The Cost of Moose Hunting in Alaska: What You’re Paying For

When you go moose hunting in Alaska the prices include extra help to pack out your trophy. They also reflect the careful management of moose populations.

Maybe it started when you saw a pair of moose paddles that made your jaw drop and you decided you had to hunt a Yukon moose. Or maybe you’ve always dreamed of hunting in the pristine Alaskan wilderness. Whatever got you interested, you’ve been researching Alaska moose hunting trips and you’re wondering about the cost. When it comes to moose hunting in Alaska the prices don’t just include your guide and camp services. They also reflect the realities of moose populations in this region.

Short Season

Populations of Alaskan moose are carefully managed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, because at one point there weren’t many moose left. Don’t worry, this story has a happy ending for moose and hunters! By putting a multi-year moratorium on all moose hunting, they allowed moose populations to grow and spread. Now there is a healthy population, and even a surplus that can be hunted. But to avoid wiping out population numbers again, the number of moose harvested each year is carefully controlled.

One way this is done is by keeping the hunting season short. It runs from September 1 to September 15, before the animals go into rut and start mating. Moose hunting in Alaska has prices that reflect the short amount of time there is to go out and hunt them.

Limited Numbers

The other way the Alaska Department of Fish and Game manages moose populations is by limiting the number of moose tags available. This usually means that the better the natural populations are doing, the more moose can be harvested. However, even when populations are doing great, there are still a lot of hunters, and hunting guides, who want tags.

Most Alaskan hunting guides only get enough tags to take out about six hunters a year to hunt moose. There are a lot of out-of-state hunters interested in those six tags, so the competition is fierce. This also drives up the price pretty quickly.

Extra Hands

You don’t realize just how big an Alaska moose is until you need to haul your trophy back to civilization. A quality hunting guide will include a packer on a moose hunt to help you carry your trophy back to camp. Without a packer the moose meat will spoil if you’re too far from camp. It’s hard work and it takes more than one trip, but it will be worth it to you when you’re back home, looking up at that set of giant paddles on your trophy room wall. So when you go moose hunting in Alaska the prices include paying an extra set of hands.

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