Alaska Moose

All Moose hunts are conducted 1X1 (one guide, one client) to ensure your ultimate success. Depending on where you are hunt in the Cordova area, both client and guide are transported by the use of small aircraft the day before your hunt begins. Each Moose spike camp are portable and removable to assure the best possible area to hunt. Each spike camp tent are 8’X8’ or larger and are equipped with cots and heaters for your comfort. Moose country is very flat in this area, can be dry, but normally wet and boggy area where they live. Once your trophy is taken, it is then tagged, caped, quartered and packed out to the extraction point. You are welcome to take your Moose meat back with you, and I can direct you to a local butcher in Cordova, that can process the meat for you. If you choose not to take your Moose meat back with you, the meat will be donated to a local elders or local charity in Cordova, never wasted. Once Moose rack and cape are back at the lodge, caped is fleshed, ears, lips, nose and bell is turned and then salted. Trophies are normally shipped from lodge to my expeditor in Anchorage, at the end of October. (Alces Alces-Latin Name) – Alaska-Yukon Moose is the largest of the moose family, weighing in at close to 1400 pounds and over 7 feet tall at the shoulders. The Cordova, Alaska area has been known for over 30 years as one of the top places in the world for record class Moose, with some of the top SCI record class Moose coming from this area. Over the past 30 years, we have placed in the top three 26 times in Alaska’s APHA/SCI awards program. Here at the TSIU Lodge we strive in taking 60 inches or better with our largest reaching 80 inches. If someone were to ask me, what the chances are of achieving a trophy class moose, I would say, yes the genetics are there. Remember, one of my goals as your professional hunter, is for you to achieve your trophy of course. But the most important goal for me as your professional hunter, is to conduct a safe, enjoyable, most of all, memorable safari adventure. (Ursus Americanus- Latin Name) With plenty of food near the coastal areas of Cordova, our Black Bear have always been plentiful in the Cordova area, both during the spring and fall hunts. As always, we have goals, trying to achieve 6 foot or better, with an occasional 8 footer taken. Black Bear hunts are conducted 1X1 (one guide, one client) to ensure your ultimate success. But many times it’s a great starter hunt for the new young hunter to compatibility their parents or guardian. Depending on where you are hunt in the Cordova area, both client and guide are transported by the use of small aircraft the day before your hunt begins. Each Black Bear spike camp are portable and removable to assure the best possible area to hunt. Each spike camp tent are 8’X8’ or larger and are equipped with cots and heaters for your comfort. Again, Black Bear habitat varies from high covered snow peaks of their denning areas to the coastal grass areas near the coastal areas, during April, May and June. During the fall, most bears are hunted where berries are plentiful, either high up in the mountainous hillsides or low coastal areas where sometimes berries are thick. Once your trophy is taken, and it is then tagged, skinned and peel, the meat is quartered and packed out to the extraction point. You are welcome to take your Black Bear meat back with you, and I can direct you to a local butcher in Cordova, that can process the meat for you. If you choose not to take your Black Bear meat back with you, the meat will be donated to a local elders or local charity in Cordova, never wasted. Once the Black Bear hide and skull are back at the lodge, hide is fleshed, ears, lips, nose, tail is turned and knuckles are out, it is then salted. Trophies are normally shipped from lodge to my expeditor in Anchorage, at the end of the season.

