Hunting the Kandik questions.

[gonyo]

So I'm looking at heading to the Kandik for moose this year I plan on putting in at Eagle and cruising down till the Kandik. I've been doing some looking and I've been seeing that the river seems kinda ruff for a jet boat with 3 mile reef and a few other obstacles I have a 18 ft Allweld with a tunnel hope that should be small enough to get around everything. Is the river pretty doable or should I maybe look at the Nation or the Tatunduk?? Also I don't really want to be where there is going to be any combat hunting, is there a lot of people that hunt that area? Any info would be great the only stuff I could find was a few years old now. thanks

[Michael Strahan]

Homesteaders live in that area, together with the lower reaches of many tributaries in that part of the state. Hunting is very iffy (moose density is very low), and you are competing with locals. Not a good combination.

-Mike

[stid2677]

I have a friend that lives up the Kandik, the river made some dramatic course changes this spring. Low moose numbers and the only way to really get up to where they are is with a canoe or longtail surface drive. I would look for another option.

One of the many boulder gardens.

[MacGyver]

I know a guy that hunt the area, if you email me and I will give you his name.

[martentrapper]

Homesteaders live in that area, Hunting is very iffy (moose density is very low), and you are competing with locals. Not a good combination.

-Mike

Just where in this state, Mike, does one NOT compete with locals? How many urban guys go down the Yukon and up the Koyukuk and how many of those guys PAID you for information, Mike?
Just because ONE couple (that's right...........a whole 2 people) live up the Kandik NO ONE else in the state should hunt there? Doesn't that attitude kinda put you and Larry about out of business, Mike?

gonyo, probably not the best Moose pop up there. Also difficult to get very far up the river. But don't let the guys supposedly protecting a WHOLE drainage for just 2 people (man and wife) deter you from going there. Talk to the area bio and see what he says.
Oh........rumor has it that if you can get up the Tatondek and climb on to the ridge tops, there might be some fannin sheep up there.
Good luck where ever you go, gonyo.

[Michael Strahan]

Just where in this state, Mike, does one NOT compete with locals? How many urban guys go down the Yukon and up the Koyukuk and how many of those guys PAID you for information, Mike?
Just because ONE couple (that's right...........a whole 2 people) live up the Kandik NO ONE else in the state should hunt there? Doesn't that attitude kinda put you and Larry about out of business, Mike?

gonyo, probably not the best Moose pop up there. Also difficult to get very far up the river. But don't let the guys supposedly protecting a WHOLE drainage for just 2 people (man and wife) deter you from going there. Talk to the area bio and see what he says.
Oh........rumor has it that if you can get up the Tatondek and climb on to the ridge tops, there might be some fannin sheep up there.
Good luck where ever you go, gonyo.

Wow, Mike. Was that really necessary? And your questions contradict each other... oh well.

To clarify (in case it is needed) yes, I am a commercial hunt planner, and yes, I do make an effort to place hunters away from areas where they will hunt on top of homesteaders. I also try to keep my hunters off of guided and unguided hunters, wherever possible. It's not always possible, because we don't always know where other folks will be, but we do try. Whether or not those recommendations will put me out of business remains to be seen. I *THINK* my hunters (and the homesteaders and other hunters) appreciate it.

Regarding what kind of information hunters pay me for, I think you misunderstand what I do. The core of my hunt planning service is mentoring and helping them develop local connections. Each group is different, but on the average we spend between 30 and 60 hours together from start to finish. By the time we finish our first hunt together, most of them do not need me anymore. However, on the off chance that they might need additional assistance in the future, I charge a flat fee up front and subsequent hunts, regardless of how many, are free. You can read more about it AT THIS LINK. The mentoring and connecting components are featured prominently there.

-Mike

[gonyo]

Thanks guys for all the info. Kinda a bummer that there is low numbers out that way. It does seem nice though that there shouldnt be many people other than the locals. I was born and raised in the area and my family knows a few people up in that area so the locals don't really concern me I was just hopping people from all over dont come out that way. Me and the old man were also talking about going up the charlie for caribou for a day try and get lucky heard it is just beautiful up that way. Michael Strahan forgive me if this is not a question youd like to answer but do you drop people off out that way? if you do are they just dropped a lot farther up river? Thanks again guys were still going out there for a week even if there is low numbers both me and my dad have been here way to long to have never been out that way.

[hodgeman]

Interesting idea. Beautiful country, but a moose hot spot it is not.

If you're going to bust up a boat to get into good hunting you can do a lot better than the Kandik IMHO.

[gonyo]

Hodgeman any nice ideas around that area I'm open for anything the big reason I picked up there is because of work I need a hunt that is open till the 25th not the short hunts.

[hodgeman]

Hodgeman any nice ideas around that area I'm open for anything the big reason I picked up there is because of work I need a hunt that is open till the 25th not the short hunts.

You can't get PMs yet but I sent you an email.

[Michael Strahan]

... Michael Strahan forgive me if this is not a question youd like to answer but do you drop people off out that way?

For obvious reasons I prefer not to discuss where my groups hunt. But I am very careful with distributing them and trying to make sure that they get the kind of hunt they want. Some groups are very capable of hunting rivers with a bit more pressure, because of the information they bring into the field with them; in such cases I will let them know what to expect in terms of pressure, and some opt to dive in. And they make it work. The majority of course want to be in a place teeming with game that they have all to themselves. That's not a realistic expectation, and we work through that.

That said, I would never put a group on the Kandik, for the reasons I mentioned earlier. Never have, and cannot imagine why I ever would. So I am not trying to steer you away because of some benefit I get out of it. I'm just being straight with you.

Regards,

-Mike

[gonyo]

Thanks hodgeman appreciate the info.
So do I have a pretty good understanding that the whole lower 25B is pretty mooseless? or is it just not feasable to get to the moose in a jet boat?

[Michael Strahan]

Thanks hodgeman appreciate the info.
So do I have a pretty good understanding that the whole lower 25B is pretty mooseless? or is it just not feasable to get to the moose in a jet boat?

You need to call the area biologist for this information. All of the area biologist info can be found on the site here, together with a ton of other hunt planning resources. Here is the link to our HUNT PLANNING SECTION, which contains all of that information. That's why we put it there; questions like this come up all the time.

-Mike

[gonyo]

Also any info on the nation river??

[gonyo]

OK Mike thanks I appreciate the straight forward answer.