So you want to hunt Alaska?
Here are some money saving ideas that may help for that ?Trip of a Lifetime?. There may be certain circumstances that may or may not apply, but for general planning terms, you?ll get the idea.
First, apply for an Alaska Airlines credit card. Upon approval, you get 25,000 miles to use. And you?ll get ? off a companion fare.
Next, you will need to call a transporter in November/December [or earlier] for the following September. Some only take returning customers first, then what?s leftover you get.
Let's say your hunt is out of Delta Junction AK.
One month before your arrival to Delta Junction, send any boxes of gear addressed to your name General Delivery to the Palmer AK Post Office [you will be driving right by there].They will hold your boxes for a month. Just show them your identification and off you go. [In each box make a pre-made return addressed card you can just tape on the box when you leave.]
Determine when your moose hunting season ends. [This unit ends on September 15th]. You will want to hunt the last 7-8 days of that [very similar to hunting the elk rut]. That means you will leave Delta Junction on September 6th on the plane. Since you can?t hunt the same day as you fly, schedule your fight early in the day if possible. That gives you time to set up camp and prepare to hunt the following day, September 7th.
Let?s create my travel/hunt scenario:
The hunt will be an 8 day, fly-in moose hunt out of Delta Junction ? Unit 20D Remainder Any Bull Tag ? General Season. Approximate driving distance from Anchorage ? 330 miles.
Rent a mini-van for the duration of your trip. They have enough space for your gear and room enough to sleep in if necessary or to save some money.
Fly into Anchorage on September 4th ? arrival mid-day. Get your rental van and drive up to Palmer and get any other items needed for your hunt [like 2 coolers each]. Go to the Post Office and get your gear you shipped [read more below]. Drive to Delta Junction later that day or early on September 5th. Spend that night in a Delta Junction motel or in the rental van.
Now to back up a little.
If I were to do it again, I would PURCHASE a One-Way ticket to Anchorage, and NOT use any of my air miles yet. Since many circumstance beyond our control happen in Alaska, weather for instance, I want to save my air miles for my return trip that, at this time, is not scheduled. It?s cheaper this way than to change your ticket and return any un-used miles and more convenient.
Back to the hunt.
Let?s assume you are going out in a SuperCub. That means you will have to pack accordingly to your pilots advice. Food, shelter, tarps and all the misc. gear is up to you. But it won?t be much!
On day 5 of your hunt, you shoot a moose. Your buddy may or may not have a tag, but from my experiences, one moose is plenty to pack out and split between the two of you. Remember, it?s about the EXPERIENCE, not the kill? !!!
The moose is back at camp and you contact your pilot and he comes and gets you in the next day or so.
Back in Delta Junction, you pack up your mini-van with gear and the moose meat you want to take home [in the coolers] and donate any amount to the locals if you want. Grocery stores have dry ice so that is very useful in getting the meat cooled down or even froze.
Depending on your travel times, call Alaska Airlines and make your return trip plans, using your available miles.
You may need to kill some time in Alaska, you can do that in Delta Junction or closer to Anchorage [Palmer area], but it?s a great time to prepare your moose rack for shipping. You can add it on as baggage for $75 as long it?s not over 177cubic inches, or send it thru Alaska Air Cargo for $150. Also plan on shipping back your boxes of gear.
Coolers can be sent as baggage also. Meat needs to be in plastic bags and the cooler all taped up. $75 per cooler if under 50lbs. More for up to 100lbs. See Alaska Airlines for specifics.
Let?s put some approximate numbers to the above situation.
Going:
Airfare One-Way Anchorage - $400
Extra Baggage $150
Hunting License - $170 [2017]
Moose Locking Tag - $800 [2017]
Ship Gear USPS - $60/box [2] $120
Rental Car - $400
Motel - $120
Food - $50
Air Taxi - $1000/person
Air Taxi - $1000/moose
TOTAL - $4,210
Return:
Motel - $120
Food - $50
Airfare - $0
Baggage Fees - $300
Ship Gear USPS - $120
TOTAL - $590
Grand Total Cost = $4800
Some of the above costs can be shared with your buddy ? Rental car, shipping gear, moose transport, motel ? but I?ll let you work that out?.
There you have it. A ?Trip of a Lifetime? all planned out?
