Gear list for AK moose hunt

Looking at an AK moose hunt in the next year or two. Originally a friend and myself were going to transport our rafts and gear to Alaska and get flown into a river and do a DIY float hunt. Now we are thinking our first trip might be easier getting flown into an area and hunt on foot. Something like what 40 Mile Air offers. I was wondering if anyone that has done this would be willing to share their equipment list and weight of items. 40 Mile restricts you to 50 pounds per hunter. That seems awful light to me unless you are paying them extra to fly more gear in and out. Any gear pros and cons would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Bill

Logistically a float hunt will be easier for a first trip. A moose is heavy-really heavy and a raft makes getting them out much easier. When it comes to a float hunt remember that you will be setting up your camp and breaking down every day. Less is definitely more in this case. My buddies and I can set or break camp in about 15 min. Good raingear and waders, a good lightweight tent, and a good sleeping bag are absolute necessities. A sat phone, camera, knife, small saw, rifle, gamebags,gps, headlamp, and food is all you really need. Everything else is fluff and you won't use it. I also take a small torch for quickly lighting fires even in the rain. That is my packing list for a 10 day float hunt.

don't forget the TP !!

Bill,

I've done several hunts with 40 Mile, went for caribou with another HuntTalker last year and am going back for moose this year. I always do the extra 200-pound gear load - if you're doing a 10-day hunt for moose, you'll be running a really tight camp if you go in with just the 50 pound load for your gear, tent, sleeping bag, backpack, and food. Some guys do it, but I like the extra comfort and assortment of food that the extra gear load affords.

If I haven't done so before, I'm happy to send you my typical gear list for flyout moose hunts, just shoot me an email.

Michael

basshauler said:

Logistically a float hunt will be easier for a first trip. A moose is heavy-really heavy and a raft makes getting them out much easier. When it comes to a float hunt remember that you will be setting up your camp and breaking down every day. Less is definitely more in this case. My buddies and I can set or break camp in about 15 min. Good raingear and waders, a good lightweight tent, and a good sleeping bag are absolute necessities. A sat phone, camera, knife, small saw, rifle, gamebags,gps, headlamp, and food is all you really need. Everything else is fluff and you won't use it. I also take a small torch for quickly lighting fires even in the rain. That is my packing list for a 10 day float hunt.

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I would discourage someone from doing a float trip on their first remote Alaskan hunt, unless they were a VERY experienced river runner. Alaskan rivers can be very dangerous if they get a lot of rain before your hunt, as has happened in 2 recent years (2012 and one other year). Also, taking care of a large bull moose in the field is unlike any other game animal you've had to care for, and Alaskan regs are much stricter on preserving meat and citing wanton waste violations. A remote flyout hunt where you're dropped off and picked up in the same area is easier and safer for a first-time Alaskan hunter in my opinion.

It sounds like you have the routine down, but I think its more difficult than you've stated...just want first-timers to realize what they are signing up for, a float hunt is a lot of work and takes a lot of commitment.

mdhunter61 said:

I would discourage someone from doing a float trip on their first remote Alaskan hunt, unless they were a VERY experienced river runner. Alaskan rivers can be very dangerous if they get a lot of rain before your hunt, as has happened in 2 recent years (2012 and one other year). Also, taking care of a large bull moose in the field is unlike any other game animal you've had to care for, and Alaskan regs are much stricter on preserving meat and citing wanton waste violations. A remote flyout hunt where you're dropped off and picked up in the same area is easier and safer for a first-time Alaskan hunter in my opinion.

It sounds like you have the routine down, but I think its more difficult than you've stated...just want first-timers to realize what they are signing up for, a float hunt is a lot of work and takes a lot of commitment.

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We usually take MRE's for food. They will make you appreciate Moose tenders even more. Each one has TP. In 2012 the river we were floating rose 8 feet in about 2 days.It rained all day eight out of the ten days we were floating. Pick your river carefully and start with and easy float. I personally would not want to pack moose hind quarters much over a quarter mile. A drop hunt really limits your hunting options to a rather small area. I like being mobile and hunting hot sign. I think it is much easier to pick a drainage than to pick a spot. Just my thoughts

+1 mdhunter 61. I'd stick to a drop hunt.

I did this hunt (drop hunt) with Yukon Eagle Air in 2006 out of Galena. The only game in town now in Galena is Joe Schuster and he's charging $6,500 for an outfitted hunt.

If you're set on a float hunt, contact Larry Bartlett at Pristine Ventures. He has a good reputation for planning hunts, especially float hunts.

