DIY (Self guided) Moose hunting FAQ

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• Pre-hunt planning and logistic support
• Greet you at boat launch on the Innoko River
• Transport into/out of field to your permitted hunt area with your personal/rental gear and meat, capes & antlers
• Required SOA, USFWS and BLM Land Use Permits
• Optional camp gear and boat rental packages
• Optional camp kitchen and food provisions packages  
• Provide contact for local expediters for trophy expediting

• Hunting licenses, permits or locking tags
• Village shuttle to and from airstrip. Usually $20/pp each way
• Additional meat backhaul to prevent meat spoilage 
• Meat storage or handling of meat to airstrip
• Commercial or charter airfare to/from Shageluk (SHX)
• Gratuities 10%-20% is recommended
• In-town/village accommodations due to the inability to sail or fly because of inclement weather or water conditions
• Commercial airline change fees due to inclement weather  or unforeseen circumstances impacting your itinerary
• Packing, shipping or otherwise handling meat, antlers and capes outside of their backhaul to the launch in Shageluk
• You are responsible to arrange shipping of your meat and trophies out of the village. Please contact the carrier prior to your hunt to find out shipping requirements and timing 
• It is your responsibility to get antlers, capes and meat ready for transport home. Bring tape/extra game bags
• Baggage fees or shipping associated with your meat, antlers & capes with commercial airlines or shipping companies
• Tanning/Taxidermy services for your trophies

• Start your hunt the same day you arrive at your camp. This is made possible because “same day airborne” rules do not apply to the passenger flight that brought you into Shageluk.
• Our boats can out haul a bush plane, accommodating  more comfortable camps, liberal weight limits on hunters and gear. 
• We have access to Controlled Use Areas that restrict access by aircraft for hunting or big big transporting.
• We can travel in weather that would ground bush aircraft.
• We can navigate at night or in inclement weather.

Alaska’s weather can be unforgiving and often causes flight delays, scheduling chaos that cuts into your hunting time; travel plans and can cause meat to spoil. With AK Expeditions we are able to set sail in weather that would otherwise ground bush aircraft getting you into and out of the field nearly unencumbered by inclement weather. 

We transport in Game Management Unit 21 focusing on Sub-units D, E & A. We hold State of Alaska Commercial Land Use & Commercial Day use permits as well as a Special Use Permit from US Fish and Wildlife for the Innoko National Wildlife Refuge. We are also permitted to access BLM Lands throughout this region. 

A nonresident hunter must have viewed the hunter orientation materials: “Is This Moose Legal” video and the “Field Care of Big Game” video and completed the quiz prior to hunting. It is advisable for all hunters doing a DIY Moose Hunt review these videos and take the quiz. You don't want to come all this way only to kill a sub-legal bull and have to forfeit the moose meat and rack to the Alaska State Troopers who will also be issuing you a citation. 

After successfully passing the quiz you should print the certification card online . You will also receive a copy via email you can print out and keep with your hunting license, permits and locking tags. 

It is customary to tip your transport captain 10-20% of the transport price. He in turn shares tips with the crew who strive to make your trip on the Yukon River safe and memorable. We spend hundreds  of hours preparing your camp, transport boats, rental gear, prepping food and camp totes, loading boats, assist in shuttling clients, travel literally thousands of river miles and hustle on deck to assist you with your personal gear to ensure your hunt is safe and memorable. Cash is preferred but tips can be charged to a card. 

This is the most logistically difficult task for the DIY Hunter to  coordinate. Moose can weigh 600-700 lbs dressed out. The rack can weight another 50-75 lbs. Meat and racks fly "space available"  on the  passenger and cargo flights out of the village. This means meat could sit at the airstrip increasing the potential for spoilage. Be prepared to share the cost to charter a plane to haul your meat, rack and gear back to Anchorage. Meat can easily be donated in Anchorage, but you have to get it there in good condition. 

Wanton waste of big game meat is an extremely serious offense punishable by a fine of up to $10,000 and 1 year in jail.

You must salvage ALL EDIBLE meat unless it has been stolen, taken, or destroyed by a wild animal, lost to unanticipated weather conditions or other acts of God, or transferred to someone who accepts responsibility for salvaging and removing the meat from the field.

You are not required to salvage the meat of the head, guts, bones, sinew, and meat left on the bones after close trimming, or meat that has been damaged and made inedible by the bullet or arrow. 

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