Unit 13 E Bad group of hunters ruining a great area!!

[snagin]

I have been hunting Moose and Caribou in unit 13 for 20+ years. 15 of them specifically in 13 E. Over the years the number of people that use this easily accessible area have grown by leaps and bounds. But I have been able to take my kids and teach them the ways of the woods with out fear of buck fever type hunters and mostly have met have met many good ethical ones in the field.

This season was definitely a different story. We had some issues with hunters that have no regard to hunter ethics. We clearly had our tarp set up so that the hunters that use the Nanana river system would be able to see that there were hunters in the area. We realize that it is not "Our" area but when I find a spot and realize that another hunter is already in the area I back out first come first served and all that. These guys brought 6 guys into a camp across the river and drove their boat around the river and slew on our side , road hunting like hicks spooking the animals and creating a distressed area it was pretty pathetic. Even after letting them know by means of yelling that we were in the area and had been for some time , they just kept at it. Unsuccessfully I might add. On top of this scenario as I went out to Cantwell to take care of some things I find someone had shot a cow Moose and left her to rot. Not only that but you could tell she was nursing when the coward shot her!!! My guess is it was the same group of hunters!!

Fortunately for us my son was able to take a nice fork horn bull. Right in front of the idiots when they finally stayed in camp. Great spot and stalk, then we brought the boat up and retrieved the animal simple effective. But watching this pristine Alaska area turn into a red neck road hunt really took the enjoyment out of what it means to hunt in Alaska. I hate to see us turn into the lower 48...but that is what I saw happening.

[BIGAKSTUFF]

Well, that is unfortunate. After you factor in park and Ahtna land to the north, and Ahtna land to the west for a good chunk, the river area you are hunting really isn't that big. Not surprised you saw other people, I saw people in my stomping grounds this year that I didn't know as well, gotta use those legs if you want to get away from the crowds.

[Bambistew]

I hate to see us turn into the lower 48...but that is what I saw happening.

There is no comparison to any place in the L48. The Denali highway is a complete goat rope. The ONLY hunt I can think of that comes remotely close is the late season Gardiner, MT elk hunt.

Really the area isn't all that big, and there are literally 1000's of hunters all trying to use the same area. I've found plenty of solitude in 13E, but it involves a lot of walking.

[AaronP]

So little land that is fairly cheap and easy to access paired with TONS of people who want to "hunt" makes a goat rodeo like I have never seen!! I have personally made the decision to sell my ATV and only hunt if I do fly or boat ins. I just can't handle the crowds. Hunting is supposed to be enjoyable, not stressful.

[Troutnut]

There is no comparison to any place in the L48. The Denali highway is a complete goat rope.

This hasn't been my experience at all, hunting on foot in places motorized vehicles are prohibited from going or simply can't. It's possible to go in for days without seeing anyone else. I don't have any nice bulls to show for it, but the solitude is worth something itself. It's infinitely less of a zoo than whitetail hunting was growing up in Missouri, and I didn't even mess with public land down there.

[Amigo Will]

Luckily the global warming folks are saying Anchorage is the number one place to move to

[4merguide]

Luckily the global warming folks are saying Anchorage is the number one place to move to

Interesting......I heard last night on the news that the Arctic ice pack is the thickest it's been in recent history.....

[sayak]

Interesting......I heard last night on the news that the Arctic ice pack is the thickest it's been in recent history.....

And with such information you may threaten someone's religion. You should know by now that Gaya is pissed and we're all gonna die.

[Hunt&FishAK]

Interesting......I heard last night on the news that the Arctic ice pack is the thickest it's been in recent history.....

Al gore is coming for you.

[Birdstrike]

You hunted unit 13 from the road or an easy accessible river and you expected something different? Unit 13 is home of the easy access/low effort hunter even though large large swaths of it go untouched.

[DanielApplin]

This type of behavior seems common, this year I was moose hunting on a river with out a camp 15 miles in any direction and had my boat parked on the bank and was in woods checking out a moose that was 49 7/8" wide with 2 brows tines on both sides and sure enough a boat starts coming up river and as soon as they see my boat on the side of the river they have to stop assuming this must be a good spot if someone else is there. So they stomp around for 5-10 minutes and then drive up river about 200 yards and start calling, never seeing me or the moose I was involved with. The moose got pretty nervous and moved on but I was in disbelief that someone would choose that spot with 30 miles of vacant land. Maybe im just different but when I see someone else hunting, especially moose hunting, that is the last place that I want to try and hunt.

-Dan

[iofthetaiga]

Al gore is coming for you.

..........

[kodiak_hunter]

Well, I had a different experience last weekend in 13e. Driving the Denali Hwy towards Cantwell, a weld on my trailer broke and we were totally out of commission. Two guys in a pickup from Big Lake stopped and helped us get the trailer temporarily fixed so we could drive it out. I can't tell you how much we appreciated their help and when I offered a tip for their trouble, they wouldn't take anything. If it wasn't for their assistance, I am not sure how we would have gotten out. Just thought I would pass this along, and hope to be in a position to help others in the future.

[Bullelkklr]

There is no comparison to any place in the L48. The Denali highway is a complete goat rope. The ONLY hunt I can think of that comes remotely close is the late season Gardiner, MT elk hunt.

There is no longer a late season gardiner hunt. Wolves fixed that.

[NRick]

This type of behavior seems common, this year I was moose hunting on a river with out a camp 15 miles in any direction and had my boat parked on the bank and was in woods checking out a moose that was 49 7/8" wide with 2 brows tines on both sides and sure enough a boat starts coming up river and as soon as they see my boat on the side of the river they have to stop assuming this must be a good spot if someone else is there. So they stomp around for 5-10 minutes and then drive up river about 200 yards and start calling, never seeing me or the moose I was involved with. The moose got pretty nervous and moved on but I was in disbelief that someone would choose that spot with 30 miles of vacant land. Maybe im just different but when I see someone else hunting, especially moose hunting, that is the last place that I want to try and hunt.

-Dan

It isn't just hunting where you see this behavior. Some people have a serious herd instinct.

I see it in town in parking lots. I have a big pickup, and to avoid getting hit by people that can't park, I usually park well away from the store in an empty section of the lot. More often than not, when I come out of the store there will be another vehicle parked right next to me.

It happens snowmachining too. 100 square miles of untracked snow and if another group enters the area, they will almost always end up near you.