Dream hunt?

THelms

Administrator
Staff member
If I was younger it definitely would be any of the sheep. But.....that being said, Reality sets in, at my age it would have to be an Alaskan moose and possibly caribou combo hunt. I've been on between 25 & 30 wilderness horseback hunts for elk & deer in my life, so the Moose/Caribou will be it.

X2! Horseback Hunt for Grizz, Moose, Dall or Stone Sheep, and Caribou with some Ptarmigan thrown in for flavor!
 

Alabama

Veteran member
Feb 18, 2013
1,395
191
Sweet Home Alabama
Dall sheep combo with Mt Caribou or Moose or any sheep hunt really. With my number of points and current quota, I should draw a tag in WY in 114 yrs
Hahahaha! I almost spit water I was drinking on my computer screen when I read that. I'm in the same boat as you I'll probably draw between the ages of 86-142 depending on attrition.
 

alaska2go

Active Member
Oct 20, 2012
274
133
Canon City, CO
I see how alot of you guys want to come to Alaska.. The dynamics of hunting alaska is completely different than hunting a state like CO, WY, ohio, IL or any other lower 48 state.

1st) One must be willing to accept AK is not the land of plenty. Huge amount of country in which 15% holds a substantial amount of game. I have been on moose hunts exploring new country and only see 1 cow moose in 10 days..

2nd) Remoteness .. You have your 2 feet, maybe a 4 wheeler & thats it. I have invited a select few from my home state of CO and they were not use to walking in the tundra, beating brush, getting pounded by a 4 wheeler, packing heavy loads on their back because they were use to hunting within a mile or 2 from a truck. We hunt alot from ATVs and we can go 50 miles one way but that 50 miles can take 2 days to cover. The river crossings, mud, muck, tundra will take a toll on you physically & mentally. Like I tell my young football players that I coach " strong body builds a strong mind so you don't coward down"

3rd) weather.. The motto up here is " There isn't any bad weather only bad gear " !!!!! If you guys are uesed to hunting in semi arid climates like WY, CO, UT you will be frustrated by the amount of rain we get during hunting season. You'll get tired of everything being damp, feeling clammy, and the lack of sunshine. BUT when the weather is nice it is just awesome place to be. I have tried a truck load of the so called premium rain gear and the best what i believe is the Helly Hanson impertech & the Carhart work rain gear. I also work outside in the rain all the time and this I what I use to work & hunt in. I tried the Kyptek top of line rain gear this year for a sheep hunt and after 2 days of steady rain I was wet. Not soaked but wet enough to make it uncomfortable.

4th) Is cost. I really wish all those that really wanted AK could do so to where as it wouldn't break the bank. The reality is unless you have some sort of relative that lives up here you will have to hire a guide or a transporter. The moose & caribou that are accessable from the road system is open only to residents unless you hunt on the north slope. And for the units open to non residents refer back to number 2. The brown/grizz & sheep hunts you must hire a guide and for a working guy like me with a family it is just not financially resonable. Most guided sheep hunts in the Brooks range start at $13,000.. That is rediculous ! I would imagine the total cost for a sheep hunt would be close to $16,500 once it is all said a done for you guys in lower 48. To put in perspective I by a non resident elk ($600), deer ( $350) airplane ticket ( $570) stay with my dad, gas ($200) Ship my trophies back to AK via contractor rate in a crate ( $710) for a round off # of $2500..

I hope you guys dreams become a reallity and will some day be able to come to the great state of Alaska & hunt. I just felt like the hunting TV shows give a bad depiction of what it is really like to hunt up here. If you are able to come up here hunting please allow yourself plenty of time in the field to find the critter you are after, any weather delays, and to soak in all the beauty and ruggedness Alaska has to offer.
 

Colorado Cowboy

Super Moderator
Jun 8, 2011
8,348
4,741
83
Dolores, Colorado
I see how alot of you guys want to come to Alaska.. The dynamics of hunting alaska is completely different than hunting a state like CO, WY, ohio, IL or any other lower 48 state.

