Planning a DIY Alaska moose hunt? One of the biggest decisions you’ll make happens long before you ever step foot in the bush.
Where the hell are you going to hunt?
Alaska has millions of acres of wilderness, but that doesn’t mean you can simply pick a river on a map, hire a bush pilot, and expect to find a giant bull moose. We’ve already broke down how expensive it can be to hunt moose in Alaska. It’s a serious investment and choosing the wrong hunting area can cost you thousands of dollars and potentially ruin your entire trip.
In my FREE DIY Alaska Moose Hunting Masterclass, I walk hunters through the entire planning process, including how to select a hunting area. But for now, let’s cover five important things to consider before choosing yours.
1. Understand Alaska’s Hunting Units
Like many states, Alaska is divided into Game Management Units (GMUs), each with its own hunting regulations, seasons and permit requirements. Some areas offer general-season hunting opportunities, while others require drawing or registration permits.
Before getting excited about a particular location, visit the Alaska Department of Fish and Game website to research legal hunting opportunities. Pay particular attention to harvest reports. These can provide valuable information about hunter success, hunting pressure, and historical harvests.
2. Float Hunt or Drop Camp?
This decision will dramatically influence where you hunt.
Float hunts allow you to travel through different areas along a river system, potentially accessing more moose habitat. However, you’ll need to understand river navigation, raft logistics, and hazards like logjams, sweepers, and shallow water.
Drop camps allow you to establish a fixed camp and hunt the surrounding country. They’re generally simpler logistically, but you’re limited to the area you can realistically reach on foot.
Neither approach is automatically better. Choose the one that matches your experience, equipment, and hunting objectives.
3. Identify Moose Habitat
When researching hunting areas, pay attention to river drainages, willow flats, and tundra basins. Moose depend heavily on suitable feeding habitat, and willow-rich areas can be particularly attractive.
But remember, good moose habitat doesn’t necessarily mean good hunting access… that beautiful patch of willows on your computer screen might be surrounded by three miles of miserable, nearly impassable swamp. Welcome to Alaska!
4. E-Scouting
One of my favorite tools for researching remote Alaska hunting areas is onX Hunt.
Satellite imagery and mapping tools allow you to study potential hunting locations from home. Look for river systems, lakes, potential landing strips, campsites, gravel bars, and natural travel corridors. For float hunts, pay particular attention to potential river hazards, including logjams, rapids, braided channels, and sweepers.
Just remember that satellite imagery doesn’t always reflect current conditions.
5. Meat Retrieval
Finding moose is only half the battle.
You need to know how you’re getting into your hunting area and, more importantly, how you’re getting out. Your bush pilot must be able to safely access your chosen location. Confirm landing and pickup options before committing to an area. And here’s a question every moose hunter should ask:
“If I kill a bull right here, how the hell am I getting hundreds of pounds of meat back to the pickup location?”
If you don’t have a realistic answer, you might want to reconsider that location.
Final Thoughts
The best Alaska moose hunting area isn’t necessarily the most remote or the one with the biggest bulls. It’s the area that combines suitable habitat, legal hunting opportunities, realistic access, and a solid plan for getting your moose home.
In my FREE DIY Alaska Moose Hunting Masterclass, I walk hunters through the entire process of selecting hunting areas, researching river systems, working with bush pilots, and planning their own adventures. Students also gain access to exclusive discounts from participating outdoor gear companies.
Start planning your own Alaska moose hunt for FREE at www.elkhornx.com.
