Alaska bound
Pennsylvania
Contributors to this thread:
Me and mulepower drew our moose tags in Ak.Been my dream hunt since I started hunting at 14,some 30+ years ago,and this years its reality.Thanks mulepower for stepping up.Its been really tough finding a partner for fly in moose in Alaska.Hope we get to show some big moose off come the end of Sept.Just a little excited
Scott, Good luck to you and Mule. Now, it's gonna seem like an eternity until September :)
Awesome! congratulations. Where will l you be hunting?
If you leave now it might be warmer and they might have less snow.
That's great news Scott, what a great adventure it will be! I hope you and Joe are both successful!
Good deal!
Im thinking a semi live hunt is on order for this one?
Wish younz the best of luck on this excursion! Congrats and looking forward to the pics!
Congrats Scott and mule
Awesome guys. The fun begins Good Luck guys
Bill v
WOW! Congrats guys!
Looking forward to hearing about this and seeing some pics!
Keep us posted on how things are going. Planning too!
That's great... good luck!!!
Head west, men!! Make the rest of us PA folks proud!! Best of luck, and can't wait to hear about your journey!
Mulepower taking care of most logistics.Right now I'm just picking up some more things I'll need for the trip.Looking for a good pair hip boots,moose calls,packable cot.My caribou partner had the packable cot a few years back and man was I jealous of his sleeping set-up.I'll be getting one for this trip.It packs down to the size of a sleep pad so takes up little room but man is it comfortable.Come in real handy on future trips west as well Excited to once again be living in the Alaskan bush for 2 weeks this time around.The scenary during the fly in is just incredible I hope at least one of us has a nice bull to post in a few months
Cool, best of to you both !
Pat
Buy a wolf tag. Heard rumor there's a guy somewheres in PA who does a pretty good job of mounting them. :^)
Haha... I clicked on this thread ready to say "Me too" not knowing who the original poster was.
I told you 2 years ago Mixed that I would not even begin to lead you on until I knew for sure I was able to commit to the hunt. Like you it has been on my bucket list for a long long time. And so now here we we are: Two guys who still have yet to meet each other ready to share a common dream. I'm excited about that.
I ordered a 3 pack of new broadheads yesterday. Magnus Black Hornets. If they work out I'll order another pack. I have multiple Roll-A-Cots if you want to borrow one. The stow away fairly compact but weigh in at 10 pounds.
As far as having a moose to show for this adventure... you know my thoughts: We're bringing home 2! Time is always the biggest factor in success and we have plenty of that on the schedule.
I'm looking forward to some warmer weather so we can meet up somewhere. I only hunt with good looking partners so I hope you didn't lie! :-)
I said I would only build bows with good looking guys but the guy I'm in a relationship now posted a fake picture on the matchmaker website were we found each other. But he starts looking better after about 6 PBRs. ;-)
What area are you guys hunting?
That's a pretty big area. :-) I hunted the Koyukuk a few years ago with a buddy and it was one of the greatest hunting experiences imaginable. You guys are in for a treat! Look forward to reading the recap.
If I thought I could draw a Koyukuk permit I'd be there in a heartbeat. Although I do know a group of guys who hunted it years ago and had serious problems with the natives. They had barrels of gas stolen from their riverside camp. As you know that is devastating. Then some young drunken crazy ones were circling in front of their camp shooting guns up in the air. At one point a boat pulled up on shore and a couple guys got out and had guns pointed at them. I have to say.... I'm glad that won't be happening to e because I assure you there would be dead bodies floating down the Kouyukuk and they wouldn't be mine! On the bright side an older native from the village stopped by and calmed them down. The adults there did not approve of what the younger guys were doing. But they said they couldn't stop it either.
The other thing is with the no fly rule in that area finding a transporter is hard. Charlie Green is the only one I know of and getting in touch with him is like writing a letter to the president and waiting to hear back.
We were in the Koyukuk drainage but not on the river itself, so we didn't have to deal with any competition or harrassment. Didn't see a moose for the first six days then all hell broke loose. If I remember correctly, we called in 8 bulls in three days and both killed bulls (we were rifle hunting but could easily have killed two of the bulls with bows). My buddy's was a beast of an old bull with 9 brows on one side and 11 on the other. Just talking about it makes me want to go back!