Here are some money saving ideas that may help for that ?Trip of a Lifetime?. There may be certain circumstances that may or may not apply, but for general planning terms, you?ll get the idea.
First, apply for an Alaska Airlines credit card. Upon approval, you get 25,000 miles to use. And you?ll get ? off a companion fare.
Next, you will need to call a transporter in November/December [or earlier] for the following September. Some only take returning customers first, then what?s leftover you get.
Let's say your hunt is out of Delta Junction AK.
One month before your arrival to Delta Junction, send any boxes of gear addressed to your name General Delivery to the Palmer AK Post Office [you will be driving right by there].They will hold your boxes for a month. Just show them your identification and off you go. [In each box make a pre-made return addressed card you can just tape on the box when you leave.]
Determine when your moose hunting season ends. [This unit ends on September 15th]. You will want to hunt the last 7-8 days of that [very similar to hunting the elk rut]. That means you will leave Delta Junction on September 6th on the plane. Since you can?t hunt the same day as you fly, schedule your fight early in the day if possible. That gives you time to set up camp and prepare to hunt the following day, September 7th.
Let?s create my travel/hunt scenario:
The hunt will be an 8 day, fly-in moose hunt out of Delta Junction ? Unit 20D Remainder Any Bull Tag ? General Season. Approximate driving distance from Anchorage ? 330 miles.
Rent a mini-van for the duration of your trip. They have enough space for your gear and room enough to sleep in if necessary or to save some money.
Fly into Anchorage on September 4th ? arrival mid-day. Get your rental van and drive up to Palmer and get any other items needed for your hunt [like 2 coolers each]. Go to the Post Office and get your gear you shipped [read more below]. Drive to Delta Junction later that day or early on September 5th. Spend that night in a Delta Junction motel or in the rental van.
Now to back up a little.
If I were to do it again, I would PURCHASE a One-Way ticket to Anchorage, and NOT use any of my air miles yet. Since many circumstance beyond our control happen in Alaska, weather for instance, I want to save my air miles for my return trip that, at this time, is not scheduled. It?s cheaper this way than to change your ticket and return any un-used miles and more convenient.
Back to the hunt.
Let?s assume you are going out in a SuperCub. That means you will have to pack accordingly to your pilots advice. Food, shelter, tarps and all the misc. gear is up to you. But it won?t be much!
On day 5 of your hunt, you shoot a moose. Your buddy may or may not have a tag, but from my experiences, one moose is plenty to pack out and split between the two of you. Remember, it?s about the EXPERIENCE, not the kill? !!!
The moose is back at camp and you contact your pilot and he comes and gets you in the next day or so.
Back in Delta Junction, you pack up your mini-van with gear and the moose meat you want to take home [in the coolers] and donate any amount to the locals if you want. Grocery stores have dry ice so that is very useful in getting the meat cooled down or even froze.
Depending on your travel times, call Alaska Airlines and make your return trip plans, using your available miles.
You may need to kill some time in Alaska, you can do that in Delta Junction or closer to Anchorage [Palmer area], but it?s a great time to prepare your moose rack for shipping. You can add it on as baggage for $75 as long it?s not over 177cubic inches, or send it thru Alaska Air Cargo for $150. Also plan on shipping back your boxes of gear.
Coolers can be sent as baggage also. Meat needs to be in plastic bags and the cooler all taped up. $75 per cooler if under 50lbs. More for up to 100lbs. See Alaska Airlines for specifics.
Let?s put some approximate numbers to the above situation.
Going:
Airfare One-Way Anchorage - $400
Extra Baggage $150
Hunting License - $170 [2017]
Moose Locking Tag - $800 [2017]
Ship Gear USPS - $60/box [2] $120
Rental Car - $400
Motel - $120
Food - $50
Air Taxi - $1000/person
Air Taxi - $1000/moose
TOTAL - $4,210
Return:
Motel - $120
Food - $50
Airfare - $0
Baggage Fees - $300
Ship Gear USPS - $120
TOTAL - $590
Grand Total Cost = $4800
Some of the above costs can be shared with your buddy ? Rental car, shipping gear, moose transport, motel ? but I?ll let you work that out?.
There you have it. A ?Trip of a Lifetime? all planned out?
