I've been toying with the idea of getting some property in AK. I can't believe how small so many of the properties are, and how much of Alaska is bought up. I sure plenty of people grabbed up a bunch in  the free land days.  I wondering what kind of properties you Alaska trad guys  have, do you even need much and  How much access you have to open hunting land (public)? Should I even bother trying to get a place up there? Also what should I look out for if considering a place up there?

Great questions...I'd like to know the answers myself!

Cool topic, you got me thinking   :confused:  .  The older I get the more I feel crowded and constrained.  Alaska was my dream (sorta, because I'm not sure of the reality) but not if it means doing alot of sharing space.

For starters I grew up on a 220 acre farm 10 miles outside of Palmer nestled up against the chugiach mountain range. Growing up we had no real close neighbors, moose, bear and dall sheep were close by. Hunters had morals and getting into good areas took work. Things have changed though, with the increased population and the invention of the four wheeler a good hunting area is getting harder to find. In Alaska we have very few road systems, most of Alaska is only accessible by airplane. Really to have an awesome hunt where you don't have to hear those damn wheelers tearing around you need to fly out. Plus we have lousy weather most of the time. If I had to give advice I'd say save your pennies and just come up here on some good fly out hunts and then go back to where the sun shines.

Tired of rain in AK

I second the lousy weather, it's been raining off and on for the past month and a half here.  We only had about 5 days of sunshine this summer.  Global warming my eye, more like "Global Whining".

Steve

Well at least you folks aren't suffering through drought like so many parts of the country in the areas where the "sun shines" are.  Some of the things we suffer through are often blessings in disguise.  Although I will say right up front the heat and humidity we suffer through in the Lowcountry of SC is not a blessing in any way, shape or form, to me at least!

Bill

Jerry, You move out there Your taking me with y'all

QuoteOriginally posted by Muskoxman:
In Alaska we have very few road systems, most of Alaska is only accessible by airplane. Really to have an awesome hunt where you don't have to hear those damn wheelers tearing around you need to fly out. Plus we have lousy weather most of the time. If I had to give advice I'd say save your pennies and just come up here on some good fly out hunts and then go back to where the sun shines.

Tired of rain in AK [/QB]

I've been looking at land in the Wasilla area, and it is much more reasonable and available in larger parcels than here in Juneau. I have a 3-acre, undeveloped lot that is assessed at $150,00 and costs me $1500 a year in taxes. For that $150k, I could buy quite a tract of land in Wasilla.

As far as rain, I'm reasonably sure that it is much drier in Palmer and Kenai than it is here in Juneau.

Steve H. Ya got your ears on? How's the weather in your summer home up north?

I really love it here, so many different species, always something going on.  Most of the land is public, if you weren't going to move here I wouldn't bother buying land.  Most people live on an acre or less.  Where I live (Soldotna) we're surrounded by mostly federal lands, with little 4 wheeler access allowed, so if you're willing to go somewhere on your hind legs you can get in some excellent hunting.  Hope this helps.

There is a lot of land available but a lot of it is not aquired through the usual means.  Homesteads that break apart and are parceled out to sale is common, as well as some native owned land that an individual wants to sell.  In the latter you have to deal with tribal rights and the indian BIA.  Took us two years to finalize our first 5 acres and then the second 75 took 1 year.  
  It isn't like you guys outside where you have to buy/lease a place to go hunt.  You could hunt public land everyday of your life and never hit the same place twice.  Our 80 acres are on the Richardson highway about 40 miles north of Glenallen.  Interior unit 13.
    As I look outside my cabin window I look west for more than 150 miles of wilderness with not so much as a road crossing it.  Shot my caribou from my deck last year as we are in the migration path of about 60,000 caribou.
    Like small game?  Grouse, 3 species right here, rabbits, ducks, geese and all in abundance with seasons that run almost all year long,(except for federal waterfowl regs).  We commonly see wolves, coyote, lynx from the cabin not to mention that in our unit we have toooooo many grizzlies and the Fish and game wants us to thin them out.  We don't need a tag until you get one then you go to F&G.  Black bears too.  
  As far as a moose behind every tree??????  HOOHAW.  Alaska has LESS yes Less animals per square mile than New York.  Until you have seen this place you Can't grasp just how huge this place is.  Not saying you can't find them,
it just takes a while to figure them out.
   Take it from me, you don't go 5 miles back and kill a 1200 lb. bull, unless you REALLY like packing over tundra.  That being said the road system is hunted hard, and your best bet is to make aquaintance with someone up here and try it out, then you could decide if you want to buy here.
   Sorry for the ramble, bet you can't guess that I love this place.    If I can help with any info on hunting or whatever, I'd be glad to see if I can help.

When I was in Alaska last Sept, I was in awe. Alaska is awesome. For a south Texas boy, it was more than I could every imagine. In Texas to be able to hunt you have to own land, know someone with land and kiss a lot butt, or pay big bucks. In Alaska residents have the best in Hunting oppertunities. Buy a tag go down the road and start glassing. The most amazing landscape I have ever see. If the Good Lord created Alaska, heaven must really be some thing. I don't know if i could live in Alaska but I sure like to visit. So yes, Alaska is all that and a bag of chips.      Gilbert

If you are thinking about buying "hunting land" I doubt there is hardly anyone here that could afford to buy a significant amount that would be meaningingful.

