Caribou Fly in Hunt

[chucko]

Just starting my research into planning a Caribou DIY Fly in Hunt. Anyone have any advice or forums to point me to as to choosing an air service or region to hunt out of?

I would also suggest the most important thing is time.I have seen too many guys plan a 6day hunt only to get weathered out for 2 and only have 4days to hunt.I am a Alaska resident and take 2 full weeks I do not stress if the weather goes bad or the caribou are not moving I have sat in spots for 5-6 days and have not seen a thing then bang they are all over the place stay patient stay off the sat phone hunt every day enjoy yourself.

 

[VernAK]

Some SD friends wanted to do a quick 40 mile caribou hunt before we fly in for moose. WE flew in on 9/1 for a four day hunt. We sat in the tents for two days as we were hit by a full fledged blizzard. Allow plenty of time for weather and mechanical issues.

 

[Kevin Dill]

This should stop nobody from going, but it goes to show what can happen in the far-flung backcountry:

In 2015 I got flown into the Fortymile region and dropped for caribou. It was a solo hunt to last 9 days and my camp was at about 4500' elevation as I recall.

Couldn't hunt the day I was flown in, but weather was gorgeous. Next day was superb and I had caribou all over the area. I would've been done with a rifle, but the longbow is a different deal. I was confident nonetheless.

The weather changed overnight and I woke to wind, rain and low clouds. I got out of the tent a few times and scouted the area but the weather was getting worse. Over the next 5 days and nights I endured one of the wildest (and frankly scariest) stretches of bad weather I could ever imagine. I barely kept the tipi pegged down, and I reinforced the center pole with arrow shafts.

I was completely worn out by the 6th day of fighting the winds. I went to bed knowing something had to change. It did.

Wolves and a big grizzly had been hanging around my camp. The caribou were gone. I finally gave in and called for the plane.

The final day. I clicked a couple images while sitting in the tipi. I think my eyes tell the story.

Don't take a caribou hunt lightly. Plan carefully and expect things to go awry. You might think my story is the exception. It's not. At the same time I was dealing with this storm, my good friend was experiencing the same type thing on a solo hunt north of the Brooks.

 

[VernAK]

Hopefully we won't experience another 9/11 attack as all airspace was closed and the Alaska Bush was full of stranded hunters unaware of the incident. A fellow I knew was caribou hunting with his son in his own aircraft and started for home unaware of 9/11. Before getting home, an A10 came up on his wing and escorted him to the nearest airport.

 

[OXN939]

This should stop nobody from going, but it goes to show what can happen in the far-flung backcountry:

In 2015 I got flown into the Fortymile region and dropped for caribou. It was a solo hunt to last 9 days and my camp was at about 4500' elevation as I recall.

Couldn't hunt the day I was flown in, but weather was gorgeous. Next day was superb and I had caribou all over the area. I would've been done with a rifle, but the longbow is a different deal. I was confident nonetheless.

The weather changed overnight and I woke to wind, rain and low clouds. I got out of the tent a few times and scouted the area but the weather was getting worse. Over the next 5 days and nights I endured one of the wildest (and frankly scariest) stretches of bad weather I could ever imagine. I barely kept the tipi pegged down, and I reinforced the center pole with arrow shafts.

I was completely worn out by the 6th day of fighting the winds. I went to bed knowing something had to change. It did.

Wolves and a big grizzly had been hanging around my camp. The caribou were gone. I finally gave in and called for the plane.

The final day. I clicked a couple images while sitting in the tipi. I think my eyes tell the story.

Don't take a caribou hunt lightly. Plan carefully and expect things to go awry. You might think my story is the exception. It's not. At the same time I was dealing with this storm, my good friend was experiencing the same type thing on a solo hunt north of the Brooks.

Awesome story very indicative of Caribou hunting. Last year on the slope, we got in, saw nothing for four days, and then had a herd of 500+ animals meander by camp with dozens of nice bulls. Group after us went 0 for 5, never even really got to hunt because of weather.

Feast or famine.

 

[mproberts]

Feast or famine.... never been so true!

I was in the group after him....