Well Stekewood,I could help you make your dreams come true again next year if you really want to go back.I'm not hard to convince to go on out of state hunts Mule, I was self voted sexiest elk hunter from the east coast so you'll be OK there
Congrats on the draw guys! I didn't recognize your screen name scott but now that I know who you are I'm excited for you. Hopefully you can get into them! Alaskan moose is on my list to!
Mule- we got very good service everywhere we went in Montana back in 2011- and here I thought it was because we were good tippers! ;-)
Scott, I did not draw my Wyoming elk tag, so I might be looking for other options. PM sent
Joe, go right to where that picture was taken and you'll be in elk everyday.Don't bring the rainman(Perry) though,lol
Hey, it doesn't ALWAYS rain on me............... if you remember it was snowing that morning- LOL! ;-)
LOL... I hate partners who attract precipitation. I had a buddy from Punxsutawney, now moved to Idaho, that I have called Schleprock for about 30 years now. They could hire that guy to just stand in the middle of the Sahara Desert and in a few years it would be a rain forest.
Rut you probably got good reception because those Rage heads in your quiver are like satellite dishes! I put my cursor on that pic but no coordinates showed up on the screen. Am I doing something wrong?
I'll give you the coordinates.Have you ever been to New Mexico???These pics were taken with regular cameras and not cellphones.We know that little trick of finding peoples spots.I even had to blindfold Perry once we got close.I'll give you a hint,its west of the Miss river
And north of Texas? ba$7@rd!
Your cot goes on the side of the tent where the grizzly trail pops out!!! I think I may have spilled some maple syrup on that end last year too.
Yeah, I had to put on the blindfold when we crossed out of S.D. But he let me take it off when we got to the MT border to take a pic and earlier when we stopped for lunch and gas in WYO! ;-)
I would love to do Alaska for moose in the near future! Can you guys provide more info on draws, expense, etc? Thanks
I have 2 friends heading to Alaska for moose this fall, they will be hunting with guns but do hunt with bows.. Just not on this trip. I'm going to be watching their trip closely and if they think the same trip is doable with a bow and they see good moose numbers I may book that same trip.. It's a long float trip, I think 13 days hunting.. OR I may burn my Colorado elk points and hunt unit 40 for elk on private land I got a line on a great piece of land to hunt that has some giant bulls on it. Unit 40 is about the best big bull unit in Colorado.. Most of the bulls killed on the property are over 350 the property right next to this one, they killed a 408 last year or the year before. the biggest bull on this property so far is a 388.. So I'm hopping to do one of these hunts in the fall of 2016..
Yeah Eric. Just don't go with rut nut cuz it will rain.:)
Expenses for a moose hunt can vary. GREATLY! The more homework you do the cheaper it gets. I'd say door to door, including pre shipping some gear, renting an inflatable, flights, meat processing, getting meat and an entire skull back home, licenses etc etc etc... 5 grand is about as cheap as it gets.
To me the key to keeping the cost down is the transporter. A lot of guys use air services like 40 Mile. But they charge a flat rate per hunter according to the species. Instead I look for ones who offer charter flights. In other words per hour. The key to being able to pull that off is knowing where you want to go. People who hire 40 Mile or Tok Air etc are counting on the experience of the bush pilots to put them in good hunting. But that's a big, no HUGE part of what you pay for. They charge like 2K per man whether you kill an animal or not.
Compare that to a guy who flies for $1000 per hour. 1 hour in. 1 hour out. 1 hour to pick up a moose. Another hour for a second moose. That's 4 grand or 2K each. BUT.... if you don't kill a moose you subtract $1000. So 2K is for a hunt with a dead moose and it's only $1000 if you don't connect. AND if you play your cards right you can pull the 2nd bull out when you get flown out bringing the transporter cost down to $1500 each for 2 dead bulls. Pretty good.
At that rate it's not hard to do the hunt for about $4500 total which is about where we're at.
