Hunting & Fishing Caribou Hunt?

[Steve1]

I've never been on a guided hunt in my life, but I'd love to make a caribou hunt. Any suggestions on where or who to book a hunt with. I was wondering about cost these days.

I pulled a horse trailer all the way from Montana to the North Slope years ago. My family and I used that trailer for a camper, and also as a wall tent to get out of the weather, and bugs. I killed a bull with my bow just outside of Dead Horse. I'd like to do it with a rifle this time. I enjoyed every minute of that trip. I want to go again....

 

[Wes_Mantooth]

Three of us hired a pilot to drop us on a lake in AK about 10 years ago. We tagged out. Caribou hunting is not difficult. Either the caribou are in your area or they aren't. If they are, sneak up and shoot one. If they aren't go fishing, shoot ptarmigan or varmints, or just enjoy life away from people. After doing it I would not hire a guide to hunt caribou.

 

[kraigWY]

When I lived in Alaska we use to fly out to the King Salmon area and hunt un-guided. There are huge herds out there, and if you don't land in the spot of a large herd, like Wes said, go fishing, you'll find stragglers.

The problem is, tundra sucks for hiking.

 

[Steve1]

Maybe I should have said, a fly in and drop off hunt. I can guide myself....

 

[kraigWY]

That be the King Salmon area.

 

[45.308]

I've never been on a guided hunt in my life, but I'd love to make a caribou hunt. Any suggestions on where or who to book a hunt with. I was wondering about cost these days.

I pulled a horse trailer all the way from Montana to the North Slope years ago. My family and I used that trailer for a camper, and also as a wall tent to get out of the weather, and bugs. I killed a bull with my bow just outside of Dead Horse. I'd like to do it with a rifle this time. I enjoyed every minute of that trip. I want to go again....

Please clarify, are you planning to drive up again to hunt and fly out or fly up and fly out.
What are your expectations for the hunt?
How many days?
Time frame?
What unit?
How many in your party?
How much time and money do you want to invest?
There are services that supply everything, some that supply just the camp?
Fly in or float?

Its $7000 and up for a guided 10 day bou hunt. Combo starts at $10000.

 

[Steve1]

I'm debating what type of hunt to take. Years ago you could get someone to fly you out and drop you off for around a $1,000 in many parts of Alaska. I imagine the prices are steeper now.

It would probably just be the wife and I. She's a hunter too.

There's no way I'd lay out ten thousand bucks just to shoot a caribou.

I might drive up the old Alaska Highway again. I've done that several times. It's fun to camp and fish with the family, on the way up. I know of one river I could canoe down and hunt caribou that way.

I'm a cheap-skate at heart. The cheapest hunt I can think of would be to fly into Dead Horse, rent a pick-up, and then hunt off the road. I hate competing with too many other hunters. A lot of people hunt off of the haul road now. I'd rather have someone fly me out and get away from all the other hunters.

 

[45.308]

Cheap and Alaska there is no such thing.

Prices have doubled since I last flew in. Rate was $250 and now its around $600-650 for the same flight. Price depends on what unit and plane but a good average place to start is $700 per hour per person and could be min of two.

Very few places left that you will not have to compete with other hunters, get away from other hunters. 13 14 16 and 20 are full of hunters. The haul road is filling up too. While not chicken its popularity is growing as hunters try to find the last acre of Alaska left by easy access. Even backcountry hunt camps are being invaded by the masses. The Seward and Kusko units not as much hunting pressure but the cost goes up.

I would look at 9 and 19. It will cost around $500 from Anchorage to King and then another that to find a hole to land. Several outfitters there who can supply your camp. A complete outfitted camp is around $3000 depending. A backpack and rifle will be less coin if you already have it.

Another option may be a flag stop but its along the people corridor, with a little effort you can find an acre to hunt just be leery of bush rats!

$140 $165 for a combo license, buy a moose tag $400.

I do not consider it to shoot a bou but drop the coin for an adventure hunt.

Sounds like you have what you want figured out, not sure you will get what you want there, only you know. King and some coin will get you more solitude, higher success rate and depending, more adventure but fast track hunting up north may be your adventure that you want.



good luck

 

[Jerry m]

My buddies and I went caribou hunting about 5 years ago. We went with Safari Nordik. They were great, well organized operation. We were 250 south of the arctic circle. We flew into and out of camp on a float plane, an experience in itself. We had sun, rain, sleet, snow, and hail over several hours one day. The three of us each got 2 caribou. We caught the full migration. It was amazing.

Pack light with the best rain gear possible. Weight limit is 65 pounds, including rifle and case, leave your 20 pound bolt rifle home.

I previously posted a story about the hunt.
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting...ishing/96948-my-caribou-hunt.html#post1395906

Good luck

Jerry

 

[Steve1]

Great story Jerry! Manitoba has lots of caribou too. Do you recall what you had to pay for that hunt?

 

[Akhunter907]

I'd steer clear of a rifle hunt off the haul road. Look at the regs rifle hunters need to be 5 miles off road. Not a fun undertaking in that terrain. There are a few outfits that that fly you into bush from the road system. A Google search will give you the basics.

 

[Steve1]

I guess a lot of hunters try to rifle hunt off the haul road, and a lot of them get arrested because they didn't go far enough. The Fish and Game fly that area a lot. If they see a gut pile they can measure with a GPS how far it is from the road. Game laws are strict in Alaska. You never want to get a ticket up there. The footing out in that tundra is terrible. Then there are rivers and water. It might take most of the day to get out five miles.

