November 2025
Alaska Yukon Moose | Once in a Lifetime, Until it is Not!
Once is a lifetime, until it is not! That is exactly the situation I found myself in last fall. Having hunted with Renfro’s Alaskan Adventures five years ago, they called to ask if I was interested in coming back for a self-guided moose ridge hunt. A quick call to my hunting buddy, Rick, and we were planning for another hunt of a lifetime!
Using the no hunt rule to our advantage, we glassed a couple moose, a black bear, and a potential moose shed from our tent. As the afternoon went on, our spirits were high as we glassed numerous other basins in the distance that held good numbers of moose. Our nerves were shaken seeing five grizzlies within a mile of our camp.
We awoke on day one to a steady drizzle on the tent with strong winds. Even with the poor conditions, we had a few great encounters with smaller bulls. We also located our calling spot that gave us great visibility of the surrounding landscape.
Day two was more of the same with rain, wind, and fog. As the rain stopped, our visibility expanded and a large bull was headed our way. Responding to our light cow calls, we let him come. As he neared the willow border, we lost sight of his vitals as he stood and stared up the ridge. Rick stayed on the trigger as I moved north looking for a better angle on the animal. Reaching the steep wall on our ridge, I noticed movement in the valley below. A quick look through my binos and I knew I had just located another great bull bedded at 250 yards. I raced back to Rick with the news. Looking over the bull, he closed the distance and readied for the shot. On his signal, I raked the nearby brush to get the bull on his feet. Before he could fully stretch his legs, Rick made a perfect shot and then another unmistakable “thwack” confirmed another direct hit. Sucking up the lead, his bull slowly turned to make his way into some thick willows before Rick’s third shot anchored him to the valley floor. Words can’t explain the emotions Rick had after achieving his lifelong dream of harvesting a giant moose, but that memory will be with us forever.
As the rain started again, we broke down his bull and installed a portable bear fence around the meat. Maneuvering around the willows with our full packs, I stumbled upon a giant moose shed. Gaining 700 feet of elevation in the first quarter of a mile with our packs full was extremely physical. The next mile of the hike was a grind. Soaked, hungry, and tired, we made it back to camp and regrouped.
The weather got worse on day three. Downpouring rain, sleet, fog, dropping temps, and 40 mph wind gusts tested our mental strength as we logged two and a half miles back and forth from the kill site to camp. With zero visibility, no bear sightings, and staying physically healthy, day three ended up as a perfect day to be hauling meat.
The rain was intermittent on day four, but the wind was constant. We began with our calling sequences again, and a small break in the weather allowed Rick’s moose to be flown out.
Day five was more of the same with unrelenting weather. We hunted dark to dark in the elements and were rewarded with a few close encounters with very nice bulls. Having harvested a moose on my first self-guided hunt, my goals were set exceptionally high and I was OK with going home empty handed.
Waking to wind, rain, and fog on day six, I slipped out of the tent to face Mother Nature head on. Looking into the thick sheet of fog, I noticed something out of place. Using my binos, I realized it was a bear! Confirming it was a black bear, my .300 Weatherby Backcountry 2.0 stoned him at 30 yards from our tent. With no visibility until noon, we broke down the bear and salted the skin. Making it to our calling location, we hunted as the weather changed frequently. With a plethora of rainbows throughout the day, we noticed the one end of the rainbow kept hitting a specific spot on the valley floor. Rick made a comment that I would kill my moose right there. Doubt filled my mind as the wind and rain settled back in for the remainder of the day. Using an inReach, I sent a text to my wife asking for a weather report. She said day seven would be more of the same, but day eight was my day to kill because it would be calm with clear skies.
We awoke on day eight to calm wind but thick fog. Late morning, the fog finally lifted and blue skies appeared. Moving around the end of the ridge to get my call down multiple valleys, I spotted a moose a mile and a half away moving towards a beaver pond. As it began to drink, I got the binos on him and instantly knew he was the moose I had been waiting for. Having such good visibility allowed us to wait for him to make the next move and respond to him as needed.
Time ticked by slowly as we lost sight of the bull. Patience proved to be the key as we heard splashing water in the creek bottom. Shortly after, we spotted the bull in the distance moving up the valley. Turning my head away from the beast, I lightly moaned. Instantly, the giant bull responded to my call and came in on a string.
In the prone position, the crosshairs were steady and locked on a frontal shot if needed. Rick gave me the yardage of a pine tree at 250 yards. Passing the small pine tree, I watched as his nose would cover my crosshairs and then slightly lift, exposing his chest. Walking slightly uphill, he hit the high spot where the pot of gold should be resting from yesterday’s rainbows. Learning from the encounters with the other bulls, I knew the willows would form a wall that could very well save his life in the next few steps. Focused on the front of his chest, I buried the crosshairs and waited for his muzzle to clear. With an instinctive light touch of the trigger, the unmistakable sound of a direct hit turned the giant moose around. Anchoring another shot behind his last rib up into his vitals made him the walking dead. Knowing every additional step was more packing for us, one last shot dropped him in his tracks.
As we walked down to the animal, the rack continued to grow. Everything went better the second time around, and by 11 p.m., we had the whole moose cooling on willow branches above the quarter mile wall.
On day nine, the clear skies allowed the temps to drop. The trips were grueling, to say the least, but time ticked by quickly as we both got lost in our thoughts of thanks. With the moose ready for taxi, we celebrated with hot apple cider and moose backstrap.
Morning came quick on day 10 as I found myself preparing to dump into the valley to look for the match antler to the large shed I had found. Within minutes of stepping onto the valley floor, I noticed something was different. Both gut piles were buried five feet below mud and brush. Quickly, I made my way back to Rick and told him what I had seen. Looking over my shoulder, he spotted the giant grizzly coming out of the creek and going directly to where I had stood. Over the next 20 minutes, we watched in amazement as this magnificent creature enjoyed his feast.
Returning to camp, I grabbed the spotter and confirmed it was another antler from the first day of our hunt that I had glassed up. Leaving camp, I worked my way up the other ridge to grab the antler. The rest of the day was spent working on the moose hide, rotating the moose quarters, and chasing black bears away from the meat. Installing the bear fence before dark allowed us to relax and enjoy another meal of backstrap in the tent.
Getting word that day 11 would be another camping day, we organized our stuff for our departure. Enjoying the wonderful clear skies and cool weather, Mother Nature said goodbye to us with the most amazing Northern Lights show of all time.
Someone who experienced an Alaskan adventure like ours once said, “They all say once in a lifetime until they make it up to Alaska once and then they will spend a lifetime going back.” This quote couldn’t be truer. I want to thank my family, Rick, Anne C., the K-Team, my administration from work, and Renfro’s Alaskan Adventures. A special thanks to Huntin’ Fool and Weatherby for awarding me the awesome rifle I used on this adventure. Until the next hunt of a lifetime, shoot straight!