Anchorage or Fairbanks??

[malenurse?]

Hello all,

   It sounds like there are a lot of ill feelings toward Anchorage, but I would like to hear some opinions anyway.  I am by no means a city boy, and hate big cities just as most of you all do.  I am coming to Alaska for the outdoor adventures it offers: hunting, fishing, trapping, etc., but I don't want those adventures to be limited to vacation time.  So I have a few questions regarding comparisons of the Anchorage and Fairbanks areas for you guys.

1.  Is it possible to make a weekend trip to good hunting and fishing grounds?  I want more than just a trip or two each year!  
2.  Are there more hunting/fishing opportunities in the Anchorage area or Fairbanks area?  
3.  While I would be content to hunt and fish for the rest of my days, the wife enjoys culture, and other things that cities offer.  How does Fairbanks compare to Anchorage in that regard?  
4.  What about the cost of housing/land in each?

   I could go on and on with the questions, and I know I can find some of these answers through research, but I am interested in the opinions of fellow hunters and fisherman.  Any info you guys could provide would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,

Jeremy

[Dand]

Each city has its good and bad points.  Fairbanks is much smaller, much colder, and much darker in the winter.  It has the University that brings a variety of opportunities that would otherwise be unavailable in that size town.  Just today a friend said he liked the more stable and predictable weather of FBX compared to Anchorage.

Anchorage (including nearby Mat-Su valley area) is much more populous, has more "big name" cultural opportunities, milder winters, less darkness.  Main area of Anchorage is becoming very limited for housing expansion and land/house prices have gone crazy - going north to Eagle River, Chugiak, or Mat-Su (Palmer Wasilla etc) land and houses are much more reasonable but its a 30 mile commute to Anch for many workers.  And the Mat-Su area is one of the fastest growing areas in the country.

Given the greater population of the Anchorage area, there is more competition for all outdoor activities.  But for the eager and determined there are a lot of opportunities.  Same can be said for Fairbanks.

Then there is the Kenai Peninsula which isn't that much of a drive to Ancorage for the "high culture" but still affordable housing and a lot of recreational opportunities - but also a playground for Anchorage residents.

I suggest you check out the respective chamber of commerce websites for these areas as well as any other web sites you can find and start educating yourself on the options.

A lot of us old timers are frustrated that our favorite moose meadow or fishing hole has become a housing development and we have to drive a 100 miles to do our thing -  we often sit and pout.  At the same time newcomers arrive, think nothing of a 200 mile drive to hunt or fish, get out more than many old timers and have a fabulous time.  A lot of it is attitude, and determination.  A great paying job helps too.

If you are a nurse, as your posting name implies, there might be some good work opportunities that would also allow great recreational opportunities as well.

HTH - have fun getting educated.

[Sourdough]

Anchorage is a big city, with all the things big cities have to offer.  Also high crime rates and drugs.  All of that is running over into the Mat-Sue.  The Matanuske-Susitna borough is the overflow area for Anchorage.  Anchorage is bordered by military land and a big state forest to the east, on the North, South, and West is water from Cook inlet, Turnagin Arm, and Knik Arm.  The residents of the Mat-Sue mostly work in Anchorage.  They commute daily.  It is 40 miles from Wasillia or Palmer to Anchorage.  That's an 80 mile round trip.  Some folks I know live as far out as Houston, and they drive 90 miles each way.  They live there to be out of the city.

Anchorage has the better fishing areas near-by.  As for hunting you will have to go at least 100 miles out to find anything, then it's overrun by Anchorage people.  Come September we are inundated with Anchorage folks, that want to go hunting, here in the Fairbanks area.  

Fairbanks is smaller, more isolated.  Not to say we don't have problems with crime and drugs here, just not on the scale of Anchorage.  Fairbanks winters are harsh, but the Summers make up for it.  The temp in the summer is usually around the 60s and 70s, sunny and bright.  Right now the sun is shining, temp is in the high 60s, and 17.5 hours of sunshine. Each day a carbon copy of the last.  We are classified as arrid here in the interior.  Then in August we get our seasonal rains, during the fair.  September usually starts out sunny and warm, then turns winter in a matter of weeks.  

