Alaskan moose / Bear hunt
Contributors to this thread:Moose
From: Sam
20-Sep-23
This hunt stated over three years ago with my hunting buddy from all the way back in Jr High who I’ve done all out of state / country hunting with for over one and a half decades saying we really should do an Alaskan Yukon moose hunt, he took a nice one 12 or so years ago so he knew what he was talking about, the reality of the hunt set in when the BSC hunt package showed up in the mail.
From: Sam
20-Sep-23
Upon arriving in Aniak the outfitter scooped us up quickly in his Cessna 185. Off to base camp.
From: Sam
20-Sep-23
By the first afternoon we were paired with our guides and flown in the two super cubs to spike camp. My guide and I did five miles the first day, I guess he was wanting to see how fit I was lol, fortunately I was prepared.
From: bghunter
20-Sep-23
This will be a great story
From: Sam
20-Sep-23
We found a great glassing point about 200 yards from camp, moose season wouldn’t open for four more days so we had plenty of time to focus on bears while watching for any pre rut moose activity.
From: Sam
20-Sep-23
This meadow was just below camp which got a lot of our attention, I told my guide the first day, “I don’t know nothing, but we’re gonna kill a bull out there”… my guide responded with an enthusiastic, Hell yea!…. I had no idea that how true my little premonition would become .
From: t-roy
20-Sep-23
Looking forward to following along!
From: Sam
20-Sep-23
Mountain Bull
Mountain Bull
The first or second day on a mountain to our East I actually spot this bull a thousand or so feet above of which we aptly name the mountain bull, he’s huge but very unapproachable as the entire hillside is covered in Alders, we kinda put him in our back pocket and check on him daily, as the rut heats up the bulls should begin to funnel down to lower elevations.
From: Sam
20-Sep-23
First day of moose season starts with a great boar grizzly that we had spotted earlier only now he is on our side of the river munching blueberries, we devise a plan for our approach.
From: Carbon Defiant 34
21-Sep-23
I'm right behind you!!
From: M.Pauls
21-Sep-23
Leaving for moose in 3 days and need this to cope!! Bring it on!!
From: TREESTANDWOLF
21-Sep-23
This is going to good!
I’m in!!
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
My buddy who encouraged me to go on this hunt had 30 days of brown bear hunting under his belt without ever loosing an arrow, he is adamant that there is no other animal with a stronger sixth sense than a brown bear / grizzly, so much so that he feels your best bet is to not even break the 50 yard bubble with your final stalk. So, there I was at 35 yards with the bears vitals obscured by brush, wind in my face at 12-24 mph, I make a slight 3 yard adjustment to my right and the bear goes from munching blueberries to high alert, scanning the brush with his eyes back and fourth, I feel the pressure and rush a frontal shot, I loose sight of the arrow in flight but clearly hear the arrows impact, my guide is so sure of the shot he refraines from cutting down on the bear with his 375, the bear bolts away plowing through brush. Attached is my buddy’s awesome bear that he took with a perfectly placed arrow at 52 yards. His brown bear jinx is over.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
21-Sep-23
I'm in!
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
21-Sep-23
Let’s have it!!!
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
My guide who stayed back at a slightly higher position with the rifle runs up to me congratulating me on the bear, my gut felt otherwise. We take up the trail and find where he emptied his intestinal track of several pounds of blueberries, no blood. While searching the guide says he hears the sound of an animal dying and decides to climb a spruce, before he reaches the top I see the source of the sound, two bull moose 50 yards away with velvet hanging gently sparring, we close in to thirty yards, the small bull is a 58” or so bull and the big one is probably pushing 65”, I could of shot the smaller one several times but couldn’t bring myself to do it with potentially a bear down and not able to find it. We watch the bulls until they make us and trot off, boy they look even bigger going away, we grid search the dense alders for the bear with no luck eventually flagging the last location that we saw him, we return to the shot sight where I actually recover the blood red arrow, I’ve no idea what went wrong.
From: Nick Muche
21-Sep-23
"he is adamant that there is no other animal with a stronger sixth sense than a brown bear / grizzly"
I couldn't agree more!
Great thread so far, Sam!
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
The sparring bulls, larger bull is to the left.
From: Bowfinatic
21-Sep-23
Loving this hunt I feel ya on the bear. Hope you turn him up
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
Wolverine
Wolverine
Had an awesome encounter with a Wolverine, did not even occur to me to pick up my bow, was so cool just to see such an elusive predator.
