Alaska moose hunt

03 April 2019, 23:33

AnotherAZWriter

quote:
Originally posted by 2th doc:
When I was guiding (for 3 different outfitters over the years) in AK I saw an array of "guides" whom were carpenters, burger flippers, fishermen, etc. the week prior to getting to camp whom could not find a horse in a corral let alone a sheep or moose.
Whether you like the fact or not most hunters spending years worth of savings to make what is to them a high end trip want to have a chance at their quarry. For sure they enjoy the sun sets, seeing a bear chasing salmon in the shallows or a alpine meadow but what they are there for is a chance to take a trophy

I hunted moose in AK in 2016 with a "carpenter guide" and overly religious to boot. But the guy knew what he was doing; we got a nice moose on day 5 of a 10 day hunt. I also had black bear and brown bear tags. On the first few days of the hunt the mountain behind us was covered in bears. He asked if I wanted to go after a black bear; having shot five on DIY hunts, I told him I was there to hunt moose. He said, "You know, when those berries are gone, the bears will be too."

He proved to be right; three days later the hill was devoid of bears. But I was ok with that.

He was also right about our moose; I actually glassed him from about 1000 yards away looking down a mountain. We couldn't call him in, so we took off after him. After poking around until it was nearly sunset, he told me our best bet was to spend the night there. I told him I didn't like that idea, that we would be cold all night and useless the next day. So he said we would head back to the tent but take our time while we moved through the tall grass in front of us. "That bull might be bedded in that grass, so I will grunt softly as we move through."

We had called him in not even an hour before only to have him wind us; we never did see him but we could hear him grunting and moving. I thought he was gone, and thought Carpenter Guide was wasting his time grunting; I could hardly hear it anyway. Suddenly, he whispered, "There he is!" The bull was bedded in the grass and stood up about 50 yards. I shot him offhand after he made sure he was good enough to shoot. Not my biggest moose, but a damn good one, esp for that area. In retrospect, a job like a carpenter was perfect for him; he loved being a guide, but working a regular job was no better way to be a guide than it is to make several exotic hunts every year as a client. My guide on my 2017 brown bear hunt was a taxidermist; my taxidermist said the hide was fleshed perfectly. The fact is, hunting seasons are short in North America and if you want to guide, you need to have other income streams; these guys aren't guiding because they can't get regular jobs, they are guiding because they want to guide!

I would also say this: just because a African PHs are "full time" doesn't mean they are all perfect. I had a guy show up for a hunt in Kigosi that had never hunted the area before and said he was really challenged in terms of estimating trophies. I have also hunted with a guy in Namibia who would be better off having black trackers and helpers rather than doing everything himself. But both of these hunts turned out ok.

04 April 2019, 00:06

Scott King

quote:
Originally posted by Beretta682E:
quote:
Originally posted by Scott King:
quote:
Originally posted by 458Win:
There are few comparisons between African and North American hunts.
Unless you are hunting the CAR or Congo you are not likely to find as much true, uninhabited wilderness as you can in Canada or Alaska.
A livable wage for camp help in Zimbabwe or Mozambique might be a few dollars per day, while in Alaska it is a few hundred dollars per day !
And as many have pointed out, the game populations in regions of Africa are as dense as the best whitetail deer areas and are simply staggering to Alaskans.

And when lower 48 hunters, who have also hunted SOuth African game ranches, ask me why they should hunt in Alaska because things are much cheaper in "Africa" I tell them, because there are no big bears or moose or Dall sheep in Africa.

Whether a sportsman or no, there's so much to see or experience here. One can see and sort of participate in a salmon run. Experience Mt Mckinley. Get on your hands and knees and eyeball some tundra Aldo Leopold style. Sit under a goose or crane migration, see a moose give birth to a calf.
I sat 400 yards away and watch a bear stalk and jump a small caribou.

I think everyone should experience AK.

I agree and I spoke to Phil about going to his place for some fishing and seeing the bears. I may only deer hunt Alaska.

There are some good guys in Alaska - One just needs to do research and always pay top dollar in Alaska. There are no cheap good hunts in Alaska. Best to follow ar member recommendations. Free extra days and comeback next year if unsuccessful should be warning signs.

I have hunted with the worst - Tom Shankster - just google him.

It’s all wild game and most of its upkeep is via public funds and licenses. Can’t compare the high cost game management in the save or bubye to Alaska wilderness hunting.

One of the issues on the hunt was at $1k a day for Alaska Hunt where outfitter is hunting on public lands and client has bought tags and there is no damn food. A trip to Costco stock up and $10-$20 in food a day is not asking that much. I am bitter as the only place and time I have ever starved in my life has been on a $1k a day Alaskan hunt. At least there was free clean stream water.