Our transporter gets $8000 if he picks the lake and supplies the tent etc and 18 grand to hold your hand for the week! (guided) Makes the $1500 pretty easy to swallow when you look at those numbers.
If all goes as planned I think I'll be up there every other year or at least 2 out of every three. I never thought I'd say this but I'm a little burned out on elk hunting. I still love every minute of it and I'll do it until I can't but I'm ready for something new. Plus I'm not getting any younger. Hike your nuts off at 9000 feet every day or sit in a lawn chair or raft at about sea level. Other than calling in rut crazed bulls there's not many similarities between the two. Moose hunting sounds like a nice change of pace!
Thanks for the info Mule. Going to be some years before I can do that! I need to win the lottery!
No you don't. And don't say that!!! Be creative. Make your dreams into realities. That's my way of thinking. Think of something you have to offer and use it to make money to pay for your hunts. I've been elk hunting for 30 years now. Outfitted Montana for 13. Now I hunt once a year like anyone else. Since I can't hunt the Idaho border from southern Wyoming to the Montana Canada border anymore, I decided to start a consulting business selling DIY hunt plans. The idea was to take all of those years of expenses and hard work and use them to fuel the next chapter in my hunting life. I hoped to just pay for my elk license and gas. But low and behold it's done better than I had hoped so now I can do other hunts.
Surely there is a better plan than hitting the lottery. Everyone has something to offer others whether it's your brains or your physical ability. Swap hunts are always an option too. I'd trade a moose hunt for a 170 inch whitetail in a heartbeat. If I was RC I'd be making bows and arrows like a madman and selling them to go hunt... if Chris would let him that is! lol
My total cost will b around 4k for moose but I fly for free to Ak and back.Put away $50 a week and your hunting moose in 2 years in Alaska.That's a pretty doable number to put away each week.Some guys cut back on drinking or dinners out and can pay for a trip like this quick. I love seeing new places and hunting new animals at this point in my hunting career.Don't want to lay on my death bed wishing I'd have done something like this
Great point. There are lots of ways to save the money for a trip like this. Quit smoking. Make your own lunch instead of stopping at the convenience store or lunch joint. Don't go to bars and restaurants as frequently. Put off buying that new truck for another year. Make sure the credit cards you use have the best rewards program for your spending habits and use them for everything you can do build points (but of course pay them off every month!) Go through your stuff and have a massive Ebay sale of everything you don't use any more. It's always easier to say "I can't afford it" than it is to make it happen. Make it happen!
How many Mule Power's are there?? One from Montana, one from Pa and I think one from Iowa.. Am I right?? I started reading post's on different areas of the Bowsite and got confused... lol :) Ed
I'm hoping to be going for moose in 2017. Was planning on going next year but we pushed it back a year.
I'm hoping to be going for moose in 2017. Was planning on going next year but we pushed it back a year.
How many more months is this thread going to run? Just go kill your moose. Tired of reading it.. :)
Then go back to eatin' your peppers old man! ;-)
WOW! That picture will keep the cockroaches out of the cupboard! LOL
Anyone been successful drawing a bull moose tag in Colorado? How long did you wait to draw? Any details of the hunt would be cool also! Thanks
Teeton's Link
Colorado moose tag info.. Moose tags are far and few. I believe you have to be in the draw for three years before your name get into the draw. after that you get in draw and and start to get weighted points. You must send in the $2,064.00 lic fee plus a couple of other small fees that you don't get back. You can only send in for the draw by page applications.
As for moose numbers they are increasing.. I saw a lot of moose up by North Park and one giant one a few years back.
Click on link..
http://case.epaperflip.com/colorado/Parks-and-wildlife/#?page=56
You guys certainly are right about making dreams come true. I Started 5 years ago and now Im getting even more involved. If you want to hunt out west for big game you better start planning now for the rest of your life. With the help of a few bowsiters I figured out how to purchase points in a few different states. I want to do a Bighorn sheep hunt, bought my first points this year. Hoping to draw a tag before I am 60. Also have 206 hours of Overtime in already this year. Should have no problems funding my hunts. If I didn't have a job with an abundance of OT I would pick up part time employment, yep ya gotta want it bad.
