I’m looking at possibly a DIY moose hunt next year but I’m uncertain of which units I should hunt. I plan to get an air taxi service but I’m sure they’ll all say that there spot is the best. Wondering if anyone has recommendations. My main focus is moose, but I wouldn’t be opposed to hunting a spot with caribou as well. Any and all pointers welcomed.

I've done it twice and came home without a moose both times. I saw plenty of moose, and even a few that where legal, but nothing that I wanted to put on the wall, or that I could get across the river where he was standing. It's been 20 years since I went, so I'm sure that I'm way out of date on who to use or where to go. I do remember it being the most miserable, painful experience that I've been on , and then couldn't wait to do it again. I did get a nice caribou on the first trip, and on another trip I got a nice Dall sheep, but the price of a moose hunt has gotten so ridiculous that I'm not sure if I'll go again or not. Just imagine bugs that form a cloud around your head the second you leave your tent and stay there all day long. 100% Deet and a full head net are mandatory. Hip boots need to be heavy duty. On my second trip, I tore mine on the edge of a beaver spike. They eat away the willows and what' remaining can be very sharp. It took just a second to ruin my boots. I had some duct tape that helped, but it only slowed down the amount of water that got into my boots. Since hip boots don't breath, your socks are soaking wet every day anyway. In fact, with all the rain that you get there, you will be wet all day, every day. Just wear clothes that keep you warm when you are wet.

I went Salmon Fishing and Duck Hunting up the Alagnak back around the 1st of September. We had phenomenal hunts and the silver salmon fishing was amazing... our outfitter uses Branch River Air our of King Salmon and they do no eff around. They’re a very serious outfit and don’t cut any corners whatsoever... I’d never do a DIY in the bush unless I had my [censored] together for sure. Float planes won’t come get you if the weather is bad or you end up getting left if you’re not where you’re supposed to be come time to depart. If you decide to DIY, better have your [censored] together and have a sat phone.

We were in Katmai National Park... we didn’t see a single moose the entire week we were there. Grizzlies were everywhere too... full grown grizzlies at that. I’m not too sure some of those outfitters werent looking for moose with the float planes and radioing down to someone on the ground or the river.... highly illegal.

I plan to have a sat phone and rescue insurance. I don’t plan to go into this half cocked.

Look on the Alaska Game and Fish site. They have a lot of information for DIY. I have looked at DIY caribou but not moose.

I did a self guided trip in the Brooks range. We were dropped off by a Beaver in a high lake and did 12 days floating back to base. It was an adventure for sure.
With 2 brothers and a friend, we got a little ornery by the end. I threw out my cigs before we left and 1 brother and friend ran out of alcohol about 5 days in. lol
It was wet and cold the whole time, never had dry clothes, tent was full of water, sleeping bags were wet,never saw the sun the entire trip. Never saw a moose and we were bowhunting with longbows and 1 recurve. There is not much to eat out there, no critters to shoot, no rabbits, grouse, birds, squirrels etc... you can eat greyling but you have about 10 minutes to get them cooked or they taste like mud.
Lots of grizzlies around. We paid a fee to an outfitter to line up our plane and raft rental etc... for us, but we kind of got scammed, apparently there were about 35 people that floated this "wilderness" before us that year so the moose were pressured to high ground.
Not trying to be discouraging but it is Alaska and it is unforgiving and cares less if you live or die, it is just what it is. You must be prepared for anything. Maybe that is why we got it so cheap.

I live in Alaska, so I will give you my 0.02 for the region I live. Its going to cost you, but doing a DIY out of Bethel, Alaska up to the Yukon River (unit 18 remainder) right now has some of the highest densities of moose in the state and multiple trophy class bulls. It is expensive, it is tough hunting, but it is fun. No chances at caribou in this unit though.

For services out of Bethel I recommend these in order of who I personally think are the best for you to look in to. All 3 are able to drop you in/near wilderness areas and charge the price for it, but you can ask for prices for non-wilderness hunts and see what they quote you.

Gods Country Aviation- Isaac Beddingfield- Operates out of a small plane equipped with tundra tires. EXTREMELY good pilot, extremely nice, and I use him for personal and professional reasons myself. And I have a hunt booked with him in 2021.
Papa bear Adventures: Operate with float planes. Good Pilots. Have a ton of gear for rent and set you up for success. Nice lodge and good people, and I have multiple friends who have used them for moose hunts. Had 100% success rate this year with moose hunters.
Renfros alaska adventures- operate with a Havalaand beaver and another larger plane both on floats. Good guys. Good pilots, but recently had 1 crash this year (I personally think due to overloaded plane- but they deny it). I have used them for work, and they are dependable and good, they just dont have as nice an operation as the other 2 in my opinion.

Good luck.

Thanks Duck Buster. That helps a lot.

Branch River Air runs Beavers and 206’s... we saw a couple Otters with the turbo prop running around. The beaver and the 206 can carry more than you think.