ALASKA YUKON MOOSE HUNTS

DATES: SEPTEMBER

When I think of September in Alaska, I think of golden willows, yellow aspen leaves, and giant bull moose! An Alaskan moose hunt is a fantastic adventure: I love hunting them, I love eating them, but they are a ton of work! A hindquarter of a bull from the hock to hip ball can weigh up to 180 pounds! The antlers alone can weigh as much as 70 pounds. Total weight of an Alaska bull moose can exceed 1,800 pounds! And remember, helicopters cannot be used for hunting in Alaska. When you get a bull down, it needs to be butchered and hung in a dry, ventilated place ASAP. A successful moose hunter will have roughly 750 pounds of bone-in meat. Concise planning and proper logistical support from your outfitter, guide, packers, and pilots are a must on any Alaskan moose hunt.

Moose hunting methods in Alaska include landing on ridge tops with Super Cubs and hunting on foot, landing on a lake with a float plane and hunting on foot or with a raft, flying into a river camp and hunting by boat and on foot, or by hunting with horses. No matter where you hunt moose the terrain will be challenging, but every moose hunters’ ace-in-the-hole is the fact that moose rut in mid-September through early October, and bulls can be very responsive to calling. Most rookie moose hunters are astonished by how far bull moose can hear, and will come to investigate proper calls. Depending on the time of year, guides and experienced moose hunters will use cow moans, bull grunts, and brush raking.

Season dates vary in different areas, but in my experience the prime hunt dates for moose in Alaska are Sept. 8-30. Most areas have a legal bull minimum of a 50-inch antler spread, or 3 or 4 brow tines on one side. A 70-inch bull is the Holy Grail of moose hunting, but the average is typically in the high 50’s. Some top outfitters in premium areas will average slightly over 60”, but like any antlered animal, spread isn’t everything. In 90% of moose areas, I would consider a high 50’s bull with massive brows, with heavy, wide, long palms, to be a trophy. Record book bulls are found across Alaska, but there are a few regions with better trophy potential than others.

The average shot distance for moose is 150 yards, but being proficient at longer ranges can increase your chances of success. After your bull is butchered and packed out, bears and wolves are often shot on the remaining carcass. Most outfitters will charge a trophy fee if a black or grizzly bear is taken. Wolves can typically be taken at no extra cost. (Always buy a wolf tag or two.) Caribou may be available to hunt in some areas. My calibers of choice for moose would include .300 Win. Mag., .300 PRC, .330 Mag. to a .375 H&H with a 1-8X to a 3-15X scope.

There’s a wide variety of variables and options that need to be considered for hunting moose. Contact Billy to find the best Alaska moose hunt for you!