Some hunting seasons start in August, sheep and Caribou.  Moose and Grizzly start in September.  Black Bear is open the year round with a limit of three bears a year.  Fairbanks has better hunting in the area.  Fishing is differant than the Anchorage area.  In Anchorage they catch a lot of Salmon, up here we don't have the big runs of Salmon they get.  We have lots of Grayling, Trout, Burbot, and Pike here.  But the winter Snow machineing, and summer boating, is far superior to Anchorage.  At least we don't have to trailer out 100 miles to do something.  The Chena river runs right through down town Fairbanks.  It's two miles to the boat ramp from my house.  My son starts his snowmachine here in the yard, runs out to the back of our yard right onto the pipeline right of way, then runs it to the flood control project to ride.  The Chena Flood Control project, is a plan that is over a mile wide, and eight miles long.  Kids can have a blast out there riding during the winter.  During the summer it's agreat place to hike, no motorised vehicles allowed during the summer.        

My neighbor is a nurse for Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, If you would like some more info from her let me know.  Her and her husband moved here about seven or eight years ago, because it is a great place to raise kids.  No malls for the kids to hang out in and get into trouble, Ha Ha.  Really though it is great for kids, I have a son that just turned 16.  My neighbor has four.  When they moved here all were in the local elementry, middle, and high school.  Now the two oldest are going to the University of Alaska, Fairbanks.  There two youngest are in the local high school here in North Pole.  My son goes to Monroe the Catholic school in Fairbanks.  It's 18 miles from North Pole to Fairbanks.  

There is a lot for kids to do here during the winter, but Hockey seems to overrule everything for the kids, boys and girls.  All the schools have cross country ski teams.  Football has a short season here and not all the schools have teams.  Track is not a real big, but there is a small following here.  Most of the schools have rifle teams.  UAF (University Of Alaska Fairbanks) has been the NCAA champs for many years.

[malenurse?]

Dand and Sourdough,

   Thanks a lot for the replies.  Dand, I had PM'd you after I read your reply a couple days ago, but it didn't send because there was an error.  Anyway, both of your information has been a great help -- although I am still researching the areas.  I am prior enlisted Navy and just finished Nursing School and will be entering the service again as an officer.  Which branch, I am undecided.  Army has a base in Fairbanks and Air Force and U.S. Commissioned Corps Public Health Service are in Anchorage.  I just want to live in Alaska!  I like to fish, but I LOVE to hunt!!  So I want to be where there are the most opportunities!
 
   From what I've read about Fairbanks, the winters are intense, and last for 8 months.  Sourdough, what do you do during the winter besides snowmachine?  Is there any hunting during the winter months?  Ptarmigan, wolf, fox, etc.  Please inform me what there is to do outdoors during this time.  Can you take a boat up the Chena and float hunt?

   Another major thing, I do NOT what to live in a subdivision -- bad experience with neighbors messing with my dog.  Is there nice land available on the outskirts of town?  Not much, just one or two acres.  Something that I could clear a spot in the middle of and build a house so I can see no one!
 
    I will have many more questions along the way, if you guys don't mind, I'd like to e-mail from time to time as you both have been very helpful and are obviously knowledgeable.
   
Thanks again!  

-Jeremy

[Sourdough]

Ft Wainwright here in Fairbanks is building a big new hospital.  I think it is supposed to open in 2006.  Fort WW is in Fairbanks.  Eielson AFB is 26 miles south on the Richardson Highway, they have a clinic there.  Eielson uses the hospital at FWW.  My wife works on FWW, she is the claims examiner in the legal office.  
 
Yes there is hunting available on the Chena river, in fact I am going to float it tomorrow looking for bear.  I will put my boat in at the dam for the Chena flood control project, and go upstream.  But if you really want a quality hunt, do a little homework after you get here, and get flown in for a drop-off somewhere.  10 days to 2 weeks are plenty.  Although a four day float can be easily accomplished, with time for travel there and back in one week.  Just depends on what you want to do.  You will have to wait for one year from date of arrival to get your resident licsense anyway.  That's a good time to make plans.
 
