P500 Photos from moose hunting north of Fairbanks AK

[Akfishbum]

Here's some more photos from my moose hunt north of Fairbanks AK along with a little more detailed review.
This was my first hunting trip with the P500 I have hunted with four wheelers for years and I will say the P500 impressed me. We did almost 300 miles in 7 days, the terrain ranged from gravel roads (about 12 miles), muddy rutted trails, steep rutted hill climbs both rocky and muddy, deep mud holes, chest high brush, chest high brush with marsh grass and 10-12" of water under it, down trails with large spruce that were barely wide enough to get past (even with the P500 I had to adjust my gun boot to get through), and several creek crossings ranging from 6" to over 2 feet deep these are fast glacial streams with rocky bottoms and often steep banks.
I have added a Strongmade front bumper(awesome product gives great protection for the radiator and front end), Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 26-11-12's on all four corners (love these tires they performed well), a steel storage box, Kolpin gun boot, a 3500 lbs winch, and a RotoPax gas can. The tires make a huge difference when running through this terrain and I would never have attempted some of the stuff I did without the tires, winch, and a partner on a good machine (Grizzly 700). We hauled my moose out of a gully full of chest high willows and dwarf birch up a hill the P500 had well over 800lbs loaded on it and she just chugged away. The speed was not an issue since the 12 miles of road was the only place you could run faster then 15 MPH anyway, most of the time I was in 2nd or 3rd gear idling along looking for moose anyway so it was perfect. The small size was great since we were able to get all of our gear, both machines, and the moose on my Dodge 1500 and a 6'x12' trailer. Over all I love my P500 and I got several comments from other people we met.
The pictures are not in chronological order but please enjoy some images of an absolutely beautiful place.
Thanks.

 

[bobbyhill]

Great pics and review!! thank you! it looks like you had a great time and will be eating even better all winter long!

 

[hydrantman]

All you can say is WOW!!!!

 

[Moose308]

View attachment 6225 View attachment 6229 View attachment 6230 View attachment 6231 View attachment 6233 View attachment 6234 View attachment 6228 View attachment 6227 View attachment 6226 Here's some more photos from my moose hunt north of Fairbanks AK along with a little more detailed review.
This was my first hunting trip with the P500 I have hunted with four wheelers for years and I will say the P500 impressed me. We did almost 300 miles in 7 days, the terrain ranged from gravel roads (about 12 miles), muddy rutted trails, steep rutted hill climbs both rocky and muddy, deep mud holes, chest high brush, chest high brush with marsh grass and 10-12" of water under it, down trails with large spruce that were barely wide enough to get past (even with the P500 I had to adjust my gun boot to get through), and several creek crossings ranging from 6" to over 2 feet deep these are fast glacial streams with rocky bottoms and often steep banks.
I have added a Strongmade front bumper(awesome product gives great protection for the radiator and front end), Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 26-11-12's on all four corners (love these tires they performed well), a steel storage box, Kolpin gun boot, a 3500 lbs winch, and a RotoPax gas can. The tires make a huge difference when running through this terrain and I would never have attempted some of the stuff I did without the tires, winch, and a partner on a good machine (Grizzly 700). We hauled my moose out of a gully full of chest high willows and dwarf birch up a hill the P500 had well over 800lbs loaded on it and she just chugged away. The speed was not an issue since the 12 miles of road was the only place you could run faster then 15 MPH anyway, most of the time I was in 2nd or 3rd gear idling along looking for moose anyway so it was perfect. The small size was great since we were able to get all of our gear, both machines, and the moose on my Dodge 1500 and a 6'x12' trailer. Over all I love my P500 and I got several comments from other people we met.
The pictures are not in chronological order but please enjoy some images of an absolutely beautiful place.
Thanks.
View attachment 6235

Awesome adventure.What did you shoot the moose with?

 

[jak9922]

Amazing pics @Moose308

 

[Akfishbum]

Awesome adventure.What did you shoot the moose with?

Moose,
I use an old Ruger model 77 in 30-06 for most hunting up here. I shoot hand loads with 180 grain Barnes TSX bullets. So far they have done the job like a champ.

 

[ohanacreek]

That's gorgeous country, I'd come up there just to be the driver and take pictures. If you let me shoot something all the better!

 

[JACKAL]

@Akfishbum All I can say is wow! That is a dang good collection of awesome picture. I see at least 4 contenders for ROTM for September in there.

 

[Moose308]

Moose,
I use an old Ruger model 77 in 30-06 for most hunting up here. I shoot hand loads with 180 grain Barnes TSX bullets. So far they have done the job like a champ.

X2 bullets all the way.I actually am on their bullet advisory board and wrote the articles in their reloading book on the 30 378 weatherby and the 340 weatherby.

 

[Moose308]

Moose,
I use an old Ruger model 77 in 30-06 for most hunting up here. I shoot hand loads with 180 grain Barnes TSX bullets. So far they have done the job like a champ.

Have you always lived there?

 

[Akfishbum]

Have you always lived there?

No, I grew up in the Interior of Alaska until I was 15 then moved to Northern California, joined the Air Force at 19 did 20 years and have been all over the world as a flying Crew Chief on varies airplanes retired out of North Carolina and move back home to Alaska. During all the time I was in the service I would take 30 days of leave time fly back up here every year or so for vacation or to work for my brother......he is and outfitter and runs a guide service. So in a way this has always been home even though I spent almost more of my life outside Alaska then on it I always considered it home.
Alaska Hunting and Fishing with Xtreme Xpeditions

 

[Code54]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[feetpiece]

Awesome post! - Thanks for sharing.

