2017 DIY Alaska moose hunt

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Did my first moose hunt on the cheap last year, and now I'm totally hooked. We went in an any bull area and shot a smaller bull (42in). Looking at a few outfitters this year for a fly in drop hunt. I think I have it narrowed down to two choices, Wade Renfro of Renfro outdoors, or another outfitter called Aniak air guides. Anyone have info on the latter? I was able to find a ton of good info on Renfroes, but can't find much on Aniak air guides.
 
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May I ask what a moose hunt cost. That's gonna be my next gig after I hopefully draw my iowa tag next year


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Becca

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I can't speak to either of the outfitters you mentioned, but I did have a great experience flying with Papa Bear adventures out of Bethel. As residents, we were brown bear hunting, but we met a couple groups coming out with very nice moose. Papa Bear had a very organized operation, and all the gear they gave us for our trip was in top notch condition. I would work with them again without reservation.

If you are planning for 2017 I would get to calling, some of these outfitters book up years in advance.
 

Maverick940

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Blinginpse:

If you want to PM your contact info (phone number and email address) I can provide a very detailed synopsis concerning trophy bull moose hunts with an Alaska outfitter who runs a very small operation. You're looking at $12,750.00 (one-on-one) or $10,250.00 (two-on-one) and that's all-inclusive from Anchorage. Additional animals are available at no extra charge or via a trophy fee.

Maverick
 
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That depends bling. A do it yourself trip is much cheaper than guided. I did it for about 3 grand last year, not including my airfare to AK. But that's really roughing it and taking a chance. There are several outfitters that will take you to high success areas for prices around 5K. Some I have found as high as 8K. For a guided hunt you can pretty much double that minimum
 
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Thanks for the info becca. I had heard a lot about papa bear on here, and looked into that. I think he was booked up already for 2017
 
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If I went it'd be guided would half to be. I can't get away from the far to scout early then go back and buying all this and that from tents and such.


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Commercial airline ticket from midwest: $800
2016 License and tag: $485
Hotels on each end: $300
Bush flight: $2,000
Incidental costs: $300
Baseline comes in under $4,000 per man.

If you kill:
Fly out moose: $800
Meat care and processing: $0 to $600
Fly or ship meat home: $variable
Taxidermy or antler/cape prep and shipping: highly $variable.

I go every year diy and those are my costs.
 
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Commercial airline ticket from midwest: $800
2016 License and tag: $485
Hotels on each end: $300
Bush flight: $2,000
Incidental costs: $300
Baseline comes in under $4,000 per man.

If you kill:
Fly out moose: $800
Meat care and processing: $0 to $600
Fly or ship meat home: $variable
Taxidermy or antler/cape prep and shipping: highly $variable.

I go every year diy and those are my costs.

What is bush flight? You take tents and pads and such with you or what? Idk much on this moose hunting but I know I wanna kill
1. Hotel stay is that waiting on flights?


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Maverick940

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Bling:

Like I said, send a PM to me with your contact info and I'll call you. I can get you lined out on a fully-guided hunt with a small outfit that hunts trophy Alaska/Yukon moose and for less than $13,000.00. That's all-inclusive from Anchorage. Other animals are available at no extra charge or on a trophy fee.

Maverick
 
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Kevin dill, just a heads up, a bill was signed last week that will double non resident tags and license starting 2017. So moose tags will now be $800.
 
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Bling, I would start doing research now or contact a hunt planner. The planning and decision process can be overwhelming, and the good outfitters start booking up a year or more out. An air charter can be as cheap as 2K but that is just for a bush plane to drop you and your camp somewhere. I have found its not too much more expensive to pay an outfitter to drop you at one of their pre scouted locations with a set up camp.or at least it seems worth the extra money
 
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Buying the necessary gear for diy hunts isn't cheap, but often guys have most of it in their garages anyway. It was a no-brainer for me as I knew I was going to keep hunting with it for years. I'm one of those guys who just has to go diy even if other options exist. That's me and I know a lot of guys aren't that way. If not then absolutely go guided or outfitted and dropped. My first year I had almost nothing to go on: no scouting and no knowledge of the terrain we were headed to. Got into a big bull the first day and almost killed him. Had multiple opportunities the next 8 days but ended up with no moose due to my own decisions. That's hunting...I'm good with it. It really doesn't matter to me what makes a guy happy...just go hunt and have fun.

I'll be there in 6 weeks to pull a 14 day solo hunt out of Fairbanks. I am pretty cranked up...new location which has not been previously hunted and is absent of any man sign. The bulls are there waiting. So am I....impatiently.
 

