Homer is small, but fun. If you fish and can get your hands on a boat or find someone to take you out, you'll be up to your armpits in halibut and salmon. Anchor River and Anchor Point is a place that quickly comes to my mind for that kind of fishing, which ain't far from Homer at all.
For hunting, well, depends on what you want to kill. You're allowed to take two black bears in the unit that Homer is located in, but only in the spring and one in the fall (can't take both at the same time of the year). Lots and lots of blacks bear on the Kenai Peninsula. You can also get into some goat hunting down that way, via registration permit. Never hunted for goats, so can't say that much on it, but they are DOWN there. Same goes for Dall sheep. And for moose. They are down there as well, and can hunt bulls with an over-the-counter harvest ticket that you can obtain at any 7-up or Texaco store. However, you can only legally shoot a bull that has spike-fork antlers or antlers with a spread of 50 or larger, or has three brow tines on at least one side.
The bads about Homer, in my opinion, is that it is small and you might get bored after a while, especially in the winter.
Now, for Anchorage.
Biggest city in the state, and a shitload of people (around 275k population, but might be wrong). I live about 60 miles north of Anchorage (in the Mat-Su valley, Wasilla to be specific) and I hate Anchorage. I only go to Anchorage because of work or for the Sportman's Warehouse. Many people who live in the valley, work in Anchorage. Many people commute to Anchorage on their way to work, and it can be hell, especially in the winter. With poor weather conditions (freezing rain and snow), don't be suprised to see people passing you and going around 75 mph with ICE on the roads. That's just about the normal speed for the city maniacs.
Well, now for the hunting oppurtunties around Anchorage.
THERE ISN'T ANY.
If apply for drawing permits, and are lucky enough to get drawn, you can hunt moose on the military bases that hug the Anchorage area. Muzzleloader or bow hunts only, and you need to be certified to hunt with a muzzeloader or a bow for special hunts (like drawing hunts for example) or in hunting areas that are open to primitive weapons.
Basically, if you live in Anchorage, you're going to have to travel to hunt.
For example, you can go outside of Palmer or Wasilla (both cities about 50 miles away from Anchorage) somewhere and hunt for moose, black & brown bears, and have success. Though, everybody's uncle and sister does this, and the "popular" areas with be crowded with people hunting moose. However, my last two bulls have been taken in the Wasilla and Palmer "areas". Shot one not far from the house and a small one just north of Palmer a ways.
And you won't be able to hunt caribou unless you get drawn for a caribou permit on the Kenai, or fly out, or drive way up north to get a caribou. You'll find the best hunting if you fly out, but that doesn't mean you can't kill an animal locally, just expect company.
Your 308 will do just fine, I think, for everything besides brownies and bison. Just use an approriate cartridge for whatever game you are chasing.
All of my hunts will be locally, except for one, and that is a caribou hunt that will take me up north.
I'm nowhere near an expert on hunting up here, or anything like that. Not even close (I'm still learning!! :grin:). I was born and raised up here (23 years old), and all of my life has been spent in this area, so I do know some things about this area and what you can expect.
For fishing, the Mat-Su valley and the Parks Hwy is hard to beat in my opinion. Many creeks and rivers that have some really good salmon fishing, and there is many lakes that offer ample fishing year around for trout, pike, grayling, etc.
I hope some of this helps.