1st) One must be willing to accept AK is not the land of plenty. Huge amount of country in which 15% holds a substantial amount of game. I have been on moose hunts exploring new country and only see 1 cow moose in 10 days..

2nd) Remoteness .. You have your 2 feet, maybe a 4 wheeler & thats it. I have invited a select few from my home state of CO and they were not use to walking in the tundra, beating brush, getting pounded by a 4 wheeler, packing heavy loads on their back because they were use to hunting within a mile or 2 from a truck. We hunt alot from ATVs and we can go 50 miles one way but that 50 miles can take 2 days to cover. The river crossings, mud, muck, tundra will take a toll on you physically & mentally. Like I tell my young football players that I coach " strong body builds a strong mind so you don't coward down"

3rd) weather.. The motto up here is " There isn't any bad weather only bad gear " !!!!! If you guys are uesed to hunting in semi arid climates like WY, CO, UT you will be frustrated by the amount of rain we get during hunting season. You'll get tired of everything being damp, feeling clammy, and the lack of sunshine. BUT when the weather is nice it is just awesome place to be. I have tried a truck load of the so called premium rain gear and the best what i believe is the Helly Hanson impertech & the Carhart work rain gear. I also work outside in the rain all the time and this I what I use to work & hunt in. I tried the Kyptek top of line rain gear this year for a sheep hunt and after 2 days of steady rain I was wet. Not soaked but wet enough to make it uncomfortable.

4th) Is cost. I really wish all those that really wanted AK could do so to where as it wouldn't break the bank. The reality is unless you have some sort of relative that lives up here you will have to hire a guide or a transporter. The moose & caribou that are accessable from the road system is open only to residents unless you hunt on the north slope. And for the units open to non residents refer back to number 2. The brown/grizz & sheep hunts you must hire a guide and for a working guy like me with a family it is just not financially resonable. Most guided sheep hunts in the Brooks range start at $13,000.. That is rediculous ! I would imagine the total cost for a sheep hunt would be close to $16,500 once it is all said a done for you guys in lower 48. To put in perspective I by a non resident elk ($600), deer ( $350) airplane ticket ( $570) stay with my dad, gas ($200) Ship my trophies back to AK via contractor rate in a crate ( $710) for a round off # of $2500..

I hope you guys dreams become a reallity and will some day be able to come to the great state of Alaska & hunt. I just felt like the hunting TV shows give a bad depiction of what it is really like to hunt up here. If you are able to come up here hunting please allow yourself plenty of time in the field to find the critter you are after, any weather delays, and to soak in all the beauty and ruggedness Alaska has to offer.
Remember....DREAM HUNT! Most of us will never fulfill our dream, so why not dream!
 

alaska2go

Active Member
Oct 20, 2012
274
133
Canon City, CO
Remember....DREAM HUNT! Most of us will never fulfill our dream, so why not dream!
I always thought it was a dream too. But to full fill my dream I just moved up here.. I had this perception as Alaska is the land of plenty until i moved up here and seen the reality. I want all those that have a dream to hunt up here & full fill that dream to not be unprepared & disappointed once it happens. Anyone who wants to full fill that dream is more than welcome to PM & I will help you as much as I can..


FYI AS I TELL MY WIFE " I'M LIVING THE DREAM BABY" and when I get discouraged she says " you are living the dream baby"
 

6mm Remington

Very Active Member
Mar 27, 2011
977
48
Western Montana
I actually did this hunt once and it was pretty darn special. I drew an elk tag and an antelope tag over in central Montana and I got to hunt deer, antelope, and elk all on the same trip. Not only that but in a weeks worth of hunting I managed to fill each of those tags. We had a great time and I had some wonderful meat to eat! It really doesn't get much better than that!
 

Zombie

New Member
Dec 24, 2014
9
0
NC
www.nchuntandfish.com
Top three would be Grizzly or brown bear, Cape Buffalo and Moose. All with a bow! Those would be my dream hunts.

Dream hunts the have the highest likely hood of happening, mule deer and elk with a bow.