Alaska Hunting Outfitter and Guide Reviews

Outfitter Review: Deltana Outfitters - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Ralph Miller/Jim Weidner

Hunter: Joe Barrus

Animals Hunted: Moose, bear, wolf

I brought home a 72 inch moose that scored 212. My father also got a great moose. We had a great time. Lots of animals, good guides, good equipment.We flew in and traveled locally in motorized canoes.Trip of a lifetime!

Outfitter Review: Deltana Outfitters - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Ralph Miller

Hunter: Tom Higgs

Animals Hunted: Sheep / Caribou

Ralph and His crew are great. They have superb ares with no competition. Go if you get the chance

Outfitter Review: Riptide Charters - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Jay Jenkins

Hunter: Russell Dye

Animals Hunted: Black Bear

Jay put us in an outstanding area for Spring Black Bear hunting in Prince William Sound. We did not see another hunter for the entire week we were out. During the week we saw 10 bears and took a nice boar. Jay worked hard to get us away from other hunters and place us in a premium hunting area that had not been hunted by others. Prior to our hunt we received 5 different positive recommendations from previous hunters. I am delighted to report what a great experience we had with Riptide charters. We will be using this transportation service again next year!

Outfitter Review: Pristine Ventures - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Larry Bartlett

Hunter: James Jansen

Animals Hunted: Moose and caribou

Larry Bartlett wrote a book on Float Hunting and it was fabulously written and full of useful data. His company was a direct reflection of his knowledge and experience in Alaska outdoors. We were treated fairly and were not promised anything but a safe, relaxing, and productive adventure with reliable and competent air support. Our trip was wonderful and we look forward to coming back next season.

Outfitter Review: Knik Glacier Adventures - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Braun Kopsack

Hunter: Robert Broadway

Animals Hunted: Dall Sheep

The Knik Glacier team is comprised of serious mountain climbers and fanatical sheep hunters. Braun Kopsack is famous throughout Alaska as a world-class mountain runner. He also has 8 or 10 top end Pope & Young Dall sheep in the book.The Chugach Mountain Range is Alaska's toughest and steepest. The Chugach range also holds Alaska's largest rams.A Chugach hunt is not for beginners. You must be in shape, strong, determined and experienced in order to survive the hunt. (Several hunters every year freeze up because of the steepness.)I took a 164" B&C, 9 1/2 year old monster ram on the 5th day of the hunt. We sighted 28 other non-legal rams. The big ram was the only legal ram in the area. (In 5 years the area will be astounding.) We also saw a half dozen large black bears and a dozen mountain goats. Fifty Dall sheep ewes and lambs were sighted. From the air several moose were sighted.Backpack hunts are difficult and challenging at best. Make sure you really want to do it. If you are looking for something that will test every fiber of your being, then this is your hunt.

Outfitter Review: North Alaska Expeditions - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Justin Johns

Hunter: Bryan Vergin

Animals Hunted: moose

I had a great hunt, my guide was exceptional.the outfitter supplied everything we needed.I had the hunt of a life time. While hunting moose and caribou, and I got a 62" moose and a 400+ caribou, we also saw 17 grizzlies. No close encounters, several moose and good numbers of boo. the area the fishing and the hunting was great.

Outfitter Review: Fresh Water Adventures, Inc. - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Lester Bingman

Hunter: Buck Nelson

Animals Hunted: Moose, Caribou

This was a self-guided float trip for which Freshwater was our air taxi. We provided our own rafts and equipment (although I believe Freshwater does some rentals.)This was a combination hunt and fishing trip. I called several air taxis in the area, and found our party of four could be flown out most efficiently on their Goose aircraft. After talking to them several times, we selected the river we were looking for to do our float. The people I talked to were knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. They had someone meet us at the airport to shuttle our stuff to the hanger. They had "their ducks in a row," and because of it we managed to fly out the same evening, which I had requested. Many air taxis wouldn't have been organized well enough to pull that off. They did all of this at a fair price.I've heard other good things about this air taxi. I have no relationship with this business other than being a satisfied customer.Their link: http://www.fresh-h2o.com/ Even if you don't use this air taxi to hunt or fish the Dillingham area, their website has lots of useful information, especially the "where-to-go" type of stuff.

Outfitter Review: North country River Charters - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Bill Ohallaran

Hunter: Ryan Harp

Animals Hunted: Moose/Bear

The guide/outfitter said we would only see maybe a couple of hunters. We were a group of 4 and he put 3 other groups within a mile of each other. None of the hunters saw any moose or bear. The boat provided leaked, propane for the cook stove and lights were providedbut could not be used due to haveing the wrong connections, maps of the area were suposed to be provided but weren't. There was too many hunters in one area approx. 8 camps in the area 4 camps were his. Do not use NCRC for a Moose hunting trip.

Outfitter Review: Freshwater Adventures - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Lester/Jill Bingham

Hunter: Gene of the U.P.

Animals Hunted: Caribou

They suggested an area for us that netted them less income, but their priority was our success. They were very friendly, helpful, knowledgable and professional. I don't know how they could have done better. I highly recommend them.

Outfitter Review: Lake Clark Air - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Mark Lang

Hunter: Kirk Lovsness

Animals Hunted: Caribou

This hunt proves that hunting is hunting and there are no guarantees. If I were to hunt caribou unguided in Alaska again I would use Lake Clark Air again. They delivered what they said they would, were on time and very professional in every way. They're highly regarded in Alaska and for good reason.We didn't see many caribou though. In fairness to Lake Clark Air they offered to extend the time of our hunt and a free relocation but we had return airfare lined up and couldn't extend our time in the field beyond the 6 day hunt. My advice to unguided caribou hunters would be to check out your air taxi very closely and contact as many references as possible and make sure a relocation is included or available. And take more time than you think you'll need. Wind & rain don't care about your schedule, and neither do wandering caribou herds. There are a lot of animals but there is also a lot of space in Alaska that doesn't hold any at all - but it changes daily. Lake Clark Air is a good outfit and I'd use them again.

