How to do a DIY Alaska Caribou hunt?

[localsalemite]

A buddy and I have been interested in doing a DIY Alaska Caribou hunt. It is a little overwhelming since it is so far from where I live and the logistics behind it. Has anyone every done this? I am curious how logistics work with that trip.

 

[Tmac]

Mcseal2 has a great thread on this topic. Search for it, a wealth of good info there.

 

[Murphy]

It's not near as hard as it seems. Do some research and call some biologists. Caribou numbers in some herds are shrinking but there are still huntable herds. Find a flight service that Flys whatever area you pick and keep calling until you get a spot available. There are even herds you can hunt from the road. Fly to Alaska rent a vehicle and go hunt. Guys do it every year it just takes the guts to jump in and do it. Good luck to you, it's a blast.

 

[VernAK]

This site is your best source of information.....search.

 

[MuleyFever]

I really want to get a caribou hunt in but there are so many horror stories lately related to transporters and poor hunting areas. That and I dont have anyone to go with me.

 

[AKBorn]

You are correct that there are a lot of logistics involved in hunting so far from home, in an area you are not familiar with. For an AK DIY caribou hunt, the biggest pieces of the puzzle (given that you have a hunt partner identified it seems) are:

- Deciding on the type of hunt (road hunt off the Dalton, or flyout via bushplane)

If you opt for a road hunt off the Dalton, are you bowhunting, or doing the 5 mile hike away from the Dalton to get to legal rifle hunting areas?

If you want to do a flyout hunt, finding and booking a reputable or trustworthy transporter is a fair challenge these days. The best or most well known outfits are booked a few years in advance. I would guess that there are a few smaller, reputable outfits that might still have openings, but since they operate mostly by word of mouth, they can be hard to find.

- Planning and accounting for all of the costs associated with the hunt

Once you decide on the type of hunt you want to do, the rough cost framework can be crafted. The Dalton Highway hunt is less expensive than a flyout hunt, and has less logistics that rely on parties other than yourself. But, my sense is that it can be a challenge for a first timer, as finding the caribou, being there in the time window they are moving through the area, learning how to work with the other hunters along the highway (for bowhunters), or finding them after the 5 mile hike (for rifle hunters) are some of the unique challenges that this hunt offers to a first timer.

The remote flyout hunts are more expensive, and offer some different challenges in terms of weight restrictions for hunter and gear, meat/trophy care, and being prepared to handle weather delays that often impact the bush flight schedules.

- Logistics in getting to/from Alaska

Since you are in the St. Louis area, there are probably decent flight options to Seattle that will allow you to connect to a flight to Anchorage or Fairbanks.

- Logistics in getting to your point of entry into the field

If you are doing the Dalton Highway hunt, you can rent a vehicle, although rental options are somewhat limited due to many of the major rental companies not allowing their vehicles to be driven on gravel roads like the Dalton or Denali Highway. Flying into Fairbanks saves about 400 miles of driving as opposed to flying into Anchorage, if the Dalton is your hunt choice.

If you are doing a flyout hunt, you will need to get to wherever the transporter flies hunters into the field. That could be a remote Alaskan village, which would require another connecting flight from Anchorage or Fairbanks; driving to the airstrip if the transporter is based somewhere along the road system; or getting to the airport or lake if you book a transporter out of Anchorage or Fairbanks.


There are lots of other logistics (meat and trophy care, knowing the specific regulations for the area you are hunting, etc.) but most of those will be derived from the type of hunt you select, and the location you fly into and out of while in Alaska.

 

[mtnbiker208]

start off with where, can a non resident hunt caribou?
I have done 3 dyi caribou hunts in alaska, A non resident can't hunt caribou in those areas anymore.

 

[bowuntr]

Just do it... solid advice. Ed F

 

[jdmaxwell]

Not hard. Put some reach into. Rent a truck in Alaska. Drive north. Go hunt

 

[JMonty]

I see a lot of people renting UHaul trucks in order to save on costs, with some getting the box trucks in order to protect meat if you are bringing multiple hunters and need some place to store the meat over several days. Remember to pack light if you are hunting off the Haul Road as those tussoks are no joke and every bit of added weight makes it that much more difficult. Pare your gear down to the essentials and if you feel, based on your PT regimen, that you can add some weight add in some spare boots and maybe a few comfort items.

 

[Yukon Cornelius]

If I was a nonresident and I wanted to hunt this fall…I’d do any caribou hunt I could do from the road. Just remember if they ain’t there, they ain’t there. They rarely stop moving. So just because they were there yesterday, doesn’t mean they will be that afternoon.

 

[Malcolm31]

Not hard. Put some reach into. Rent a truck in Alaska. Drive north. Go hunt

This is my plan.