What is Fairbanks like?

[jackfish]

Are there good hunting and fishing opportunities for the Fairbanks resident? Can one hunt around there by driving and hiking? Would a 16' flat bottom boat with a 25 horse be a good fishing rig on the rivers around there? Is a snowmobile a good transportation mode in winter? How long is the drive to Anchorage? Thanks for anything you can offer.

 

[BW]

Well, the answer to all your questions is "yes", except the last one. That would be about 360 miles.

 

[jackfish]

As you may discern, the pike fishing would be a plus!

 

[Erik in AK]

Jackfish,
No offense to brian in Sitka but I think I'm only Hunt Talk'er who lives in the Fairbanks area. He's right about the drive, Anchorage is about a 6 hour drive with good road conditions.

now for your other questions--

Best moose hunting anywhere is within about a hundred mile radius of Fairbanks. The Tanana Flats area south of here has the highest moose density in the state right now. Lots of big bulls are coming out of there every year for the past 6 or 7 years.

Good black bear hunting for average sized bears. The Nenana area 50 miles to the south gives up a few 7 footers every year but the consistently big blackies are found along the costal areas.

Fishing in the Fairbanks area is decent but not ever great, except for Grayling and Pike. Not a major tourist draw but beautiful and fun to catch. Good salmon fishing is a 3 to 12 hour drive depending on where you go.

Sell your boat. If you're thinking about moving here buy a 20 footer with a 90 horse jet. (75 hp min). DO NOT BUY A JON BOAT unless you're into drowning. Buy a no-kidding river sled with a tunnel hull if you can get one. Many of the rivers you'd want to run to access the better hunting are glacial--big, fast, silty, very cold, loaded with debris and unpredictable. The channels and braids change constantly. to paraphrase the late great Elmer Keith 'Bring enough boat!' (Elmer said "gun").

Snowmobile's(known to Alaskans as snowmachines) are a must have if you're an outdoorsman. If you just want to play thats cool. I have a short track Polaris. It does good on established trails but is useless in unpacked snow deeper than a foot. My next sled will definitely be a long track.

If you want more info shoot me an email and we can talk off line

<FONT COLOR="#800080" SIZE="1">[ 01-22-2004 00:49: Message edited by: Erik in AK ]</font>

 

[Alaskan Yoter]

Lol...Thats pretty darn good Erik.

 

[RockyDog]

I did some pike fishing on the Tanana northwest of Fairbanks. It was incredible. Real lunkers (up to 40") in the unnamed sloughs and streams that enter the Tanana.

Id suggest taking Erik's advice on the boat, the Tananan and the Yukon were way big and powerful in the spring