Moose Float hunts and fly-ins?
Moose
I've done a few guided moose hunts and would like to go more on my own(with a buddy) next time. I'm looking for current information on outfitted float/ drop camp hunts in Alaska. I've read a lot about the M00se J0hn river float hunt but don't know if its still being run the way hit was 10 years ago.
Do search for Yote Roberson. I think he has been outfitting Moose John.
I'm headed up in 2016 with Papa Bear Adventures.. have great reviews.
Steve and Robin [Papa Bear} run a great operation! Did a float in 2013 and booked again for 2017.
If you're talking about outfitted (not guided) I would also suggest a call to Larry Bartlett in Fairbanks for info on float hunting. Floating is not my personal preference for moose hunting but it is undeniably popular.
On the other hand, you could go full diy and use no outfitter at all. You'll spend some money to get equipped, but you'll have the gear when your hunt is over. All you need is an air taxi to drop you and your gear (+ buddy) into a remote area. If you avoid the lakes and floatable rivers you'll likely never see another human. You can also typically stay as long as you want; you're paying for transportation in and out of the bush.
One issue of a float (besides the possible drowning thing) is that you are on a schedule of covering miles to your take out point.
This might mean leaving a good area simply to be where you need to be in 2 days. That's not a good feeling.
Covering miles is a real issue like BillinMI says. We have made the conscious decision to go fewer miles and concentrate more on hunting than spending time breaking camp and rafting every day to stay on schedule.
Setting up and breaking down camp eats up a lot of time, especially if done early morning and late afternoon when you need to be concentrating on the actual hunting part.
Talk to a lot of guys who have done it.
Here's a good article written about it for reference.
One quote that I had no idea was the low odds of unguided hunters in Alaska,"...it might be important to stress unguided/non-resident success rates for moose (all weapons) sits around 10 percent"
http://www.bowhuntingmag.com/big-game/plan-an-alaska-float-trip-for-moose-hunting/#ixzz3gpblocSQ
After doing a lot of reading we've pretty much decided against a rafting trip. I think we're close on having the gear taken care of as well, so maybe just an air taxi would work. Papa Bear has been on my radar for a while now.
That is a wise decision. Rivers are highways so float hunts are like road hunting. You can do better than that.
The article at the link that Sage Buffalo provides put unguided/DIY NR sucess at 10%. I think that is VERY optimistic. I doubt that there are any data to back that up!
The larger air taxiis may post pix of 5 or 6 hunters with decent (50"+) bulls from a given year. However, they probably hauled and dumped out 200 hunters to accomplish that.
Do the math. Mule Power is correct. You are "road hunting" on the commonly floated rivers.
Pete