MOST of the state is public so having "your own" private is not logical like it is elsewhere.  Critters range much further and wider than a few hundred or even a few thousand acres.

Very tough logistics to do anbout anything here.  Most day/weekend hunting doesn't exist here.

I can walk out the door of my little piece of the swamp and hunt moose, grouse, and possibly run into a blackie (although the dingdang grizz are more common. Finding a place to "hunt" is easy...just get outa town. Finding game is a whole nother story. Alaska is VAST and the game sparse per square mile. Nothing to hedge it in either. A productive hunt (or fishing trip for that matter) requires a major expidition of sorts. Fourwheelers are common and aggravating. Large inboard/outboard boats run the river at all hours durring season, making my little 19 foot Grumman duck for cover when using the local waterway.

I also have an Argo that will go places a 4 wheeler would not dream of trying.

I live a dozen miles out of Fairbanks and am happy to do so. My job takes me to Prudhoe Bay several times a week pulling a Tanker so I get to see LOTS of country (much of it in the Dalton Highway Archery Corrodor)

I kind of think I am spoiled.

I am not above chartering an aircraft or fishing boat a few times a year if I realy want to get away but usually manage to enjoy myself quite well "on the cheap".

I will add that we have eaten most days up here.

8 months of winter gets on my nerves a bit as does the endless darkness for three months of that.

All in all I have been pretty content here but will redally admit that it is MUCH easier to do the fish-n-hunt thing in many other states.


Steve...any luck on the Sheep? Sterling & Krista were by yesterday and asked about you. We put the lift on Sterlings square stern canoe and ran it a bit with my 15hp to see what adjustments we need to make. He found a few honey holes for meese while working this summer. Crappy enough access to keep the jet drives out and let a canoe in. Perfect!

Scotty

I echo most of what has been said above. Unless you plan on living here plan on using that $$ for flyout or float hunts.

If you are looking at the land ownership maps of Alaska and you see large tracts of land marked as private then most likely those are Native corporation lands. The remainder of private lands are smaller in size. Most of the Native lands do not permit trespass w/o permission. The remainder of the lands are either Federal or State owned and there is lots. As said access is usually your problem rather then people. The limited road system is does restrict the non boaters/fliers to areas close to the road.

I can hunt right out of my house or go off in any of the 4 directions by road with 3 caribou herds within 30 miles or less. Sheep 25 minutes plus a hike, and moose anywhere in between and both black & grizz. I do have a cabin on 20 acres that I built and no neighbors about 30 miles away plus a several mile pack in that I hunt moose & caribou out of most of the time now. The place sits in a trophy sheep draw area (I can't seem to draw that tag!) and I don't see much of any body except sheep hunters packing in. I still go elsewhere depending on mood & season to do a bunch of my roaming/hunting.

We also have both State & Federal hunts with State hunts being open state wide via OTC tags or registration or draw. The Federal hunts are restricted to Fed lands and to those locals in the area (a zip code thing)

In Alaska you just don't go "hang a stand" as you really have to be able to cover large areas searching/glassing.

Winters as said can be long & chilly. I fur hunt & trap for part of it and then work fills up the rest of the winter. I have caribou hunting open in to April if I haven't already scored. Here we have 7 plus months of snow and the temps stay well below zero for most of that time. We had 76 below here last winter and its not unusual to have 4 weeks or better at 50 below. And like the others it has rained almost every day here this summer and I'm in the so called desert of Alaska!

Steve H. - Sorry that I missed you coming through. I was off in the hills when you came through and you were gone before I got the message.

Scotty, No it was boring so came back early, too many people.  I waved when you went by, you see me?  I kept trying to get ahold of Sterling when I went thru.

Next time JS!

Sounds like a nice place to visit at the right time, but I sure wouldn't want to live there.

Steve,

You must been out of range for my old eyes. Coulda been that I was trying not to roll the tanker over some yo-yo shootin out the door of his SUV ;*)

Sterling is in town, Krista is working down near the park for a while yet. Headed to PB in the wee hours with a hot load of fuel.

Mike C...we do our best to propagate that very idea. ;*)

I will add this. There is no "middle ground" up here. Folks either love it or hate it.

Alaska is a wonderful place.  I often wish I hadn't ever left.  I grew up in Fairbanks, lived there for more than 20 years when I left in 2000.  It was a great place to grow up, and I had all kinds of "secret spots" to hunt.  These posts ring true, though.  The best spots to hunt are best accessed by bush plane.  

The game is more spread out, and not nearly as dense as places I've been in the lower 48.  I really didn't mind that, as I enjoyed being out in the woods as much as I enjoyed the hunt.  Adjusting to the lower 48 was difficult, especially because I really don't like seeing any other human beings (outside of my hunting party) when I'm hunting.  Alaska is not for everyone, but that's the best part.  The fact that everyone isn't there is why it's such a great place for the outdoorsman.

coldfinger is right, you either hate it or love it. i only lived there two years and hated it. coming from a place that people actually respect the land and people, ak sucks. it is the dirtiest place i have ever been. if you have a boat or plane you might be able to get away from the dumbasses but dont count on it.  as far as buying land, you dont need to. there is plenty of public land but it is hard to access due to the lack of roads.  the critters are there but you definitely have to work for them.  i would definitely visit there before i made any major decisions.  dont believe the things you see on tv about ak.