40 mile air or Tok air service?

[Isaacaugedahl]

Has anyone hunted recently with 40 mile air or Tok air service? Looking at booking a 2022 or 2023 hunt with a reputable fly in charter. Hoping for a ridgetop/ glassing style hunt
Have all my own gear. Thanks for any info

 

[Corey Paulsen (teamkabob)]

40mile is who I plan to use. Tok air is not a option for me personally, some red flags. But please do your own research. 40 mile can be hard to get on with.

 

[VernAK]

I'VE BEEN USING 40 MILE AIR FOR OVER TWO DECADES........THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS........AS KABOB SAYS DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.....

 

[AKBorn]

I've been hunting moose and caribou with 40 Mile since 2006. For what I seek in a remote flyout hunt (safe flying, reliability, organized, don't make promises they cannot keep, good meat storage facility) they are topnotch.

I have not hunted with Tok Air and don't feel that they are a fit for what my specific needs are, but your needs/wants may be far different from mine. Do your research on here and on Alaska Outdoors Directory, best of luck finding an air service that fits your needs.

 

[HuntHarder]

Good luck getting in with them. I have been trying for 3 years now. Go figure, last year I was on the waiting list and thought I had 0 chance. I booked a hunt with another outfit and sure as shit, 40 mile called me about a month after I booked with the other outfit. Hoping for the same luck this year, but doubtful.

 

[AK_Skeeter]

I've used 40-mile since the 1990s for moose, sheep, caribou.

I always appreciated they put us in a spot at least 10 miles away from any other party.
Typically I never heard a shot from another party on my 40-mile hunts.

Plus I like that you can go in with a 50lb super cub weight limit
or at your option pay for another load to be flown in.
And their "hunter shack" to sleep in in case flying weather is bad and delay getting out.
Plus a quick shower at the "hunter shack" before driving home.

40-mile is so good at what they do, it is very difficult to book with them because demand far exceeds supply.

 

[rope]

I live in Tok and know the 40 Mile crew. Other than know who they are I don’t know Tok Air Service. 40Mile are solid people, intertwined in the community. I see and deal with 40 several times a week. In the 8 years I have lived here I can not remember hearing anyone bad mouth them.

Tok Air, every time I talk to them, they are friendly and I just don’t know much about them.

Good luck with your research and decision.

 

[Russp17]

I've flown with both. I've had good experiences with both, but my first choice is 40 mile air. They do an excellent job and are the most professional flight service I've used in Alaska. Even as a repeat customer they are hard to book!

 

[Isaacaugedahl]

I've used 40-mile since the 1990s for moose, sheep, caribou.

I always appreciated they put us in a spot at least 10 miles away from any other party.
Typically I never heard a shot from another party on my 40-mile hunts.

Plus I like that you can go in with a 50lb super cub weight limit
or at your option pay for another load to be flown in.
And their "hunter shack" to sleep in in case flying weather is bad and delay getting out.
Plus a quick shower at the "hunter shack" before driving home.

40-mile is so good at what they do, it is very difficult to book with them because demand far exceeds supply.

Have u done any moose hunts with them or seen moose on the caribou hunts?

 

[Dwight2180]

I have no experience with either, but I did listen to a podcast yesterday with what I'm pretty sure was the owner of Tok. I can't find the episode but it was Backcountry Hunting Podcast with Joseph von Benedikt. Give it a listen if you can, might help you decide.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

There are plenty of threads on here discussing the difference. 40 mile cheaper but harder to get in. Tok way more expensive but has more availability. Both are very successful, and would not hesitate to hunt with either. Hopefully this thread stays cordial!

 

[AK_Skeeter]

Have u done any moose hunts with them or seen moose on the caribou hunts?

Yes. However, the regulations in most of Unit 20E is either a bull moose on permit RM865
or bull caribou on permit RC860 but not both at the same time.
With 2 hunters, one can have a moose permit, the other can have the caribou permit,
or both have moose permits and no caribou permit.

 

[Jhett_11]

I did a moose hunt and a caribou hunt with 40 mile. I had good luck with them for the most part. A few complaints but I would recommend them

 

[Larry Bartlett]

I've flown and worked with both for years. There is a bitter feud between them for their own reasons, so caution any back and forth about them to the other person should be avoided.

40-mile is largely repeat customers for the past 25 years or longer. They do a great job and all are pros.

Tok Air is a newer provider and operates largely alone, so less polished than 40-mile but he work hard for his clients success. And he's a great pilot.

Both have great success rates for moose and caribou.

 

[mobilefamily]

My experience is that you cannot get a spot with 40 Mile as a new hunter. They book up with repeat clients. We tried every trick known to reserve a spot, including sending money and signed contracts before they opened bookings. We did not get a spot.

 

[AKBorn]

My experience is that you cannot get a spot with 40 Mile as a new hunter. They book up with repeat clients. We tried every trick known to reserve a spot, including sending money and signed contracts before they opened bookings. We did not get a spot.

Once in a GREAT while, you can get on as a new hunter by signing onto the wait list, and then they call wait list hunters if a booked hunt party happens to cancel. My sense is that the wait list is much more applicable to caribou hunting than moose, as I haven't heard of many moose cancellations in the years I have been hunting with 40 Mile.

I understand that it's hard for anyone to swing a wait list hunt, especially when you really want to commit to going, not just going if a spot opens up....

 

[william schmaltz]

I've often wondered what 40 Mile consider a "repeat customer". I might just call them this summer to fly me into the Tok to camp and photograph rams a few days if that will make me a return customer eligible to book a hunt. Has anyone asked? Is a return customer someone who is any return client or only a return hunting client?

 

[Aeast]

Website says repeat hunter and I believe that's what they told me when I inquired a couple years ago. It was impossible to get a spot.

 

[VernAK]

Most of the repeat hunters are returning to "their" favored hunting spot and keep it booked from year to year.

I was a "customer" in 40 Mile's air ambulance once but it didn't get me a repeat customer rating.

 

[Scott/IL]

I have tried for several years to book Bou with 40 Mile, to the point it seems impossible to get on with them as a new client.

I’ve talked to Zac at Tok in the past also. We’ve all heard the same rumors about his operation, no need to dive down that hole anymore. I was pretty impressed with our conversations and I have talked to some people that loved hunting with him. We held off booking as he could not guarantee what our cost would be 2 years in advance, despite us having to send in a deposit. This was probably 4 or 5 years ago, and hindsight is we should have just booked it back then given the cost of things now. He’s certainly not having a hard time booking hunters and putting them on animals.


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