Close Look at my '17 Caribou Fly-In Gear List/Meal Plan

[acmckeage03]

Thanks to all the knowledge on this forum I just about have my final gear list ready for my 9 day '17 caribou hunt DC590 tag out of the Talkeetna's. Figured I'd share since its a combination between a caribou/sheep gear list. My fly-in weight is not supposed to exceed 50lbs but Mike Meekins said I could get a few extra pounds since I'm 170lbs. I am bringing more clothing than you would for a sheep hunt but this is because we are hunting out of base camp which most likely will be within a few miles from where the Super Cub drops us off at. Once all my gear arrives I will pack my pack and weigh, add and subtract items as needed. The camp, cameras, spotter will be divided amongst 3 people.

Clothing-
5- Mid Weight Merino Socks
2-Base Layer Shirt, Core 4 Merino 190 Long Sleeve
2-Boxer Brief, Black Ovis Merino
2-Thermal Pant, Ice Breaker 190 Merino
2-Med weight shirt, Kuiu Peloton 200, First Lite Halstead Fleece
Kuiu Kenai Zip-off Insulated Pant
Sitka Timberline Pant
Vest, First Lite Uncomphagre
Puffy, Kuiu Super Down
First Lite Seak Jacket, Stormtight Pant
Zamberlan 960 Guide GTX Boot
Kuiu Yukon Gaiters
First Lite Fingerless Talus Wool Gloves
Ball Cap
Kuiu Merino Neck Gaiter
Cabelas Beanie
Polarized Glasses

 

[acmckeage03]

Daily Pack and Equipment- Kuiu Icon Pro 5200
Bow- Carbon Defiant
Arrows
Release
Rifle- Tikka 300 WSM
Bullets
Vortex 1500 Range Finder
Vortex 10x42 Viper Binos on S4 Lockdown Bino Harness
Vortex Summit Tripod
Vortex 50mm Razor Spotter- Shared between all 3 hunters
Kill Kit- Black Ovis Lrg Game bags, Havalon w/ extra blades, 100lb Cord, Trash Bags
Wind Indicator
Plata 1L Water Bottle for Mixed Drinks
Plata 4L Hydration Bladder
Jet Boil- Flash w/ Fuel Canister
Daily Food- Will be broken down in different post
Spork
Spices
Lens Pen
Medical Kit- Pill Bottle (variety pack), Surgical Super Glue, Leuko Tape, Band Aids and Iodine Tablets
Toilet Paper
Head Lamp
Flash Light
Yukon Charlie Carbon Trekking Poles
Sat Phone
Fire Starter Kit- Wet Start, Water/Windproof Matches, Lighter
Leatherman
Camera w/ extra batteries
Electrical Tape
Radio

 

[acmckeage03]

Base Camp- Most items split between 3 people
Renting 4 man 4 season tent from REI or Alaska Outdoor Gear Rental
Eno Pro Fly Tarp
6 Tent Stakes
Big Agnes 15 degree synthetic Bag
Klymit Static Insulate Pad
Crocs
Collapsible Saw
Hatchet
Plata 4L Water Storage Bag
Scent Free Wipes
Soap Bar
Deodorant
Toothbrush and Paste
Spare Lithium AA and AAA Batteries
Tenacious Tape
Needle and Thread
Seam Grip
Plata Inline Water Filter
Extra Fuel Canisters

 

[acmckeage03]

Food-
Will try to add different protein/ Candy bars to have diff food everyday.
From Camp to Glassing Location-
Nature Valley bar
Breakfast-
Starbucks Via Coffee Packet
2- Brown Sugar Oatmeal Packets
Daily Snacks-
Jerkey
Cheese Stick
Cliff Bar
Trail Mix
Honey Stinger Waffle w/ Almond Butter
Fruit Chews
Dried Fruit
Kind Bar
Mountain Ops Enduro Drink
Dinner-
Mountain House w/ Candy Bar

 

[acmckeage03]

I know this is a lot but I figured I'd max my weight for comfort since I most likely wont have to pack it very far from the drop-off location.

 

[Daniel_M]

I'm no expert on the 590 tag, but the caribou I have seen live at the top of the tall ridges up in the nasties. Good luck.