Maverick940

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The bulls are there waiting. So am I....impatiently.

Yep, since we've been shooting wolves from our airplanes and systematically eliminating all species of bears and systematically eliminating non-resident hunting opportunities, there's plenty of bull moose just about everywhere across the state. While it's not like it was in the late 50's, throughout the 60's and into the early 70's, it's sure a lot better than it was in the 80's, 90's and early 2,000's.
 
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Guided would be my option but maverick in due respect I can't afford 12-13k for a moose. Im a full time Farmer. Cattle has got cheap and milk prices suck currently too. That's just not in my budget. But that's the rookie in me to moose hunting. I've never researched it I just know it's the only other hunt besides mulie and elk that I care to do. And I figure that will be an option after 2017. But if it will cost me 12k I may just half to let that wish go but again I can't justify buying al the DIY stuff for one trip. I'm lucky my dad milks for me 1 week a year to go away hunting then.




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Maverick940

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Guided would be my option but maverick in due respect I can't afford 12-13k for a moose. Im a full time Farmer. Cattle has got cheap and milk prices suck currently too. That's just not in my budget. But that's the rookie in me to moose hunting. I've never researched it I just know it's the only other hunt besides mulie and elk that I care to do. And I figure that will be an option after 2017. But if it will cost me 12k I may just half to let that wish go but again I can't justify buying al the DIY stuff for one trip. I'm lucky my dad milks for me 1 week a year to go away hunting then.




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Bling:

The Twelve Grand mentioned would be a fully-guided hunt; all-inclusive from Anchorage. However, if you're wanting to go DIY, my pilots can put you on trophy bull moose for about Four Grand and between the three of us we could either put together a full camp or put you in a cabin.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll find something in your price range. There's plenty of bull moose just about everywhere. Of course, some regions of the State have more trophy bulls than others. But, with the right camping gear and enough time, you should be able to find a really nice bull just about anywhere you'd go.

Let me know if you need more info. If you want to talk to one of my pilots, I can put you in touch with either one of them. Best wishes and have fun with the planning stage.
 
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Bling:

The Twelve Grand mentioned would be a fully-guided hunt; all-inclusive from Anchorage. However, if you're wanting to go DIY, my pilots can put you on trophy bull moose for about Four Grand and between the three of us we could either put together a full camp or put you in a cabin.

Anyway, I'm sure you'll find something in your price range. There's plenty of bull moose just about everywhere. Of course, some regions of the State have more trophy bulls than others. But, with the right camping gear and enough time, you should be able to find a really nice bull just about anywhere you'd go.

Let me know if you need more info. If you want to talk to one of my pilots, I can put you in touch with either one of them. Best wishes and have fun with the planning stage.

Sir when you guys say trophy just how big is trophy cuz I be honest I've not passed enough moose to say first 1 I see isn't a trophy lol


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Maverick940

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Good question, Bling.

The answer to your question requires some historical reference:

Several decades ago the State began to implement 50/3 and 50/4 requirements to control or limit the number of bulls killed through human-caused mortality and to limit that mortality to older age-class bulls. Currently, the majority of the State is now under a 50/3 or 50/4 management strategy. Thus, the 50 inch or 3/4 brow tine requirement and consequently, it's harvest strategy, pertains to or is limited to mature bulls (trophy bulls) only.

For the most part, it takes a bull 6-8 years to achieve antlers that are 50 inches in width. Of course, that propensity depends on genetics, winter severity that's based on an index sample and habitat. Bulls typically don't achieve maximum antler potential until they are 9 or 10 years of age and they only hold that maximum potential through two or three antler production seasons. In any event, the State deems any mature bull as a trophy. Such bulls have antlers that are 50 inches in width and larger.

In relation to the bull moose that I kill, I have a 60 inch average. Mature (legal) bulls within my region of Alaska have antler widths between 50 inches and 75 inches. The vast majority of mature (legal) bulls, however, measure between 56 inches and 62 inches. In my opinion, any mature bull is a trophy, nowadays. Of course, mature bulls are typically the only portion of the male cohort that's legal. My opinion is also that any bull over 60 inches is a true whopper.

Maverick
 
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Bling, I would start doing research now or contact a hunt planner. The planning and decision process can be overwhelming, and the good outfitters start booking up a year or more out. An air charter can be as cheap as 2K but that is just for a bush plane to drop you and your camp somewhere. I have found its not too much more expensive to pay an outfitter to drop you at one of their pre scouted locations with a set up camp.or at least it seems worth the extra money

I'm very sorry for hijacking your thread I didn't mean to at all.


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