Super cubs are limited by FAA to 50lbs of cargo and a passenger. Few follow the rule to the pound, but 40Mile seems to stick to their guns on that one. If it doesn't include your rifle, you should be able to squeak in at 50lbs, otherwise I think it would be really tight for two guys for a 10 day trip. I have just about the lightest possible backpacking gear you can buy for sheep hunting, and I would still be just over 50lbs with a rifle for a 10 day trip. Sharing a rifle and splitting gear is the only way we'd make it under the limit.

Can't help with the float/drop as I've never done a float hunt. I'd love to one day, but to do it right and the places I want to go will be a 2 week minimum trip.

I've been on quite a few drop hunts, and about half a dozen dead moose...

Aside from standard camp gear and food, hunting in Alaska isn't some mythical place filled with danger around ever bend. The killers are hypothermia, and... that's bout it. Recenly it seems like getting shot by a fellow hunter and rolling your ATV in a river are number two.

Keep dry and warm and you'll be fine. Good rain gear is a must. I don't care for the breathable stuff on extended hunts, because if it rains for a week straight it WILL get saturated, it won't keep you dry and you will never dry out. On a moose hunt where you don't walk around much the non-breathable waterproof stuff is a perfect fit.

A hip boots, a packable come-a-long and a good saw are key pieces of equipment along with about 100ft or more of heavy rope. Drop a moose in a swamp and you'll soon realize how much moose hunting sucks.

I like the Stanley 14" carpenters saw. They run about $12. They work for cutting wood, and cutting out antlers. Best I've found so far. Fits right against my back inside my pack. Wyoming saws are a joke when it comes to moose, as are the cheap folding saws. You can literally spend hours cutting out horns with junk saws, vs about 10 min with the Stanley.

If you plan on caping out your bull, look for TTC (Taxidermy Trophy Care). It works like salt, but you need about 1/10th as much. A quart will set the hair on a moose cape with salt you'd need 20lbs. That said, learn how to cape/flesh if you plan on keeping the cape... Plan on spending 4-5 hours fleshing it or more. Even if you don't want it, They sell for about $350-400 green/salted.

Make one of these moose scrapers as well... an empty quart oil jug has better tone, but I made due with a Power Aid bottle.



Have fun, and good luck planning. Keep in mind that most of the good air taxi's are booked a year out or more. I think 40mile opens the phone line the first of the year for return customers, and then if there's any slots left they take calls the following week for those bookings. If you haven't flown with them before, you probably won't get a moose hunt with them.

Here's 3 guys with a 50lb minimum camp. We lived pretty good sans a heater in the tent...

I'll second Bambi's carpenter's saw recommendation. I spent several hours last year working on the skull plate of my moose with a WY saw and Gerber folding saw. First time I ever tried cutting antlers off a moose, last time I'll do it with a small saw. The folding saws work fine for leg bones, they're worthless on skull plates of a large animal.

basshauler said:

In 2012 the river we were floating rose 8 feet in about 2 days.It rained all day eight out of the ten days we were floating. Pick your river carefully and start with and easy float.

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I think you're being pretty modest about your river skills - a river rising 8 feet in 2 days would strand a lot of hunters out there! Glad you made it through.

Some guys pack moose 2-3 miles over the course of a few days - I think my limit is somewhere between your 1/4 mile and their 2-3 miles.

bambistew is spot on. We are going on a Brooks Range Drop in, Float, Pickup Moose trip this fall and had it booked in 2012. We looked into 40 Mile air but they are repeat clients only as far as moose hunts go since they open them up to cleients first. My opinion is to do a drop Bou hunt with them and then you are a former client which allows you the choice to book a Drop Moose hunt with them a following year. On our upcoming hunt we are limited to 90lbs of gear per guy, but fly in with a different type plane and that doesnt include your Rafting Gear. For 4 guys itll be like 3-4 loads in and depending on success around 6 loads out. NOT cheap i can tell you that! I had sticker shock learning what our flights in and out are going to cost, but you get what you pay for. Ill have to look into that salt replacement product Bambistew...Thanks for the Tip!

Sorry its 5:1 not 10:1. However you don't need to make it cardboard stiff to get the pH down. I take a pint bottle on sheep hunts, and its enough for two capes...

Another product I've not researched but have heard good things is Stop Rot. It doesn't dry out the hide though... moose capes are HEAVY, think 60-70lbs green. Salted or with TTC you can cut the weight in half.

TTC
http://bringmin.com/?page_id=580

Stop Rot
http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/Stop-Rot-W368.aspx

Thanks, everyone that is some of the info I wanted to hear.

Mdhunter61, I would like to get your list when you have time, Thanks.