Mike

I have heard or understand that the trout fishing g is very good around the village of Eggigik. Don't hold me to it.
I think the fishing and sights down around Phil's area has to be great. Just not a whole lot of folks to pressure anything. Should be tons of waterfowl in the fall and lots of pretty landscapes.
I was told a year or two ago that down in the village of Chignik you easily took your limits of mallards on the beach with just a few decoys. Walk out, set the less than a dozen blocks and the try to land right there in the gravel and sand.
Damn that sounded neat.

04 April 2019, 00:45

2th doc

quote:
Originally posted by AnotherAZWriter:
quote:
Originally posted by 2th doc:
When I was guiding (for 3 different outfitters over the years) in AK I saw an array of "guides" whom were carpenters, burger flippers, fishermen, etc. the week prior to getting to camp whom could not find a horse in a corral let alone a sheep or moose.
Whether you like the fact or not most hunters

seeing a bear chasing salmon in the shallows or a alpine meadow but what they are there for is a chance to take a trophy

I hunted moose in AK in 2016 with a "carpenter guide" and overly religious to boot. But the guy knew what he was doing; we got a nice moose on day 5 of a 10 day hunt. I also had black bear and brown bear tags. On the first few days of
the hunt the mountain behind us was covered in bears. He asked if I wanted to go after a black bear; having shot five on DIY hunts, I told him I was there to hunt moose. He said, "You know, when those berries are gone, the bears will be
too."

He proved to be right; three days later the hill was devoid of bears. But I was ok with that.

He was also right about our moose; I actually glassed him from about 1000 yards away looking down a mountain. We couldn't call him in, so we took off after him. After poking around until it was nearly sunset, he told me our best bet was to
spend the night there. I told him I didn't like that idea, that we would be cold all night and useless the next day. So he said we would head back to the tent but take our time while we moved through the tall grass in front of us. "Tha
t bull might be bedded in that grass, so I will grunt softly as we move through."

We had called him in not even an hour before only to have him wind us; we never did see him but we
could hear him grunting and moving. I thought he was gone, and thought Carpenter Guide was wasting his time grunting; I could hardly hear it anyway. Suddenly, he whispered, "There he is!" The bull was bedded in the grass and stood up
about 50 yards. I shot him offhand after he made sure he was good enough to shoot. Not my biggest moose, but a damn good one, esp for that area. In retrospect, a job like a carpenter was perfect for him; he loved being a guide, but working a
regular job was no better way to be a guide than it is to make several exotic hunts every year as a client. My guide on my 2017 brown bear hunt was a taxidermist; my taxidermist said the hide was fleshed perfectly. The fact is, hunting
seasons are short in North America and if you want to guide, you need to have other income streams; these guys aren't guiding because they can't get regular jobs, they are guiding because they want to guide!

I would also say this: just because a African PHs are "full time" doesn't mean they are all perfect. I had a guy show up for a hunt in Kigosi that had never hunted the area before and said he was really challenged in terms of
estimating trophies. I have also hunted with a guy in Namibia who would be better off having black trackers and helpers rather than doing everything himself. But both of these hunts turned out ok.

No one doubts there are good guides and no one has reason to doubt you had one but I hope you are no trying to suggest just because of your experience all guides are good. To make my point.... My father was a carpenter by trade an he was the best small stream trout fisherman I've ever known (no prejudice) had he chose to be a trout flyfishing guide he could well have been in high demand...but I've known carpenters whom could not fish too.

04 April 2019, 03:16

dogcat

quote:
Originally posted by 458Win:
There are few comparisons between African and North American hunts.
Unless you are hunting the CAR or Congo you are not likely to find as much true, uninhabited wilderness as you can in Canada or Alaska.
A livable wage for camp help in Zimbabwe or Mozambique might be a few dollars per day, while in Alaska it is a few hundred dollars per day !
And as many have pointed out, the game populations in regions of Africa are as dense as the best whitetail deer areas and are simply staggering to Alaskans.

And when lower 48 hunters, who have also hunted SOuth African game ranches, ask me why they should hunt in Alaska because things are much cheaper in "Africa" I tell them, because there are no big bears or moose or Dall sheep in Africa.

Agree, but there are no bongo or Lord Derby Eland or Mountain Nyala in Alaska either...

Both places are unique. To each his own.

04 April 2019, 04:39

twoseventy

quote:
Originally posted by dukxdog:
I spent 23 days hunting with Rich. Before you book anything with him send me a PM.

Rich, you could have salvaged a poor experience by doing what you said you would do but after I left AK you would never return any of my correspondences or phone calls. You just hid out. That was very frustrating and unprofessional. Now you surface again looking to book hunts here. Ha!

Bobby, thanks for posting. If nothing else, it reminds us to do our due diligence.

Tom

...I say that hunters go into Paradise when they die, and live in this world more joyfully than any other men.
-Edward, duke of York

". . . when a man has shot an elephant his life is full." ~John Alfred Jordan

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance." Cicero - 55 BC

"The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities." - Ayn Rand

Cogito ergo venor- KPete

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves, not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages.”
― Adam Smith - “Wealth of Nations”