Outfitter Review: Alska Peak and Seas - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Mark Galla

Hunter: Ralph Delius

Animals Hunted: Black Bear

This is a boat hunt-mark has a 55 foot boat that was very comfortable. We hunted around Prince of Wales island. Saw plenty of black bear and harvested one with a 7'9" pelt and a 21"+ skull-needless to say, a real brute. Mark and his assitant Marlin were terrific in every way. I will definitely hunt with them again

Outfitter Review: Wild Alaska Trophy Outfitters - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Mark Confer

Hunter: Gary Cline

Animals Hunted: Moose-caribou

outfitters pilot crashed their plane and the outfitter & pilot didn't try to get the hunters out of the bush. In fact they wouldn't tell the authorities where they had dropped hunters or how many hunters they had put out since they did not have the proper licenses to be transporting hunters.

Outfitter Review: Iliamna Air Taxi - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Tim/Nancy LaPorte

Hunter: Kelly L. Smith

Animals Hunted: caribou

Excellent drop hunt service. Knowledgeable of area, responsible outfit. Also run commercial flights from ANC to ILI. Hunted with them in 96 and took excellent bulls. This time (9/5-15/02) we saw 1000 caribou, but no big bulls. Took a couple of mid-size bulls after great stalks. Took us where no other hunters were (our first priority), and we had a great time.

Outfitter Review: Westwind Guide Service - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Tony Lee

Hunter: Tom Sparano

Animals Hunted: Moose, Grizzly, Black Bear

I booked this hunt hoping to take a decent Bull Moose in the upper 50 inch or larger class and ended up taking a terrific 64 inch Bull!I also hoped to take a Grizzly (actually since I was a teenager) of at least 7 ft. 6 in. and ended up taking a fabulous boar of 8 feet 6 inches. he was chocolate colored with tan-blonde highlights along his back. . . what a beautiful animal! To top off a great hunt I also shot a trophy 7 feet 4 inch Black Bear. Who could ask for more?I have been hunting in Alaska three times now and this was by far the nicest looking country, rich in game, not too tough to hunt but just a great looking area.The outfitter (Tony Lee) had good recommendations from the references that I had talked to and he really lived up to everything said about him. He is a wealth of information on any topic of Alaskan hunting. Knowing not only the area hunted, but also all about the game animals being pursued, as did my guide Chris Cheff.All in all, this truely was the trip of a lifetime. Everyone at Westwind tried their best to make it an enjoyable hunt, and that's exactly what I got. You can't go wrong with this outfit!

Outfitter Review: Litzen's Guide Service - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Michael Litzen

Hunter: Curt Lentner

Animals Hunted: moose, caribou

Mike Litzen is a very hard working individual. He sees that every client is cared for, and is in a good spike camp that has or is producing game. If the client isn't locating game he will fly you out to a camp that has game. One word of caution before you book a hunt in the tundra, be in very good physical shape!!! Walking through the tundra with all your gear is very difficult, and you will tire easily. It is a test of strength & stamina, so be prepared to work hard!!! I shot a 59" moose, with others in camp taking moose over 60". I saw lots of caribou, and a few good bulls, but nothing close enough to pack out. If you elect to shoot a caribou on a combined hunt, it will take time away from other species. Time needed to pack out the animal back to spike camp, so that Mike can fly the meat and cape & antlers back to the main camp. Be prepared to drink rain & river water, the guide assured me that no-one has gotten sick yet! I saw about 7 bull moose, 1 sow grizly & 2 cubs, lots of ptarmigan, arctic fox. Be sure to bring a camera, because you will be about 37 miles from Mt. McKinley, beautiful views of the Alaskan range! I booked the hunt through Cabela's Outdoor Adventures, and the consultant that I used was Gregg Severinson at 1(800)-346-8747. Mike Litzen offers dall sheep, grizly, brown bear, caribou, moose hunts, and probably more, give Gregg a call at Cabela's Outdoor Adventures for more info.

Outfitter Review: Mavrik Aire - AK

Outfitter / Owner: C raig & Melinda

Hunter: Rick

Animals Hunted: Caribou & Moose

Air Charter Service seemed disorganized & made some false promises. Saw about 600 caribou in 11 days. Some decent bulls. Saw only 1 bull moose on last day about 3 miles from camp. Ended up with 4 caribou bewteen 2 of us. Not a bad caribou hunt, but a poor moose hunt. Mavrik Aire sold us fishing licenses & dropped us off where there were no fish within many miles. Showed us no game from the air, & only flew us 20 minutes out of Kotzebue. Short flight! Spoke with 6 other "moose" clients when we got out. Nobody harvested moose & all were very disappointed with Mavrik Aire. All agreed that service was over after the sale. Don't think I could recommend them.

Outfitter Review: Alaska Bush Adventures - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Les Krank

Hunter: Franklin Ensor

Animals Hunted: moose/caribou

Guides did not an effort to locate game, expensive trip for nothing.

Outfitter Review: Jake's Alaska - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Jake Gaudet

Hunter: SCOTT CORNELIOUS

Animals Hunted: GRIZZLY BEAR

I HUNTED GRIZZLY BEAR WITH JAKE THIS YEAR. HAVING BEEN ON OTHER OUTFITTED HUNTS I WAS A LITTLE SKEPTICAL ABOUT A GUIDED HUNT, HOWEVER JAKE AND HIS STAFF MET AND EXCEEDED ALL OF MY EXPECTATIONS. DURING MY TRIP I NEVER FIRED A SHOT EVEN THOUGH I SAW SEVERAL SMALLER GRIZZLIES THAT I DECIDED TO PASS ON. I ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT RETURN CLIENTS ARE THE BEST STATEMENT ABOUT A SERVICE. LET ME TELL YOU I AM ALREADY PLANNING MY RETURN TO ALASKA !!! JAKE'S ALASKAN WILDERNESS OUTFITTER IS A TOP NOTCH SERVICE !

