Alaska combo hunt recommendations

[WAB]

True but if you have 5 going who want the comforts of a lodge, don’t want a spike camp and don’t want to walk then you aren’t likely to have much success either with that many people on a combo hunt in Alaska. But some outfitter will get a nice payday with little work probably followed by some bad reviews due to lack of hunter success.

Agreed, I think a fly in lodge on a river with boats to run the river is likely the best bet. Even then, it’s a tall order with the restrictions.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

What @WAB said. There are likely folks up here that can offer the opportunity at this, but it's likely a remote lodge with river access. I have been in places in which I saw all three on the same trip but that'd be a tough ask without tents and some hiking.

 

[WAB]

What @WAB said. There are likely folks up here that can offer the opportunity at this, but it's likely a remote lodge with river access. I have been in places in which I saw all three on the same trip but that'd be a tough ask without tents and some hiking.

The more I think about it, I think they should talk to Alaska Wilderness Adventures on the Holitna. My friend, Rocky McIlveen, retired and sold it to a fellow who is apparently doing a good job with it. You can run a lot of river from that lodge, and they would have enough boats for everyone. Grizzly and moose are definitely there. I don’t know about caribou.

 

[fourfive8]

Yep, It would be tough no matter what. I'm trying to remember the exact circumstances where I've had a reasonable chance at all three (just me and not counting a group of 4-5)?? A few times for two of the three but still serious walking would have been involved with some luck and still out of a fly camp. Probably it would be brown bears along with something else, either moose or caribou. On DIY tent camps over from @Tundra Tiger 's home area, twice... caribou hunting with lots of bears around- west slope of the Kilbucks around the Kwethluk drainage. Dang a lot of bears in that area for a few years along with good caribou. The big boars seemed to be all about 9 footers or so. Moose hunting, but again remote camp out on the west drainage of the AK range east of McGrath, a couple of times I remember having caribou around quite a lot and occasionally saw black bears and brown bears. Saw as many wolves there as I've seen anywhere in AK. Those years (maybe even now?) very liberal wolf bags as AF&G was trying to thin them down some.

The other time was brown bear hunting down the Peninsula where several times we glassed bull moose that may have been doable?- 2-3 miles away [See previous pics of small camp shack and larger camp with planes.] Still, cutting off a bear that's just walking cross country when glassed at two miles is not for those who can't walk. Many times it is a semi-sprint across that hummocky, tussocky occasionally wet bottom tundra just to intercept. I don't know what it is about hunting in AK but every glassed potential critter seems to be about 2-3 miles away. Caribou can be the same way if on the move- just walking and eating their way along non-stop and very difficult to cut off.

The fishing pics are appropriate and really not a side track to this hunting thread as I've found some kind of fishing available during well over half my hunts. I think my largest or tied for largest rainbow was caught while on a bear hunt. Spent an afternoon fishing with light spin tackle for char in a small stream "char hole" about a half mile below camp. The char were all uniformly 20-22"- kept 3 for camp meal. Then started fishing catch and release. Very next cast was not a char! Turned out to be a big rainbow. I landed it in a shallow bay of a sand bar by some miracle because the lower end of the hole was choked with a log jam. It was a 34 incher so even if I had a little trout net it wouldn't have helped much. Turned the hook out with some needle nose pliers I always take fishing and said, "thanks"! Gently let him glide back into his hole. Pure luck and proves just never know what to expect. In those areas that weren't known for much fishing opportunity, usually something available even if only a few char or small grayling in small lakes or streams. Those colored up char or dollies are stunning fish, aren't they!

 

[aknome]

We've had the opportunity for all three species several times. However, we've never tried to take all three due to logistics. We hunt with ATVs and normally camping out of tents. Once meat is on the ground, priorities change because of warm temp and or wet weather. I've turned down some awesome critters because we were already headed for home with full loads. (We used to be able to shoot five caribou a day- Every Day)