I live in a subdivision that has two acre lots.  I can't see my neighbors houses, since our houses are heavily wooded.  There are lots of areas around Fairbanks like you described.  
 
As for the weather, not as bad as everyone makes it out to be.  As I said last night the summers are beautiful here.  Lots better than Anchorage summers.  Anchorage does not get real warm during the summer, it's always cool there even in July.  September usually starts out shirtsleeve weather, and ends with snow.  October is when we usually get our first snow that stays for the winter, with temps around zero.  The temps continue dropping with January and Febuary being the coldest months.  Temps can be anywhere from 15 degrees above to 65 degrees below.  Some years we will have a mild winter with only two or three weeks of cold (below -20) weather.  Then other years we will get several weeks of cold weather with two or three weeks of -50 or colder.  You learn to adapt.  The most important thing is to stay busy during the winter.  I wish my winters would slow down a little.  My son is in Hockey at his high school.  Between Hockey practices and games, War Hammer, and AMPT GUARD, we don't have time for much else.  Most winters the temp is usually above -20 and we do all sorts of things outside.  Snowmachine, watch the dog sled races, Cross country ski, hunt birds, hunt wolves, trap, and ice fish.  Then there is hockey games.  The Fairbanks Ice Dogs are the local semi-pro team.  The Nanooks are the University of Alaska Fairbanks team.  There is four indoor ice rinks in Fairbanks, with outside rinks at every high and middle school.  All the rinks are busy all winter long.  There are indoor shooting ranges at Fish and Game, and at The Tanana Valley Sportsmans Association.  There is two indoor archery ranges, one in Fairbanks and one in North Pole.  There is lots of things to do in Fairbanks, you just have to get out and get involved.  There is even a Drama association that puts on plays here.

Like I said it is not as bad as they make it out to be.  The one thing I have noticed in 33 years of living here is that people that get here March through August tend to stay, people that arrive September through Febuary can't leave fast enough.  Keep that in mind.

[malenurse?]

Thanks again, Sourdough.  Your comments have been especially helpful.  

Have you had any success on wolves?  Are there sheep or goats near Fairbanks?  I hiked in the Chugach mountains and saw many, many Dall Sheep -- several bands of rams included.  What kind of boat do you use for float hunts?

Take care,

Jeremy

[Yukon Jack]

I hiked in the Chugach mountains and saw many, many Dall Sheep -- several bands of rams included.  

I'm not sure where you hiked in the Chugach, but much of the best sheep hunting in GMU 14 is by drawing only.  I put in every year for those hunts and have yet to get drawn.  Chances of being drawn are roughly around 1%.

[Sourdough]

There is Dall Sheep in the Alaska Range, just south of us, and in the Brooks Range north of us.  No drawing here.  No Goats either.

I'm moderately successful on wolves, I see one about every other time I go out.  Just getting to with-in 500 or 600 yards is not an easy thing to do.  I've taken as many as six at one time, that's rare.  

I use a 16ft Lowe Oly Jon, twin mercury 35s, with Jets.  For fly-in rafting I use the 12ft Surveylor Fish Hunter, with the Boot.  (Sold by Cabela's)  Yes, that is a lightweight PVC raft, but with the boot to protect it we have had no trouble so far.  I've ran three rivers with mine, my neighbor who I hunt with has used his on four differant float hunts so far.  His boot had to be replaced last year, the rocks had pretty well shredded it.  But the boat was undamaged.   A person can haul all his gear and one Moose on one.   And it's light, that's real important when hauling everything in and out by plane.  There is several other types to choose from, just wait till you get here and look around.  One of the most fun things I have for floating is a small pontoon boat with oars.  Highly manoverable, easy to transport, and portage.  Their only drawback is they don't carry much gear.  I solved that by towing a small six footer (two man) with just my gear in it.  An old inner tube would work just as well, probably be a little tougher too.

