If you could caribou hunt once

[Horby]

I have been reading every article on rokslide regarding caribou. I have it narrowed down to one transporter that I'd like to go with to hunt the western arctic herd and one transporter to hunt the porcupine herd. If you could do one which would you prefer and why? I'd like to make this as much about the scenery as it is to come home successfully harvesting a caribou. I've tried to weigh variables of prices such as only flying to fairbanks vs anchorage to kotzebue. I've also looked at lodging and supplies in kotzebue vs fairbanks. Small details, but I'd also like to bring back a shed or set for the kids and being in areas of wolves would also be sought after. Would appreciate any insight to your guys opinions. Thank you.

 

[CGSwimmer25]

I’d look at whatever has the least amount on info on this forum. Kotzebue was a great hunt before people got on Rokslide and posted all the rivers they were hunting. If you’re looking to be on top of other hunters then go with Golden Eagle. If you end up finding a remote place to hunt Caribou, and have a great adventure, do yourself and the next guy a favor and keep the location a SECRET!!!!

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Way too many variables and unknown information in this equation to give you a straight answer. I’ve hunted both herds, enjoyed the hell out of hunting both herds.

 

[Horby]

Way too many variables and unknown information in this equation to give you a straight answer. I’ve hunted both herds, enjoyed the hell out of hunting both herds.

There will be 3 of us for sure maybe a 4th. We are looking at doing a drop camp supplying our own gear. Not looking to do a float camp. Coming from ND, looking for hard horned, planning for after September 1st. 35 years old with experience elk hunting in the mountains as well as flat landing annually. Not running ultra marathons with Aron Snyder but consider myself a capable determined hunter.

 

[TimberDoodle]

If you're going to end up anywhere near a river of any size, bring a raft. It's only so much fun to watch big animals on land that you can't get to...

I've only hunted the porcupine, so can't give a comparison. It seems to me that caribou hunting is a lot of hoping that you land in the right spot, and that the migration comes through in decent enough numbers while you're there. Plan on wet weather, and delayed flights, and hope you don't get too much of either

 

[Nick Muche]

Porcupine.

 

[Larry Bartlett]

If you consider a data approach, the WAH is still experiencing a recovery from massive decline in total pop and during that trough period local residents experienced warmer fall periods that contributed to their "lack of subsistence opportunities." This allowed controlled use corridors to be extended and reworded to make it difficult for abundant locations and routes for non-locals like us to hunt caribou. For that reason hunters have 3-4 options for solid routes avoiding the closed hotspots. This, IMO, made the WAH less appealing but not less successful. Good pilots still get folks on animals but there are some concentrated use areas where IF remoteness and solitude is your goal over fishing ops, elsewhere might be prudent.

The Porcupine is currently the healthiest and growing herd in the state, albeit more spendy to reach. That said, if you try to hunt caribou during moose season you'll have other groups around you on main rivers.

So, if quantity and quality is desired, the Porcupine herd is a solid bet for now. In five years though, this might change with cyclic occurrences in each herd. If fishing for char is desired, stick with the WAH. Fishing for grayling is all you get on the east side of th Brooks unless you go North of the divide, which is unnecessary in late aug and sept due to herd concentrations on the South slopes.

here's a sample from this year in Porcupine country:

lb

 

[Larry Bartlett]

 

[Horby]

If you consider a data approach, the WAH is still experiencing a recovery from massive decline in total pop and during that trough period local residents experienced warmer fall periods that contributed to their "lack of subsistence opportunities." This allowed controlled use corridors to be extended and reworded to make it difficult for abundant locations and routes for non-locals like us to hunt caribou. For that reason hunters have 3-4 options for solid routes avoiding the closed hotspots. This, IMO, made the WAH less appealing but not less successful. Good pilots still get folks on animals but there are some concentrated use areas where IF remoteness and solitude is your goal over fishing ops, elsewhere might be prudent.

The Porcupine is currently the healthiest and growing herd in the state, albeit more spendy to reach. That said, if you try to hunt caribou during moose season you'll have other groups around you on main rivers.

So, if quantity and quality is desired, the Porcupine herd is a solid bet for now. In five years though, this might change with cyclic occurrences in each herd. If fishing for char is desired, stick with the WAH. Fishing for grayling is all you get on the east side of th Brooks unless you go North of the divide, which is unnecessary in late aug and sept due to herd concentrations on the South slopes.

here's a sample from this year in Porcupine country:

lb

I appreciate your detail and explanation regarding both herds. This is the type of conversations I was hoping to spark. Thank you.

 

[rodney482]

caribou was a trip of a lifetime. I went to QC 14 years ago before it turned into a mess

 

[Kevy]

Horby and I have been friends since high school and I’ll be going on this hunt with him. I have not met anybody who puts more effort and research into hunting than this guy. We deeply appreciate all the replies and information that is given. Priority one has to be the chance to harvest an animal. Second would to not overpay and be McDonaldized. Solitude, scenery, and fish are all wonderful pluses, but if we end up getting totally skunked and overpaying for a bad experience in the process...pretty sure after not being invited, our wives would get real versed in life insurance and Thelma and Louise into the sunset.

 

[mooster]

If you're going to end up anywhere near a river of any size, bring a raft. It's only so much fun to watch big animals on land that you can't get to...

I've only hunted the porcupine, so can't give a comparison. It seems to me that caribou hunting is a lot of hoping that you land in the right spot, and that the migration comes through in decent enough numbers while you're there. Plan on wet weather, and delayed flights, and hope you don't get too much of either

If we had had a 5 lb. packraft it would have made our bou hunt a completely different and much more successful hunt. We had to watch bou parrallel us just across a river we couldn’t cross with hip waders. Good point you make!