You can bow hunt next to the road, but it is a tough to stalk anything. A caribou might let you within a hundred yards, but getting close is tough. The bull I killed up there, I saw three different times. The first time I saw him I passed him up. Since the migration hadn't started yet, there wasn't much to choose from I came back the next evening and he was in about the same place. There were some willows by the river to help with stalking. I missed a couple of shots at him. The next evening I spotted him on the other side of the river. I waded the river and was able to stalk him, and got an arrow into him. I had to wade the river several times to get my wife and kids across that river. The kids helped me follow the blood trail. He didn't go far. He was hit through both lungs. We canned the meat in pressure cooker in a wall tent. I always swore I'd make one more hunt up there, before I kicked the bucket.

I know hunting isn't what it used to be, where ever you go. It's the same thing in Montana. Too many hunters, and not enough good public land to hunt. Alaska is a big state. There has to be some places left that aren't ruined....

I don't know how you feel about out of state hunters. I'm not too fond of them myself....here in Montana. There's just not enough hunting country to go around. I've lived and worked up in Alaska. It's a wonderful place in my mind. I know things are changing fast up there, just like here.

I guess you can't stop progress.....but I sure don't like it much!

 

[Jerry m]

That trip was $6,000ish. There were no roads or cars within 150 miles or more of where we were.........

 

[Chandalar]

Contact Brooks Range Aviation and ask them about the getting to Howard Pass. You shouldn't need a guide if you have done some wilderness trips in the past. There will be some bears following the caribou so store your food and caribou a couple hundred yards from your tent. Howard pass is just west Of Gates Of the Arctic National Park, about 150 miles north of the arctic circle. good luck.

 

[Anvil_X]

Like everybody said prior, Rifle hunting the Haul road sucks.

45.308 and several others had a nice discussion about it last summer, if you want to look it up.
to summarize:
Tundra sucks
dragging stuff on tundra sucks
five miles on tundra dragging stuff sucks.
if I ever do a haul road hunt again it will be with a bow

If I ever do another major hunt up there, I am bringing my packraft and choosing the lazy way out.


In addition, I'm hearing good things about the fly-in outfitters operating in Kotzebue. Had a guy out of Tejas rant and rave to me about the excellent service he received from Northern Air Trophy.
check out their website and see if they jive with you.

Me, I'm gonna let a raft do all the heavy lifting.

 

[Steve1]

Thanks for the advice....Steve

 

[45.308]

If I ever do another major hunt up there, I am bringing my packraft and choosing the lazy way out.
Me, I'm gonna let a raft do all the heavy lifting.

Alpaca? I know Sheri Tingey.

 

[SPAK]

My most memorable cairiboi hunt was a float hunt down the noatAk river out of Kotzebue, ak.... I would do it again in a heartbeat... Lots of ground covered floating the river.. And tons of caribou...nough that we could be very selective in which cAribou to take. Float hunting is the way to go in my opinion..

 

[Anvil_X]

Alpaca? I know Sheri Tingey.

Oh yeah, Sheri just built me an Explorer with those neat-o internal compartments about two months ago. took it on a little trip down the placer river from the spencer trailhead a few weeks back and had an absolute blast dodging the submerged trees and territorial herring gulls.












Still sorta figuring out the load plan, but it's getting close.

 

[45.308]

The run away train valley is fun. Have you floated the Little Su, the Deska, the Yenta are all fun but mild water, 6 mile is tuff water, 20 mile is an trekking packraft adventure if you can come in from girdweed by winner pass, hike over crow pass into eagle river and float down to the camp ground, the stretch between raven glacier and the eagle river is full of boo boos as is around twin falls down eagle river with all the berry picking, well too many to list.

You might try an actual packraft backpack, ask Sheri about Thor's pack. Not sure she is making these. Fabulous pack though.

Always be aware of sweepers, bad juiju in Alaska rivers.

The progression of her boats from original Yak! I remember seeing her first spray deck and test fit.

 

[Anvil_X]

I will definitely have to ask about thor's pack then. I've got an ALICE ruck, but the dang thing gets soaked when it rides on the bow. I rig it up front by stuffing all of my stuff into a 65 liter hydrobag, running the shoulder straps around it, and lashing the 65L bag to the boat with some soft bungees. That way I can stuff the rucksack full of gamebags in waterproof gunnysacks. and still keep all of my gear nice and dry in the drybag.

For longer trips, I have those internal stowage compartments for clothes and whatnot (or dead animal, seeing as how it would be kept nice and cold when I'm in the water).

I'm going to be doing portage river this sunday with my buddy Chris, and will definitely have to try all the places you mentioned.
Tell you what though, walking on railroad tracks for 8 miles sucks. I think I'll just use the train next time.

 

[Anvil_X]

The run away train valley is fun. Have you floated the Little Su, the Deska, the Yenta are all fun but mild water, 6 mile is tuff water, 20 mile is an trekking packraft adventure if you can come in from girdweed by winner pass, hike over crow pass into eagle river and float down to the camp ground, the stretch between raven glacier and the eagle river is full of boo boos as is around twin falls down eagle river with all the berry picking, well too many to list.

You might try an actual packraft backpack, ask Sheri about Thor's pack. Not sure she is making these. Fabulous pack though.

Always be aware of sweepers, bad juiju in Alaska rivers.

The progression of her boats from original Yak! I remember seeing her first spray deck and test fit.

Just paddled Eagle River from The Nature Center all the way down to the Glenn hwy yesterday, lots of trees in the upper half, but they disappear about half a mile before Briggs Bridge. Tell you what though, the rain we've had has done some good work on the rapids below briggs. got pretty wet on my way through there, and ALMOST went into Campground rapids.

They looked almost doable, but the pit of death in the middle was a little bit troubling, and the pressure ridge blasting the current straight into the log pile was downright unnerving. Maybe next time, when I have a little more experience, a dry suit, and a helmet.