All hunts are conducted 1X1 (one guide, one client) to ensure your ultimate success. Depending on where you are hunt in the Cordova area, both client and guide are transported by the use of small aircraft the day before your hunt begins. Each Brown Bear spike camp are portable and removable to assure the best possible area to hunt. Each spike camp tent are 8’X8’ or larger and are equipped with cots and heaters for your comfort. Brown Bear country can be in a variety of areas, from 5000 foot mountain tops to the coastal areas of the North gulf coast. I have a saying, bears are where bears are, which can be everywhere. MOOSE: (Alces Alces-Latin Name) – Alaska-Yukon Moose is the largest of the moose family, weighing in at close to 1400 pounds and over 7 feet tall at the shoulders. The Cordova, Alaska area has been known for over 30 years as one of the top places in the world for record class Moose, with some of the top SCI record class Moose coming from this area. Over the past 30 years, we have placed in the top three 26 times in Alaska’s APHA/SCI awards program. Here at the TSIU Lodge we strive in taking 60 inches or better with our largest reaching 80 inches. If someone were to ask me, what the chances are of achieving a trophy class moose, I would say, yes the genetics are there. Remember, one of my goals as your professional hunter, is for you to achieve your trophy of course. But the most important goal for me as your professional hunter, is to conduct a safe, enjoyable, most of all, memorable safari adventure. BROWN BEAR: (Ursus Arctos- Latin Name) With the abundance of a rich food source in the Cordova area, such as Salmon, Moose, Mt Goats and unlimited sea life along the coast, the Brown Bears can reach weights of up to 1500 pounds. Here at the Cordova area, we hunt Brown Bears April through May and September through October. My guide use area near Cordova consist of several land owners, such as Chugach National Forest Service, BLM and State of Alaska lands, in which I am fully permitted for to conduct guide hunts. This guide use area that we hunt on, permits each hunter to harvest one Brown each regulatory year, which does not count against the harvest of one (l) Brown every (4) years, like in other parts of Alaska (like Kodiak Island and Alaskan Peninsula). Here at the Tsiu River Lodge we strive to take male brown bear 9 foot or larger and have taken many bears 10 foot plus over the year with many skulls over 28 plus, with some over 29 inches. Remember, one of my goals as your professional hunter, is for you to achieve your trophy of course. But the most important goal for me as your professional hunter, is to conduct a safe, enjoyable, most of all, memorable safari adventure. MOUNTAIN GOAT: (Oreamnos Americanus-Latin Name) Cordova Mt. Goat population is one of the healthiest in the state of Alaska. With some of our horn genetics being one of the best in Alaska. Many of our clients receiving top awards each year during the APHA/SCI program for top scoring Mt. Goat trophies. In Cordova, our goals have been to work with local area biologist, in harvesting selected areas for trophies by a permit system, with intent not to over harvest and focus on Billy harvest only. We strive to harvest Billie’s 8 1/2 inches or better. Our average has been 9 inches or better in recent years, with a few in the 11 inches class. We have 2 classes of Billie’s in our area, normally Billie’s weighting in 285 to 325 pounds and then we have “Buffalo Billie’s” weighing in at nearly 400 pounds, a bigger genetics Mt. Goat. BLACK BEAR: (Ursus Americanus- Latin Name) With plenty of food near the coastal areas of Cordova, our Black Bear have always been plentiful in the Cordova area, both during the spring and fall hunts. As always, we have goals, trying to achieve 6 foot or better, with an occasional 8 footer taken. Black Bear hunts are conducted 1X1 (one guide, one client) to ensure your ultimate success. But many times it’s a great starter hunt for the new young hunter to compatibility their parents or guardian. Depending on where you are hunt in the Cordova area, both client and guide are transported by the use of small aircraft the day before your hunt begins. Each Black Bear spike camp are portable and removable to assure the best possible area to hunt. Each spike camp tent are 8’X8’ or larger and are equipped with cots and heaters for your comfort. Again, Black Bear habitat varies from high covered snow peaks of their denning areas to the coastal grass areas near the coastal areas, during April, May and June. During the fall, most bears are hunted where berries are plentiful, either high up in the mountainous hillsides or low coastal areas where sometimes berries are thick. Once your trophy is taken, and it is then tagged, skinned and peel, the meat is quartered and packed out to the extraction point. You are welcome to take your Black Bear meat back with you, and I can direct you to a local butcher in Cordova, that can process the meat for you. If you choose not to take your Black Bear meat back with you, the meat will be donated to a local elders or local charity in Cordova, never wasted. Once the Black Bear hide and skull are back at the lodge, hide is fleshed, ears, lips, nose, tail is turned and knuckles are out, it is then salted. Trophies are normally shipped from lodge to my expeditor in Anchorage, at the end of the season.