Outfitter Review: Freshwater Adventures - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Lester & Jill

Hunter: Paul of the UP

Animals Hunted: caribou

We had decided to go to one area and they "suggested" a different remote area. We hunted this area without any other hunters and were blessed with many quality animals including several "book" caribou. It was a drop camp and they came to get our meat and pick us up within an hour of their pre-determined time.

Outfitter Review: Yukon Eagle Air - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Collin "Brownie" Brown

Hunter: Terry Receveur

Animals Hunted: Moose

Great hunt. Killed a 60.5" bull on the 5th day with a TimberHawk takedown recurve at 6 paces. My partner had a @70" at 15 yards and a @65" at 35 yards. Great air taxi service. Brownie is an honest man that delivers what he says. Killed a 66" with a rifle with him last year.

Outfitter Review: Alaskas Lake Clark Inn - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Mark/Sandy Lang

Hunter: John R. Tschantre

Animals Hunted: caribou

On time, efficiant,honest type of outfit. Rare these days. Did everything exactly as they said and when they said. This was an outfitted/unguided hunt via tundra tired Super Cub west of the Mulchatna River. Saw 1500-2000 'bou and four of us filled 7 out of eight tags.They offer a good service at a fair price.

Outfitter Review: Gakona Guide Service - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Chuck McMahon

Hunter: Bill Bowers

Animals Hunted: Grizzly, Moose

Shot a grizzly the first day of hunting and then a 60" moose 2 days later, after looking at over 20 legal bulls. This outfitter only takes 6-8 hunters per year, with no more than 2 at a time. Awesome pilot with the hardest working guides I have seen.Chuck will not inflate his success numbers because he doesn't have to! I talked to many big name outfitters who talk a good story but run hunting "factories". If you want a high quality personalized Alaskan hunt, this is the guy.

Outfitter Review: Jakes Alaska - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Jake Gaudet

Hunter: Thom Blake

Animals Hunted: Black Bear, Grizzly, Caribou, Moose

I recommend hunting with a friend, which is what I did. Between the two of us we bagged four animals, I bagged a small berry grizzly, and a better than average caribou. My partner bagged a 58" moose and a caribou. It was hot in 01, so didn't see as much activity as would have liked, but understood that the outfitter can't control the weather. Our guide Johnny Rhyshek was outstanding, very thorough and was dedicated to our safety and comfort. I must mention that he isn't a very good euker player. Our cook Jason cooked us up some awesome moose/caribou burgers, moose tenderloin, hand picked blueberry pancakes to name a few items. I will probably use this outfitter and hopefully the same guide when I go for bear on the peninsula.

Outfitter Review: Regal Air - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Craig Elg

Hunter: William Matisak

Animals Hunted: Caribou & Black Bear

Regal provides a service of flying a hunting party to a spot they say they have prescouted for the animals you are hunting. In reality they flew us to a spot where we saw no caribou on the way in and landed on the lake without even making a single pass so we could see the area before landing. We managed to get two cows in 12 days of hunting. During the 12 days we only saw 7 caribou and over half of those were over a mile away and moving fast. Pickup was as scheduled and they made one mid hunt check up stop, although when asked they would not move us to a different location.

Outfitter Review: Jim Air - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Lisa Bern

Hunter: William Matisak

Animals Hunted: Black bear

The pilot was very knowledagable with the area and flew over the drop area. He even asked if I felt comfortable seeing the spot or if I wanted him to make anymore passes. Game sighted was good and the people at Jim Air were helpfull with even driving me to the motel after the hunt. This was the first hunt using this flying service. I have since gone on two trips with this flying service and would recommend them to anyone.

Outfitter Review: Ketchum Air Service - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Craig Ketchum

Hunter: Mark Weisenbeck

Animals Hunted: caribou

Ketchum air service flew us into an area were there were already 4 other camps within about 1 mile of ours. We saw 5 caribou in 7 days of hunting. Only 2 were bulls and there were spotted well over 2 miles away and moving. In another words impossible to catch up to. We ended up shooting 1 cow for meat. Ketchums put no effort into scouting the area just dropped us were other camps were. I agree with others on this site that flight services out of Anchorage just plain cannot reach the mulchatna herd. I would never recommend anyone use any of the anchorage flight services, especially ketchum as they are just dropping you off for the money and care less if you see game or not. I see much more game when I hunt on my own. I have been hunting in alaska for 7 years and this was by far the worst hunt I have ever had as far as spotting game. For a flight service like Ketchum to drop you off where other camps are is just plain rude to the established camps and incoming hunters.

Outfitter Review: Alaskan Mountain & River Guiding - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Chris J. Zwolinski

Hunter: William Bell

Animals Hunted: Dall Sheep

Party of (2)Father & Son harvested two beautiful Dall Rams. This being the second succesful Dall Sheep adventure with him. Chris maintains sound conservation principals and manages area only taking (4) Sheep per season to ensure clients are taken to remote game rich highly productive areas with no competition by others. Mature animals that inhabit the area remain unpressured. Owner is your personal guide & mantains an operation with high values and caliber of service. Incredible consistent success has been logged by past hunters. Highly personalized guiding tailored to each customer. You have to seriously consider a hunting experience of your life with Chris. He's one of Alaska's best I give you my word! Honest and trusted Visit his Website for pictures & info http://www.alaskaguide.com or contact me and I'll email sheep photos we harvested in the past two sucessful trips.