I would like to do back to back hunts to Alaska, but that is not financially possible for me so I guess 40 mile will must likely be out. Part of the reason my friend and I are starting to look at drop hunts was the expense of transporting 2 rafts, gear etc to and from Alaska plus the bush flights in and out. Hoping we can do a cheaper hunt in a few years and then save up to go again before we get to old.

Bambistew, is this the type of saw you are talking about?
http://www.lowes.com/pd_299971-355-...rentURL=?Ntt=stanley+carpenter+saw&facetInfo=

Thanks everyone

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

Bambistew said:

Sorry its 5:1 not 10:1. However you don't need to make it cardboard stiff to get the pH down. I take a pint bottle on sheep hunts, and its enough for two capes...

Another product I've not researched but have heard good things is Stop Rot. It doesn't dry out the hide though... moose capes are HEAVY, think 60-70lbs green. Salted or with TTC you can cut the weight in half.

TTC
http://bringmin.com/?page_id=580

Stop Rot
http://www.vandykestaxidermy.com/Stop-Rot-W368.aspx

Click to expand...

Good info on the saw Ivan, I'm gonna pick one up before this fall's moose hunt. Did you line up a sheep partner for this fall?

mdhunter61 said:

I would discourage someone from doing a float trip on their first remote Alaskan hunt, unless they were a VERY experienced river runner.

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I agree with mdhunter61 on this. I read the book "Hunt Alaska Now" in the late 90's and it was a good resource at the time. This fall will be my eighth trip since 1998 and all of our hunts were fixed camp except for one float trip. I'm glad we didn’t do the float trip on our first hunt and glad that I did it when I was 34 at the time! We joke about doing another float trip for old time sake, but quickly change our minds after recalling the additional work to set up/tear down camp (which consumes a lot more of your hunting time than you planned). Don’t get me wrong; I think a person should experience a float, but you should seriously consider doing a fixed camp on your first AK hunt.

If you do a float, pick a realistic distance…one of our biggest mistakes was trying to cover too many miles. These AK trips are my 2 week vacation, so I don't go bare bones anymore. When moose hunting we try to find an air taxi using a Beaver on floats (instead of a Supercub) to drop us on a lake so our gear weight isn't critical and you can bring some luxury items.

Our more recent moose hunts were fixed camp on a lake/slough system and we could cover ground by water using an inflatable raft (the same type you’d use on a river float). This works good after you have a moose down. One thing we don't leave home without is a plastic expedition sled. Now something like this might not physically fit in super cub all that easily, but they are super light and a back saver! Use it to shuttle your gear from lake to camp and meat to meat rack/pick up spot. The sled works fine when going through calf deep water with a second set of strings on the back and have the second person keep it level and somewhat support it when going through water. The loaded sled will pretty much plough through or float in shallow water as you walk, that is as long as you don’t stop (they like to sink then). We always take two pack frames, but I can't even recall the last time we used a pack frame (it was probably on our float). Nothing like pulling a 125+ moose quarter across the tundra and dropping the rope to take a break...definitely a lifesaver!!!

After doing the caribou trip last year, I think a float trip would be extreme for a 1st trip.If you get rain everyday it wont be fun.Everything you have will be wet.I'd do as mdhunter61 suggests and use his pack list.I'm going next year and will use most of his list.It made for a very comfortable camp,and too much extra money considering the investment already
Good luck and I hope you can find an open spot.I know next year 40 mile will have one spot for moose booked by me

My son and I did a super cub drop hunt with 40-Mile Air, in 2010. As stated, you will be limited to 50 lbs. per person on your packed gear. On our fly out we layered most all of our clothes, and stuffed everything that was small enough into pour pockets. This saved weight that wasn't counted against our 50 lb. pack weight. For provisions, we took mainly MRE's, and packed enough to allow 4500 calories a day for 6 days for each of us. On the 4th day, my son shot a nice caribou bull, and we were very thankful to have some protein. We were in the bush for a total of 9 full days, and would have been a couple of very hungry Hombres, if we had not connected on the bou. We are doing an early season fly in this year with 70 North, on the north slope of the Brooks Range, and we will hopefully be able to allow more weight for fresh food. Knute

This was our last DIY float hunt in Alaska. A 64", a 62" and a respectable 56". We had a lot of time to kill as our air taxi couldn't get in to get us for 3 days (wind and rain). We spent time carving predator calls out of saplings (hoping to get another wolf) but questioned our sanity considering we were practically sleeping with over a ton of moose meat in grizzly country.

Great pic BassHauler - did you get them all within your self-imposed 1/4 mile packing distance??