I cant wait to show this to my buddy who looks down his nose at my p500 from his Mighty Ranger 900 EPS. Our 1st ride out (Permanente Trail) I caught a lot of heat because of the governor/rev limiter.

 

[Moose308]

No, I grew up in the Interior of Alaska until I was 15 then moved to Northern California, joined the Air Force at 19 did 20 years and have been all over the world as a flying Crew Chief on varies airplanes retired out of North Carolina and move back home to Alaska. During all the time I was in the service I would take 30 days of leave time fly back up here every year or so for vacation or to work for my brother......he is and outfitter and runs a guide service. So in a way this has always been home even though I spent almost more of my life outside Alaska then on it I always considered it home.
Alaska Hunting and Fishing with Xtreme Xpeditions

What a place to call home.Sounds like you have seen alot.Beautiful country.

 

[Akfishbum]

Awesome post! - Thanks for sharing.

I cant wait to show this to my buddy who looks down his nose at my p500 from his Mighty Ranger 900 EPS. Our 1st ride out (Permanente Trail) I caught a lot of heat because of the governor/rev limiter.

Well I have never been on that trail but I can say this.....I went places on this hunt that the guys on the wider SXS could not go. We went down one trail where I had to reposition my gun boot to get between the trees even the four wheeler that was following me had to reposition gear to get through. As to the speed it's not a problem up here since very few trails allow you to go faster than 40 anyway and once you hit the narrow trails you have to slow down and wait for the wider machines to catch up since they can't maneuver around the tight turns and rough terrain. I love my P500 and am very glad I bought instead of the wheeler I was initially going to buy. Going to try putting a 12" canoe on top of the roll cage tomorrow to see if it works. If it does I will be able to get my canoe to some remote lakes for huge lake trout and pike. hope it works.

 

[JACKAL]

Well I have never been on that trail but I can say this.....I went places on this hunt that the guys on the wider SXS could not go. We went down one trail where I had to reposition my gun boot to get between the trees even the four wheeler that was following me had to reposition gear to get through. As to the speed it's not a problem up here since very few trails allow you to go faster than 40 anyway and once you hit the narrow trails you have to slow down and wait for the wider machines to catch up since they can't maneuver around the tight turns and rough terrain. I love my P500 and am very glad I bought instead of the wheeler I was initially going to buy. Going to try putting a 12" canoe on top of the roll cage tomorrow to see if it works. If it does I will be able to get my canoe to some remote lakes for huge lake trout and pike. hope it works.

I am surprised and impressed of the maneuverability of the P500 in tight quarters with trees, turns, etc. Honda did an outstanding job in designing this SXS for the narrow trails.

 

[AlaskaMudDawg]

View attachment 6225 View attachment 6229 View attachment 6230 View attachment 6231 View attachment 6233 View attachment 6234 View attachment 6228 View attachment 6227 View attachment 6226 Here's some more photos from my moose hunt north of Fairbanks AK along with a little more detailed review.
This was my first hunting trip with the P500 I have hunted with four wheelers for years and I will say the P500 impressed me. We did almost 300 miles in 7 days, the terrain ranged from gravel roads (about 12 miles), muddy rutted trails, steep rutted hill climbs both rocky and muddy, deep mud holes, chest high brush, chest high brush with marsh grass and 10-12" of water under it, down trails with large spruce that were barely wide enough to get past (even with the P500 I had to adjust my gun boot to get through), and several creek crossings ranging from 6" to over 2 feet deep these are fast glacial streams with rocky bottoms and often steep banks.
I have added a Strongmade front bumper(awesome product gives great protection for the radiator and front end), Maxxis Bighorn 2.0 26-11-12's on all four corners (love these tires they performed well), a steel storage box, Kolpin gun boot, a 3500 lbs winch, and a RotoPax gas can. The tires make a huge difference when running through this terrain and I would never have attempted some of the stuff I did without the tires, winch, and a partner on a good machine (Grizzly 700). We hauled my moose out of a gully full of chest high willows and dwarf birch up a hill the P500 had well over 800lbs loaded on it and she just chugged away. The speed was not an issue since the 12 miles of road was the only place you could run faster then 15 MPH anyway, most of the time I was in 2nd or 3rd gear idling along looking for moose anyway so it was perfect. The small size was great since we were able to get all of our gear, both machines, and the moose on my Dodge 1500 and a 6'x12' trailer. Over all I love my P500 and I got several comments from other people we met.
The pictures are not in chronological order but please enjoy some images of an absolutely beautiful place.
Thanks.
View attachment 6235

 

[dale5740]

awesome

 

[Akfishbum]

awesome

Thanks, I can't wait to take her out again this year. Planning to try for caribou off the Haul Road ( also known as the Dalton Hwy if you look at the maps, I'm old school and have always called the Haul Road.....used to ride in my Dads truck when he drove it hauling crap for the pipeline).....anyway I know a few real good spots for Caribou up that way we can hit before moose season. Took her out yesterday scouting for spring bear.....no luck but it was still fun I'll try to remember the camera next time.

 

[Montecresto]

Awesome post! - Thanks for sharing.

I cant wait to show this to my buddy who looks down his nose at my p500 from his Mighty Ranger 900 EPS. Our 1st ride out (Permanente Trail) I caught a lot of heat because of the governor/rev limiter.

Don't feel bad buddy, your P-5 can go places his cant!