From: RK
21-Sep-23
Great pics I agree on the grizzly / brown bear being at the top in North America and Europe. World wide I would put them in the top 5 for sure. Leopard either Asian or African is #1 on my list.
Great write up. Keep it coming!!
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
Right after the wolverine encounter I was nearly ran over by this reindeer.
From: deerhunter72
21-Sep-23
Holy cow! I'm loving this. I bet you see a unicorn next;)
From: maxracx
21-Sep-23
Following and dreaming of some day.....
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
So, it’s now day six of the hunt but only the second morning of moose season, so far we’ve seen about a dozen bulls with only two not legal. We switch our attention back to the Mountain Bull, for the past three nights my intrepid guide walks away from camp at dusk and let’s out several mournful cow calls to the East towards the Mountain Bull, every morning he moves further down the mountain. We leave camp after some coffee and oatmeal and head down the ridge that runs east and west beside camp to a new glassing site where maybe we can get a better look at Mr. Mountain Bull.
From: Inshart
21-Sep-23
Great so far - lov'n the write up.
So what happened with the bear?
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
We don’t get 300 yards from camp and we both catch movement downhill to our left, we both see the giant bull below us heading uphill towards the meadow behind camp. We end up with a couple of acres of alder and willow between us and the bull, I tell my guide that I think a can navigate through the brush as it doesn’t look too bad, if it’s too dense I’ll come back and we’ll try something else, he agrees to stay up high and call as needed. It doesn’t take me long to drop down and even pick up the bull through the alders, I range him at 134 yards and he is now facing the guide who is now bull calling and raking the brush. It seems things are going our way.
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
I move position slightly a couple of times, the second time puts me at the edge of the thicket and I see the bull in the open a hundred or so yards out, the guide is calling and raking and eventually the bull also begins to rake the brush with his massive antlers, I’m thinking man this just might work. After staring intently towards the sound of the calling he begins to walk in the guides direction, this puts him on a path that will take him left to right at some yardage in front of me, I have an arrow knocked and ready as I hide at the edge of the thicket, In what seemed like only seconds he is in the open directly in front of me, I range him at 53 yards, roll my pin to 50, draw and let him have it.
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
Again I lost the micro diameter shaft in flight, even with four white tac vanes, white cresting and a Halo nock, however i clearly heard the wide 125G iron will broad head slam into the bull. The bull turned away immediately and began trotting away, I knocked another arrow and began chasing him across a landscape that I am now convinced God created to impede the movement of man. I chase the bull for about two hundred yards thinking any minute he will pause allowing me a follow up shot….he runs out of sight. Now completely dejected, physically and emotionally exhausted I hang a left and walk back up to the ridge above camp.
From: Pyrannah
21-Sep-23
please type faster!! i keep refreshing...
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
My guide catches up with me and I realize he didn’t see me or the bull at the shot but he did see the bull as he ran into the distance, right then my guide raises his binos and says…I see the bull! We run down the ridge a hundred yards throw ourselves down prone, I never pick up the bull and my guide turns to me and says, he bedded! I’m in disbelief, we stand up, he points out an avalanche chute in the distance and a large spruce and says, he’s right there! I look across this vast expanse of tundra and say, damn that’s far, he says no it’s not! I say, so what’s the plan? My guide looks at me and says, Sam! You gotta go kill this moose! I’ve now had a minute to recover from my moose tundra sprint, I look at him and say, I can’t do it with this pack on my back, he says drop it and get going I’ll be behind you with everything we need. I line up with our landmarks and get rolling, to my delight the going isn’t too bad, I get to what I think is about 2/3rds of the way there and turn around to see my guide about 20 yards behind me.
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
I motion to him with the universal WTH look on my face as I’m now nervous about going any further as I never actually saw the moose bed. My guide points to a nearby spruce and says he’ll climb it to take a look around, he gets up the scrawny tree and begins to look left to right, as he looks to the right his eyes get big as saucers and he looks at me motioning with his hands three zero, three zero. When he gets down I whisper, you’re telling me he’s 30 yards over there? Yes! He says, maybe forty, I say, I gotta put my eyes on him, I ease through the brush at an angle and catch the wonderful sight of antler tips.