Alaska Moose Hunting with Willie Dvorak, Master Guide Guided moose hunting in Alaska can be a thrill of a lifetime. The hunts take place in September during the start of the rut. Calling a big bull into range is one of the most amazing things you will ever see. It is also one of the most exciting ways of hunting them. The Alaskan moose is the biggest of all moose. Great mass and wide spreads make an awe inspiring site on any trophy room wall. Moose have to be 50 inches wide or support 4 brow tines in this area to be legal. This helps insure trophy animals for next season and insures that any animal that is legal is a real trophy. It should be said that many hunters feel a moose is a “gimme” animal. This is not the case. Nor is it the case that a bull needs to be 60 inches wide to be a great trophy. The media has promoted this idea to the extent that they have taken something away from the sport of moose hunting. The first bull I ever killed was a young bull standing at 18 yards that I took with a bow on the first day of my first trip. The second bull I killed was a beautiful 56 inch bull that I shot with a .300 Win Mag at less than 100 yards on the second day of my second trip. Not all hunts are that easy. Be assured, a legal bull is a huge animal and to fill your moose tag in the wilds of Alaska will be a feat you will remember for the rest of your life. I recommend a minimum caliber of 30-06 for moose. The shots on moose are typically less than 100 yards. When you are planning a trip like this, it makes a lot of sense to be well practiced at further distances also. A 30-06 is a great weapon for any of the animals you may include on this hunt on a trophy fee basis. Trophy fee options will be applicable only if the Alaska State Game Regulations have open seasons for the species. Unless other arrangements are made, I will be your guide. In a perfect world, an employee would care about the business as much as the owner. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world. I do all of my own guiding unless other arrangements are made. It is comforting for you to know that the guy who is cashing your check (me) is the same guy who will accompany you in the field (me). I put my reputation on the line every time I cash a check.

The Alaska Peninsula has one of the best opportunities to harvest moose in the state. The Alaska Peninsula may not have the largest number of Moose or the most record book entries, instead the real difference about the Peninsula is what the Moose don’t have – timber! They can run but they can’t hide. Eventually, they will show themselves in a Willow thicket or pop out of an Alder patch! I know where they live; I’ve been doing this since 17 years of age. We normally average over 60 inches for the bulls we harvest. Since 1983 our average success on moose hunts is over 90%. I’ve had hunters go home without moose in the past, for varying reasons, but odds are you will be successful. I usually take no more than 2 Moose hunters per season. This number has worked well for me, and every year I see a good number of bulls for the next year’s hunting season. Unit 9E has had the longest implemented minimum size antler restriction in the state. The state set a minimum of 50 inches or 3 brow tine restrictions back in the late 70’s. Now most of the state has followed suit. The Alaska Peninsula has had and still does have some of finest wildlife biologist in the State of Alaska. When combined with great habitat, mild winters and with minimum snow coverage helps maintain a healthy population. We do have a couple of concerns however: wolves and brown bears, both populations are on the rise. So you can do your part to help out the moose population by booking a bear or wolf hunt with us. Moose and bear hunting season do not overlap in unit 9E, but wolf hunting does, the limit on wolves is 10 per day and no tag fee. We pride ourselves on taking excellent care of the moose meat and cape. We will turn the ears, split the lips and bell, remove all of the cartilage from the nose and salt the cape at least 3 times before we deliver it to King Salmon. From there I usually ship it to the Wildlife Gallery for them to look it over, shake out the salt and prepare the hide and antlers to ship anywhere in the world. Obviously, there is a lot of meat that is involved with a moose – on average over 600 lbs. It all comes out of the field on the backs of your guide or packers. I have waxed fish boxes at the lodge that we can pack for you to take home. Usually most hunters only try and take back one or two boxes of meat. The rest of the meat does not go to waste. I have a couple of villages on the coast that look forward every September to some extra meat. It is my priority to make sure that all of the meat delivered to the villages, as well as your home, is clean and fresh.

