Self-Guided In Alaska

By Robert Lane

Most sportsmen dream of the adventure of a lifetime in Alaska. A lot of them make it happen. Many more don’t, and the cost of a guided hunting or fishing trip to the great northwest is usually the deciding factor.

If you have solid wilderness camping skills, a good understanding of wilderness survival, can navigate well with GPS, map, and compass, and are comfortable on the water, you can put together a self-guided float hunt or fishing trip to the 49th state that won’t break the bank. The early months of the new year are the times to plan for such a trip.

Aside from the cost of airline travel to Anchorage, which is the primary jumping off point for most expeditions into the Alaskan bush, the major costs for a river float will be for the bush plane journey to and from the hunting or fishing spots.

First and foremost, you must be in good physical condition. Setting up and breaking camp, and navigating a raft in swift current requires good back, leg and shoulder muscles. The terrain along Alaska rivers is demanding and unforgiving to those who aren’t physically prepared. Hunters can spend a lot of time in thick stands of trees and navigating knee high clumps of moss and vegetation on the tundra. After a moose or caribou is down, the real work begins. Six months prior to your trip you should engage in a solid exercise program. There are many websites that can help you with this. Be sure to include exercises that strengthen your arms, legs, back shoulders, and increase overall stamina. The Navy Seals Workout Guide available at Amazon.com will cover all of this.

Top quality rain gear is imperative. Expect rain on your trip and be prepared to deal with a lot of it. The weather in the 49th state can go from sunshine to torrential rain in minutes and stay that way for days. I have had gore-tex soak through in just a few days of heavy, driving Alaska rain. I now use Helly Hansen Impertech. (http://www.hellyhansenmt.com). It’s light, doesn’t soak through, and is an excellent wind blocker. Sealable dry bags are also essential for keeping equipment dry. You won’t get away with garbage bags in the bush, as more than one person has found out. A good pair of hip boots is a must. You’ll need them when getting into and out of the raft, and if there is a lot of water on the tundra which is often the case after a long period of heavy rain.

Clothing that wicks away moisture should be standard. Wool and polypropylene work well. Leave the cotton at home as it draws heat from the body when wet, which can lead to hypothermia.

Speaking of hypothermia, it’s important to know its causes, effects and symptoms. Staying dry and warm is some of the best preventive medicine for it. At least one hot meal per day and staying well hydrated is good protection. Getting out of wet clothing immediately will also help.

For food you will want to use freeze dried meals. They are quick and easy to prepare. They are also light. Especially in light strict weight limits on bush flights. You’ll need to know these and plan accordingly. 80 – 100 pounds of food and personal gear per person, including fishing and/or hunting equipment is not uncommon. Most outfitters have packing lists to help you meet these requirements. Keep in mind that you will have plenty of opportunity to eat fish and game along the way. There’s nothing better than fresh fish or caribou meat cooked over an open fire on the bank of one of Alaska’s beautiful rivers.

A satellite phone is a must. Having one I the remote Alaskan wilds can save your life in an emergency. I have used Iridium phones (available at http://www.allroadsat.com/)on my last two float trips. Knowing that you can connect directly to the Coast Guard and air rescue operations in an emergency provides significant piece of mind.

Choosing an outfitter is critical. Don’t make your decision solely on cost. Check references, ask a lot of questions and compare several of them before making a selection. You’ll want one that provides air taxi service and equipment rental in one package. Chasing and renting gear at more than one location is time consuming, costly, and is a lot of extra work. Look for outfitters that operate as close as possible to the area that you plan to hunt and/or fish. I’ve taken my own gear on previous Alaskan floats. It’s a lot of work, and takes careful planning in order to stay within the weight limitations for bush plane travel.

A good outfitter will make recommendations and advise you about what to avoid in terms of dangerous river conditions, especially after long periods of heavy rain which can turn an easily navigable waterway into a dangerous torrent. A few years ago one such reputable operation in Anchorage advised a party to choose an alternate river than the Koktuli because the water was too high. They ignored him and went anyway with another pilot whose only concern was getting their money. They lost all of their gear and nearly paid with their lives.

Last August I floated the Aniak River in Western Alaska for ten days. The Aniak is an undiscovered jewel for King and Silver (Coho) Salmon, huge Rainbow and Dolly Varden Trout. It’s a moderately swift flowing river that originates at Aniak Lake where the scenery is nothing short spectacular. The fishing gets better the further you descend, and there is abundant wildlife along the banks of the Aniak. We saw moose, eagles, beaver, bear and wolves. This area also provides good Moose and Caribou hunting.