Outfitter Review: High Country Alaska - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Jeff/Kris Pralle

Hunter: allan domenic

Animals Hunted: caribou-black bear

jeff & kris operate a first class outfitter service.everything i was told prior to booking my hunt was right on the money when i arrived (no surprizes).game sightings were good shot a bear right out of base camp.spike camp was equiped with good equipment and plenty of food.caribou hunting was slow but outfitter moved me to a different location were bulls were spottedafter the best stalk of the hunt was disrupted by a grizzly who was hunting caribou to, jeff extended my hunt at no additional charge.althoughi did not fill my caribou tag i did not feel cheated.great hunt good people no lies.

Outfitter Review: Munsey's Bear Camp - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Michael/Robin Munsey

Hunter: Michael P. Morton

Animals Hunted: Kodiak Brown Bear

If you are serious about wanting to take a quality kodiak brown bear and want a quality professional operation, this is the camp for you. Be prepared for long (12-14 hours) days of sitting and spotting for bear at long distances. Most hunters have multiple opportunities for stalks before they are successful. Make sure you bring the best binoculars you can buy or borrow. On a spring hunt bring layers of clothes since you may get days that reach into the lower 50's. All of your equipment should weigh in at under a 100 pounds for the float plane ride into camp. If you are successful on bear the fishing is awesome with plenty of cod and halibut as well. You will really like the Munsey's they are quality people.

Outfitter Review: Alaska Bush Adventures - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Les Krank

Hunter: Tony Jacobs

Animals Hunted: Caribou

I called numerous references that were on his list and all gave great reviews. During the hunt I realized that the references I had called were his guides! (Not too honest in my book.) I was told there would be a maximum of 4 people in camp. One month prior to the hunt he verified there were only 4 of us in camp. We were ready to fly to camp and met 4 MORE people going to the same camp - 8 total! All were told the same thing - no one other than them in camp! The flight into camp was scary as hell through the mountain passes. Prior to booking I asked if there ever were any problems flying into camp and he responded "NO". After our flight into camp I found out that a plane of his hunters crashed a couple years ago! (Another lie) HE was very unorganized as we sat around camp for 10 hours doing nothing the day we arrived, plus we didn't leave for the spike camp till the 3rd day of the hunt! We saw some caribou, but were pressured to shoot smaller bulls, even on the first day of the hunt. After shooting our bulls, the guide stared at the animal as he didn't seem to have a clue as to how to cape it out for mounting. Final tally - more people in camp than supposed to be, pressured to shoot mediocre animals, capes were ruined for mounting, all of our meat spoiled due to him not taking care of it AT ALL, and the outfitter was very impersonal. If you want to be misled, don't want to mount your animal, don't want the meat, and don't care that the outfitter could care less about you, THEN THIS IS YOUR GUY! He's not mine anymore!

Outfitter Review: Westwind Guide Service - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Tony Lee

