Hunting and fishing in Alaska

I had my share of opportunities hunting moose, caribou, black bear, and mountain goats, among other species. I had my share of success, too, having taken caribou, Sitka Blacktailed deer, moose, elk, and waterfowl, ocean-bright salmon, halibut, grayling, and Dolly Varden, usually without anybody but my companions within miles. In a couple of job locations, I was the only one who trapped, so I had vast areas to myself while pursuing marten, beaver, otter, fox, mink, and the occasional muskrat.

Times have changed. I ran into an old friend and fellow retired Fish and Gamer a while back in Wasilla. We brought each other up to date on things and he told me he had recently returned from a hunt in Texas which he had purchased off E-Bay. He and his grown children had managed to mesh schedules and took advantage of the opportunity to pursue wild hogs during a three-day hunt. He had also hunted and successfully taken a bison in Washington State the year before on another E-Bay hunt he had purchased.

My friend has a long history of successful hunting in Alaska. At one time, he owned commercial meat processing equipment to more efficiently package his usual moose and caribou harvested each season. Now he’s older and the hard work of a long career working in the state’s fish hatchery system has taken its toll on his knees. Just getting around is harder than it used to be for him.

He figures his backpacking days are over. That virtually eliminates most big game hunting here, since after a successful kill, my friend would still have to get the moose or caribou back to his vehicle, the ATV, or the landing strip.

He told me he really enjoyed these hunts Outside because the accommodations were good – a real bed instead of a sleeping bag in a tent and someone else to do the cooking – plus a crew to take care of the hard work of hauling and processing the meat.

While his hunt narratives intrigued me, I figured they must have cost a bundle. That was my error. His cash outlay, including round-trip airfare, wasn’t much more than chartering an air taxi and flying for a couple of hours out to a remote site in western Alaska to hunt moose or caribou or traveling down to Kodiak to hunt deer or elk. For that matter, driving up the Dalton Highway for an archery caribou hunt and suffering a vehicle breakdown somewhere along the road might cost more.

I’ve known several people that routinely flew Outside every year to bird hunt in Montana or South Dakota. Others went for whitetailed deer or elk with archery or rifle gear.

And, let’s be honest, Alaska’s weather isn’t always the greatest for outdoor activities. This winter is a good example of either too much snow or extremely cold temperatures. I remembered my friend’s mention of the 70-degree temperatures during his Texas hunt as I checked the thermometer and snow depth.

I’m not advocating that we all quit hunting in Alaska and go elsewhere. I’m just saying that other alternatives exist. My wife wants to spend a couple of weeks in the sun and on the sands of Hawaii. We can’t afford the trip this winter but, if I plan to stay married, next winter is a must, if possible. Sitting on the beach will keep me occupied for about five minutes and then boredom will set in.

I’ve already started surfing the web for information on hunting and surf fishing in Hawaii. With any luck, I may have a good story the next time we compare notes.