An unguided Alaska moose hunt is the pinnacle of unguided hunting. It will be the biggest unguided hunt you will ever enjoy. My unguided moose hunts offer you the chance to take a fantastic trophy at a fantastic price. It’s the best bargain for do-it-yourself moose hunting. Look at all of the other outfits and then look back at mine before you book your trip. You’ll see why my hunt value outshines the other guys who are pretty vague about what they offer. Contact me for: 1. A list of ALL of my clients from last season. 2. A list of all the gear I provide. 3. A list of all the food I supply. 4. A list of all you get for your money. Then lay it down side by side with everybody else’s. Don’t trust anybody that promises when they wont put it in writing. That’s a slippery slope. If they wont send you these four lists there’s a reason. And it’s not a good one. I don’t try to fulfill other people’s promises but I fulfill mine in spades. That’s a big deal. If you like trust, honesty, openness, and integrity as fundamentals from somebody you pay for a hunt with, you’ll like booking with me. If you want to be put in a fantastic place to do your thing to find a huge moose, the choice is easy. You won’t get a high pressure buy-it-now sales pitch from me. Take all the time you need to make an excellent decision. Talk to everybody you can. Then revisit my information and compare their hunt to mine. "If a outfitter isn’t providing the information you’re asking for, that’s a red flag. I won’t do business with somebody like that." Contact me by phone, text or email to get all the details on what should be a successful and memorable trip. You’ll be glad you chose Jim River Guide Service. I hope you have a lot of room on your wall!

A good time to hunt Sheep, Brown Grizzly Bears are going back and forth between salmon and berries. It's pre-rut for Moose and they'll start off in velvet and should be shedding by the end of this hunt. Moose may be taken for a trophy fee of $8500. A second Brown/Grizzly Bear may be harvested for an addition trophy fee of $6000 and second Black Bear for $750. Rainy Pass Lodge is your well-appointed, yet rustic-luxury hunting lodge in the heart of the Alaska Range. Below are a few highlights to help you fully understand what Rainy Pass Lodge has to offer. We hunt right out of the main lodge as well as out of more remote log cabins scattered throughout hundreds of miles of untamed wilderness. We feature fair chase hunting opportunities for multiple species. The land is so vast and untouched that there are animals here that have never seen a human before – this is the ultimate in fair chase old-world hunting. Our primary method of hunting is spot and stalk which is very successful for the type of terrain and animal habits in our area. We typically use ‘look-out’ spots to locate the game, sometimes as far away as 5-6 miles, and having horses truly makes those animals attainable. Although we usually do not have to go that far, it’s nice to have options. We have roughly 80% repeat and referral clientele and have had the pleasure of hunting with multiple generations on many occasions. We aim to provide you with a true hunting adventure that will become a tradition as you pass down your hunting heritage to your kids and grandchildren. We will gladly provide you with a reference list for personal experiences and perspectives. E-MAIL us to request a reference list. We like to train our guides in-house rather than hiring from an outside pool of unemployed guides as many outfitters do. This insures that we provide you with properly trained guides to meet the service standards we demand. As well as having guides that are familiar with the area, camps, horses and animals. Meet our GUIDES. Rainy Pass Lodge is a family run operation with Steve H. Perrins II and his family working towards someday, taking over the business and carrying on the hunting traditions that Rainy Pass Lodge has established.

All Mt. Goat hunts are conducted 1X1 (one guide, one client) to ensure your ultimate success, with many cases, a packer is added for those extended missions. Depending on where you are hunting Mt. Goat in the Cordova area, both client and guide are transported by the use of small aircraft the day before your hunt begins. Each Mt. Goat spike camp are portable and removable to assure the best possible area to hunt. Each spike camp tent are 8’X8’ and are equipped with cots and heaters for your comfort. Mt. Goat country can be in a variety of areas, from 5000 foot mountain tops to 1000 mountain ridges along the coastal areas of the North Gulf Coast. With the use of our small aircraft, we are able to access areas where mountain goats have never seen a human before and can normally find a hunting area to fit your physical needs. Once your trophy Mt. Goat is taken, it is then tagged, skinned peeled, quartered and packed out to the extraction point. You are welcome to take your Mt. Goat meat back with you, and I can direct you to a local butcher in Cordova, that can process the meat for you. If you choose not to take your Mt. Goat meat back with you, the meat will be donated to a local elders or local charity in Cordova, never wasted. Once Mt. Goat hide and horns are back at the lodge, hide is fleshed, ears, lips, nose, tail are turned and hooves knuckles are out, it is then salted. Trophies are normally shipped from lodge to my expeditor in Anchorage, at the end of October. (Oreamnos Americanus-Latin Name) Cordova Mt. Goat population is one of the healthiest in the state of Alaska. With some of our horn genetics being one of the best in Alaska. Many of our clients receiving top awards each year during the APHA/SCI program for top scoring Mt. Goat trophies. In Cordova, our goals have been to work with local area biologist, in harvesting selected areas for trophies by a permit system, with intent not to overharvest and focus on Billy harvest only. We strive to harvest Billie’s 8 1/2 inches or better. Our average has been 9 inches or better in recent years, with a few in the 11 inches class. We have 2 classes of Billie’s in our area, normally Billie’s weighing in 285 to 325 pounds and then we have “Buffalo Billie’s” weighing in at nearly 400 pounds, a bigger genetics Mt. Goat. (Alces Alces-Latin Name) – Alaska-Yukon Moose is the largest of the moose family, weighing in at close to 1400 pounds and over 7 feet tall at the shoulders. The Cordova, Alaska area has been known for over 30 years as one of the top places in the world for record class Moose, with some of the top SCI record class Moose coming from this area. Over the past 30 years, we have placed in the top three 26 times in Alaska’s APHA/SCI awards program. Here at the TSIU Lodge we strive in taking 60 inches or better with our largest reaching 80 inches. If someone were to ask me, what the chances are of achieving a trophy class moose, I would say, yes the genetics are there. Remember, one of my goals as your professional hunter, is for you to achieve your trophy of course. But the most important goal for me as your professional hunter, is to conduct a safe, enjoyable, most of all, memorable safari adventure.

