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**2019 Moose Hunt** DIY Float Trip

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    **2019 Moose Hunt** DIY Float Trip

    Just returned back home to Texas last Friday the 27th from my first Alaska moose hunt. It was an amazing trip, so much so I will be back in 2 years to do it all over again to hopefully punch some more tags. Accompanying me on the trip was my dad and brother, which was their first moose hunt as well. For those that have never been, Alaska is a beautiful, breathtaking, and truly awe inspiring place, but she is extremely harsh. You better bring your “A” game and be all in, because she does not give up or surrender anything easily at all.

    This all started 2 years ago after watching an episode of meateater where they were on a moose hunt in the brooks range I believe. The 3 of us have always had dreams of chasing down all the game North America has to offer. With my dad getting older and my brother and I old enough to carry more than our fair share, theres no better time than now. My family has hunted Colorado backcountry every year as a family for elk and deer long before I as well as my dad was ever a twinkle in my grandfather’s eye. We had a good idea of what Alaska was like from our many fishing trips there and felt pretty confident in our woodsman skills from years of hunting trips to do a full DIY trip. We decided on doing a float trip for several reasons. One, to give us higher chances of punching multiple tags, the thought of true adventure, and the difficulty.

    This was a true DIY trip from start to finish. Not a drop camp through a transporter or outfitter, not planned through a hunt planner, no help from anyone but our own hard work and research. We chose to do it this way as it would be easily affordable for my brother and I without sacrifice being that I’m 27 and he is 24. I want to emphasize that for anyone who has ever wanted to do something like this, it is affordable for anyone you just have to be willing to put in the work before hand and think a little outside of the box to save money with expenses.

    Planning started on the ADFG website with vetting units and subunits that fit our criteria of success rate, pressure, and trophy potential/game density. Once we narrowed it down we then had to narrow it down to a river that met our criteria of truly remote, not seeing another floater/hunter, and not too much whitewater to float with a loaded down raft. Once we found the river we picked a section of about 40 miles with multiple spots on google earth and onxmaps we had found that looked good. Then we went through a list of transporters within 300 miles of the area that we strictly vetted. Once we figured out the transporter it was on to more research of the specific river. There was little to no information to be found other than there is a 10 mile section of canyons with class II whitewater. Biologists and wardens didn’t visit the area due to remoteness, no pilots we talked to had been in the area within 15-20 years. It was starting to seem like we were either getting into something way over our heads or something we had been dreaming up all along. Only problem was the 40 miles and 12 days turned into 108 miles and 17 days.

    The 2 months before dragged like never before day dreaming of hunting all day everyday. Each day the anticipation and anxiety building more and more. It’s September now and flights are booked and paid for, rafts rented and paid for, gear packed and ready. All that was left was waiting on the countdown to September 6th our flight out, or so we thought...

    Sunday September 1st i receive and email that night that our transporter is backing out and all he says is “hey, I’m not going to be able to take your party, sorry.” My heart sinks and I begin to sweat and I immediately call them and can’t get a hold of anyone. The next morning I finally get a hold of him and get the run around and no answer as to why and I’m extremely agitated. I get off the phone and scramble to find another transporter lined up and booked because there is no way this is happening. Get another one lined up and he gives me a quote but his dates can’t quite line up so he tells me he’s busy he’ll call me back when he gets things shuffled and worked out. Well while I’m waiting on his return phone call the original transporter calls back and explains why he decided to drop us. He explains he is worried about transporting meat across unit lines and doesn’t want to lose a plane for ignorantly breaking a law, which I completely agree with his decision. I told him I had had that worry several months back and had talked to the biologist and warden in the unit about it and they said it would be fine to not worry. I still had their names and numbers so I gave them to him to contact them himself so he wasn’t just taking my word for it. We get off the phone and he calls back 20 min later to tell me we are good to go and apologizes for the mix up.

    Friday the 6th rolls around finally and we find ourselves loading the plane and getting ready to head out. Anticipation, anxiousness, nervousness, and a whole list of emotions filled that otter as we took off. None of us having no idea what exactly to expect, confident in our research, but also having that little voice in the back of our head telling us we forgot something, but most of all ready for one epic adventure.






    Stay tuned, There’s a lot more to come...


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    Last edited by Mary; 04-30-2020, 12:36 PM.

    #2
    And I will be patiently waiting..........

    Rwc

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      #3
      Oh man I'm ready for the rest of the story this looks like its gonna be epic. Patiently waiting.

      Comment


        #4
        man cant wait to hear the whole story

        Comment


          #5
          This is gonna be good

          Comment


            #6
            Subscribed


            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

            Comment


              #7
              wow. wow. wow. i'm in for the full story and salute you for a trip like this.

              Comment


                #8
                IN!

                Comment


                  #9
                  in

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                    #10
                    Can't wait to hear the rest of the story!

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                      #11
                      Definitely in !!!! Just starting the research and logistics myself for a similar trip ! Sons and I have a solid backcountry hunting background and are looking for a new adventure. Can’t wait to hear more and congrats on making it happen !!!

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                        #12
                        Oh Im in. Cant wait to read the rest!

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                          #13
                          IN!

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                            #14
                            Green light on......lets get this hunt going

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                              #15
                              Awesome! Tagged

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