I need an adventure, not a weekender...MOOSE JOHN?

[Terry Green]

Yes...I have Bill's book....a friend gave it to me.

[DesertDude]

Been A dream hunt of mine since I read a story about the Moose John in a Archery mag in the 80's.

[Robertfishes]

Jay Campbell has been a couple of times. Maybe he can advise you.

[wingnut]

Be careful with dreaming about float hunts these days.  There are so many folks on the rivers both floating and running with jet boats that the wilderness experience of yesteryear is all but gone.

Mike

[Kevin Dill]

There's a lot of ways to get to moose and nobody is better at it than Alaskans. I've seen airboats and jetboats over 90 river miles from the nearest launch. If there is navigable water with good moose hunting, it's been found and exploited. You can float beautiful scenic rivers in prime moose country and never know that a dozen hunters have already been down the river ahead of you...and possibly with firearms. Though it's often romanticized and talked about in traditional circles, the true wilderness float hunt (with good moose hunting) is a very elusive animal.

I purposely go out of my way to avoid navigable rivers and all areas accessed via land or water. Aircraft is the only way I go as it gets me in places where I can be alone and never see another hunter, unless it's a partner.

[Ben Maher]

Bill Baker use to run some amazing 'Buff hunts here in Oz, sadly he passed away some years ago now . A giant in the Australian hunting  archery community whose footsteps will be hard to follow .

Mick Baker, no relation , has had an outfitting business and also owns Widowmaker B'heads and shafts . Not sure if he is still outfitting.

[monterey]

In 2013 we floated DIY for two weeks without seeing a fire ring, a piece of charcoal, a human footprint or a log or piece of wood that had been touched by an axe or saw.  It really was the pure wilderness I had wanted.

We didn't kill anything but spruce grouse but it had nothing to do with opportunity.

That said, if I go to AK again it will be for a DIY fly in camp where hopefully the wilderness experience will be the same.

OTOH, there is another float waiting where an equally wild experience could be had.

[FerretWYO]

This would be awesome.

[Matty]

Originally posted by FerretWYO:
This would be awesome.

Well.....lets do it.....
We're only getting older....

[Orion]

The Moose John hunt is no longer available.  I've done the Moose John twice, the first time with Jay and the second time with Ernie Holland, who took over the business after Jay died.  I don't know the details, but Yote Robertson was working for Ernie when Ernie crashed his plane.

BTW my partner and I did not get a moose on the first hunt, though my partner had an opportunity.  We both got nice bulls in the 60-inch class on the second hunt.

I highly recommend a float trip for moose in Alaska.

[Greg Szalewski]

I think Dale Karch and I were the last to do the Moose John with Yote and Dick Robertson in 2013. Sterling Holbrook was with us too, to make for some fabulous memories. Yote would be the one I would check with.

[frank bullitt]

A friend  and classmate, did a  float hunt in  '91. He killed a fine moose!

Like the great caribou hunting in Quebec, you asked about, has changed!

[AkDan]

Yotes (or was up till recently) connected to the mj.   Dougs still in sitka, this is a river you can diy.    

Theres actually 2 rivers Jay called the mj trying to keep them a secret. .  One was the oroginal (the one shown and talked about most)  

Theres also an interesting read.  Shortly after Jay psssed, i was a young soldier on the prowl for the mj.   Too broke to go guided.  I read an old story on moose john milovich....   i always wondered if theres was a connection.  

There's another very cool article on tge area about long ago bowhunters.   If you find it youll know it.  But good luck!  If you do, youll be very close to the mj.   Its not on the net these days.  

If you get up this way Terry, holler.  


Dan

[AkDan]

Greg,

Sterling and Krista are in fairbanks now.   Oddly enough i havent run into them.

[Terry Green]

Thx Sir.

[monterey]

Here you go, Terry.  Up for auction right now.

Loaded with information to help plan a DIY float.

[monterey]

Forgot the URL      

http://auction1.tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=217;t=000069

[Ron LaClair]

Funny story..........

We were in the big tent in base camp and planning to hit the MJ river the next morning. I snored pretty bad back then. Jay told this story the next morning while he was fixing breakfast. A bull moose answered my snoring in the middle of the night, seems I would snore and the moose would answer with a grunt...

snore....grunt...snore ....grunt. Jay could hardly keep from laughing as he told the story, he said "Ron I thought you were going to call that bull right into camp"    

[monterey]

It's a bit unnerving.  Had one​ walk by me in the night with nothing but a tent for protection.  It made a little huffing noise with each step.  Was sure it was a bear but a check in the morning showed moose tracks a few feet from the tent.    

Didn't sleep anymore that night.

[ozy clint]

Originally posted by Terry Green:
 

Any other adventures like this available?

yoda- adventure you seek? hunt New Zealand you must.