From: drycreek
21-Sep-23
I am emotionally invested in this thread. Hurry ! :-)
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
I range an antler tip at 35 yards, I then crouch back down, knock an arrow and wait patiently, don’t blow this I tell myself. I can actually make out the bulls vitals through the brush but his left paddle is covering most of his rib cage, it’s just dumb luck that he laid it down in some of the sparser brush in the area, after what seemed like 30 minutes he tilts his head to the left exposing his vitals, just as I start to draw he turns his head back covering up my only shot, several thoughts enter my head like maybe a call will make him stand, and if he tilts his head again I’m shooting. I crawl through the brush about eight yards to my right which really improved my position, the bull turns his head again exposing his vitals, I draw and shoot, this time I see the arrow disappear in his ribs.
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
As he stands my guide begins loudly cow calling, I knock a second arrow and send it right behind the shoulder, the wide Iron Will goes through him as if I missed, I knock a third arrow as the giant bull tips over, he took maybe two steps from where he was bedded, my young guide who is maybe 160 lbs runs to me and picks me off the ground like I’m a toddler, yelling, I knew you were a killer! I knew you were a killer! I got pretty emotional after that, I think we both did.
From: drycreek
21-Sep-23
Alright !
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
My final hiding spot.
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
My guide Ion, runs back to his pack to inreach main camp and let them know we will need some packers, I approach this massive beast for the first time thinking how I’ve never seen anything like this, I’ve taken a few really nice bull elk but this animal is next level. After some examination it’s clear that my first arrow about 1/2 mile back actually hit a touch low and about a foot behind the heart, looking at where he bedded there was two steering wheel size pools of visceral blood marking the entrance and exit. I look around and realize we are standing exactly where six days earlier i proclaimed “we’re gonna kill our bull out there” I guess I spoke it into existence, lol. Let the skinning begin.
From: drycreek
21-Sep-23
That’s a lot of skinning, cutting, and packing to do, but it’s a labor of love. Congrats !
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
From: TREESTANDWOLF
21-Sep-23
This is going to good!
I’m in!!
From: sitO
21-Sep-23
Great, just great! The story telling, the hunt, and the amazing Bull...you are a killer!
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
I would have been delighted with any legal bull, I never would dreamed I would get a moose of this caliber.
From: Sam
21-Sep-23
My world class guide Ion with the antlers back at base camp, we made a great team, and it takes a team.
From: Bou'bound
22-Sep-23
Amazing. Great job on a great moose. Now back to the missing bear…………….
From: pav
22-Sep-23
Just an incredible bull...way to make it happen! Congrats on the adventure of a lifetime!!!
From: Bowfinatic
22-Sep-23
Wow what a bull! Well done
From: molsonarcher
22-Sep-23
Still hangin around waiting for the rest of the story ;)
Congrats on a giant bull! What happened to the bear?
From: M.Pauls
22-Sep-23
Totally epic! What a giant!! Congrats!
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
The bear….. that one stings. After beating the brush and even recovering the arrow, we flagged with survey tape the last location we saw the bear. When the plane came to collect my moose, ion climbed in the plane and he and the pilot flew the area extensively with no luck. We had so much bull activity at our camp that we left everything behind and the outfitter flew in one of two rifle hunters that were in camp, he ended up taking a great bull about 1/4 mile beyond where I shot the bear. Back at camp the packers asked “what was the survey tape in the bush all about “? It took the four packers several trips to get the rifle hunters bull out, so they beat the brush up pretty good in the area with no sign of the bear. I guess now my buddy’s bear jinx is on me.
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
My buddy who encouraged me to do this hunt in the first place also took a 65” bull. After taking his bear he and his guide broke camp and flew back to base to decide what area to relocate to. They actually ended up going after a bull on foot from camp, it was about a six mile round trip trek that involved emptying his quiver and skinning the bull in the only water in the area.
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
We spent several day back at base fishing, the river was full of silver salmon and we caught so many Arctic Grayling that we quit taking pictures of them.
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
One of many salmon that took an in-line spinner.
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
The unsung heroes, we had four twenty something year old young men as packers in camp, these fellas were the kindest most energetic young guys I’ve ever met not to mention they’re effort’s probably kept me out of the hospital….lol. They received good tips.
From: njbuck
22-Sep-23
Congrats on one hell of a moose!!!!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
22-Sep-23
Great pictures and hunt. Congrats to you both. Looking forward to your next bear hunt!!