All Moose hunts are conducted 1X1 (one guide, one client) to ensure your ultimate success. Depending on where you are hunt in the Cordova area, both client and guide are transported by the use of small aircraft the day before your hunt begins. Each Moose spike camp are portable and removable to assure the best possible area to hunt. Each spike camp tent are 8’X8’ or larger and are equipped with cots and heaters for your comfort. Moose country is very flat in this area, can be dry, but normally wet and boggy area where they live. Once your trophy is taken, it is then tagged, caped, quartered and packed out to the extraction point. You are welcome to take your Moose meat back with you, and I can direct you to a local butcher in Cordova, that can process the meat for you. If you choose not to take your Moose meat back with you, the meat will be donated to a local elders or local charity in Cordova, never wasted. Once Moose rack and cape are back at the lodge, caped is fleshed, ears, lips, nose and bell is turned and then salted. Trophies are normally shipped from lodge to my expeditor in Anchorage, at the end of October. (Alces Alces-Latin Name) – Alaska-Yukon Moose is the largest of the moose family, weighing in at close to 1400 pounds and over 7 feet tall at the shoulders. The Cordova, Alaska area has been known for over 30 years as one of the top places in the world for record class Moose, with some of the top SCI record class Moose coming from this area. Over the past 30 years, we have placed in the top three 26 times in Alaska’s APHA/SCI awards program. Here at the TSIU Lodge we strive in taking 60 inches or better with our largest reaching 80 inches. If someone were to ask me what the chances are of achieving a trophy class moose, I would say, yes the genetics are there. Remember, one of my goals as your professional hunter, is for you to achieve your trophy of course. But the most important goal for me as your professional hunter, is to conduct a safe, enjoyable, most of all, memorable safari adventure. Brown Bear: Once your trophy bear is taken, it is tagged, skinned peeled and then packed out to the extraction point. Once Brown Bear hide and skull are back at the lodge, it is fleshed, ears and lips are turned, along with knuckles and tail out, it is then salted. Trophies are normally shipped from lodge to my expeditor in Anchorage, at the end of my spring season. With the abundance of a rich food source at the Tsiu, the Brown Bears naturally grow big. We have taken many 10 foot plus bears over the year with many skulls over 28 plus. At the Tsiu, we hunt Brown Bears April through May and September through October. The Tsiu area permits each hunter to harvest one Brown each regulatory year, which does not count against the harvest of one (l) Brown every (4) years, like in other parts of Alaska. (Ursus Arctos- Latin Name) With the abundance of a rich food source in the Cordova area, such as Salmon, Moose, Mt Goats and unlimited sea life along the coast, the Brown Bears can reach weights of up to 1500 pounds. Here at the Cordova area, we hunt Brown Bears April through May and September through October. My guide use area near Cordova consist of several land owners, such as Chugach National Forest Service, BLM and State of Alaska lands, in which I am fully permitted for to conduct guide hunts. This guide use area that we hunt on, permits each hunter to harvest one Brown each regulatory year, which does not count against the harvest of one (l) Brown every (4) years, like in other parts of Alaska (like Kodiak Island and Alaskan Peninsula). Here at the Tsiu River Lodge we strive to take male brown bear 9 foot or larger and have taken many bears 10 foot plus over the year with many skulls over 28 plus, with some over 29 inches. Remember, one of my goals as your professional hunter, is for you to achieve your trophy of course. But the most important goal for me as your professional hunter, is to conduct a safe, enjoyable, most of all, memorable safari adventure. Once your trophy Mt. Goat is taken, it is then tagged, skinned peeled, quartered and packed out to the extraction point. You are welcome to take your Mt. Goat meat back with