Kamchatka Moose Hunt - 2022

[NIGHTHAWK]

Has anyone booked hunts to Kamchatka this year?

My recent trip to Vegas for the SCI Show was great. Low attendance numbers made it easy for us to talk to outfitters we needed to. I took a good friend and hunt partner with me because he has always talked about a moose hunt. Unfortunately most Alaska moose hunts were booked for 2022. They were also surprisingly expensive! I was personally looking for a NZ hunt, but the outfitter owner I wanted to talk to was not there due to Covid issues back home. I learned from his reps that NZ could continue to have after hunt quarantine requirements prior to leaving back to the states and they were reluctant to book this year.

-I did book my 4th trip to South Africa, along with hosting 3 other friends who will each hunt South Africa for the first time!

The second day of the show I ran into a guy I know from Reno who was with an outfitter Rep for UTGARD - Kamchatka Hunting Expeditions. They were in a small and unassuming booth off to the side a bit and it was just a coincidence that I saw Larry. After chatting a bit about the outfit and the hunts, and realizing the price for a Kamchatka moose hunt was 1/2 the price of a US hunt, we said we would give it some serious consideration. This consideration was based on the fact that Larry has hunted with this outfit and gave them an amazing endorsement! We came back the following day and booked with a small deposit to hold the dates.

Realizing the current problems with Russian relations, I'm glad we gave minimum deposits in the event the opportunity to hunt this year closes.

I would appreciate any current insight to travel from San Francisco. As of now we were told to plan on taking the long way round through Moscow. We have November hunt dates, so there is a lot of time to plan and see how things unfold.

Because we really didn't plan on going to Kamchatka, we had not considered the real commitment to planning and the time it takes to get there, including transfers, getting the trophies processed and exported back, and the communication constraints that we will likely encounter. So now I'll be looking to fill in more of the blanks. I'm not overly concerned with any of the aforementioned items, but would very much appreciate helpful information or experiences!

**We are renting guns and will travel as light as possible...

I'm really looking forward to this hunt - if it happens!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Rare Breed]

I believe @Redleg is going there for bear. At DSC he told me how long getting there would take

 

[Red Leg]

My hunt, which has been postponed by the Russians for two years due to Covid, can't happen this year due to my schedule issues. We are negotiating now whether or not they will roll the hunt to next year. But yes, it is a long haul, and you will need some help from your outfitter sorting it out. All roads lead through Moscow, at least during the spring hunting season. My route will be Austin/JFK/Moscow/Petropavlovsk/6-hour van ride/2-hour helicopter flight to camp. To give an appreciation of the distance. the flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk is longer than the flight from JFK to Moscow.

Profihunt (our outfitter) and Travel with Guns (TWG) arranged our flights. I believe there are West Coast options in the summer months, but I don't know about a fall moose hunt.

 

[gillettehunter]

Over on the "other network" there is a hunt report on this type of hunt. It's in the hunting reports-Rest of the world section and is the top post right now.
Bruce

 

[Foxi]

"the flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk is longer than the flight from JFK to Moscow."

It's incredible how big this beautiful world is for us hunters.

 

[yhc]

@NIGHTHAWK Have you guys considered doing a DIY moose hunt in Alaska? Nonresidents do NOT require a guide service for moose hunts unless you are foreigners. Just a thought.

Regards,

 

[Tanks]

@NIGHTHAWK Have you guys considered doing a DIY moose hunt in Alaska? Nonresidents do NOT require a guide service for moose hunts unless you are foreigners. Just a thought.
...

Would be tough to pack out solo though, I think.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

@NIGHTHAWK Have you guys considered doing a DIY moose hunt in Alaska? Nonresidents do NOT require a guide service for moose hunts unless you are foreigners. Just a thought.

Regards,

That is something to consider and my hunt partner is double tough having DIY Elk and Deer hunts every year since he was a kid and could drive or ride a horse to make a hunt! He’s in his 70’s now, so this is not an option.

 

[Ryan]

Would be tough to pack out solo though, I think.

Explaining that to more than a few people has been fun over the years. Some areas regs require meat left on the bone and quarters are not light. There's a reason I like caribou, they're packable. And this year I expect everyone and their brother up here since the last two has had so many peoples hunts diverted.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

"the flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk is longer than the flight from JFK to Moscow."

It's incredible how big this beautiful world is for us hunters.

Good point. I was also at the SCI show to book a 4 Ibex Spain hunt, with an extended stay for time to get to Greece and Italy, and I was just wanting to get that sorted when we found this moose hunt. After running in to my trusted PH and old friend at his booth and talking a while, my hunting partner says - “well, maybe I should go to South Africa!” Now, for some reason he has never showed any interest in going to RSA and I never forced the issue as to why, but I’m thrilled, and said of course I’ll take you!

Oh, I also booked a third trip back Saskatchewan for a Goose and Duck hunt this year with another old friend and outfitter I ran into who gave me a deal I couldn’t refuse…

NZ, Alaska, Spain turns in to Russia, South Africa, Canada, and 2023 Colorado trip.

So, it’s like hunting… My first trip to South Africa I had a contract for 5 Animals, and because I was open to opportunity, I ended up taking 11. Don’t ask about the second trip! -I’m just glad I brought a second check!!

