Alaska Float hunt

[Dinkshooter]

With all the picture posting going on I finally went through the pictures from my Alaska trip this year. A float hunt for moose. Frustrating but still always better than working. Warning there is no blood. Didn;t want to plug up the other thread more than I already have.

The Sotar #8 Race Raft

Calling all moose

I have decided moose sign last A LONG time, LONG after they are gone.

The bull that did this sounded like a bear grunting, we never saw him though.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Like I told my wife, I never have seen more beaver on a hunting trip in my life

We saw a few moose

 

[Dinkshooter]

Floating from one spot to the next

Find some sign and set up camp

Hunt everything you can around camp

 

[Dinkshooter]

Even tried Loosey the moosey

 

[Muley Crazy]

great pics, what river did you float ?

 

[Dinkshooter]

But just couldn't find a bull, so we just took pictures

Waiting to get hauled out

Back at the State Fairgrounds

 

[Dinkshooter]

Little primer for you NR Moose hunters.

4 browtine or 50 inch unit, are they legal bulls?

 

[Dinkshooter]

great pics, what river did you float ?

It was the Dirty Dishna.

 

[Oak]

Awesome pics Dink. As Philip Morris or Fatboy Slim would say, "you've come a long way, baby!"

I've never actually seen the daypack lid in use. I've never even pulled the straps out of the pocket on mine.

Neither bull is legal by browtines. I'd say by spread, the first one is really close and the second one is legal.

 

[TheTone]

Neither bull is legal by browtines. I'd say by spread, the first one is really close and the second one is legal.

My thoughts as well. Looks like a fun way to hunt moose.

 

[Dinkshooter]

I thought the 2nd bull should be legal with 4 brows on the right side, bulls left.

 

[Oak]

I thought the 2nd bull should be legal with 4 brows on the right side, bulls left.

I think there is too much of a "bay" between the 3rd and 4th point to count the 4th as a brow. I could be wrong.

 

[WV Hunter]

I have no idea what is legal when it comes to moose but that looks like an awesome hunt. Thanks for the posting.

 

[BuzzH]

Does look fun...I'll be finding out first hand this coming year or the following year, depending on draw results for other states.

Great pics.

 

[Goldtip]

There is a prominent "vein" line that feeds the velvet that you can see coming out the main beam which is I believe where they draw the seperation when counting brow tines. That would make the 2nd bull legal by width, but I can make out that vein I believe and it looks like it drops into that bay, so that fourth tine up from the bottom on the left wouldn't count as a brow tine, please someone correct me if I am wrong. That first bull however would be really pushing the legal width mark.

 

[----]

Is the live bull not 50"? Or did you guys just pass him up?
Obviously not a real big bull, but looks wide enough anyways.

By the way, thanks for the pictures. Looks like a great time and awesome weather.

 

[Muley Crazy]

float hunting Alaska is the only way to go in my opion. This pic is from our 07 float on the Colville River (north of the Brooks range) we ended up with 6 bou's 1 grizz and passed on several moose.

 

[Muley Crazy]

The 1st bull is 42 to 44 wide not legal and the 2nd bull is 54ish boom flop

 

[Dinkshooter]

Is the live bull not 50"? Or did you guys just pass him up?
Obviously not a real big bull, but looks wide enough anyways.

At first I thought he was to close to 50 and made me pucker. I was really counting on brow tines up there.

But you are right, just not big enough to be my dream AK moose. I never really had a bow shot at him but didn;t really try either. It is expensive flying those suckers out at 700lbs or so.

 

[Dinkshooter]

float hunting Alaska is the only way to go in my opion.

I agree it was way fun. Saw some unbelievably wild country. It was so freaking quite there it made you ears ring.

We asked the flight service guy who does better. The guys he flys into lakes or the floaters? He said it is about 50-50 either way. Both the bull racks in those pictures where from guys on a lake. In fact, they called in for another meat flight right when we got back. 3 guys 3 bulls not to shabby. 2 guys on another river floated 10 miles and killed 2 bulls and got pulled out early.

It is frustrating to be floating and having to leave a sweet place because you have to get going or you will never make it. I am sure it can get boring sitting on the same lake for 10 days as well.

Since it is so painful and expensive (Gonna have to go again) not to kill a bull. Here are the things I learned from the trip.

1. Scapulas sound awesome for raking. However, once they get wet, forget about it. They don’t make noise. I will get on ebay and buy a small palm if I ever do go back.

2. I was looking at the maps before hand and thought I would be able to stop at sweet looking places based on the river bends. Those maps were made in the 50s. The river bends have changed a bunch. Get on Goggle earth and get the Lat/long where you want to stop before hand. We hardly ever knew exactly where we were.

3. Pick you river wisely. We were shut down on glassing. Maybe 2 highpoints the whole planed trip and we missed the first one because the river was so low he couldn’t land there. I like glassing. And when you cannot seem to call one in, what to do? The grass in nearly 5 feet tall in places. Major bummer.

4. I am not a moose calling expert. But everyone said not to cow call for AK moose. I think it may be silly not to. Especially when trying to get their attention from a distance.

We measured both those bulls. The small one was 48 inches and the wide one was 53 or so. Didn't matter though because residents shot them both. We weighed them both and they were both right at 33lbs with just the skull caps.