Hunting Area

Tom’s primary base-camp is in the West-Central Alaska Range (GMU 19). Here there is an abundance of high peaks, rugged hills, and sloped meadows that are home to nearly all species of Alaskan big game and small game alike.

This area is approximately 75 air miles from McGrath and 150 air miles from Wasilla. This area has a solid game population, offers spectacular views, is rugged and remote, and represents why people choose to hunt Alaska. Tom’s base camp includes wall tents, a separate cook tent, and many amenities to help make you comfortable. Most people won’t hunt from base camp, but will instead be shuttled to one of several spike camps depending on your abilities, condition, and what species you are after. Tom hunts many river drainages in this remote area.

Tom also offers hunts in GMU 22 in the area around Unalakleet. This area is commonly overlooked and offers some excellent opportunities for both Moose and Caribou.

What We Provide

Once you arrive in camp, we provide all non-alcoholic refreshments, snacks, food, shelters, transportation, guides, and packers.

We base our hunts out of a nicely equipped and very comfortable base camp. The camp has wall tents with cots, a separate cook tent with a full time cook, and other amenities to make you comfortable. There are lots of hunting opportunities right out of our base camp (black bear, brown bear, sheep, moose and sheep), but we generally shuttle our hunters to our remote spike camps. We transport you to the spike camps in Tom’s Super Cub (or other small aircraft as needed). The spike camps will have everything you need to be comfortable and well fed, but these remote camps will generally be more primitive and secluded. Normally the spike camp will consist of a single wall tent or a small tent(s) for sites that are particularly difficult to get to.

Depending on hunt type, your guide will provide a spotting scope, game cleaning equipment, and pack frame as needed.

All of our spike camps are equipped with satellite phones to communicate with the base camp and deal with emergencies.

IMPORTANT NOTE: You must purchase your hunting license (resident or non-resident), any locking tags and obtain your harvest tickets PRIOR to arriving at our base camp. We do not have those things at camp, and you will not be allowed to hunt without having the appropriate documentation in your possession. You must carry those documents with you in the field while you are hunting.

Equipment Needed

While packing for your trip, please keep in mind that our hunting camps are 75-100 miles from the nearest town or road. The guide will provide all of the camping-type equipment and supplies (TP, soap, stove, lantern, etc.). Also bear in mind that you are limited to roughly 75 lbs of personal equipment per person. This 75 lbs limit is due to the size and space available in the Super Cub. Since we are flying into remote country and will be landing on gravel bars and tundra, we must be very careful with aircraft performance characteristics.

Pack carefully but conservatively. If you are not sure about what to bring, please talk with us before it’s time to load you into the Cub. Repacking on the airstrip is never fun.

Leave most of the electronics at home. You won’t need a GPS since your guide knows the area.

Emergency kit. Although you will be with a guide, we suggest that all of our hunters bring your own emergency kit. At a minimum it should include the following:

Small tarp or anorak for an emergency shelter or wind block
Fire starter – this should include water proof/wind proof igniter and burning material (e.g., petroleum jelly cotton balls)
Night time search laser
50 ft of ¼ inch nylon rope
Compass
Whistle
Bivouac sack (optional)

Sleeping bag/pad – typically a 20 degree bag is sufficient.
Rifle and two boxes of shells (your hard case will be left at base camp)
Headlamp – I like the LED models with 5-8 LED bulbs.
Batteries – bring 1 extra set for the LED lamp.
Binoculars – bring one pair of the best you can afford.
Frame pack or decent sized day pack. Make sure it’s comfortable as you’ll be spending a lot of time wearing this pack.
Two water bottles (1L)
Comfortable ankle fit hip boots or Gore-Tex wader pants
Waterproof hiking boots (these need to be high quality and broken in)
Stocking cap – to keep you warm and you may sleep with it.
Ball cap with brim
Gloves – warm and waterproof
Mittens – warm and water proof
Two Synthetic (fleece) or wool shirts
Two complete sets of synthetic long underwear
Pants (1) – not cotton.
Fleece pants (Wind Stopper would be good)
Fleece vest
Fleece jacket (Wind Stopper would be good)
Rain gear (full suit) – Good quality stuff like Helly Hansen ImperTech or Gore-Tex
Camp shoes – nothing feels quite as good as taking your boots off after a long day of hiking.
Sleep clothing – I like to have one set of light weight synthetic long johns for sleeping in and then use a fresh pair of socks and my stocking cap if it’s really cold.
Merino wool (or synthetic) socks (one pair for each day)
Synthetic wicking type liner (3)
Several pairs of undies (NOT cotton) or go commando!
Cotton mesh game bags (number depends on what you are hunting)
Good cleaning knife
Camera – bring something that may get wet or dirty.
Toiletries
Small container baby wipes
Small rayon camp towel

Note on layering: there is no heavy coat listed. You will use layers of insulation depending on the temperature. Spring bear hunters will want to bring some additional warm clothing – please speak with us before packing.

As a general note on clothing, please try to avoid bringing anything made of cotton. Synthetics, wool, and synthetic/wool blends all have superior heat retention characteristics when wet. When hunting in Alaska in the fall, you should assume that you will get wet so prepare for it.

Other Details

You will need to provide your own transportation into our base camp. Great Northern Air offers bush wheel plane service directly out of Ted Stevens International Airport or Lake Hood Airport which is directly adjacent to Ted Stevens. For the 2006 season, Great Northern charged $800 for a bush wheel equipped Cessna 206. The useful load of the 206 is sufficient for 3 hunters with a full compliment of equipment. To contact Great Northern Air call 907-243-1968 or visit their website.

Another alternative is to fly commercial air service from Anchorage to McGrath Alaska and then charter a flight with Red Line Air into our base camp. You can reach Red Line Air at 907-524-3733.

The advantage of flying into McGrath is that it puts you on the west side of the Alaska Range, which is where we hunt. There are times where inclement weather makes flying over or through the various Alaska Range passes difficult. On the other hand, flying in and out of camp to McGrath is doable even with low cloud cover or high winds.