Hunter: Bill Hefner

Animals Hunted: Moose, Caribou, Grizzly, Black Bear

Finally, on the 9th day......After a year of planning for this moose, caribou and black bear hunt, my brother-in-law from Anchorage, Dr. Adam Merli, and I were delayed a day in Iliamna at the Iliamna Lake Lodge by bad weather. Air taxis couldn’t fly because of high winds, low ceiling, and lots of fog.After a great dinner and an evening of pool with a hunter from Arizona, the following morning we were told to be at Holliday Air at 8:30 a.m. where we viewed the mandatory videos for non-resident hunters on how to identify a legal moose and how to field dress a moose once it’s down. Then we wait for the air taxis to get caught up on a lost day of flying hunters to other camps. Finally, at 3:30 p.m. we loaded our gear aboard a Cessna 185 and were off to Westwind Guide Service’s main camp, about 90 miles northwest of Iliamna, in the Mulchatna River basin area.Upon arrival at the airstrip atop a small mountain we load our gear into a pile and walk down about half a mile to main camp. We completed all the necessary paperwork in the cook tent, had some hot soup and a sandwich then walked back up the hill to the airstrip where Tony Lee (owner and operator) flew us to our spike camp in his Super Cub with big tundra tires. Camp was about 20 miles farther on a small shelf-like hill between two larger hills, which formed a bottleneck area in the valley where moose had to pass. Adjacent to the short, flat top hill, which served as the airstrip, there was a big alder thicket where Tony had cut out a protected area for our tents. Our guide, Dave Dunn, a part-time taxidermist in Wasilla, AK, had everything set up and was just waiting on us.Day 1: Heavy fog for most of the day. We saw lots of caribou, but no moose. We sat on a hill above camp and glassed from first light until about 8:30 p.m. and then had dinner of dehydrated food and turned in for the night.Day 2: Fog-free. We glassed hundreds of caribou during the day. Mostly cows, calves and young bulls. Late in the afternoon we saw a big bull across the valley that had just shed his velvet, but he wasn’t moving. His red antlers stuck out like a sore thumb and we called him “Big Red”. But no moose. More Mountain Home dehydrated dinners in a bag. Actually, they were very tasty.Day 3: After the 6:00 a.m. alarm and a quick breakfast, we went uphill behind camp and lay on the hillside and began glassing. “Big Red” was headed our way. After a quick run downhill we set up in front of the alders by camp and waited. Two minutes later Adam dropped him right on the airstrip in front of camp. Now we had some camp meat! It was chili with caribou for dinner.Day 4: While glassing from a hill we see a black bear on the next ridge. Then we see a big, blond-colored grizzly down in the valley about 400 yards from camp that was so fat his belly was dragging the ground. He looked like a Vietnamese Pot-Bellied Pig. When he winded us and/or camp he took off running up the hill and over the ridge. The black bear just kept on eating blue berries. Although the two bears were about the same length, the black bear looked skinny compared to the grizzly. The guide said the bear looked old and under-nourished for the winter and suggested we take it. After an hour stalk around the side of 2 ridges, Adam and Dave caught up to the bear. I was watching everything from about a half mile away through binoculars. Adam shot him down hill about 50 yards. After about 3-4 somersaults I heard the shots about 2 seconds later. I hiked over to congratulate them. They skinned it out and took the hide, skull and a back strap for dinner. After cooking for 2+ hours it was a little chewy, but good. Sure beat the dehydrated food.Day 5: Six a.m. came early. Late that evening Adam took another caribou about a mile away from camp. We called the outfitter on the VHF to bring in a packer the next day to pack the meat back to camp, which was about a mile or so away. By this time I was getting discouraged because I was holding out for a big moose.Day 6: Dave and I spotted a moose right after breakfast and head after it. It rounded the point of a hill and we went down the side of our mountain, thru alder thickets and up the side of the other ridge only to see that the moose was too small to shoot. While resting on the side of a hill I hear in the distance what sounded like a bull grunting and rubbing his antlers on a small tree. I did some bull calls and thrashed a small spruce tree with a large, fiberglass moose call to simulate a bull thrashing a tree with his antlers. Several minutes later he suddenly appeared across the valley adjacent to a swamp. He had two cows with him. Dave and I headed down the mountain again, across and through some more thick brush and across the valley to the edge of the swamp. We were about 150 yards away, and making low sound bull grunts to cover our sound, when out of nowhere a lone cow came running up from the other end of the swamp and spooked the bull and his two cows! After a miserable hike back up the 60-degree mountain slope with my 35# pack frame and 9 lb. rifle we headed back to camp for a late lunch.Day 7: After glassing all day since breakfast I heard a wolf howl early in the morning and then several hours later saw a white wolf for about 10 seconds on a far ridge. Then Dave spotted the same big bull from the night before up in a small finger draw. So, off we go. From a quarter mile away he looked like a monster with a gigantic set of pure white antlers. Unfortunately, he saw us moving down the ridge but couldn’t make us out. Crouching and running we worked our way down the side of the hill along the side of alders to the bottom where he and his two cows were. It was about 8:00 p.m. when I finally got an opportunity to shoot. He was in a thicket about 200 yards away. I could see his head and antlers and most of his neck and left shoulder. With sweat pouring off my brow (and entire body – I was wearing insulated rainproof camo pants & top), and being out of breath, and just the idea of taking what Dave said looked to be a nice 70”+ bull, I slowly squeezed the trigger and missed. Dave followed up a split second later with another shot and he missed, too. For the next hour we looked for signs of blood and/or hair. Nothing! We called it quits because it was getting dark. For the next hour or so we slowly trudged back to camp. When we got there at 10:30 p.m. we had a couple cans of peaches and a few candy bars and crawled into our sleeping back, exhausted.Day 8: Dave glassed the area we hunted the night before and didn’t see any signs of the bull. He did see the same three cows at the base of the ridge way across the valley. Since time was running out for me to take a moose, I decided to turn my attention to caribou. I stayed near camp while Adam and Dave went up on the hill to glass the area. For the next 7-8 hours I waited for caribou until 8:30 p.m. but saw absolutely none! Another delicious caribou tenderloin dinner with pan-fried potatoes was on the menu. Then bed.Day 9: Tony was scheduled to pick us up first thing this morning. We set the alarm clock for 6:00 a.m. again for a final hunt. Still in semi-darkness all three of us climbed the hill behind camp overlooking the airstrip. About 8:30 a.m. I see a lone caribou bull walking toward us. We glass it and it looks like a nice one. High rack, double shovels and a single beze. I wrap the sling around my left forearm, and, feeling like a sniper, take aim. As he gets closer I keep cranking down on my scope - 10x, 8x, then 6x. The caribou is about 160 yards away and stops behind a small bush. I wait but he doesn’t move. Knowing that a small bush won’t stop a 300 grain Nosler from an H&H .375 magnum very much, I put my crosshairs on his neck and squeezed. BLAM! Then an instant later THWACK and he drops in his tracks. I finally redeemed myself from a bad shot on the moose! After several high fives and a bunch of photos we get to field dressing it. About 9:30 a.m. Tony lands his Super Cub and tells us he’ll pick us up right after lunch.After we have all the meat in the bags and sprayed with citric acid we lay it on the alders to cool. With nothing else to do, because we had already packed our gear, we headed back to the tent, finished off the rum and cooked up some caribou tenderloin and eggs for lunch and waited on Tony to pick us up.About 2:00 p.m. Tony returns, taxis his Super Cub over to the meat. We load my gear and game bags of caribou meat into the belly pod and return to main camp. After 9 days in the bush a shower was welcomed. Then a great dinner of caribou steaks and we turn in for the night. The next day we wait on the air taxi to pick us up and fly us back to Iliamna where we caught the last flight on ERA Air back to Anchorage by a mere 15 minutes!All things considered, especially the unseasonably warm weather, it was a good hunt, even if I didn’t get a moose. I did, however, see 3 bulls, about 8 cows, 1 calf, 4 black bears, 1 grizzly, over a thousand caribou and a lone wolf.Now I can start planning for my return hunt in 2003. Next year is a 2-week fishing trip to Alaska with my wife, Adam, and his wife. Domestic tranquility must exist before departing on another moose hunt!

Outfitter Review: Woods Outfitting - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Wayne Woods

Hunter: Doug Shelly

Animals Hunted: Moose, Caribou, Grizzly

I hunted with Wayne for 2 weeks in the bush and had the most awsome experience of my life. We ended up taking 2 caribou of which one was Boone and Crocket, a 62" moose and an 8' 6" brown bear. We also did some incredible fishing catching silver salmon, arctic char and grayling. Wayne is a Master Guide and that only begins to describe his abilities. He was constantly concerned about my best interests from food to comfort level to which game to go after. He pushed me to limits I never thought I could attain. If you want a guide who will give 200% then Wayne is your man.

