Alaska on a budget?

Randy11 said:

The changes are in the PDF below-

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/home/pdfs/2016_2017_alaska_license_fees.pdf

Still a steal in my book...

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Dang! I'm really glad that me and five buddies have planned to hunt Kodiak Island this year, and not next.

I've hunted DIY Alaska 8 times and have my 9th and 10th trips planned. Like what was said above, transportation into the bush can be the biggest expense. It will be half ($1500) of my Kodiak trip this year. I save by owning all of my gear and getting deals on travel to and from the bush flight. There are steps to take when getting meat and antlers home. Logistics for getting a moose home is an expensive dilemma. When I plan a trip I do extensive research to put the odds for success in my favor, that's why I have chosen bush flights, which adds to the cost. You can do DIY trips without bush flights but I don't want to go on a camping trip in Alaska. I will tell you that game is not under every bush in Alaska... Lots of things to consider. Ed F

Yes, just noticed that myself. Absolutely bummed, over $600.00 for a Caribou tag just threw my lifetime dream of hunting AK out the window.

If an extra $300 means the difference between going and not going... maybe you shouldn't be going in the first place. I stick to a budget on my hunts but you have to prepare for the worst. Two days of weather delays, which occurs often, can amount to $300. I make sacrifices and cut back at home to save up for my hunts. You can make up the $300 tag hike and still go. I always tell hunters planning Alaska trips to quit talking about it and "just do it". Ed F

Ever take into consideration that there are more involved than one and the planned trip was for more than one species. Everything in my situation is multiplied by two as my wife hunts as well. Strangely we managed to retire a decade earlier than most folks, everything we have we own, have zero debt, but none the less it means we have to live within our retirement. We are in fact going to AK next year as planned for at least 3 months via ground with the exception we will not be bringing the hunting rifles with us.

Igor said:

Yes, just noticed that myself. Absolutely bummed, over $600.00 for a Caribou tag just threw my lifetime dream of hunting AK out the window.

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Sorry to hear that, we all have our breaking point, or justification.

Curious, where you where planning to hunt or how you planned to access them? Off the Haul Road?

No disrespect. My point was intended to be encouraging... It can be done. I thought you were just talking about one caribou tag. I'm retired as well with no debt, I drive a 15 year old pickup, do side work... basically whatever it takes to hunt Alaska as often as I can. Ed F

No disrespect felt from my side Ed, but thank you all the same. Retirement same here except we cannot take in the side work, with a lot available these days ... we are at the income limit for our health care which would cost us a small fortune to replace it. Ah, the joys of retiring in your 50's :-/. Well, have you beat, my pickup is only 14 years old being a 2002 ... neener neener ;-)

All in all it may be an overreaction on my part. I just hate seeing Alaska doing the same monetary move with tags that Oregon did quite awhile ago. May be able to still put the critter wackin' part together with only one species. Need to go back to the planning board and have a long chat with my buddy who lives up that way. Except I know high on his list is flying out to Adak and wack Caribou out there. My wife wants no part of that plan, she was stationed there for a little over two years while she was in the Navy and says she did not leave anything there when she left.