I am wondering what the AVERAGE hunting shot distance is for various parts of the state.

SE (Juneau, islands, and mainland),
Southern (Kenai, Kodiak, ect.),
Eastern (Yukon Border),
Western (Bering Sea),
Northern (Brooks Range and above), and
Central (Denali, Fairbanks and so forth.)

Well...in the interior of Alaska, near Fairbanks, there are forested areas where I have killed moose as close as 100 yards. But there are "burned" areas (from forest fires in the past), where I shot my first moose ever at 300 yards. Now that I have gained more experience I get closer, so even in the large open fields I have killed moose from 200 yards to 250, most around 200.

My hunting partner has killed moose (in the same areas) as close as 40' or so, and so another hunting partner of mine.

Also, the game we hunt in Alaska often roam the cities or towns, so any time of the day or night one can have a moose or two in the backyard, and only bow hunting is allowed in town, in September.

In the coastal areas of Alaska where the big bears roam, one can be very close to bears without knowing it.

As a general rule, I would say that most Alaska game animals are shot from 30 to 150 yards.

[ 10-19-2003, 03:14: Message edited by: Ray, Alaska ]

In SE AK, with the animals I've killed I would put the average for bears at 50 yards, deer & moose would be as close as 25 yards all the way to 200 yards.

[ 10-19-2003, 03:16: Message edited by: CK ]

I think it depends on the game being hunted as much as what part of the state you are in. Above treeline you can have extremely long shots, no matter if you're in SE, PWS or the Brooks Range.

From my experience long range shooting is usually not required on any game, but if there was to be an exception it would be Dall sheep. In some more open areas of the state, ie tundra, it is possible to be presented with a long shot, but most often a stalk can bring the hunter much closer.

Of course, if a person is here on the "hunt of a lifetime" occasionally only the long shot is offered...but speaking as a resident, I don't shoot more than 200 yards at game, usually quite a bit less than 100.

My only moose were taken at 9 yards and 65 yards up on the Yukon. The caribou were 20 yards to 250-300 yards away up on tthe Bering Coast. I would think the terrain would be the determining factor here. I also don't like shooting far so a good 300 yard gun would be plenty.

Difficult question to answer and the other guys have already stated some good info...I will say that many experienced sheep hunters (I have no sheep exp. yet) will disagree with the notion that sheep are plugged from long distance. Many bowhunters get them every year and many rifle shots are under 100 yards.

I hope no one took my post to say that sheep are usually shot from long range. In my experience, though, of all the game chased in Alaska a sheep is the most likely to offer a long shot or none at all.

Some of the guides that post on AR have vast experience compared to mine but I have hunted here extensively for 21 years. I've been fortunate enough to take good representatives of all the big game offered in AK with the exception of bison and muskox and they don't really interest me. Given my experiences I would say that it would be very unusual that you HAD to take a shot at more than 250 yd.

When I was younger and dumber I shot at caribou that were 350-400 yd. out not realizing that they often will let you get within 200 yd. or closer before they even pay attention to you.

Moutain game because of the roughness of the country can often be approach to quite close distances. I shot one sheep at 35yd.

Overall I would say that shots all over AK are going to be of moderate range and hardly ever will it be necessary to shoot at running game if you are patient.

Other than one caribou that I took near Cold Bay at between 350-400 yards years ago with a .264 mag, I've never shot any other game animal including bears, deer or caribou farther than about 150-175 yards. I would say the average distance is between 50-75 yards for me.

My main hunting rifle now seems to be a big bore .375 Win lever gun with a peep sight. All my hunting buddies used to laugh at me when I pulled it out, but not anymore... I seem to do much better than they with it. I guess that rifle just hates animals and has to clobber them.

I have two loads for this rifle, one a sierra 200 gr and the other a hormady 220. With the same sight setting, loaded up with Rx 7, the 200 gr will print 3" high at 50 yards and the 220 gr prints 1 1/2" high. This means that the 200 gr will hit dead on at 200 yards and the 220 gr will hit at 125 yards. Using a max point blank range of + or - 5 " the 200 grainer is good to 255 yards and the 200 is good to 180 yards. This is a good combination and I've never felt under gunned when I used it. I just get a little closer if I have too, plus I don't think that under field conditions, I'd ever want to take on an animal much past 300 yards even with a flat shooting scoped rifle. I know my limitations...

I've taken:

bear (black and brown) between 70 & 125 yards;

moose from 40 to 125 yards;

deer from 70 to 125 yards;

caribou from 100 to 350 yards;

wolf at 50 yards.

I've never shot a sheep, goat, elk, or bison.

CK shoulda said from about 15 yards out to what ever. That's about how far the deer I pointed out off the trail to my right was when he took advantage of the fact that I shoot righty and he shoots lefty and didn't have to swing around 180 degrees, he was all lined up and shot my deer. When the rest of the guys back to the boat/camp that evening, and asked the inevitable "How many Shots?" question, I felt honor bound to answer with a truthful " I lost count!" Walex

I certainly haven't hunted Alaska enough to claim any experience on a typical Dall sheep shot, but I can offer one data point. Mine was taken in in August of this year at a distance of a little over 200 yds (estimated, no rangefinder). Took the shot from a prone position and was very steady. I was prepared to shoot up to 300 yds if necessary, but was much more comfortable limiting my shots to 200 yds. max.

I could have seen the possibility of much longer shots in our area, but I personally would have felt obliged to pass on anything longer than 300. I just don't have the confidence to shoot past that distance. Even if there is no possibility of getting closer. Which could often very well be the case up there.

I have taken 2 Caribou in Alaska with my 450/400 3 1/4" double, one at @85 yards and one at @150 yards.

My brothers (3) living in Juneau have all told me they shoot deer at about 50 yards or less. They haven't shot any bears 'cause they have no use for them.

My brother-in-law shot a moose on the Kenai at about 75 yards.
His daughter took a caribou in northeast of Kwethluk at about 75 yards.

I killed a moose at 35 feet (Yukon River) and a caribou at less than 75 yards, southwestern Alaska, near the Kilbuck Mountains.

My brothers-in-law and their sons almost every year get moose at less than a 100 yards in southwestern Alaska.