 

[turbobrick]

If we had had a 5 lb. packraft it would have made our bou hunt a completely different and much more successful hunt. We had to watch bou parrallel us just across a river we couldn’t cross with hip waders. Good point you make!

With as light and tough they getting, its making more and more sense to bring one along. I'd love to have one, but there are so few places to use them here in the Great Basin.

 

[kickemall]

If you consider a data approach, the WAH is still experiencing a recovery from massive decline in total pop and during that trough period local residents experienced warmer fall periods that contributed to their "lack of subsistence opportunities." This allowed controlled use corridors to be extended and reworded to make it difficult for abundant locations and routes for non-locals like us to hunt caribou. For that reason hunters have 3-4 options for solid routes avoiding the closed hotspots. This, IMO, made the WAH less appealing but not less successful. Good pilots still get folks on animals but there are some concentrated use areas where IF remoteness and solitude is your goal over fishing ops, elsewhere might be prudent.

The Porcupine is currently the healthiest and growing herd in the state, albeit more spendy to reach. That said, if you try to hunt caribou during moose season you'll have other groups around you on main rivers.

So, if quantity and quality is desired, the Porcupine herd is a solid bet for now. In five years though, this might change with cyclic occurrences in each herd. If fishing for char is desired, stick with the WAH. Fishing for grayling is all you get on the east side of th Brooks unless you go North of the divide, which is unnecessary in late aug and sept due to herd concentrations on the South slopes.

here's a sample from this year in Porcupine country:

lb

Don't know anything about Caribou but thats a great video and a bad ass re-make of that song.

 

[saskhunter]

I’d look at whatever has the least amount on info on this forum. Kotzebue was a great hunt before people got on Rokslide and posted all the rivers they were hunting. If you’re looking to be on top of other hunters then go with Golden Eagle. If you end up finding a remote place to hunt Caribou, and have a great adventure, do yourself and the next guy a favor and keep the location a SECRET!!!!

I would like your opinion on "insert any low PP Wyoming antelope area which will now become a 3-4 PP area"?

 

[Scott F]

If you consider a data approach, the WAH is still experiencing a recovery from massive decline in total pop and during that trough period local residents experienced warmer fall periods that contributed to their "lack of subsistence opportunities." This allowed controlled use corridors to be extended and reworded to make it difficult for abundant locations and routes for non-locals like us to hunt caribou. For that reason hunters have 3-4 options for solid routes avoiding the closed hotspots. This, IMO, made the WAH less appealing but not less successful. Good pilots still get folks on animals but there are some concentrated use areas where IF remoteness and solitude is your goal over fishing ops, elsewhere might be prudent.

The Porcupine is currently the healthiest and growing herd in the state, albeit more spendy to reach. That said, if you try to hunt caribou during moose season you'll have other groups around you on main rivers.

So, if quantity and quality is desired, the Porcupine herd is a solid bet for now. In five years though, this might change with cyclic occurrences in each herd. If fishing for char is desired, stick with the WAH. Fishing for grayling is all you get on the east side of th Brooks unless you go North of the divide, which is unnecessary in late aug and sept due to herd concentrations on the South slopes.

here's a sample from this year in Porcupine country:

lb

Thanks for the quality of the response. Helpful to those of us new to the forum and wondering the same.

 

[chucko]

I honestly believe that your most important asset is time use lots of it do not be rushed. I have been chasing these critters for over 20yrs . I have gotten it done it 2 days and streched it out to over 10 and then some. I have seen plenty of folks come up from the lower 48 and be to rushed trying to do a 5 day hunt does not make sense given weather variables I would have at least 7 full days of hunting not including flight days, Nothing happens on time in the Arctic. Caribou walk on avg 7-10 miles a day so the longer you have the better your chances. I have been lucky enough to see thousands during some trips and only a handful during others but every trip has been special and I would not trade it for the world. Attitude is everything mostly leave it at home and have fun, I unlike others have nothing bad to say about any of the transporters. Hard working people who do everything they can to get you in and out the rest is up to you and the caribou.

 

[Horby]

Thank you everybody for the replies as well as the replies in other threads. We are officially booked for Sept 1-9 of 2023, hunting the Western Arctic Herd. Was extremely disappointed with the porcupine herd transporter communication or lack there of but either way I am currently happy with our selection. This site was single handedly the most useful tool in selection as well as equipment needed. I will undoubtedly have more questions as it gets close as the questions I have right now are quite irrelevant for at least another 12 months. Again thank you everybody.

 

[Voyageur]

Congrats. Looking forward to a post-trip report.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

Congratulations on getting it booked! The folks on here are a wealth of knowledge. A lot of folks will tell you to stay within X yards or miles of camp. You are an experienced elk hunter, I would say a good caribou bull is about the size of a mature cow elk, so consider how far you can pack one of those over rough ground (muskeg) and use that as your guide to the distances you are willing to hunt from camp.

If you are also an antelope hunter, I've found caribou often act like pronghorn with regards to curiosity. Just because you spook them doesn't mean they are gone forever. Some folks use a white game bag briefly to arouse their curiosity, and we have even had them come in on a black contractor bag.

With supplies so jacked up, make sure if you are rifle hunting that you source the ammo you need as early as you can so you don't get into a bind as the season approaches. That almost burned me on my moose trip this year.