Willow Air - Moose Hunts





Willow Air is very proud of it's moose hunts in western Alaska. This is a 10 day unguided hunt with a boat and motor or zodiac or a float trip to hunt a section of Innoko river. We will supply your boat and motor with 10 gallons of gasoline or a raft, there is a minimum of 2 people. It offers an excellent chance of taking a trophy moose with over a 50% success rate. This is one of our most popular hunts and we only take a limited number of people. Black Bear and wolf are also available in this area. The cost of a moose hunt on the Innoko River for the year 2009 is $3450.00 per person plus $300.00 for boat and motor or raft. The following are some suggestions and information regarding airfare, baggage, etc., for McGrath. We do our best to try to make your hunt as pleasurable as possible, but due to logistics it is advisable to follow these guidelines. You will need to make your own air reservations to McGrath for your hunt. Currently there is only one air carrier in Alaska that flies to McGrath - Pen Air. Their toll-free phone number is 1(800) 448-4226. At this time the cost of the air fare is $359.00 with our outfitters discount. Please tell them when you are booking your flight so you will receive the outfitters discount. We recommend you send all extra gear ahead of your flight by USPS Parcel Post. Send it to: Your Name; c/o Susie's Iditarod Trail Cafe; PO Box 252; McGrath, AK 99627. Another way to ship your gear ahead, is as cargo with Northern Air Cargo. Their toll-free number is (800)727-2141. You will need to send your extra gear with an air carrier of your choice to Northern Air Cargo in Anchorage. Be sure to have your return address on the cargo. Send it to Northern Air Cargo for them to forward to Your Name, c/o Willow Air Service, McGrath, Alaska 99627. It is important to include the name Willow Air Service so the McGrath Airport will keep it until your arrival. (The weight limit per customer for your Willow Air flight is 150 lbs of gear per person.)
We request all our hunters be in McGrath the day before you are scheduled to fly out to the bush This gives you time to get your luggage if it has been bumped to the next flight, due to an overfull flight on Pen Air. It also gives you time to visit the butcher and discuss how much meat you want to keep and how you want your moose cut up. We plan our next day of flight the evening before, so if you are not in McGrath the day before your hunt, you might not get flown out on your scheduled day. You should also plan to spend one night in McGrath at the end of your hunt so you can sort gear and get all the final arrangements made to get your gear, meat, antlers and cape home.
		MEAT CARE Shooting your trophy is just one part of being a successful hunter. Taking care of your trophy after it is down is the most important part of your hunt. Whether you are going to take the meat home and eat it yourself or give it away, should make no difference in how you take care of it. Every time someone brings in dirty or spoiled meat it just gives the state more reason to stop non-residents from moose hunting without a guide. Bring plenty of meat bags, about nine large meat bags per moose. If you choose to shoot a moose in the evening remember you have chosen to work into the night getting it skinned back to let the heat out. A moose is a large animal and the body heat will spoil the meat no matter how cold it is. So if you don't want to spend the time to take care of a moose in the dark, don't shoot one in the evening. Simply gutting a moose is not enough, you have to skin the top side and lay the quarters back and open the rib cage. In Unit 21, where we hunt, the meat must remain on the bones of the four legs and the ribs. You will end up with the 4 legs with bone in them, the 2 rib sections with bone in them, and everything else can be boned out. Remove the hind quarters at the hip joint, the front quarters at the rib cage, and saw the ribs off the back bone. Then bone out the backbone and neck completely. When you are done there should be no meat left at the kill site.
You will have 4 quarters, 2 rib sections and about 3 bags of boned meat. Remember also that the antlers cannot leave the kill site until you are on the last trip carrying the meat out. Then the meat needs to be take back to your camp and hung up with a tarp over it so it doesn't get wet. Do not leave it lay on the ground. If you are on a float trip, do not leave it in your boat when you stop to camp for the night. When you stop to camp, hang your moose up. This is a lot of work but it must be done to keep your meat from spoiling. It's not only the right thing to do but it is the law. If you don't take care of your meat and salvage every bit, the Fish and Game can arrest you, fine you and seize your trophy depending on the severity of the offense. No one wants to come all the way to Alaska and lose their trophy. So take care of your trophy and salvage all the meat.
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