But like I said when you get to Alaska you have one year to check out and decide what you want, before you can get your resident liscense anyway.

[Yukon Jack]

Sourdough,
There are a few drawing area only sheep hunts in the Alaska Range.  The Delta Controlled Use area and the Tok Management Area.  While not right around Fairbanks, they are in the Alaska range.  There are also a couple of drawing only areas in the Brooks.

[Sourdough]

Your right, I forget that area down near Delta is part of the Alaska Range.  I never go that way.  Yes, there is also a portion of the Brooks that is drawing for Dall Sheep, again it's not an area I go to, so I tend to forget about it.

Sorry about the Misinfo, Rog

[malenurse?]

Sourdough,
   Thanks again for the info.  When I think of float hunting, I think of a raft, but it seems like everyone uses boats.  So for a fly-in float hunt, you just take your raft and gear, get dropped off somewhere upstream and float back home or to a pick up point?  Are there places on the Chena, that you could drive to, have someone drop you off and float home?  Six wolves at once!  Man, I can't wait to get up there!!  Hey 50% on sightings is pretty good for any species in my book.  

Yukon Jack,
   I was driving down the Seward highway and found a trail head.  It was a well-used trail -- I can't remeber the name.  At the very top was a point called Suicide something or other.  The trail was four miles long.  Once I got above the trees, there were sheep EVERYWHERE!  I saw marmots and I swear, I even saw a grizzly!!  It was quite a frightening experience, seeing how the only weapon I had was a fillet knife... if that can be called a weapon!  HA!HA!  I was sitting on one mountain facing another and looking out over a valley.  I was videoing and glassing the sheep about half way down the other mountain.  I happened to pan up the mountain with the camera and noticed movement at the very top.  I zoomed in and saw that it was a grizzly!  At first it was just lumbering around, seemingly with no purpose.  Suddenly, I felt the wind on the back of my neck.  Mind you, I'm videoing all of this.  He abruptly stopped, and threw is head up.  Now, I don't know if he smelled me (I had just eaten a Snickers and was devouring a second when I saw it) or the sheep, but he started barreling down the mountain.  FAST!!  Stupidly, I kept videoing for about another minute or two.  I'm not a good judge of far distances, but I would say that he was a mile +/- away by line-of-sight, more if you consider the ground distance.  Finally, I decided to get out of there.  I threw on my pack and dipped out of sight.  The harry thing about the situation was that the trail I was on went down the valley, over the stream, and on to the mountain that the grizzly was on!  After I was out of sight, I RAN... the whole way down.  I fell no less than 20 times, splitting my lip wide open on one tumble.  I prayed the entire time.  Once I got in the trees, I really got scared because it was so darn thick... he could have come out anywhere.  I debated climbing a tree and spending the night there.  Obviously, I made it!  It was quite an experience.  I watch the video often, my commentation is hilarious... now!  
  So yeah, the sheep were along that trail.  If you around that way, and ever draw a tag, watch out for grizzlies!  

Take care guys.

-Jeremy

[Yukon Jack]

Sounds like you were on the McHugh Creek trail, or around Windy Corner, leading up to Suicide Peaks at Rabbit Lake.  Those areas are closed to sheep hunting.  There is a big mineral lick right at Windy Corner, very close to the highway.  Easy to see some really nice rams there right on the road every so often.

[Sourdough]

The Chena is very accessiable, easy to get dropped off on Chena Hot Springs road, then drift all the way into Fairbanks if you want to stay on the water that long.  Heavily used by tourist during the summer with canoes and kayaks.  There is a book titled "Floating Alaska's Rivers" has some good information about floating and good places to go.  This book covers the entire state.  Floating is addictive, so is the equipment.  I've got three rafts, one small inflatiable pontoon boat, one coleman scanoe, and my river boat.  If you get the right raft, you can add a hard floor, and a motor mount.  That makes them usiable for taking the wife and kids to the many lakes found here.