USA: DIY Moose In Alaska

[gearguywb]

I am finally getting caught up so I thought I would do one more report from this year.

This was a DIY Moose hunt in Alaska off the Yukon River.

I was fortunate to meet and become friends with a great guy while hunting a couple of years ago. He told me that he had been in this area previously on a DIY hunt and that if I was lucky enough to draw a tag we could get together with anyone else that drew.

I have been putting in for draws throughout the west for many years without ever drawing. Wouldn’t you know it, Lady Luck smiled on me and I drew a tag the first year applying for moose in this area.

This particular area is a trophy area requiring bulls to be 50 or more inches in width or have 4 or more brow tines on one side.

Two of us drew and the plannng started! I will say that the toughest part of the hunt was the gear planning and organization!

I was fortunate to get on a legal bull the second day, and the second hunter took a bull 24 hours later. Needless to say it was a heck of a lot of work after you apply 2lbs of pressure on the trigger!

Used my Blaser in 300 WM, which did a fine job for me.I stayed in the KUIU guide tent which was its maiden voyage. Very impressed for such a lightweight tent!

 

[deewayne2003]

@gearguywb was this a float hunt drifting down the river?

I’ve always wanted to do that

 

[Mekaniks]

Excellent Thank you for sharing!

 

[Altitude sickness]

Congrats on a nice DIY bull. As you said, if you’re in a good area. Moose hunting is very easy. But after the shot. Not so much.

How was the boat traffic from local subsistence hunters ?

 

[gearguywb]

@gearguywb was this a float hunt drifting down the river?

I’ve always wanted to do that

Somewhat. The area is full of sloughs. Once you are off the boar it is.....thick!

We used a flat bottom boat with a 30 hp motor. Go bak in the sloughs, call, rake and see what happens

 

[gearguywb]

Congrats on a nice DIY bull. As you said, if you’re in a good area. Moose hunting is very easy. But after the shot. Not so much.

How was the boat traffic from local subsistence hunters ?

Almost non-existent. We were far enough out that those after meat stayed much closer to the village.

 

[deewayne2003]

Somewhat. The area is full of sloughs. Once you are off the boar it is.....thick!

We used a flat bottom boat with a 30 hp motor. Go bak in the sloughs, call, rake and see what happens

Even better with a motor working for you, mind sharing the gun and ammo used?

And yes, Moose hunting is fun until one hits the ground and then the work begins!

 

[gearguywb]

Blaser R8 in 300WM. Factory 180 grain Federal ammo

 

[gillettehunter]

Nice bull. Congrats on a great hunt.
Bruce

 

[Nyati]

Well done, congrats !

 

[375 Ruger Fan]

Congratulations! Moose hunting is a lot of fun, until you get one. Then they are a lot of work. Huge animals!