DIY Alaska big game hunting

Scotty Lamkin, a long-time Alaskan writes a great piece about hunting Alaska on your own for the bargain price of about $3,500. He makes a compelling argument and I’ll have to put the Alaskan hunt on my bucket list.

As a former professional Alaskan hunting guide I want to give you some of the information you need to get your Alaskan hunt underway in 2010. I’m talking about information you won’t get anywhere else. Most guides want to sell you a hunt- I don’t; I want to help you do it yourself! Coming from Kentucky 30 years ago, I knew how to hunt like most of you. Same rules apply here it’s just a LARGER place to apply them. What you don’t know is the terrain, the weather, and the logistics. You’ll need some help with that.

I didn’t realize that hunting for most Alaskan big game requires a guide. Moose, Caribou, Black Bear, and Sitka Blacktail Deer are the only game that can be hunted legally without the use of a guide. If you are an experienced hunter but have never hunted Alaska, Lamkin recommends saving about $5k by booking a river hunt without a guide. The experience, he argues, is invaluable when it does come time to hire a guide for the more exotic game in Alaska.

After reading Lamkin’s article I am definitely down for some Alaskan big game hunting. You Betcha!