Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

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Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Whitetailaddict » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:05 am

Hey everyone. I've been given an opportunity to continue serving our country in Anchorage Alaska. It's an exciting offer but hard to comprehend being that far from our families. Just wondering if anyone has had any hunting or fishing experiences in that area that they wouldn't mind sharing. Any recommendations or things I should or shouldn't do. Thanks in advance.


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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Bowhuntercoop » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:09 am

I was in Alaska for 2 weeks this past August. It’s the most beautiful land I’ve ever seen. If I had the opportunity to live there for 1-3 years depending on your orders jump on it. If the Marine Corps had a base in Alaska maybe I would have stayed in. Alaska is the ultimate sportsman dream. Good luck on your choice!
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Sat Nov 18, 2017 4:29 am

I would regret passing the opportunity afterwards. Would you?
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Whitetailaddict » Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:23 am

justdirtyfun wrote:I would regret passing the opportunity afterwards. Would you?


That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out. Right now I have another offer in the civilian sector that offers the same financial security as well as health benefits and a retirement that is even better than the military. I'll be fine in all those categories regardless of the choice but the civilian opportunity is rare and won't be there in 3-4yrs but I also know the Alaska opportunity is rare. I know I'd love Alaska but the uncertainty of what comes after that causes me to pause. I realize these are first world problems but i was hoping people's experiences may help me decide.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby P&YBuck1 » Sat Nov 18, 2017 6:30 am

For what it's worth my sister-in-law and brother-in-law moved first to Barrow, AK as teachers years ago and just loved Alaska and have now moved to Anchorage area. They were not big hunters/fisherman but are now are with all the resources so near. They really enjoy it. One of the last spoiled real wilderness areas.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Lockdown » Sat Nov 18, 2017 8:05 am

I have an aunt that lives in anchorage. Went on a family trip to visit her in ‘99. It... was... awesome. We took a charter boat and caught a bunch of halibut including a 118 pounder.

We also salmon fished the Kenai river. Was a very poor run that year but we still caught a couple.

I want to go back so bad. When you walk out of the airport all you smell is fresh pine trees. I thought the bait stores were cool too. Instead of night crawlers and leeches they had stuff like shrimp squid and eel.

I’ve got one acquaintance that lives there and he only posts on FB a time or two a year. But when he does it’s stuff like a stringer full of salmon or a boat with a half dozen dead black tail deer.

I would love to live in Alaska
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Bowhunting Brian » Sat Nov 18, 2017 9:38 am

I've duck hunted in Kodiak. It's only 45 minutes from Anchorage by plane. It was awesome. Lots and lots of wildlife.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:33 am

The thing that we all are dealing with is


What everyone and everything, is telling us we should want, might not be what WE WANT.

I am happy that you have this first world choice to make.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby mainebowhunter » Sat Nov 18, 2017 10:50 am

It's a tough call. If you go and hate being away from family your stuck...its the military. To me, I can always go visit alaska. I always think of my wife and what it wold be like to live with someone who is sad to be away from family and homesick.

Do you like the service? Do you enjoy your job?

On the flip side, who gets to go to Alaska on someone else dime, with all of the military privelges that are offered.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby cedarsavage » Sun Nov 19, 2017 3:31 am

Whitetailaddict wrote:Hey everyone. I've been given an opportunity to continue serving our country in Anchorage Alaska. It's an exciting offer but hard to comprehend being that far from our families. Just wondering if anyone has had any hunting or fishing experiences in that area that they wouldn't mind sharing. Any recommendations or things I should or shouldn't do. Thanks in advance.

If it’s just you I’d go for it, if you’re married I’d make sure your wife is on board. My wife and I have lived in northern Michigan, se Minnesota, sw Washington, se Michigan and back in northern Michigan. I can look past the negatives of living here and recognize how much I love living here because of all the other experiences we have had. Other people locally aren’t that lucky, been here their whole life and don’t realize how great of a place it is because they have nothing to compare it to. Who knows you might love Alaska and stay after you’re done with your service. I won’t lie to you, there were times it was tough on our marriage to be in unfamiliar places so that is definitely something to think about and consider.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Horizontal Hunter » Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:46 am

Between the distance from family, the seasonal long/short daylight hours, and the expense of daily living I would expect it to be a tough posting. A posting at the pentagon would probably be less expensive.

Yes, the scenery and hunting opportunities would be awesome from everything I have heard and read but the reality is that would be a small portion of your time there.

If I was single; absolutely. Married with a family; nope.

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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Rich M » Tue Nov 21, 2017 3:40 am

Horizontal Hunter wrote:Between the distance from family, the seasonal long/short daylight hours, and the expense of daily living I would expect it to be a tough posting. A posting at the pentagon would probably be less expensive.

Yes, the scenery and hunting opportunities would be awesome from everything I have heard and read but the reality is that would be a small portion of your time there.

If I was single; absolutely. Married with a family; nope.

Bob


Pretty much my thoughts too.

That being said, I'm trying to figure out a way to afford a 2-week fishing & sight seeing trip out there. That's one pricey trip.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby tgreeno » Tue Nov 21, 2017 4:13 am

I say if you're young & single, go for it! You will probably never have that opportunity again.

The scenery is awesome out there. I went there a couple years ago on a halibut & salmon fishing trip during the summer and had a great time!
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Boogieman1 » Wed Nov 22, 2017 3:00 pm

I did a TDY to Elmendorf back in 2000, my take aways is its deff a place you wanna visit on your bucket list. But I personally wouldnt want live there for years. 1 I hate the bitter cold, and 2 whitetails are the only animal that really get my juices flowing. But if your are open to any kind of game to hunt it's a sportsmans paradise. And Alaska offers some of the best hunting and fishing the world has to offer.
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Re: Alaskan opportunity. Thoughts?

Unread postby Whitetailaddict » Tue Nov 28, 2017 5:59 am

Boogieman1 wrote:I did a TDY to Elmendorf back in 2000, my take aways is its deff a place you wanna visit on your bucket list. But I personally wouldnt want live there for years. 1 I hate the bitter cold, and 2 whitetails are the only animal that really get my juices flowing. But if your are open to any kind of game to hunt it's a sportsmans paradise. And Alaska offers some of the best hunting and fishing the world has to offer.


Are you aware of any good hunting within a few hours of the base or would I need to get a bush pilot to get me to a more remote area?


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