Caribou Total Cost- 2017-2018

Our party should have gone 6 for 8, 3 of us recorded some misses with rifles and 2 of our party were die hard bowhunters and of which one buddy wanted a bigger bull then what he had opportunity to kill.

Fantastic trip, we had so much fun.

What you can expect with Judy- great service. Her pilots are very good and ask them to do a loop when you get to camp, it will give you a quick birds eye of near your camp. Look for gravel bars, they will be your friend. Our primary spot we picked was blown out, pilots highly suggested we stayed out of there because of high winds and weather when we flew out, dropped us in a better place with a slight wind break.

Weather will change 4 times a day up on the slope. Count on precipitation every day, one day it rained for 26 hours straight. Hopefully you will get a good freeze or hard frost or two and wipe out skeeters, they are insane up there if it gets too warm. Fishing is excellent, plan on catching lots of Grayling. Plan on living in your hip waders. Take a bear fence, at least for your meat cache, don't keep it too far from camp, there are bears around and they will check on you.

Start hiking around home with your pack and put weight in it. Your legs will take an absolute beating walking on tundra and thru tussocks.

Take lots of pictures. We were in , Inyorurak Pass, just south of Nigu River Valley.


 
Hi Folks!

Amazingly savvy crew here!

Getting ready to pull the trigger on a 2018 Hunt--some of our crew are a little more sensitive of extra costs so I wanted to make sure I have everything included when I present them the total costs of the trip.

Please let me know if I am missing any costs.

Commercial Flight- $500-$1200

Gear Shipping- $100

Car rental from Fairbanks-$500

Tags/licenses- ??$700ish??

Night before and after hunt in town of transporter- $50 per person per night

Bush flight $2500-$3500 (with meat flown out of bush)

Meat and Trophy transportation home- $200

Total roll-up-- ??Around $6K??
When I went up there i used 40 mi air as a fly service. I paid total all the way from New Mexico 4500 dollars 0AE748FD-4F67-45FC-A3BA-B8989CA705E5.jpeg0AE748FD-4F67-45FC-A3BA-B8989CA705E5.jpeg
 
Obviously I am still tallying thing here and there but it is looking like we will be about $6,000 said and done. There are not a lot of places to “save money”. Once your flights are booked, tags are purchased, and calories are in your pack the expenses are pushing around 5k and you still have to get your things back home. I’ll post a summary at some point but I think the 6k was realistic for a 2019 hunt.


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Obviously I am still tallying thing here and there but it is looking like we will be about $6,000 said and done. There are not a lot of places to “save money”. Once your flights are booked, tags are purchased, and calories are in your pack the expenses are pushing around 5k and you still have to get your things back home. I’ll post a summary at some point but I think the 6k was realistic for a 2019 hunt.


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This is pretty accurate, if you are successful, you will have some additional costs with meat, capes, and antlers. You can save a few dollars here and there......but one should be of mindset that its a $6k trip if you are heading to the slope. South of the Brooks, you might come in with lesser cost. I'd love to do another slope trip, it's just an amazing place, but there are so many other places I want to see too. Hitting western Nebraska this season for antelope, and sending deposits for Kodiak for 2020. Maybe get back to chasing caribou in 21.
 
No way I am doing mine next year for 6k, I will be over that in the transporter and airfare alone.
 
That seems excessive on price. Where are you flying into and whom are you using for an air transporter?
Flying into the 40mile area. The transporter I am using is about 25-30% higher then the going rates. Even still I don't think I could get it all for 6k
 
Another thing if you can swing it is a first class ticket.

1. Gives you more options if you get stuck up there (ticket change)

2. Comfort coming and going.

3. Two free checked bags, third bag is $100.00. Sometimes the cost of the ticket is about equal to paying extra baggage, so why not fly in comfort vs back in the chicken cage.
 
it has been 11 yrs since i went and round trip out of memphis was just over 4000$

i always try to make guys understand how much the prices are going up. you cant wait -go now.
 
it has been 11 yrs since i went and round trip out of memphis was just over 4000$

i always try to make guys understand how much the prices are going up. you cant wait -go now.
Yup.
My mantra has become go when you can, as often as you can, for as long as you can.
 
Grest info. Trying to plan a 2021 trip and really stuck on who to use. Right now I’m leaning towards BRA. Suggestions?
 
I’ve ran the numbers hard for our upcoming hunt with RAM-it’s going to be a tad over 7k all in and that’s with getting the AA credit card and splitting the airfare from CO with my hunting partner. That includes 3 nights total in Kotz, 1 on the front end and 2 on the back end
 
That is really close to our 2020 hunt out of Kotzebue w/ Golden Eagle. We figured about 6500, but we split lodging and some other costs between 3 of us.
 
I’ve ran the numbers hard for our upcoming hunt with RAM-it’s going to be a tad over 7k all in and that’s with getting the AA credit card and splitting the airfare from CO with my hunting partner. That includes 3 nights total in Kotz, 1 on the front end and 2 on the back end
When you look back on it - you will consider it 7k of the best money you ever spent. :)
 
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