Outfitter Review: Larsen Bay Lodge - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Mike Carlson

Hunter: Bill Bates

Animals Hunted: Sitka Blacktail Deer

Mike and his staff were great. Anything that can make your stay more pleasurable they will try to provide.

Outfitter Review: John H. Latham - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: John H. Latham

Hunter: Caleb Miller

Animals Hunted: Dall Sheep

This was an excellent hunt of three people, which he usually takes only two at a time, it was my grandfather, my dad, and myself. My dad and grandpa got sheep, I could not get close enough on the last day. Although on the second to the last day i harvested a great Barren Ground Caribou. If you're looking for a first class hunt this is the one for you. You should be in fair physical condition, as hunting will take place by walking all day up canyons that ore on a decent incline.

Outfitter Review: See Alaska With Jim Keeline - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Jim Keeline

Hunter: Tom Cantlin

Animals Hunted: Brown Bear & Moose

I was on a ten day hunt in Sept,with Jim Keeline,I was forced to stay in Seattle for 5 days because of the Sept 11 attack on America. Then once I finally got to Alaska, my bags went to Ancorage, I was in Yakutat.I was told they would be back the following morning. Well as frustrated as I was, Jim and his staff put together everything I needed to get me started for my hunt.Well with in 24 hours I seen 17 Brown Bears,and was fortinate to harvest a beautiful Brown Bear my first morning in the spike camp which was the 13th bear I saw. After return to the main lodge with lots of congratulations,and ribbing about being so lucky,and not to expect the moose hunt to be as easy as my bear hunt,my guide Jack had everything all packed and ready to go out to the moose camp. Well as luck would have it the following morning,Jack Spotted 4 bull moose from our spike camp. So off we went again and with in 30 minutes I had an extreamly large bull moose laying at my feet. Jim was beside himself when Jack raidoed back to camp so send the packer out.INCREDIBLE,WOW,AWSOME are the best words I can come up with for my Alaskian Icy Bay adventure with Jim Keeline,and I still had 2 days left. So my guide Jack took me out for some duck hunting and salmon fishing,and yes I did get shooting at ducks,even got a few,and the salmon well be carefull on how many you keep they get heavy carrying them back to camp. I've hunted through out the United States and Canada,on a scale of 1 to 10,Jim Keeline Was a DEFINATE 10 PLUS.If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Take care and good hunting,Tom Cantlin

Outfitter Review: Lonesome Dove Outfitters - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Dennis Zadra

Hunter: Roy Keefer

Animals Hunted: Rocky Mountain Goat

This is one of the few hunts I've been on which lived up to its billing. Dennis and his assistant guide, Todd (who was my guide) were wonderful. They were punctual, knowledgable, and knew what they were doing. The game was where they said it would be. These goats were in fairly reasonable terrain and access was easy once you topped out on the mountain. Three of us got our goats in 1 1/2 days of hunting. Mine made B&C. They are great guides and I would recommend them to anyone. Email me with any questions.

Outfitter Review: Yukon Eagle Air - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Colin "Brownie" Brown

Hunter: Terry Receveur

Animals Hunted: Moose

Dream hunt. Saw 20 different moose with 9 bulls and 5 bulls over 50". Killed a 219 6/8" B&C 66" bull. Brownie is terrific. Does what he says.

Outfitter Review: Osprey Lodge - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Gary, Steve, Louise Pogany

Hunter: Tim Voiss

Animals Hunted: Caribou

This was my first time hunting AK. I was 1x1 and my guide seemed like he could spot Bou without bino's and tell me if and where the big bull was. Osprey also goes as far as packing your meat in boxes that can be put on the plane as they have a freezer at the lodge. You don't have to worry about finding someone to do it for you. Tim Voiss

Outfitter Review: Stephan Lake Lodge - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Jim Bailey

Hunter: Steve West

Animals Hunted: Grizzly Bear

Before we book our clients to hunt with a specific outfitter we like to hunt with them first. Jim called me with a last second hunt for August 10, 2001. He said the bear were still on the streams and eating salmon and it should be slam dunk hunt. I brought three clients with me on a weeks notice and headed north.On arrival I was informed that a good number of the bear had not been seen on the river that day and they may be headed for the berries. That was the case. Both of my clients in the berries shot beautiful grizzly bear. My other client and I hunted near the river a few days and then headed to the berries. We had our chances on a stalk the last day but did not get the bear. In all fairness to the outfitter - we all could only stay four days and had my other client and I had the regular ten day hunt booked we would have shot bears with out a doubt. We have been invited to come back next year and get that bear and we are coming for sure. He has the highest bear numbers I have ever even heard about, so bad they may close his moose season due to calf depredation.Steve's Outdoor Adventureswww.steveshunts.com

Outfitter Review: Deltana Outfitters - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Ralph Miller

Hunter: Lanny Schwartz

Animals Hunted: Dall Sheep

Ralph Miller and Deltana want you to have a good, fun, and successfull hunt. Sheep were spotted from the air and hunters stalked a specific sheep. If stalk unsuccessful, hunter is moved to another sheep. Ralph and all involved are scrupulously honest and ethical. The guides are very experienced and have guided with Deltana for some time. In my group all 4 hunters got their sheep within the first 2 days. My sheep was taken an hour and 20 minutes into the season. The hunt is rigourous physically and the weather may be bad, be prepared. I highly recommend this outfitter

Outfitter Review: Big River Outfitting - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Bob Hannon

Hunter: BRENT HICKEY

Animals Hunted: MOOSE AND CARIBOU

4 HUNTERS IN GROUP ALL 4 KILLED MOOSE.3 KILLED CARIBOU. I PASSED 200 BULL CARIBOU AND DID NOT SHOOT ONE.BOB WILL TRY 100% TO GET YOU NO ONLY AN ANIMAL BUTA TROPHY.