Wyoming has no point system for mountain goats. Everyone has the same chance of drawing! And there are tons of goats that you can hunt from a camp at your truck. Apply and who knows? Draw tag/jump in truck/kill goat! I saw a herd of 19 last year and smaller groups most every day.
Tee... only one original Mule Power. When I signed on to Bowsite I lived in Montana as I was outfitting there. When I sold the business I decided to move back to Pa to be closer to RC. I hated the long distance relationship.
Ok Mule Power has not been back to answer my question and I think I got it figured out. First the Mule Power from Iowa is not M-P but was Mid West from Iowa. I got them two mixed up.. I just read that Mule Power lives in Montana and is from Pa.. I just wanted to get my above post asking about the 3 Mule Powers cleared up, so not to many people think I'm to nuts. Especially Mule Power.. Sorry Ed
Mule I looked at this and saw no post and then posted my post.. You must of post seconds before me. Thanks Ed
Mixed Bag I sent you a PM.. Ed
Me and Joe are down to 6 days before flying out to Alaska.Hope the 5C hunt goes well and you guys take a few off the property I told you about last year.Should be interesting now that bucks are fair game to I'm so ready to be off the grid for 2 weeks.Should have some good stories if we make it back alive.I'll be packing a wolf tag to.Definitely a big change of pace from chasing elk at 10k ft.But we'll be getting a workout if we get 1 or 2.Cant even imagine what that will be like;trying to process a 1500lb animal YOU READY JOE????
Thanks Scott! I think we'll have more "company" fri eve and Sat. Gonna try to take as many as we can Thurs and fri morning.
Good Luck, be safe and have FUN! Looking forward to reading about "Mule Power and mixed bag's Excellent Adventure" when you get back! ;-)
Scott and Joe,, I to am looking forward to hearing about your hunt. Good luck, have fun and be safe. . Ed
Good luck guys and be safe in the Alaskan bush!
No! My gear hasn't showed up in Alaska yet and I'm not packed. My grass needs cut and work sucks. ugh
I'll trade places with you Mule! ;-)
Gee Joe,,, I wish I had ur problems.. :)
Board my plane tomorrow.Be back in 2 1/2 weeks.Thanks for the well wishes
Have a great hunt! Look forward to the report when you get back!
Cant wait to hear about it!
OK guys- I see a Mulepower post, so you guys must be back. So how'd it go???!!!
One dead moose but I got it with gun.Not really a bowsite deal I would guess
Well damn. Since you guys took us along for the ride through the planning process and anticipation, we at least deserve a report with some photos!
Even Pat's relaxed about the bow only stuff... I would love to hear a very long story,, But a short one will do... Ed
It didn't start out as a gun hunt, right? I'd like to hear about the adventure!
I vote for the story regardless! Let's hear it:)
OK- looking forward to it Scott!
how do I post pics to this site??I have a lot I could put on
Right under the box you type in here, there is a box that says Embed a JPEG photo. Click the browse word at the end of the box and that takes you into your computer directory, just get to where you have your pictures stored and click on one. Then click submit like you always do to post your texts. You can only post one picture at a time that way.
If you have your pictures stored out on the internet at a photo site, then you can copy and paste as many picture html links as you want in this box.
Great that we are going to hear about ur's and Joe's hunt. I pm'ed Joe on it yesterday. Can't wait to hear about it. I'm looking into doing one in a year or so. So the more I know the better I'd be..
One thing I'd like to know is if the area you guys did your hunt at, is it doable with the bow?? Ed
I guess you could bowhunt though it would be tough.Biggest problem is they go right in the water after u hit them.That's their safe place.Butchering them in water would be a nightmare
Nice moose Scott! Give us the story when you get a chance. Is that a big swamp you're in there?
Congrats MB!! Nice moose!
Yes it sure is.Theres a story behind that to,lol.And another round that probably landed in Hawaii.Had to borrow Joes gun for last shot and to say it has a hair trigger is an understatement.I think the wind sets that thing off
LOL! Looking forward to hearing the story!
Did you guys do a writeup of your moose hunt? I want to read up on it!
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