Gear list for AK moose hunt

[basshauler]

Actually I was the bad guy on this trip. My bull dropped in the river. The other two bulls were the requisite 15 yards from the rivers edge. The best part about the hunt was that the other two gentlemen were seriously concerned that they might not get a bull. It was day 8 of a 10 day float and the weather was nasty!! We killed two bulls in the heaviest wind and rain I've ever hunted in. It was 36 hours of hell. I would not trade that experience for anything. You find out what a true trophy really is. It has nothing to do with the size of horns, but big horns definitely help.

 

[basshauler]

The river behind up is normally only 60 ft wide.

 

[opyff]

Sent you some gear lists and food list from past hunts.

If 40 Mile isn't a viable option since you're not a repeat customer, check into Wright Aviation out of Fairbanks, and 70 North Aviation (they take hunters into the Brooks Range, you'd have to fly into Fairbanks, rent a truck, and drive a ways up the Dalton Highway to get to where they run their service).

Good luck,

Michael

Mdhunter, if you happen to have those lists still handy could you send em to me, that'd be appreciated, just to check and make sure I am not missing any small items from my list. I'm going to be doing a moose hunt in a few weeks and just trying to make sure I am overly prepared and packed before I go

 

[AlaskaHunter]

As already mentioned I highly recommend a Stanley fine tooth saw for fast cutting of the skull plate.

I also recommend a sat phone or InReach for emergency communicaton (I like the InReach).

Mosquito head net and deet-based repellent is a good thing to have on your list.
If it is warm white sox (black flies) like to bite your bloody wrists as your are butchering,
so some sort of long latex or rubber glove helps prevent that frustration.

If weight is not a major constraint (flying in with Beaver or Otter),
I recommend several tarps.
When it is pouring rain at camp, it is nice to have a campfire under a tarp strung overhead with some parachute cord.
Expect cold rain!

When butchering, a tarp helps keep the meat clean as you quarter.
On hot sunny days a tarp can help shade the meat pole.
On rainy days a tarp can help keep the crusted meat dry in the raft or the meat pole at camp.

If weight is not a major constraint, I recommend
a rope winch with at least 100 yards of 3/4 inch rope.
Moose near water have a tendency to die in water and can weigh over 1,000 pounds.
With a rope winch you can pull a moose that is floating in a deep water lake or
move a moose that you dropped in a marsh.
If you don't have a rope winch butchering a big bull in water can be a problem.

If space is not a major constraint, I also recommend at least 2 plastic jet sleds
These are stackable and can be used to keep the meat off a wet raft bottom
and make hauling heavy quarters to the raft easier than a back pack.
Plus they make butchering in knee deep water and drier event.

For floating, I like a Katadyn base camp gravity water filter...

If you decide on a ridgetop, drop off hunt, that is a glassing affair
and a spotting scope helps when you are judging whether a bull is legal
from a great distance (counting 4 brow tines for example)

Moose sometimes take a long time to get to a calling location.
They also have an excellent sense of hearing and can hear a call from a great distance.
Because of this patience and persistent is important.
From that perspective a short float may be more effective than a long float.
I like to call from the same location for at least 2 days, before dawn to after sunset.
https://www.alaskaremote.com/my-3-day-strategy-for-moose-hunting-success

The 4-DVD series "Moose Madness" is excellent on moose behavior, calling, shot placement, hunt setups, etc.
I highly recommend watching these several times before a moose hunt.

Bulls may respond to calling at anytime (no just dawn or dusk).
I shot my bull last season at 10am and I've shot several in early afternoon.
So always expect a bull is responding (slowly though may take hours) to your calling.
Do not get discouraged..persistent is very important.