Brown Bear & Moose Hunting

[JBMasterAngler]

It will be 6 to 10 years before I make it up to Alaska. Initially the trip was gonna be fishing and small game hunting, but now I want to get a grizzly (or brown bear), moose, and/or wolf. I looked up how much guided trips are, and that is WAY over my budget! My question is, without knowing the wilderness at all up there, could I still expect some success without a guide, or would I be in over my head?

[traveler]

I've known a couple guys who have set up AK moose hunts and I think thats a decent possibility, but I haven't personally looked into it. I would think wolf hunting might be readily available too, but hey, you'll be able to do that in MN this fall!!

I think if you have the equipment and a reasonable skill set, it would be a heck of a trip:)

[fivebucks]

You need a guide or resident relative to hunt brown bear (griz), sheep, or goats as a non-resident. I think you can do self-guided moose hunt but I think it would be tough. Anywhere you can drive to - so can all the AK residents and without a bunch of prior scouting... I want to take a AK bull moose yet in this lifetime and I am just planning that I am going to have to drop some bucks to do it right. I don't want to discourage you cause it can be done with a bunch of research. I would look into a drop off hunt where you get dropped off via plane and picked up later. Good luck.

[JBMasterAngler]

I guess that explains why a bear hunt is so expensive. I only briefly researched, but everything looked to be 7 to 15 day hunts, no day to day outings. I was under the impression moose were just about as common up there as deer are down here, is that not the case?

[fivebucks]

I went moose hunting 2 seasons when I lived up there. We went 10 miles up the beach and a couple miles inland to a friends remote winter cabin. This was on the Kenai Pennisula by the town of Kasilof. The only moose I saw were two cows, and they were not legal to shoot. You could either take a spike or it had to be over 50", which rules out a good percentage of the bulls. My friend would get a moose maybe every 5th year. Living up there I did not see moose too often unless it was winter - then they would go thru my yard. I think you can certainly get a good quality hunt with a decent chance of sucess but I think you would need to hook up with an outfitter to do a drop hunt. I would research the outfitter closely and get plenty of referrals.

[fishkid]

if your comming up here to hunt you might as well get a guide because it would be very tough to do it your self for moose and also there are areas where there is a drawing that you have to put in for which already happend for the 2012 hunting year.

[JBMasterAngler]

Maybe I'll just spring for the bear guide, that's a bigger deal. I can always just hunt moose in North Dakota or Montana for a lot cheaper. Thanks for all the help.

[Tyler D]

If you are going to do a grizzly hunt in AK go for a coastal hunt bears are much more plentiful and bigger, though it does cost more. I have done two ten day sheep hunts in the alaska range in the last two years in those 20 days I saw three legal grizzlies two of those were 2 year old bears that were the size of an average black bear. The other was a very large bear my dad ended up getting.

The first time I went up there it is a shock to how little game is actually in those areas lots of sheep but I only saw maybe 5 or 6 moose in the 20 days one of which was a legal bull. It is possible but I think it would be tough to get a moose on your own as well.

The best option is to get on a cancellation hunt, I have seen $12000 moose hunts going for $5k if you can book a month out same with grizzly. Definatley cool trip though worth doing.

[fishkid]

yeah it would be pretty rough for any one to come up new to ak and get a legal moose since it has to be either 3 or 4 brow tines (forgot have to look it up) or a 50 inch inside spread and if your not confident in your skills to approximate a 50 inch bull you better make sure the thing has the right amount of brow tines.

[Scoot]

I can always just hunt moose in North Dakota or Montana for a lot cheaper.

...not exactly. Unless you're a resident of ND I don't believe you can hunt moose in ND. Also, even if you're a resident, the odds of drawing a tag are absolutely terrible- even in the units with the highest draw odds. MT? I hope you have a lot of points built up already. If not, you're likely looking at a long time before you're even in the legitimate running for a moose tag. There are places that it can be done for cheaper than AK, but ND and MT aren't very good options given what I said above.

A buddy of mine went unguided to AK last Sep and shot a 58.5" bull. However, he hunted out of the camp of a local who's a friend of his- which was basically like being guided.

[JBMasterAngler]

Yeah, I looked at the ND regs the other day and saw that. Hmmm, the only other option state side I can think of is maine? Otherwise I might have to pony up and go with the guide.

[traveler]

Have you looked at Canada? Kind of "AK light". Much closer, obviously, which would cut travel expenses...might have to use a guide, but it would still be cheaper I would think, and tags are available I believe.

Of course, I believe a lot of stuff...!