Moose diy Float trip costs

[Gunner46]

Say, we got a couple of guys, with too many Molson's under their belt, and they start speculating about a semi DIY float trip moose/fishing/ Black bear/ ('Bou) trip somewhere in AK, or maybe BC.

How hard are they going to have to justify the trip to wifey, when she demands "HOW MUCH"?

What will it realistically cost?

 

[Anonymous]

Mostly that's going to be determined by where you go. You can do a DIY float close to a road system for comparatively little cash. A float in Western AK is going to cost considerably more due to transportation costs.

I've talked to a couple guys who drove up from Oklahoma with their own gear (raft, camp, etc) who did a float road to road for $5k.

I've also seen an outfitted hunt in Western AK top $20k.

 

[Gunner46]

Was that a piece, or total ?

 

[DrMike]

In BC you have to hire a guide. So, no DIY hunts for non-residents. Moose hunts start at ~$7K. Each animal will add to the cost.

 

[LD375]

Sounds like a nice hunt in those places, all depends on what your after, big rack or some very fine tasty Moose?..For less than $4000 I'd go to Newfoundland in a heart beat!..Atleast you have close to 100% chance of filling your tag depending on the outfitter, been there 3 times and took a pile of moose

Lou

 

[Anonymous]

Was that a piece, or total ?

Total. Keep in mind, the more remote the hunt the better your odds (generally, not always) but the more problematic it is to recover 2 moose.

Float hunting has it's own unique set of challenges- Larry Bartlett's Pristine Ventures and Mike Strahan's Lost Creek Company both specialize in planning services to DIY float hunters.

I know both of those guys pretty well personally and both know their stuff.

 

[salmonchaser]

Certainly these trips can be done successfully. I run into guys every year who have pulled it off. Logistics are tough on a trip like this when your are off the road system. See if I can come up with some numbers for western Alaska.
Air fare from Portland to King Salmon, dillingham, Bethel. $1000.00
Two guys per flight, raft, freeze dried food, and Spartan equipment
You might get delivered in a Cessna 206 at 600.00/ hour. If you need a beaver it will cost about 900.00
Raft rental for a week 250.00
Figure another flight to get your moose out 600.00 hour.
Just a note on flight time, you pay for the plane coming and going, that is if your location is an hour out you pay for two hours being delivered, two hours getting picked up and two hours for coming to get your moose
$1,000.00/person
1200.00
125.00
600.00
So I'm getting close to three k a person just to get into the area, not to mention food new gear and all the other stuff I may have forgot.

 

[DrMike]

I can't see the cost getting any cheaper in the near future. It sounds like a lot, but a person should see the north before it is out of reach.

 

[IdahoCTD]

You have to add in the cost of a hunting license and a moose tag ( around 500.00) plus food and anything else that you might need up there and shipping the meat back to the lower 48. Alaska is not cheap but it's a pretty amazing place to see. I've been up there twice moose hunting, once caribou hunting, and 3 or 4 times fishing. We drove up there every time we went hunting which ads 2+ days on each end of the trip if you drive straight through. I would figure for at least 5k a person all said and done. If you save up miles or points on a credit card you can save the money for the flight.

You need to be fairly fit to pack a moose out in a reasonable amount of time. The walking where we were wasn't overly easy as the dead fall was pretty severe and the high grass covered it up well. They are huge animals and unlike deer or elk the front quarters can weigh as much as the hind quarters if not more. Even a boned out bull will run 400+lbs of meat. In Alaska you have to take everything off of the carcass too, rib meat included. You have to leave it looking pretty much like a skeleton. We had a fish and game officer check our carcass from one of the bulls we shot close to camp. I'm not trying to discourage anyone just making sure you know what your getting into ahead of time. If it was me I'd plan on 2 weeks total and try to stay on the river longer than 7 days. You also have to be prepared for weather delays getting in or out. They can shorten or lengthen your trip by several days. Renting a Sat phone is another must IMO.

 

[Anonymous]

I will also add that the best setup for folks trying to get meat back to the L48 is a generator and a small freezer in a truck or trailer. I've seen this several times now.

They put the meat in the freezer and run it all night, then drive all day, It apparently works well. Otherwise- shipping the meat frozen is outrageously expensive. Most folks donate the overwhelming majority of the meat- that notion has been rife with issues over the years. Having a good plan on what to do with the meat will win you points with the locals. You'd be surprised by the number of people who kill one and then try to figure it out on the fly.

IdahoCTD is right though- packing a moose isn't something to be underestimated. Me and a buddy packed a middling bull about 1 mile that he shot at first light, we finished the last two loads by headlamp. It was a 16 hour ordeal- 1 moose.

I also agree with CTD- Alaska is something everyone should do, regardless of cost. I came up for what I thought was a three year stint...that was 15 years ago!

 

[IdahoCTD]

We did the generator and freezer trick on our caribou hunt. We shot two early and, came out to get more fuel, and dumped the meat from the two in the freezer. We let it run until it ran out of fuel and it was still ice cold a couple days later. We filled it up when we first left and let it run until it ran out of fuel again and we were good to go for the couple days it took to get home.

If someone in a group can afford the time to drive up it's a pretty impressive drive as well. In northern BC we saw tons of bears, mountain caribou, and stone sheep. In the Yukon we've seen some huge bull elk on the elk refuge as well as buffalo, grizzly bear and moose. Of course there are always deer along the way with a occasional elk mixed in. It's a long drive though. Fairbanks from here in Boise is around 42 hours of driving. BC alone is 24 hours of driving from one end to the other. But we usually go with 3-4 people per vehicle and it makes the straight through driving pretty easy.

 

[Anonymous]

If someone in a group can afford the time to drive up it's a pretty impressive drive as well. In northern BC we saw tons of bears, mountain caribou, and stone sheep. In the Yukon we've seen some huge bull elk on the elk refuge as well as buffalo, grizzly bear and moose. Of course there are always deer along the way with a occasional elk mixed in. It's a long drive though. Fairbanks from here in Boise is around 42 hours of driving. BC alone is 24 hours of driving from one end to the other. But we usually go with 3-4 people per vehicle and it makes the straight through driving pretty easy.

I rate the drive an adventure in itself. The road is so much better than it used to be too. Two guys can easily switch shifts and drive 24hrs a day if needed. My wife and I made it to Anchorage from N.E. Tennessee in 6 days. That's something like 5000 miles. We lost 1 day due to a blizzard in Montana.

If I could swing the time- I'd much rather drive, see the sights, and recover all the meat if I could. Flying commercial just adds a whole other level of logistics and cost to the trip.

 

[IdahoCTD]

Boise to Anchorage is about 48hrs and close to 3000 miles. We sped quite often in northern BC and the Yukon though. :mrgreen: :lol: 80-90mph wasn't uncommon. The wildlife is the biggest threat up there. There are times at night when you won't see another person for 3-4 hours at a time.

 

[35 Whelen]

Alaskan Moose are expensive, they also set the bar when it comes to Big Racks, here is one taken there a couple years
Ago, this is possible if you do your home work!

 

[DrMike]

Earle, pictures like that can get the blood overheated in a hurry. People will stumble over themselves to drag out their wallets to make a down payment on the trip.

 

[35 Whelen]

Mike,
I hear ya , of course everyone wont get one with this much lettuce down front but there are still some beautys out there, if your willing to work for them! I gotta get Scotty one of these before its all over......