Alaska for the paranoid

[Dave N]

That helped!

Sometimes fear is over-rated and sometimes not. Myself, I would consider it part of the adventure and relish every second of the trip. I have higher odds of dying driving to work every day than from a flight in a single engine plane! Smile, suck it up, and have a ball! That's why you're there in the first place!

 

[rwbowser]

That helped!

Sometimes fear is over-rated and sometimes not. Myself, I would consider it part of the adventure and relish every second of the trip. I have higher odds of dying driving to work every day than from a flight in a single engine plane! Smile, suck it up, and have a ball! That's why you're there in the first place!

A big part of me agrees, but I mitigate my risks when I can. No more road cycling (in a busy city it’s nuts), no more motorcycles, but I’ll still skateboard around my (quiet, gated) neighborhood with my 8 year old, just not jumping off anything anymore! I’ve loved the adventure of elk hunting Montana the past 3 years but when the guide sat on the edge of a cliff with his feet dangling over, in the snow, and suggested I sit next to him and take in the view...nope!

 

[longbow51]

A big part of me agrees, but I mitigate my risks when I can. No more road cycling (in a busy city it’s nuts), no more motorcycles, but I’ll still skateboard around my (quiet, gated) neighborhood with my 8 year old, just not jumping off anything anymore! I’ve loved the adventure of elk hunting Montana the past 3 years but when the guide sat on the edge of a cliff with his feet dangling over, in the snow, and suggested I sit next to him and take in the view...nope!

You know, you have to listen to your instincts. The flight is not the only risk; I recounted elsewhere how horrible our outfitter (not our guide, he was just a kid and not his fault) was, with tents I wouldn't (and didn't) send my daughter to Girl Scout camp in, and no working stove or water filter. A freak storm kept planes grounded for days. Had we become seriously ill or injured, we would have been screwed. So, adventure is all fun and games until it isn't and then 3 little kids and your wife are fending for themselves. A real man puts his family first and I applaud you.

 

[glass eye]

When you decide to pull the trigger on an AK hunt, give yourself extra days for delays. I've lost time waiting to get out of Anchorage from ice, fog, mechanical issues , and a volcano eruption.
Last year I felt like I was in the movie "Groundhog Day" at the Anchorage airport.

 

[rwbowser]

You know, you have to listen to your instincts. The flight is not the only risk; I recounted elsewhere how horrible our outfitter (not our guide, he was just a kid and not his fault) was, with tents I wouldn't (and didn't) send my daughter to Girl Scout camp in, and no working stove or water filter. A freak storm kept planes grounded for days. Had we become seriously ill or injured, we would have been screwed. So, adventure is all fun and games until it isn't and then 3 little kids and your wife are fending for themselves. A real man puts his family first and I applaud you.

Thanks for the support on that, I appreciate it. I’ve heard stories of being stuck out there in situations like that where the outfitters lack of planning or attention really created risks for their hunters.

 

[rwbowser]

When you decide to pull the trigger on an AK hunt, give yourself extra days for delays. I've lost time waiting to get out of Anchorage from ice, fog, mechanical issues , and a volcano eruption.
Last year I felt like I was in the movie "Groundhog Day" at the Anchorage airport.

Thanks for the advice, I’ll be sure to add some cushion to both sides of any trip there. I have a Newfoundland hunt booked for this year (highly doubt it’s going to happen due to the travel ban) and I was surprised to see how few flights there are, requiring me to add a few extra days just to wait for planes. I’m new to hunting and have always lived in big cities in the South, so I’m just laughing at my ignorance while enjoying learning.

 

[Gerald Martin]

Not to dampen the enthusiasm for a boat hunt, but the boat ride in Donnie Vincent’s film would have me preferring a bush plane.
Rough seas and small boats terrify me.

 

[glass eye]

Not to dampen the enthusiasm for a boat hunt, but the boat ride in Donnie Vincent’s film would have me preferring a bush plane.
Rough seas and small boats terrify me.

Yeah, crossing the channel between Ketchikan and POW is scary when it's storming.

 

[glass eye]

"It's the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live"

 

[Randi]

Not to dampen the enthusiasm for a boat hunt, but the boat ride in Donnie Vincent’s film would have me preferring a bush plane.
Rough seas and small boats terrify me.

I think I have seen more fellows lose their breakfast on boat trips than plane trips.

You can hunt Alaska by foot, boat, horseback, or plane. Many simply hoof it and our successful and have fun, no problem. Horseback allows one to cover more territory a bit faster and with less effort. But if you have not ridden before you might be surprised at your desire to walk and lead the horse the second day. Not everybody, but some get pretty sore after a day of horseback riding. You can take a boat, but depending on whether it is ocean or river depends on how sick you ( and your children ) might get. I prefer a small plane to a lake or river and then a small boat. But do whatever makes YOU comfortable.