you, and I can direct you to a local butcher in Cordova, that can process the meat for you. If you choose not to take your Mt. Goat meat back with you, the meat will be donated to a local elders or local charity in Cordova, never wasted. Once Mt. Goat hide and horns are back at the lodge, hide is fleshed, ears, lips, nose, tail are turned and hooves knuckles are out, it is then salted. Trophies are normally shipped from lodge to my expeditor in Anchorage, at the end of October. (Oreamnos Americanus-Latin Name) Cordova Mt. Goat population is one of the healthiest in the state of Alaska. With some of our horn genetics being one of the best in Alaska. Many of our clients receiving top awards each year during the APHA/SCI program for top scoring Mt. Goat trophies. In Cordova, our goals have been to work with local area biologist, in harvesting selected areas for trophies by a permit system, with intent not to over harvest and focus on Billy harvest only. We strive to harvest Billie’s 8 1/2 inches or better. Our average has been 9 inches or better in recent years, with a few in the 11 inches class. We have 2 classes of Billie’s in our area, normally Billie’s weighting in 285 to 325 pounds and then we have “Buffalo Billie’s” weighing in at nearly 400 pounds, a bigger genetics Mt. Goat.

The moose in our hunting area grow big, thanks to healthy genetics and plenty of food. Wolves pass through once in a while, but do not gather here to focus feeding on moose, year-round. As a result, our moose numbers continue to grow, and the size of our bull moose keep getting bigger and bigger. We have a very good relationship with the local people in and around the village of Egegik. Our exclusive outfitter access to this area ensures a very good opportunity for hunters to fill tags. The hunting is done from tented spike camps, where ground is covered on ATVs and by boat. Spotting game, then stalking in for a shot, is the norm. Moose are often called in during the rut. Bring hip or chest waders that you can walk in all day, every day, as that’s the most efficient way to comfortably cover ground. Mud and water dominate the lowland tidal flats and tundra that we hunt. Wolves, wolverine, red fox, ptarmigan, ducks and geese are often taken as bonus species by many of our hunters.

Our moose hunts take place in GMU 20A in the Central Alaska Range and are in some of the most dense moose numbers in the state. The Alaska Range Bulls are known for having the classic tall (canoe paddle) palms as well as having nice fronts/brow palms/tines. We have taken several Bulls over the years whose outside spread on their brow palms has been over 65″! We typically take Moose in the high 50″ to mid 60″ range. The moose have been holding a steady population and we enjoy one of the longest seasons in the state at 25 days. A Moose hunt entails riding or walking to a prominent knob overlooking a vast amount of country looking for that distinctive flash of a trophy Moose palm. Once a Moose has been spotted that a hunter finds desirable, a stalk will be planned or if they are in a rutting mood we call one over as close as you would like I can assure you! Once the Moose has been dispatched, you will appreciate the guides skill at preparing your trophy as well as the care of the meat. Then you’ll really appreciate the horses that will pack this largest member of the Deer family back to one of the camps! Moose can typically be taken within walking distance of either of my camps and if the hunter doesn’t want to use a horse, a 30 minute to 45 minute hike from either camp will put you on any number of “Moose knobs” that have consistently produced trophy bulls for all the years I have been doing this. It is a very rare occasion that we have to “spike” out for a Moose hunt and you get to enjoy the nice accommodations of my main camps including awesome hearty home cooked meals heavy on the portions and heavenly on the taste! Like any of my hunts, these hunts can be physically demanding and the hunter should come prepared mentally as well as physically. My guides and I will give you a 110% all the time to make your hunt a success; we ask that you do the same. There is also a $10,000 trophy fee.