Float Trip in Alaska

[casilva43]

Has anybody ever done a Float trip in Alaska? I was reading this on a different forum...

As it stands, we plan to drive up to Fairbanks and put in on one of the surrounding rivers and motor up for two or three days and then float back down.

I here these hunts can be a little cheaper than a drop camp with plane.

[str8shooter]

I assume you will moose hunting? Which river are you going to hunt? Just an FYI, if you have to stop and get fuel in the villages along the river while you are motoring up river, it can get pretty expensive as the fuel has to be flown in or boated in. Is this a DIY or a guided hunt? My in-laws used to do a lot of moose hunting on the Yukon back in the 70's and 80's. All of my moose hunting was on the Kenai Peninsula.

[casilva43]

I assume you will moose hunting? Which river are you going to hunt? Just an FYI, if you have to stop and get fuel in the villages along the river while you are motoring up river, it can get pretty expensive as the fuel has to be flown in or boated in. Is this a DIY or a guided hunt? My in-laws used to do a lot of moose hunting on the Yukon back in the 70's and 80's. All of my moose hunting was on the Kenai Peninsula.

I am wanting to plan a DIY...to make it affordable. Was planning maybe 4 guys. I was also planning on buying the moose tag and possibly using it on a caribou. Hunt dates would be 9-1-14 through ??

I have gone back and forth. I thought the Haul Road was the way to go, but I here the cairbou numbers are hit or miss at best. The other DIY moose hunts require float planes or dropped off. I just want to hunt alaska!

[str8shooter]

My old college roommate does all of his bou hunting out of Paxson. That's a pretty affordable DIY hunt. You can drive in from Anchorage or Fairbanks and then walk in or go in by 4-wheeler. Dana gets a bou every year. I would be careful picking your river if you choose the moose hunt. Some of them can be hard to navigate. If you do the Yukon river, you'll need a shallow V or even a flat-bottom john boat. Lots of sandbars on that river.

Another one you could do is the Swanson river on the Kenai Pen. We use to float that one a lot. Easy float, no motor needed. You can take a week to do it.

My point is, there's a lot of options for DIY. Pick you're game (bou or moose) and that will determine where you go and how you do it. Typically you won't see any bou if you are doing a river hunt through the interior and you probably won't see a lot of moose if you go bou hunting in the tundra.

[casilva43]

My old college roommate does all of his bou hunting out of Paxson. That's a pretty affordable DIY hunt. You can drive in from Anchorage or Fairbanks and then walk in or go in by 4-wheeler. Dana gets a bou every year. I would be careful picking your river if you choose the moose hunt. Some of them can be hard to navigate. If you do the Yukon river, you'll need a shallow V or even a flat-bottom john boat. Lots of sandbars on that river.

Another one you could do is the Swanson river on the Kenai Pen. We use to float that one a lot. Easy float, no motor needed. You can take a week to do it.

My point is, there's a lot of options for DIY. Pick you're game (bou or moose) and that will determine where you go and how you do it. Typically you won't see any bou if you are doing a river hunt through the interior and you probably won't see a lot of moose if you go bou hunting in the tundra.

I would love to know more bout your college roommates hunts out of Paxton? I have 3 buddies. We are planning a trip in 2014. I would love to try for a bou and a wolf. I would prefer bow, but will to try rifle for the 1st time to increase my chances with bous and wolves. I don't know anyone up there so, fourwheelers will be hard to come by?

[austinRecurve]

If you jump in any river off a road system there will most likely be plenty of other hunters. When I lived in Alaska I floated the Nabesna in August 2007. We parked a truck at the Northway Airport and drove around to Slana then to a parking lot near Devils Mountain Lodge.

We hiked/ATVed to the Nabesna River and floated 3 inflatable rafts with 4 guys. Glassed for sheep and my partner took one with a rifle. We continued to float for another week and saw nothing. We had great weather but you will get wet on a float hunt. I think the moose tag maybe be resident only for this area and of course if you are a NR you need a guide for sheep.

[taytay21]

i did the float trip hunt but way south in the aleutian islands. greatest trip i've ever made and didnt even fling one arrow. its worth it just to see it.