The Aniak trip begins with a 90 minute flight from Anchorage to the native Village of Aniak and home of Aniak Air Guides, (http://www.aniakairguides.com) a top notch outfitter that provides fight service, guided and unguided trips, and equipment on the Aniak, and a number of other rivers in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region of Alaska. They also have a full line of guided and unguided hunts, and are a model operation. Even if you plan a self-guided trip to different parts of Alaska, Aniak Air Guides is an excellent outfitter to measure others by.

I was able to inspect Aniak Air’s gear from their website. All of it is in top condition and includes everything you’ll need for your float. The equipment they provide for self-guided trips is the same used on guided trips. I own the same tents and other equipment that they have, and it has proven itself in tough Alaskan conditions. Their recommended personal gear list will tell you exactly what you need to bring along.

The Aniak is relatively easy to navigate, although one should have some basic rowing experience. There are ample gravel bars to camp on and there is plenty of driftwood for fires. Most of our campsites were along sections of the river that held a lot of fish including Salmon, Rainbows and Dolley Varden Trout.

Be sure to scout any potential campsites for bear sign. All of them will have some, but steer clear of those areas with a lot of fresh tracks, fish kills and scat. This is indicative of ’Ol Griz’s regular feeding spot. I always make sure that I can see at least 100 yards in all directions before pitching camp, and I do all of the cooking no closer than 100 yards down wind of the tent. Keeping a clean odorless campsite helps avoid bear encounters. If you spill food clean it up. Always wipe the stove down and never take any food into the tent. Grizzlies live by their noses and they can smell a meal from up to a half mile away. I always take a canister of bear spray and keep it on me at all times. Spray will stop a bear up to 30 feet out, but it has limitations, especially in windy conditions. Each party should have at least one good “bear gun” in addition to regular hunting rifles. My personal favorite is my Remington 870, 12 gauge, with 3 inch magnum, 1 and 1/2 ounce hollow-point slugs. This will stop a charging bear provided you can hit it, and have the wherewithal to stand your ground and shoot straight while 500 pound Ursus Horribilis is bearing down at 30 miles an hour. I practice with my 870 regularly for several weeks prior to heading north. My goal is to empty the magazine into as tight a group as possible, as fast as I can work the pump at 50 yards. There are many books and websites available with much more information about bears and how to stay safe when traveling in Grizzly country than space will allow in this cursory article. My favorite reference is Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance, by Stephen Herrero, available at Amazon.com. I highly recommend this to anyone headed to the home of these magnificent animals.

Hunters wishing to float for Caribou will need to weatherproof their rifles. I remove my stock and give it a good coat of auto wax, especially the barrel channel. A barrel channel of the warping stock puts pressure on the barrel of the rifle and deflects bullets as they pass through the barrel.

The wax helps keep moisture from setting in and causing it to warp, which in turn and effects accuracy, especially on long range shots, which are common in Alaska. I also pack a small can of gun oil for the trip. Your rifle should be test fired and checked for accuracy when you arrive in the bush. A long, jostling flight and rough baggage handling can have an affect on your zero.

Rifles in the .30 caliber range will work well on Alaskan big game. I have taken five caribou with my .270 with no problem. I simply sight in for point blank range with a 150 grain bullet. This puts my zero at 25 yards, 3.83 inches high at 150 yards, and 1.40 inches low at 300 yards, which means I don’t have to worry about elevation compensation when aiming at the pie plate sized vital area behind a bull caribou’s forward shoulder. Again the web has pages of information about point blank range for different calibers.

While there is little opportunity in an article like this to cover all of the aspects of big game hunting in Alaska, there is ample information on the web and in a number of books on the subject. One of the better ones is Float Hunting Alaska by Larry Bartlett. It covers everything a first time float hunter needs to know, and is a good reference for experienced folks as well.

A self-guided trip to Alaska requires careful planning and research, but the memories of such an expedition in the spectacular wilderness of the Final Frontier, along with the opportunity to take trophy fish and game, is well worth it.

Bob Lane is a Master Maine Guide. He has also planned and guided float trips for hunters and fishermen in Southwestern and Western Alaska.