I read somewhere that the 35 Whelen has taken more big game in AK than any other caliber.
I'd believe it. As per the most recent issue of G&A, the .35 Whelen now has a big brother, the .370 Sako, which is essentially a very slightly elongated .30-06 necked up to 9.3mm. Craig Boddington who wrote the article, and whose evaluations I usually trust implicitly, said that it had almost the energy of a .375 H&H with the recoil of a .35 Whelen.
I suspect that it will become quite popular in Alaska.