Outfitter Review: Bucking Horse Ranch - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Robert/Rebecca Hardy

Hunter: DIONISIOS POLYZOS

Animals Hunted: MOUNTAIN GRIZZLY

ROBERT IS A TRUE ALASKAN GUIDE.WE HAD A VERY GOOD TIME TOGETHER HUNTING FOR BEAR I SAW SHEEP,MOOSE,WOLF,COYOTE,BLACK BEAR AND THREE GRIZZLY. PLUSE TWO BEARS WE DIDENT SEE.NOW THE BEAR I SHOT WAS SOMTHING DIFRENT ARE YOU RADY I SHOT A WHITE MOUNTAIN GRIZZLY BEAR.YES WHITE.IT SCORD 21.1/2 SCULL AND SQUERES 7.8 MABY LITTEL MORE.I CANT BELIVE IT YET. I AM GOING NEXT YEAR ON A GOAT HUNT WITH ROBERT I NOW I AM GOING TO HAVE A GOOD HUNT.I THANK ROBERT & REBECCA AND THERE TWO KIDES.

Outfitter Review: Iliamna Air Guides - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Mark and Cindy Kneen

Hunter: Pat Blaskowski

Animals Hunted: Caribou/wolf

I hunted with Iliamna Air for an unguided caribou drop camp in both 1999 and 2000. They run a great outfit. The hunting and weather can be very challenging, but they provided safe and professional services and were helpful in all aspects of the hunt. For more info: pdblaskowski@buckman.com

Outfitter Review: Regal Air - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Craig & Sarah Elg

Hunter: Howard Isenberg

Animals Hunted: Moose, Caribou, Black Bear

Used this service in '95 with excellent results. We flew further out than most Air Charter service will (170 miles across Alaskan Range). All passes where closed due to weather and took 5 hour route to get us into camp. We went in as a party of 4 and flew first group in one day and bad weather kept second group out til next. Showed Smarts not trying to put us in danger. Had them do a meet pickup 1 week later on a 17 day hunt. Showed up on the EXACT hour we coordinated! Pickup right on time again and they used 2 planes to pick us up! This is by no means a MASS Air Charter Service just First Rate. Would strongly recommend to anyone going for Alaska game out of Anchorage

Outfitter Review: Munsey's Bear Camp - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Mike Munsey

Hunter: Andrew Vena

Animals Hunted: Brown Bear

Great hunt with a fabulous outfitter. Be in shape.Many bears in area.

Outfitter Review: Ketchum Air Service - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Craig Ketchum

Hunter: Brian Swasey

Animals Hunted: Caribou Trophy Hunt

Recently spent 8 days hunting caribou in unit 17b in Alaska. We flew with Ketchum air service. After finding several good references and putting down a deposit last December, I began to find out several bad things about this flight service. Several people warned me that they couldn't be trusted and I'd better be careful. I did a lot of research and thought I was prepared with locations in mind but things didn't turn out very good.The Caribou were scattered widely this year and Ketchums convinced me that the spots I picked weren't any good. I told them that I wasn't going to let them put us down until they showed me caribou from the air and they told me if that was my attitude I could just have my money back before I ever flew out. I'm sure they were bluffing, but we decided to give it a whirl since we were already there ready to go hunting. The truth is, they can't reach the Mulchatna herd from Anchorage so they place all their hunters on the fringes to hunt stragglers so they don't have to spend the extra time and fuel to hunt the better areas that are farther away. Their brochure says they hunt the broad reaches of the Lake Clark/Iliamna/Mulchatna/Kuskokwim valley. Fact is they wouldn't even take me there although they said they would when I put down the deposit.Now don't get me wrong, we got 5 bulls for 3 people but it wasn't because Ketchums did anything for us. We saw about 1-3 caribou a day and made heroic efforts to get our bulls.We are upset that Ketchums will now use our statistics to convince other hunters that they have a great success rate. This is their "Trophy Caribou Hunt" but they'll include any caribou killed in their success percentage.Here's the real clincher! They took 2 and a half of our bulls back to anchorage when they did our mid hunt meat check. We gave them written instructions before we ever left Anchorage that they were supposed to call our hotel and have them put our meat in the hotel freezer. When we arrived back in Anchorage the meat had vanished! The hotel had no record whatsoever of picking it up and it wasn't on their premises. Ketchums insisted that they had them pick it up. Ketchums told us it wasn't their problem and not to call them because they didn't have our meat. They made no effort to help us locate it and told us to call every meat processor in town to see if we could find it. I checked the log books of all the hotel shuttles and they had not picked it up. We finally filed a police report and told Ketchums we'd have our lawyer contact them. They replied they had a lawyer on staff and it wouldn't be a problem.I called the hotel manager to tell her about the incident and that the police would be contacting her for their report. She must have pulled some strings somewhere because we'd searched 2 days with no luck but she located it by morning. I'll believe it when the meat is at home in my freezer though. The hotel is picking up the cost for shipping. Tne Barratt Inn in Anchorage is great! But never fly Ketchums!I am not disgruntled because I didn't kill the biggest caribou on the planet. I understand the risks of going self-guided. I had no expectations any greater than what they printed in their brochure. This was not my first ever fly in caribou hunt. Fact is, Ketchums lost our meat and wouldn't even lift a finger to help us find it. They never even admitted it could have been their fault it got lost or appoligized in any way. Their response was, "Don't call us, we don't have any meat here". They told me to call all the processing plants in town and try to locate it myself. We had given them written instructions to have our hotel put it in there freezer after our meat check. Ketchums screwed up and they didn't even know where they sent it.I'd done my research before I left for Anchorage. I knew the heard was widely scattered with few or no aggregations. I had locations in mind that I wanted to be placed in (all west of the Mulchatna river). They day I sent in my deposit they told me they would take me to those locations. But the day I arrived in anchorage they wouldn't hear of it. They insisted that Jim Woolington, the biologist for area 17B didn't know what he was talking about when he said there were virtually no caribou east of the Mulchatna, then they put me on a lake east of the Mulchatna without seeing even one caribou from the air. THIS IS NOT CUSTOMER SERVICE! I'm sure others have had good hunts with Ketchums, and I am confident they are capable of providing a good experience. But after the way they treated us I won't be back and I want to make sure they lose customers in the future due to the fact that they lied to us and their service stunk.

