Alaska Caribou draws

WRO

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As a non resident, are there any caribou draws I should be applying for that are decent access and success rates? I have been dreaming about the kenai pen hunt knowing it’s gonna be rough but am open to other options.
 

OXN939

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I've never hunted the tag, but I did fly thousands of miles over the KP this summer and can confidently say that there are not a ton of bou there. I'm sure someone knows of pockets where they may hang out, but I never saw more than two or three animals at a time and looked over a lot of that place. Would be a cool tag for sure but I wouldn't imagine it'd be a "gimme"

All of the other herds in southcentral are apparently in pretty rough shape. Rainy Pass herd barely exists. Nelchina is a shadow of its former self. There are a few animals around Denali, but all the dudes who know way more about it than me said that should really be viewed as an incidental more than anything.

If you want "Caribou" and "success rate" in the same sentence, everyone I've heard says go north and find a good transporter.
 
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WRO

WRO

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I've never hunted the tag, but I did fly thousands of miles over the KP this summer and can confidently say that there are not a ton of bou there. I'm sure someone knows of pockets where they may hang out, but I never saw more than two or three animals at a time and looked over a lot of that place. Would be a cool tag for sure but I wouldn't imagine it'd be a "gimme"

All of the other herds in southcentral are apparently in pretty rough shape. Rainy Pass herd barely exists. Nelchina is a shadow of its former self. There are a few animals around Denali, but all the dudes who know way more about it than me said that should really be viewed as an incidental more than anything.

If you want "Caribou" and "success rate" in the same sentence, everyone I've heard says go north and find a good transporter.

The kenai tag is more for nostalgia than anything else, not because it’d be easy. I know it’d be hard and suck..


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dhatter9

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I’m with ya it gets really old. I’ve seen what essentially amounts to a “how to” for a couple different spots I hunt up here. Frustrating for sure. There is a lot more pressure up here than people realize.
 
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WRO

WRO

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Why can people only make posts like this and continue to spot blow the sh!t only out of Alaska on this site?

Yeah definitely asking this question is going to ruin Alaska..

What’s going to happen when the influencers and YouTubers realize it’s not part of Canada..


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Why can people only make posts like this and continue to spot blow the sh!t only out of Alaska on this site?
It's been happening for a long long time. Look on the draw supplement. Still don't understand why it's ok to talk about specific road or island in ak, but can't talk about a unit down south. The post below this one "talkeetna caribou" specifically calls out the sub unit of a unit. maybe a mod will come on and let us know why there is a difference between the alaska and the lower 48 when talking about specific areas/units/hunts

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Marbles

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KP herds are very small. All 26,500 square miles of the Kenai are probably home to fewer than 600 animals. The mountain herd that is huntable is only part of that number.
 
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It's been happening for a long long time. Look on the draw supplement. Still don't understand why it's ok to talk about specific road or island in ak, but can't talk about a unit down south. The post below this one "talkeetna caribou" specifically calls out the sub unit of a unit. maybe a mod will come on and let us know why there is a difference between the alaska and the lower 48 when talking about specific areas/units/hunts

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I would guess because if you type in moose and caribou hunting on google, rokslide threads will pop up. The mods aren't about to stop that flow of traffic to the forum. Pretty hypocritical but not surprising at the least.
 
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WRO

WRO

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KP herds are very small. All 26,500 square miles of the Kenai are probably home to fewer than 600 animals. The mountain herd that is huntable is only part of that number.

I spent a large portion of my youth living in soldotna, I remember when I was 11 a guy a church got one on that tag. I hunted sheep and goats unsuccessfully around Seward as a kid, and every year when we’re heading back to fish, I stare at those mountains longing for that adventure again.

I spent my youth hunting the Mulchatna herd which is now closed to NR’s.
 
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I would guess because if you type in moose and caribou hunting on google, rokslide threads will pop up. The mods aren't about to stop that flow of traffic to the forum. Pretty hypocritical but not surprising at the least.
theres isnt an issue talking about HOW to hunt what ever animal you want up here, but when there are constant threads about WHERE to moose hunt out of this village or caribou off this road or deer from this island, i feel like its getting a bit specific and is no different then talking about unit XYZ in colorado or unit 80085 in montana.
 

Marbles

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theres isnt an issue talking about HOW to hunt what ever animal you want up here, but when there are constant threads about WHERE to moose hunt out of this village or caribou off this road or deer from this island, i feel like its getting a bit specific and is no different then talking about unit XYZ in colorado or unit 80085 in montana.
I agree. Especially listening specific hunts as that can narrow it down to a few square miles sometimes.

I use to be more open, but now I think that is a bad idea in public.
 
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theres isnt an issue talking about HOW to hunt what ever animal you want up here, but when there are constant threads about WHERE to moose hunt out of this village or caribou off this road or deer from this island, i feel like its getting a bit specific and is no different then talking about unit XYZ in colorado or unit 80085 in montana.
Exactly what I was referring to. I can't help but think the ridiculous wait lists for transporters and places isn't due in large part to rokslide threads naming very specific places.
 
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Exactly what I was referring to. I can't help but think the ridiculous wait lists for transporters and places isn't due in large part to rokslide threads naming very specific places.
We have lots of public land, but fewer transporters available to get out there every year. The ones that stick around raise their prices (justifiably so) every year as well. If social media continues to increase demand here in Alaska then access will decrease. Feel free to disagree, but just try to get a flight out with 40 Mile Air or several other top notch (safe) transporters.
 

Marbles

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Time to change the regs for NR to go guided for caribou. That will stop the spot burning.
That would also be stupid. Guide requirements are nothing but industry protection by the state designed to shift opportunity to the wealthy.

Better, stop having the tax payer save people for free and send bills when a Pave Hawk and PJs pull someone off a mountain.

Edit: I would be a fan of requiring guides to be residents and aligning hunting residence requirements with the PFD.
 
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WRO

WRO

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Exactly what I was referring to. I can't help but think the ridiculous wait lists for transporters and places isn't due in large part to rokslide threads naming very specific places.

Really? Every influencer from the states has at least 1 or 2 YouTube videos about caribou hunts it seems. I guarantee those get 10 times the views of most Rokslide threads.
 

FAAFO

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That would also be stupid. Guide requirements are nothing but industry protection by the state designed to shift opportunity to the wealthy.

Better, stop having the tax payer save people for free and send bills when a Pave Hawk and PJs pull someone off a mountain.

Edit: I would be a fan of requiring guides to be residents and aligning hunting residence requirements with the PFD.
I was just joking but….

Every industry has protection. There isn’t one that doesn’t.

There are no free rescues by the PJs. Don’t kid yourself. Our country would be better off with a lot less military spending.

I could get on board with guides having to be residents.

Sorry billy molls 😂
 
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