Tips, Opinions and Advise for Self-Guided Hunt

[fecampbell]

I am in the (very) prilim stage of considering an Alaska hunt.

As I have said in other posts, I have lurked for a long time and decided that I would like to hunt Alaska. So I have researched some and listened a lot and wondered what you guys thought about a person trying to arrange a self-guided hunt?

There are some really good books out there; but is it not too feasible to navigate the regulations and other obstacles to pull this off?

I would like to moose, brownie, bou or goat hunt. Also, love to bird hunt but I probably would prefer to hunt birds in my home state (OK). We have some the the best of that here.

So, is it possible to hunt and be successful or is it better the first time not to try a self-guided hunt?

Although I am certainly not green to hunting, I am to Alaska hunting so please understand I am just trying to explore the possibilities.

Thanks in advance.
~F

[martentrapper]

Your getting the horse ahead of the cart. You apprently haven't looked at the regs. As a non res you can't hunt browns, sheep, or goat, without a guide. Self guided is out there...........or do you have a relative here?
Plenty of folks from outside hunt bou, blacks, moose, and deer up here. Self guided for those species often works just fine.

[Brian M]

For a first-time self-guided AK hunt, I would strongly recommend caribou. You have a good chance for success, see some amazing country, and aren't going to be too far in over your head if successful. Many people don't realize just how big a moose is until it's dead. Oops...those five miles look a lot longer now! Anyhow, caribou are large, but still manageable on foot. Lots of animals, a number of different areas to consider, won't completely break the bank. That's the route I'd take.

Spend some time looking through these forums and the old ones. There is a wealth of information to get you started, and then come back here with more specific questions. Welcome, and good luck in your planning!

-Brian

[martentrapper]

oops

Your getting the horse ahead of the cart. You apprently haven't looked at the regs. As a non res you can't hunt browns, sheep, or goat, without a guide. Self guided is out there...........or do you have a relative here?
Plenty of folks from outside hunt bou, blacks, moose, and deer up here. Self guided for those species often works just fine.

I think that should read, "the cart ahead of the horse" hahahaha.

[Michael Strahan]

Caribou!

Excellent question!

The two most common animals hunted by do-it-yourself (DIY) hunters are moose and caribou. I agree with Brian on this one; caribou is probably your best bet for starters. Still, you might consider plunking down the cash for a moose tag too, assuming you wind up in an area that has them, because you may get lucky...

If you are an experienced hunter, a DIY caribou hunt shouldn't be too hard to pull off. Lotsa folks here have done that many times! Our caribou populations in some areas are in great shape right now. The brightest star in that sky is the Western Arctic Herd (WAH) which can be accessed from several places. The most popular place to charter from is Kotzebue.

Drop me a line and I'd be happy to go over some details with you over the phone. There's a lot of information here in the archives too.

Regards,

-Mike

[RMA]

DIY Caribou Hunt

Myself and a buddy are looking at a self guided bow hunt along the Dalton Hwy. Anyone with thoughts and suggestions we would GREATLY appreciate any advice. I'm really relying on Cameron Hanes book but would like input from others as well. Thank you in advance for your time and effort!