Moose or Caribou around Denali STATE Park

[gen2shark]

I will be hunting black bear on the Kenai in early September, then will be in the Denali State Park area from September 8-13. Is there any place around or in the State Park where there is a decent chance to hunt Moose or Caribou. I saw black bear there last time I was there, but the only moose I saw was on private property. Dates and locations are set, so I can't go to the north slope, etc.

Thanks for any advice you might have.
Shaun Bennett

[anchskier]

I will be hunting black bear on the Kenai in early September, then will be in the Denali State Park area from September 8-13. Is there any place around or in the State Park where there is a decent chance to hunt Moose or Caribou. I saw black bear there last time I was there, but the only moose I saw was on private property. Dates and locations are set, so I can't go to the north slope, etc.

Thanks for any advice you might have.
Shaun Bennett

There may be some options for moose, but unless you already have a drawing permit for caribou (entry was in December and results published in February), there is no option for caribou hunting. That portion of the state is drawing permit only for caribou.

For moose, the question to start with is are you an Alaska resident or not? If you are, then there is the option of hunting under a "harvest ticket" that comes with certain antler restrictions. If you are not a resident, then you are out of luck without a drawing permit.

[AK Ray]

Unit 16A is south of the State park and is your closest option for HT moose as a NR. You and thousands of locals will be chasing moose near the highway.

[MacGyver]

Unit 16A is south of the State park and is your closest option for HT moose as a NR. You and thousands of locals will be chasing moose near the highway.

Ray is right you will have a lot of competition from the locals mostly on the weekends. You said you will be hunting on the weekdays (9-13) so it will not be as big of a problem.

The biggest problem will be finding a legal moose with out doing any pre-scouting to narrow down the areas to hunt.

[dkwarthog]

You will not find any caribou in Denali State Park. One should never say never, but I'd say 99.999999%.

[magpie]

I've seen caribou in Denali state park on more then one occasion in the last couple years

[dkwarthog]

Not saying you are wrong Magpie, but I'd have to see it to believe it. It's been a couple years since I've spent significant time there, but my understanding from talking with park staff and locals was that they hadnt been seen in that area for a long time. Then again, hmmm, nonetheless, that would be a drawing permit area so the OP would be SOL....

[cod]

Not saying you are wrong Magpie, but I'd have to see it to believe it. It's been a couple years since I've spent significant time there, but my understanding from talking with park staff and locals was that they hadnt been seen in that area for a long time. Then again, hmmm, nonetheless, that would be a drawing permit area so the OP would be SOL....

I'll vouch for the magpie. I've only been in Denali twice but did see bou there on the riverbed on the left below the roadway.

[Jerod]

We saw several just outside of the park this spring. They are there, but they have a vast area to roam. Bears are on the increase so much I think they have been doing some real damage, and the wolves aren't helping either.

[4merguide]

Bears are on the increase so much I think they have been doing some real damage, and the wolves aren't helping either.

It's amazing how I hear this about pretty much anywhere in the state.......

[sh]

We saw several just outside of the park this spring. They are there, but they have a vast area to roam. Bears are on the increase so much I think they have been doing some real damage, and the wolves aren't helping either.

That must be impossible. The daily news armchair biologists insist that hunters are the sole problem. Bears
can not be eating moose. Its just a fact.