Life is short and the world is large…

 

[yhc]

Would be tough to pack out solo though, I think.

Indeed it would be. Do some people do it? Yes. But for safety reasons I would not recommend a solo big game hunt in Alaska.

He’s in his 70’s now, so this is not an option.

Gotcha. You might want to consider posting a question re: Alaska guide service availability for a moose hunt in Alaska Outdoor forum.

Regards,

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I will echo what @yhc said. And yeah, it's a lot to pack out but it's like every other part of the hunt: you plan for it. I did a fly in a few years back. An inflatable made it easy enough to get the moose back to camp, with almost no packing, where the air taxi picked us up.

I also agree with @Ryan: caribou are soooo much easier. After working on a moose, gutting and dealing with a caribou is like working on a jackrabbit. Seriously. But... the original poster is after moose. I think Alaska is a good option. Of course, I have a bias too.

 

[NIGHTHAWK]

Indeed it would be. Do some people do it? Yes. But for safety reasons I would not recommend a solo big game hunt in Alaska.


Gotcha. You might want to consider posting a question re: Alaska guide service availability for a moose hunt in Alaska Outdoor forum.

Regards,

Good Idea, thanks!

There were a few options (for us) for Alaska moose at the Vegas convention, but my partner wanted a boat or float trip due to his current condition. Of course he also wants a monster moose… “You can’t always get what we want”

Compromise is Snow mobiles, Kamchatka, in November. Still won’t be easy!

 

[Foxi]

@NIGHTHAWK Have you guys considered doing a DIY moose hunt in Alaska? Nonresidents do NOT require a guide service for moose hunts unless you are foreigners. Just a thought.

Regards,

that means only an American can hunt there without a guide,even when he comes from the lower 48 ?
Am I translating that correctly ?

 

[JanP]

Th topic is about Kamchatka!

 

[yhc]

that means only an American can hunt there without a guide,even when he comes from the lower 48 ?
Am I translating that correctly ?

@Foxi, please refer to the following link

Alaska Guide Requirements for Hunting in Alaska

 

[VertigoBE]

My hunt, which has been postponed by the Russians for two years due to Covid, can't happen this year due to my schedule issues. We are negotiating now whether or not they will roll the hunt to next year. But yes, it is a long haul, and you will need some help from your outfitter sorting it out. All roads lead through Moscow, at least during the spring hunting season. My route will be Austin/JFK/Moscow/Petropavlovsk/6-hour van ride/2-hour helicopter flight to camp. To give an appreciation of the distance. the flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk is longer than the flight from JFK to Moscow.

Profihunt (our outfitter) and Travel with Guns (TWG) arranged our flights. I believe there are West Coast options in the summer months, but I don't know about a fall moose hunt.

One day, I'll follow in your footsteps
Looking forward to hearing that hunting report! What will you be hunting? Moose, bear, wolf, sheep? All of the above ?

 

[Vashper]

I can only envy, for me this is an unattainable dream.

Elk Chukchi
Alces alces buturlini
Chukotka Moose (amer. eng.).

It is also called East Siberian and Far Eastern moose, sometimes Kamchatka moose, which is generally incorrect. The scientific name is given in honor of the Russian scientist S. A. Buturlin, who first described this subspecies in 1934.

description. It is the largest moose in Asia, weighing up to 800 kg, with extremely large horns. Horns with a large broad shovel with numerous short appendages. The span is 160 cm or more with a shovel width of up to 60 cm. The weight of the horns is 20-35 kg or more. It is very similar to the giant moose in Alaska – 70 chromosomes in both moose confirm their genetic proximity. According to the latest information, the largest moose in the world.

distribution. The north of the Far East - from the basin of the Alazeya River to the east through the basins of the Kolyma and Anadyr rivers and to the south through the basin of the Penzhina River and the Koryak Highlands to Kamchatka. Moose on the Kamchatka Peninsula, where there were no moose before– were introduced from the Anadyr River basin.

 

[Vashper]

Later I will quote some useful tips from the PH there. The topic is interesting and popular - the biggest moose, the biggest bears. Kamchatka is generally an amazing place - volcanoes, geysers. There is a river there, all the shoals on it are stacked with agates. I tried to get there through the service, but failed. I had cadets who served there - they told me a lot of interesting things.

 

[Vashper]

For example:
"one thing that needs to be said. Those who have planned hunting in my farm, in Kamchatka, do not take into account the circumstance of temporary adaptation at all. The real difference with Moscow is not 8 hours, but 9!!! When planning a hunt with a hunter from the Russian South (Rostov-on-Don), I saw the desire to come "quickly, quickly", knock and leave "quickly, quickly"! I have had cases when you lead a hunter into an ambush, and he sleeps on the move! There was a case when he fell asleep and fell out of the sled on the move. It takes at least 3-5 days to get used to it and not jump up in the middle of the night, and not sleep during the day!
Do not rush to hunt right away, three or four days will be difficult, you need to drink beer if your health allows and lead a daytime lifestyle. Try not to get up at night, but to sleep. Then, after three or four days, you will enter the Kamchatka time mode and begin to hunt painlessly.
Plan in advance the time to adapt to our time.
Americans tolerate adaptation more easily, the difference with Kamchatka is 5-8 hours. Depending on the state. But they go "into the night", the body tolerates it easier."