 

[Gary]

Be very through in researching a boat based hunt or horseback. A lot of these hunts the outfitter will use a plane to access the boat/horse already in the hunting territory. You may sign up to hunt from a boat (or horse), then find out that it involves a plane ride to/from the boat (or horse).

 

[rwbowser]

Be very through in researching a boat based hunt or horseback. A lot of these hunts the outfitter will use a plane to access the boat/horse already in the hunting territory. You may sign up to hunt from a boat (or horse), then find out that it involves a plane ride to/from the boat (or horse).

Just started noticing how many boat based hunts start with a sea plane ride to wherever the boat is moored. I’ll pay close attention, thanks!

 

[AlaskaHunter]

I was in a super cub accident about 20 years ago with a well known transporter that ran 3 super cubs.
Leaving a ridge there was a slight cross wind and we crabbed about 10 feet and the tip of the downwind wing hit a 3 foot black spruce tree.
Pilot hit the brakes and we spun off the ridge.
I flew with the same transporter many times since then in much rougher terrain and no problems.

For you, if you have the money, one option would be a guided horseback hunt in the Alaska Range.
Very expensive, once in a lifetime 12-day hunts.
Fly commercial into Fairbanks International Airport, drive a rental 2 hours to Healy.
http://www.midnightsunsafaris.com/
Did I say very expensive? $28,000 for 2 species (Dall sheep, moose, bear) for 12 days

 

[Trial153]

Take a xanax and get on the plane

 

[Vek]

Scaredest I've been in a bushplane was in a turbo 207, flying out of the middle fork ID to McCall. The clearing in the clouds closed like a clap of doom, and there was zero visibility. Pilot maintained heading, but firewalled the throttle and increased climb rate to get up over it. We broke out over cloud cover with no land in sight... Older guy, didn't show any reaction other than reaching for the throttle.

Alaska flights were pretty mellow, except four close, tight supercub passes over the sheep strip once to clear some nagging fog was a bit rough on the stomach. Saw a wolverine on one of the passes, though, so was worth it. Later with the same pilot in his 180, he powered up while pointing completely the wrong direction, ruddered and braked the plane around while dipping half the landing gear (and nearly the wing) in the water, and we lifted off right as the gravel bar ended at the other end.

Just go. It's fun.

 

[Bambistew]

Planes crash, boats sink, horses throw/roll/maim, atvs flip, rafts get caught in jams... people die of all sorts of stuff, but very rarely. TBH, there is usually a sheep/goat hunter that falls to his death every year. The ones that die in plane crashes are almost always private operators flying in crappy conditions. I've found 4 plane wrecks over the years, 2 were pretty fresh, two were very old... This one was about 24 hrs old. Took off in stupid high winds. They walked away, if they would have made it another 100-150ft, they'd probably not have been so lucky. This is what $100k looks like all crumpled up.

 

[mdhunter61]

When you decide to pull the trigger on an AK hunt, give yourself extra days for delays. I've lost time waiting to get out of Anchorage from ice, fog, mechanical issues , and a volcano eruption.
Last year I felt like I was in the movie "Groundhog Day" at the Anchorage airport.

Back in 2002, hunted the Mulchatna caribou herd as it was starting to decline. We flew into Dillingham and then took a floatplane from there and landed up on the Nushagak River. When we flew back Dillingham a couple of days early, we were stuck for 2 days trying to get a flight back to Anchorage, I think there were only 2 or 3 flights to ANC per day back then. We didn't have a place to stay in Dillingham, but I had agreed to let a couple of hunters from Minnesota tag onto our bush flight back into Dillingham (a Grumman Goose), so they let us stay with them at their friend's place until we caught a flight to ANC.

 

[Werty]

The arrogance, to assume that you have control of your death.

 

[mmazour]

I've flown in Beavers, Otters, Piper Cubs and super cubs, float planes, and tundra tires...and even a helicopter in northern Quebec. All were a rush and an experience for sure, but never did I feel unsafe. On hunts in the lower 48, I've rolled an ATV a few thousand feet down a mountain, and have seen some bad truck wrecks. And I have seen guides fall through the ice in single digit temps on a walk-in hunt.
I do understand the original post; I am conservative by nature and look at risks. But if you are out in the field, pursuing the activities we want, things can happen...anywhere, and you can't control it. Horses can get spooked, trucks can roll. Again, not trying to knock the thinking, just trying to add perspective to not limit yourself from the experience.

 

[glass eye]

Or you could the haul road.