I want to live in Alaska. Is it possible to just plop down in the wilderness and build a cabin and hunt?

In the past, there was homesteading allowed in Alaska, much later than in any other state. But no longer. I know some homesteaders, most are in their 70's and 80s now. I know a lot more children of homesteaders, but even they are in their 40's.

But, some land is pretty cheap. We have so much spectacular land up here, that generic forest land (no electricity, no city water, no sewer) goes really cheap. Like $1000-2000/acre. I know several people who came off a summer of fishing with a few thousand and bought 3 or 5 acres, some lumber and slapped up a cabin. Heat with a wood stove, light from a lantern, haul water from the merchantile, and shower at the laundromat. Some do that for years.

The only land that costs much is in Anchorage or another city, on a lake, salmon river or the salt water. A few Alaskan towns are giving away empty house lots to people who move there. They want to keep their population up to keep the school, etc. They are really small towns and don't offer a lot of employment opportunity.

If you did build a cabin on land you didn't buy, it might take a long time for anyone to notice. But you'd be committing simple trespass (if on unposted private land) or criminal trespass (if it was posted) or be in violation of state or federal rules for building a structure in a state/federal park/forest/game refuge. Alaska repealed "squatter's rights" several years ago, so even being undetected for 5 years on private land is no longer an option.

And "just" hunting would be interpreted as poaching by the game warden. Unless you have a hunting license, you're in the correct area, harvesting a legal-sized animal, etc. Yeah, they'd have to catch you, but they've been learning to do that longer than you've in the area, so it would be hard to get away with it for a long time.

You could, however, get a really good tent, a fishing license and learn all the edible plants you can. That's all legal. But read/see "Into the Wild". The winters are COLD. And it doesn't always turn out to be as easy as you think.

Not at this time. I included a website for you that has frequently asked questions about Alaska.