do it yourself?

If you are a do-it-yourself kinda' guy then an outfitter type drop off might be the way to go.

I am thinking about a guided hunt. a float trip sounds good. and am i capable of packing out a moose i think so? I Have never did it so i wouldn't say for a %100 sure thing. I am in not to bad of shape though. i am not sure if i could afford a guided trip though but i will have to see. were is ramsey mn it is located about 30 min north of minneapolis. whitetail country thank again for all info once again. Bob

Capable of packing out a Moose? If you are you could be my last and very bestest friend in the whole wide world.


If you are looking for guide recomendations you'll get great ones here. If you go guided it would seem that the need for you to "pack a Moose" might become unnecessary.

Bob
As for being ready for packing one...

Imagine 5-6 (maybe more) large economy size Mn. Whitetails lying all in one pile a LONG WAY from any two track, etc.

Kevin

I would think all you would do is johnney cash it one piece at a time?

I've never hunted moose, but were I you, I might consider something a bit larger for those moose. Wally World had syn WBY Vanguards in .300WBY in the $400 range. One of those could be a good foul weather/backup for your 6.5. I have been to AK and we saw some huge moose there, but I wouldn't think about going for the hunt of a lifetime without an outfitter. Good dry clothing is a must. Good luck.

IMO #1 priority would be good gear. the best you can afford.

if your dead nuts with the 6.5, bring it. moose have been killed with less. just use good bullets. me, personally, I would use a 30cal but the 6.5 will work.

Bob
You kind of contradicted yourself about the parts that you were thinking about going guided, then switched gears to the part where you were not sure if you could afford it.

IMO, very few guys walk that fence. Either they know they can swing that jack to pay a fully guided moose hunt, or they can not and will seek a way to pull it of as a "do it yourself" type hunt.

I could go on and on here, but to save alot of needless info post wise, lets cut to the chase here -

How much money are you willing to spend, and how bad do you really want a moose?

Btw, packing out a moose is beyond HEAVY.

i am just looking in to all my options.like i said i am new to setting up a hunt like this.

Caribou would be a better DIY type hunt; moose I'd look for a guide that will provide a great hunt first, a legal trophy second, a book worthy trophy third.

It beats the alternative...

thanks guy for all your info. can any one help me with a good outfitter.

Bob,

I think Klik has it right....try caribou first....get a buddy or two and drive up here with some hunt plans and alternative plans...

Vern

I'm not certain that he offers moose hunts though he does do some guiding in some really fine moose country:

http://www.akadventure.com/index.htm

And the site isn't his hunting site; he is admittedly not the best promoter, but you will look long and hard to find better people and his lack of excellent self-promotion should not be construed to mean that he doesn't run a good operation. I highly recommend him as a starting point if a good hunt experience is what you want.

thank you very much for great info. all of you guys on this site have been good people.

Bob the reason guys are asking these questions are because pricing for guided moose hunt can vary by 8-9 thousand dollars. some factors that affect these prices are , how far out in the bush they hunt and to some extent what kind of trophies they produce. Prices down on the Alaskan Penninsula can go as high as 19,995 with AAA outfitters while other hunts where you are not so remote are cheeper. I would expect to see guided moose hunts run you anywhere between 10,500 to 20k . Alaska is big and there are not moose around every tree and there size can vary greatly from region to region . I do unguided drop hunts that require quite a bit of flying to acess my hunt area and my door to door price with shipping all my gear from NY and back runs me about 7k a year maybe a smidge more . That does not include buying the gear.If you have your heart set on a moose and it is your first time going to AK I would hire a guide. If you want to do it on your own I would concur with the others and get a caribou hunt under your belt first in september. At least this way you will get to experience some AK weather and do a gear shakedown on what worked and what didn't. The weather can be beautifull sometimes and the next day it could be crapola. Be prepared is the best advice I could give you.

moose packing can be TOUGH.
If the area you're hunting requires the meat on the bone to bring it from the field, you're looking at 125-150 lbs per quarter. even if you try dragging it on a small plastic sled, you're lookin at a rough go.
realistically, there's no way to prepare your body to do the job (in the lower 48). probably the closest you could come is to try packing 150 lbs through a thick swamp. that still won't get you ready to face tundra with 100+ lbs on your back.
you can probably find a guided hunt for around $10,000, give or take. The economy is still tough & you might find a bargin.
Gary

thank you guys again bob

Bob:

I did my Alaska hunt of a "lifetime" with Max Schwab this past fall.....I can't say enough good things about my experience with Max and his guides (the ones that were stuck with me ). I did a combo sheep and moose hunt and was lucky enough to get both (sorry for those that have already seen these).

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Max (at that time) was VERY reasonable for a combo hunt and his guides are exceptional. Packing that moose back to the river two miles away took three of us 2.5 days.....lots of work but worth it in EVERY way. Good Luck on your quest.

PennDog

Well I would also look at the Yukon for a Moose hunt as well. It dose not hurt to just look and ask questions. The Yukon has a lot of Area lots of game and even fewer people most live in one town and the rest along the Alcan. As for your rifle, it will do, stuff a good 6.5 mm bullet in it and it will be fine. Having hunted a number of years in Alaska, I worked as a bush pilot there. All I can tell you is that when it comes to transporting yourself around, its either by boat or by airplane. And the further away from things you go, the more expensive its going to get. On a per shot basis Africa offers the most value per hunting dollar when you start crunching numbers. But there is nothing like hunting in Alaska/Yukon. I think odds for a bigger Moose would be better in the Yukon, worth the effort no matter what or where to decide to go.

If one does a float trip, select a distance and duration that allows one plenty of time to hunt. Do not pick a distance that involves 8 hrs of floating a day. I'd actually suggest floating every other day. Cooking, breaking camp, floating, building camp etc can be exhausting. One needs time to smell the roses, hunt the shore, break down and pack up mooses.

Most younger guys aren't in shape to pack out a moose, and if you are near retirement age, you likely aren't in shape to do so either. You have to be absolutely honest with your physical ability to pack multiple heavy loads. Same with a float hunt, if you haven't spent time floating rivers, you can get in a world of hurt, and it might be a long time before anyone comes to help you.

If you do shoot a moose, and are unable to pakc it out, the fines and legal fees will cost more than a guided hunt.

Caribou is a much, much better choice for a DIY hunt. Many more animals, not a nightmare to pack out, and generally hunted in more open country.

I never been to Alaska or anywhere on a moose hunt. However I've done some sheet metal work and was a machinist for a few years. Guessing (from your profile) you've worked your a&& off for the most part of your life I would suggest save some extra money and do it right. This sounds like a retirement present to yourself. A once in a lifetime deal so make it a good one. You deserve it, do it up right.