 

[acmckeage03]

I'm no expert on the 590 tag, but the caribou I have seen live at the top of the tall ridges up in the nasties. Good luck.

I have heard the same as well. I believe we'll be dropped off around 3-4k and we will probably camp at the closest advantage point we can find. Then go on full day hikes, potentially spike out for an overnighter, If they are hanging out too far away. By the looks of your pic you've probably flown around those mountains, what's your opinion?

 

[Daniel_M]

I have heard the same as well. I believe we'll be dropped off around 3-4k and we will probably camp at the closest advantage point we can find. Then go on full day hikes, potentially spike out for an overnighter, If they are hanging out too far away. By the looks of your pic you've probably flown around those mountains, what's your opinion?

No direct advice, they'll be where they want to be. Run it like a mountain hunt and glass glass glass.

I've flown through a few times, not hunting. But I have a few motorized areas we go into camping, and all the caribou I've seen stay high, just where they like to be away from predators and the skeeters.

 

[adventure907]

May want to bring a traditional knife along, to compliment the Havalons. Also, a 4 man tent is gonna be super small for three dudes. Maybe a better/bigger pack as well.

What dates are you hunting? As Dan said, the caribou are most likely gonna be hanging out with the sheep.

 

[Daniel_M]

And if the summer so far is any precursor to the fall, the skeeters suck. Pack some good bug dope. I'm a fan of Natrapel, it's very gear friendly compared to Deet type products. And a headset. Been a fairly wet start to the season.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Ray]

no need for the hatchet if you are bringing a saw. Not much to chop or split unless you are camping down in a river valley. Even then you can stick to smaller pieces that break by hand or snap off after a little saw work. Depending on the critters Mike may drop you in the Talkeetna valley or on the hills above it to the west within the northern section of the unit. If I had a saw that cut green wood, dry wood, and bone well, I don't think I would need a hatchet for anything else. If I was in alder country I would have a Gator Brush Cutter. Good for heavy willow cutting, too.

Caribou are always moving, somethings in a circle in mountains which gives the appearance of them "hanging out". I noticed they like to side hill heading slightly down hill. They tend to stay on the higher terrain coming off the larger ridges when heading towards the bottom of a valley. But, they also do what ever they want when ever they want.

For your food, it appears that you may be packing lots of "heavy" snacks to create a variety. Do you get bored eating the same thing?
When I have a weight limit, I only take the foods that will provide the most bang for the grams. Coconut meat, homemade date/nut bars, and a small daily ration of chocolate. If I am going to add dried fruit to the pack, then mangos are the only fruit that make the list.

 

[acmckeage03]

May want to bring a traditional knife along, to compliment the Havalons. Also, a 4 man tent is gonna be super small for three dudes. Maybe a better/bigger pack as well.

What dates are you hunting? As Dan said, the caribou are most likely gonna be hanging out with the sheep.

Aug 24-Sep 1, the choice of the 4 man is weight....

 

[acmckeage03]

no need for the hatchet if you are bringing a saw. Not much to chop or split unless you are camping down in a river valley. Even then you can stick to smaller pieces that break by hand or snap off after a little saw work. Depending on the critters Mike may drop you in the Talkeetna valley or on the hills above it to the west within the northern section of the unit. If I had a saw that cut green wood, dry wood, and bone well, I don't think I would need a hatchet for anything else. If I was in alder country I would have a Gator Brush Cutter. Good for heavy willow cutting, too.

Caribou are always moving, somethings in a circle in mountains which gives the appearance of them "hanging out". I noticed they like to side hill heading slightly down hill. They tend to stay on the higher terrain coming off the larger ridges when heading towards the bottom of a valley. But, they also do what ever they want when ever they want.

For your food, it appears that you may be packing lots of "heavy" snacks to create a variety. Do you get bored eating the same thing?
When I have a weight limit, I only take the foods that will provide the most bang for the grams. Coconut meat, homemade date/nut bars, and a small daily ration of chocolate. If I am going to add dried fruit to the pack, then mangos are the only fruit that make the list.

Yes, the meal plan is still the largest unknown, I have a couple back pack trips under my belt here in Utah. I usually focus on anything 100+ cal/oz, with the least amount of gm sugar. I just like to bring the variety of bars so I'm not eating the same cliff bar for 9 days in a row. I would love to learn more about some of the homemade calorie packed meals like you're speaking of. I've read a few threads on here just haven't tried any out yet.

