So question for you, when I drove 1400 miles of the road system around Labor day last year, I saw a few groups of trucks parked with Atv trailers about halfway between Palmer and Glennallen. After that I pretty much didn’t see a soul that appeared to be hunting the entire time. So was most of the hunting over by Labor day ? I expected to see a vehicle parked at every wide spot in the road. Even the Denali hwy from Paxson to Tangle Lakes had one person hunting for birds. What am I missing?

Moving to Alaska is easily achieved like everything else significant in life.
It is achieved based upon glitter, belief in unicorns, rainbow stickers, following shallow manipulative leaders, and mostly peaceful protesting.
Oh sorry, that is how to become a democrat.

Like all significant achievements, it must take hard work, intelligence, perseverance, planning, good fortune, good health, integrity, the help and support of family and friends, and strength of character.

Those who have done please tell us what made it possible for you?

Well put Willy Firewood. Still think it is the most amazing place on earth; however, I visited in the summer for a month.

I think all of those things can be important but you won't be successful if it isn't something you really want. That applies wherever you are. Alaska can present you with a few complications though.

I grew up in southern CA and knew from the time I was about 7 that I wanted to live in AK and couldn't get out of CA fast enough. Sure there were some difficult times. I remember sleeping under the overpass by the railroad station in Anchorage. Another time I slept in a junk car in back of a gas station ......man the bugs ate me alive. But there was no way I ever wanted to see CA again. You do what you have to do. Every day. Eventually you realize that the only two things that will kill you are time and stupidity. In the meantime you have to work.

If I could choose one word that I think best sums up what is needed to be successful , that word is "reliable". I believe that you must rely on yourself first. Also, if you tell someone you will pick him up at the forks of the crick at a quarter to six.....you better be there !

Wherever you find yourself today I believe most people are not reliable. They don't show up on time, maybe never. They don't do what they say they'll do. You can only depend on yourself.

If you need to ask for help, you shouldn't start out in the first place.

Many places have a limited number of tags and a limited season. So it's a stampede to get out there and fill your tag. Those rigs you saw were probably caribou hunters or possibly after moose.
Some areas, usually remote, may have no quotas and longer seasons. On the Seward Peninsula for example you have to get about 60 miles from the end of an 85 mile road to have a moose season that isn't over in about 3 days. (Road system units scheduled for two weeks starting Sept. 1, but never make it that long.)
A plane is a luxury most Alaskan's can't afford. We make do with ATVs or boats. Even chartering an airplane every year for a sheep hunt is cheaper (and safer) than owning one.
Moved up in 84 because I knew I could never afford to hunt sheep, caribou, moose and grizzly bears on a lower 48 teacher's salary. Have shot all those and more.
38 years, no regrets.

I drove past Merrill Field at 4:30 pm in going home traffic May 1970 and wondered why I came here. Couple 100 dollars in my wallet!

Went to union hall next morning to clear my book in and was told get out of town, we’re on strike. Got a job framing houses non union , 60 hours a week signed a waiver that I would work for no overtime. $7.00 hour. Paid 1 times a
Month.

Wife and 2 little ones joined a couple months after I arrived. My oldest is 60 with 2 adult kids now!

Went to work for a painting contractor doing carpenter work on Ft. Richardson and got transferred to Fairbanks and the rest is history!

Been great for us, had some tough times early years before working winters began. Time to trap though. Wouldn’t do anything different looking back!

In early 1981, I was finishing grad school at the Univ. of Idaho. I had ten years of experience in wildlife management (mostly research). I was 25 years old and married (no kids). I filled up my Chevy pickup with what I owned and headed for Alaska. Unfortunately, ended up in Los Anchorage. Went to work selling skis for Gary King's. Miserable! After 4 months, quit that gig and worked volunteer for ADF&G in lab in Anchorage, which got my foot in the door. Got hired as a technician and moved to Glennallen area. Worked the next 27 years for ADFG in Glennallen, McGrath, Sitka, and Fairbanks. Worked in both the Research and Management arenas. Got pilots license and 'Cub in 1990 in exchange for wife #1. Best move I ever made. For a variety of reasons, after retirement from ADFG, we left Alaska in 2008. I like my life now back in Idaho, but sure miss the life we had in Alaska. I think about flying every single day. Everyone's different, but for me the years off the road system were by far the best. Los Anchorage for a couple months and Fairbanks for 5 years were not pleasurable compared with the 22 years in the bush. I will say that for the 5 years I was in Fairbanks, I was snowmachining a trapline off the highway (no longer airplane trapping the bush) and I definitely had more competition there than I currently have here in Idaho.

All-in-all, I'd say if you have the desire and a strong work ethic, you're wasting your time reading these posts on Trapperman. Just go.

I remember her ! Low resale value at that time.

Arrived in Alaska 1-1-85 , like many others I had a tough first few years. Never looked back. If you know how to work you won’t have any problems finding a job. So many I see today have no idea how to work. A trade would be good, but if you can work you will do fine.
Just do it. You can always move back if you hate it.. Feel free to PM me if you have questions.
Can’t imagine living anywhere else.

You got that right Ken. Only took me three years to pay off the airplane. Sad thing is, I'm still paying her 32 years later.

Most of the moose hunting occurs after labor day. You can avoid the crowds here by hunting early, but generally you avoid seeing or killing a moose during the August early September season. I rarely see moose camps ( or hear the incessant buzzing of scouting planes) until the last ten days of season here, whenever that time period is. It is also tough to salvage the meat properly in August and early September as it usually is rather warm for cooling meat. I have no idea when the Caribou insanity starts in Unit 13 (the road system)these days. You don't have to believe me, you will find out when you get here.

You are not too young to consider the next stage of life. Find a job you like with health insurance and retirement plans. You can't start your retirement too soon.

robert.d12- Don't listen to the nay sayers.

Worst advice in the history of the world.

I certainly have enjoyed many wet, cold, buggy and exhausting adventures in the last 40 years. My clients payed for a lot of this suffering. I'm solely to blame for all the trapping ones, though.

LOL, I agree.

What happened to Robert ? Hope we didn't scare him off. Sounds like just the type we need here

I floated the Maclaren River one year on a moose hunt. We drove the Denali Hwy to get there. There were an easy five hundred vehicles parked along the length of the road.

The land ownership along the Denali highway is mixed up. On the Paxson end there are about five miles that are closed along the Gulkana drainage. Further west, but on the south side of the road is a lot of federal preserve type land. On the north side is the Tangles Lakes Archeological Areas.

Along that whole corridor mechanized travel is pretty much restricted to established trails. Most hunters you passed were likely far off the road.

I assume you meant Boco by Robert, white17? He's on vacation.