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
From: Smtn10PT
22-Sep-23
Congrats on the moose! What a beauty. Do you think you'll change broadheads or are you going to stick to the IW?
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
SMTN, I can’t imagine ever changing broadheads again. I’ve taken an elk, oryx and now a moose all pass throughs with the Iron Wills.
From: maxracx
22-Sep-23
What an awesome adventure. Thank you for sharing.
From: Bou'bound
22-Sep-23
In reviewing the bear what do you think happened and how was he hit. I know you said you took a rushed frontal shot and did not know what went wrong but any further assessment based on the sign and long search?
Guide must be second guessing his decisions not to shoot it with the .375. Nobody likes the thought of a wounded grizzly wandering around the bush. Least of all the outfitter. Strange things happen we have all been there for sure.
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
Bou,
All I can figure is maybe he reacted to the shot and I hit him through the front let, the shot did “sound” good and my guide felt like the bear was loosing his legs as he ran off, that’s why he didn’t shoot. It’s one of those situations that you really wish you had a do over.
From: Ron Niziolek
22-Sep-23
Congratulations on a fantastic moose!
From: Helgermite
22-Sep-23
Great story and trophy moose! Congratulations and thanks for sharing!
From: RK
22-Sep-23
It was an interesting ride. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on a fantastic Moose
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
My Buddy’s Grizz.
My Buddy’s Grizz.
Thanks everyone, I’ll be on a high from this for a while, I’m gonna just post a few more pics.
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
From: Drop tine
22-Sep-23
Great story, fantastic moose. That picture is amazing. Congrats.
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
Backstrap from the ice age
Backstrap from the ice age
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
Incredible country
Incredible country
From: Sam
22-Sep-23
Rifle killed bull
Rifle killed bull
Had some nice fellas in camp from Mississippi that brought smoke poles, this is one of their great bulls they took, this one was actually killed from the same camp that I took mine.
From: Altitude Sickness
22-Sep-23
Sam, I’m gonna need those coordinates. :>)))))
From: ki-ke
22-Sep-23
Congrats Sam! Thanks for sharing..
From: TMac
22-Sep-23
Good gosh what tremendous animals! Great job guys!
From: deerhunter72
23-Sep-23
That moose was huge! Congratulations
From: Scoot
23-Sep-23
Wow! What a trip! Many congrats!
From: Matt
24-Sep-23
Congratulations on a great trip and thanks for bringing us along.
From: Grunter
24-Sep-23
I really enjoyed reading that! Thank you Sam, what a great adventure you had. Congrats on a great bull! Those palms are awesome.
From: Sam
24-Sep-23
Thank you everyone for the kind words, I’ll be on a high over this one for some time.
I know I’m an equipment junkie and I really enjoy when you guys post equipment notes, so here are a few of mine.
Bow was a Hoyt RX7 @ 62lbs. Arrows were Black Eagle X-Impacts. Broad heads were a mix of Iron Will 125G double bevel, wide and narrow.
Total arrow weight: 478 with a Halo nock.
My only gear fail, and it was a big one was my sleeping bag, what I thought was a 15 deg. Bag turned out to be a 50 deg. Bag….I just learned to sleep with numb feet, lol. I actually started sleeping in my hunting clothes.
Hoping everyone has an awesome hunting season.
From: Footshooter
24-Sep-23
Congrats on your Moose, and a heck of a good write up on it also. Enjoyed reading your story.
From: huntinelk
24-Sep-23
Congratulations
From: Scoot
25-Sep-23
Oh my- 15 vs. 50... that's a biggie!!! I'd have been miserable! For that outcome, I think I would have made it though! Congrats again!
From: Vaquero 45
25-Sep-23
Sam , big congrats ! Awesome thread / pic's etc . Thanks for sharein n starting it . Really enjoying it .
From: NE_HUNTS
01-Oct-23
Such a cool hunt and overall adventure! Congrats again Sam!
From: Shug
01-Oct-23
Very cool….
From: Shug
01-Oct-23
Very cool….
From: Bowboy
01-Oct-23
Great pictures and story. What a bull congrats. Thanks for posting.
From: NE_HUNTS
01-Oct-23
Such a cool hunt and overall adventure! Congrats again Sam!
From: Rgiesey
03-Oct-23
Thanks for the write up! Great bull! Nice photos.
From: NE_HUNTS
04-Oct-23
Such a cool hunt and overall adventure! Congrats again Sam!