 

[Ray]

I would love to learn more about some of the homemade calorie packed meals like you're speaking of. I've read a few threads on here just haven't tried any out yet.

In the freezer bag sticky thread in the Cooking section I posted my basic sweet potato bark recipe - page 3. I use this for breakfast now that I have moved away from eating grains. The bark replaces Cliff bars, Power Bars, etc. and adds in vegetation which I found to be missing from many prepackaged foods. You can eat it hard, or soften it up with boiling water and make a hot goop out of it. If you go this route, make sure to powder it up at home in a blender so that it hydrates better. I prefer to just eat it hard and crunchy with my morning coffee. At some point this summer or fall this recipe will be found in a published cook book in a slightly different format. If the young lady stops messing about and finishes it. Her company is growing so she might be having someone else finish the formatting.

I make a basic date/nut bar for which there are dozens of recipes for all over the net. A few are posted in the cooking section. I didn't really like the apricot bars, but the date based bars were always a good mid day meal/snack. You can make them with dates as the base and then add in various berry types to make a variety. Blue berries and tart cherries are common to find in bulk in many whole food stores.

 

[Gznokes]

This was my meal list for a 5 day fly in caribou hunt. I highly recommend the Mountain House Breakfast Skillet. High calorie, light weight and great combo of carbs and protein. A lot of people don't like mountain house eggs, myself included, however, this dish is primarily potatoes and when the eggs get all mixed in they taste great.

Breakfast
□ Instant Oatmeal 2 cups/day X 2 days
□ Mountain House breakfast skillet (potato, egg, & peppers) X3 days
□ Powdered Milk packet
□ Granola
□ 3 apple sauce Fruit pouches
□ 4 oranges

Lunch
□ 4 Peanut butter & Honey Sandwiches
o Loaf Bread
□ 3 Tuna Packets
□ Apple 3
□ Carrots bag/ snap peas
□ 1 bag Jerky
□ 10 Kind Bars
□ 1 Swedish Fish
□ Bag of trail mix
□ 2 Candied Nuts

Dinner
□ 5 Mountain house
□ 2 Mexican
o Cheese
o 1 refried beans
o 2 premade rice & beans
o Hot sauce
o 10 tortillas
o 1 cans of chicken
□ 2 Instant potatoes
□ 7 Hot chocolate
□ in case of Caribou
□ Onions
□ Peppers
□ Jalapenos
□ Oil
□ 1 Mountain house dessert

 

[Daniel_M]

Can't beat the breakfast skillets w/ tortillas, though it's a toss up now between them and Biscuits n Gravy. I run more efficient on high carb, high fat. If not I tend to shed a ton of weight so I'm in the 4000 calorie range/day which isn't easy.

 

[carter33]

Do caribou in the more southern areas of Alaska tend to more prevalently reside in the mountainous terrain compared to the northern herds?

I ask because I have successfully hunted caribou multiple times but always north of Fairbanks and have always found them in lower terrains such as foothills and valleys.

 

[Ray]

Do caribou in the more southern areas of Alaska tend to more prevalently reside in the mountainous terrain compared to the northern herds?

It is the terrain in the unit he drew a permit in. It is the foothills and mountains of the Talkeetnas. Just to the east of that unit is the lower rolling hills and flats of the Nelchina basin, which contains a large herd of caribou. Not much of unit 13 is as flat as the north slope, more like the southern side of the Brooks.

 

[acmckeage03]

It is the terrain in the unit he drew a permit in. It is the foothills and mountains of the Talkeetnas. Just to the east of that unit is the lower rolling hills and flats of the Nelchina basin, which contains a large herd of caribou. Not much of unit 13 is as flat as the north slope, more like the southern side of the Brooks.

Exactly why we are so excited to hunt caribou in the Talkeetna's! Yes, there's far fewer animals than unit 13 however it's very suitable for my style of hunting. Love high country alpine hunting here in Utah and believe it will be very similar to chasing high country mulies! Unless Mike puts us down on the river, then we may not be moving as much and spend more time glassing.

 

[Daniel_M]

Think of it as a sheep hunt. Except looking for caribous.