Outfitter Review: Wilderness Enterprises - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Joe Latarte

Hunter: Christopher Reilly

Animals Hunted: Grizzly Bear

This hunt was managed and came off with out a flaw. Joe was an excellent guide and knows his buisness as I had first hand experience in watching his reaction to a grizzly charge. I felt I was in the best hands I could be in. I can't say enough positive things about him. The area has an excellent population of Moose (saw some that went well over 60")a lot of sheep and a fair number of caribou. They also have tone of ptarmigan and grouse.

Outfitter Review: Bucking Horse Ranch - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Robert P Hardy

Hunter: Jim Bernardin

Animals Hunted: Mountain Grizzly

Rob Hardy is without question the most competent, professional guide I've ever had the pleasure to hunt with, and a real gentleman to boot! I had the good fortune to take an enormous mountain grizzly that squared 8'10" and will most likely qualify for B & C. We saw loads of black bears but did not connect, only because we were looking for an exceptional one. Many sheep, goats and moose were also seen. Rob Hardy is the best in my opinion. He is excellent at spotting, judging and stalking game; is an exceptional horseman and packer, and prepares excellent meals in the field. He does not cut corners to increase his profit and is always looking out for the client's best interest.

Outfitter Review: Hidden Alaska Guides/Outfitters - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Mike Bowden

Hunter: BOB FISHER

Animals Hunted: moose/grizz/caribou/sheep

TOOK A BOONE AND CROCKET MOOSE AND SCREWED UP A CHANCE AT A REAL NICE GRIZZ. IT RAINED AT LEAST 5 DAYS. WE WERE ON A FLOAT TRIP. STAYED IN TWO MAN TENTS TILL THE END OF THE HUNT SPENT THE LAST NIGHT IN A LOG CABIN WITH A STEAM BATH.

Outfitter Review: Alaskan Mountain & River Guiding - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Chris J. Zwolinski

Hunter: William Bell

Animals Hunted: Dall Sheep

Party of (2) harvested two beautiful Dall Rams.Outfitter maintains sound conservation principals and manages area only taking (4) Sheep per season to ensure clients are taken to remote game rich highly productive areas with no competition by others. Mature animals that inhabit the area remain unpressured. Owner is your personal guide & mantains an operation with high core valuespersonalized to every customer. Visit his Websitefor pictures & info http://www.alaskaguide.comsee outfitter with sheep we harvested

Outfitter Review: Kabra Adventures - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Brad Johnson

Hunter: Bruce L. Johns

Animals Hunted: Caribou

Shot two outstanding barren ground caribou after seeing beautiful mountain/tundra country. Fishing was excellent. Dolly Vardon from camp shore line about every third cast! Shot second caribou green scored 402BC. First was 325BC. Hunting services were the way they should be. Been on lots of guided hunts, but will now use this hunting consultant firm to book all my hunts.

Outfitter Review: Iliamna Air Guides - AK

Outfitter / Owner: Mark & Cindy Kneen

Hunter: Terry Receveur

Animals Hunted: Caribou

Air taxi drop hunt for caribou. Placed in the middle of the caribou. Saw 2000 plus animals with several large bulls. Killed two nice animals. This is only an air taxi. You will not get much personalized service. If you are independent and just want transportation to the caribou then this group did a good job.

Outfitter Review: Hankerd Outfitting - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Hank Hankerd

Hunter: Mike Laskus

Animals Hunted: Grizzly Bear

15 day Brown/Grizzly Bear hunt in St. Michael Alaska. Hank Hankerd the outfitter runs a good camp with the main objective of getting you your bear. Outfitters owns his own plane and has flown for 20+ years in Alaska. Knows his bear hunting. Weather was cold in the Spring of 99 but that did not stop us from being 2 for 2 on this hunt. John Rose our guide from Montana is one of the very best I have ever hunted with, he works hard and has been in the business for 32 years. Loves to guide bear hunters. 1998 report from Hank & John reported 25 bears in 10 days on one Spring hunt. Camp equipment was very comfortable. Outstanding hunt where the outfitter and guide are dedicated to getting your bear. I highly recommend this area for bear hunting!

Outfitter Review: Branham Adventures - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Dennis Branham

Hunter: Jim Benham

Animals Hunted: Dall Sheep, Grizzly bear

The people are professional, from Barry the pilot to the various guides that Dennis has working for him. Saw a number of bears and took a very good mountain Grizzly bear. Also took a full curl ram. The amount of other game seen was very, very good. I hunted with Todd Luster 1x1 and he was truly a professional in all aspects. Of the four hunts I have been on this was by far the best. He owns his own planes etc. and treats his clients as clients.

Outfitter Review: Lost Creek Ranch - Alaska

Outfitter / Owner: Les Cobb

Hunter: Chris Reilly

Animals Hunted: Black Bear

I will be going back next year, my overall impression is that this is a first rate operation with a great group of individuals associated with it. The price of the hunt was more than reasonable and the scenery and wildness of the area would have made the trip worth it without the taking of a nice bear. Also the pelts of the animals I saw were absolutely beautiful and thick.