As a complete neophyte at Alaska hunting I would like to pose a question to all the old "sourdoughs". Is a combination moose /caribou hunt a good possibility in AK? I would rate the moose the most important critter. Can someone recommend where to get good information for guided & drop camp hunts?

Thanks,
Telly

It is possible. My father and two friends and myself killed 4 caribou and 2 moose (62" and 70") in 6 days on a float trip in western Alaska a few years back. Float hunting has gotten very busy there, but guides with supercubs can put you into spots where no one else is hunting.

As for an outfitter, the guy that flew us out is Kelly Vrem of Rough and Ready Guide Service. He is a registered in Alaska as a Master Guide for what that is worth. Just means he has been at it a long time and has plenty of good references. His website is www.vrem.com. He and guys named Adams (can't remember his first name, but I think business name is Adams Guide Service) and George Sivalous (sp?) have been hunting this area (Unit 19A&B) longer than other guides.

Telly.....Mike Hazelrigs has an excellent website designed to help hunters plan hunts in Alaska..There is information for both guided and unguided hunts..

http://freeweb.pdq.net/mhazelrigs

An air taxi that I would recommend that operates out of Dillingham is Bay Air..
Thier telephone number is (907) 842-2570..

Two other good ones are High Adventure Air in Soldotna and Lake Clark Air in Port Alsworth..The numbers/ webaddy's for them are in Mike's website..

It is a good idea to concentrate on one species rather than try to hunt everything..Good moose areas often are not good caribou areas and vice versa....It's often best to target one species or the other and take the second species if an opportunity arises...

Keep in mind that butchering and packing out a moose is a monumental task. even for several people and they are not usually co-operative enough to pose right on the riverbank..Chances are you'll have to pack them some distance and you should be mentally and physicaly prepared for that..

All that aside, I think you'll find Alaska a wild and wonderful adventure..I'm planning my fifth hunt up there next year.....All of my hunts have been unguided....One float and three drop hunts..

How much does a combo hunt like this cost? A moose-hunt is a lot more expensive then a �bou-hunt, right?

You guys should be talking to AKHUNTER he is a registered guide in Alaska and has helped alot of people on the forum.He is not posting much this time of year but he tears it up in the winter. His e-mail is akhunter@IOL25.com His Name is Marc He is a great help... Good luck

[This message has been edited by MADDOG (edited 08-09-2001).]

A guided moose hunt is generally more expensive than a guided caribou hunt...There is a lot more WORK involved...

On unguided hunts usually the air transporter charges a fee for flying time...

If more flying is involved to get a moose out it may cost you more...If no extra flying is involved, the cost might be the same....

Telly:

Some of our "troops" are up there now taking multiple types of game.

An unguided "air drop" hunt in Alaska may be an expensive "ride" for a neophyte who isn't familiar with the country. The bush pilots are not guides. They will drop you where they have been seeing game but they cannot assist you. They are not supposed to. You will find that the word is - " they are notorious for dropping hunters where there is no game". Taking multiple species on an unguided hunt is a - no no - in many cases.

Furthermore when you have shot a moose and a caribou then the problem of taking it out arises. The law requires that all meat be taken. Ang you will want th racks which are BIG. If you have contracted with a bush pilot and a Piper Cub, with low weight limitations, and you take a moose and a caribou, you will be confronted with a BIG extra air freight bill.

A guided hunt is an entirely different story. Potentially you can take more than moose and caribou on one hunt. Naturally a guided hunt is more expensive but it may also be far more productive.

You may want to contact a booking agent Harold Eby who can furnish more information:

harold@outdoor-connection.com

Good Luck

Kendall Dace