Is the "Caribou" considered, "Entry Level" Trophy Hunting....???

[Sourdough]

What is the driving motivation, to spend a lot of money, and have a "NOT" blissful wilderness experience, if all you get is "ONE" caribou........???

To turn this around.......try to imagine, if I discovered that recently lots and lots and lots of long time Alaskans, were incurring substantial expense, to fly to the lower 48, and then pay someone to sleep in their currently unused chicken coop, pay for a non-resident hunting license, pay to have the "local" drive them to "Government" land to shoot a wild boar, or a armadillo. Plus to discover they were spending $1,400.00 for special "SITKA" brand hunting clothing, and $2,000.00 for a "super-duper" designated pig-gun. Plus pay, for special shipping to have parts of the pig shipped back to Alaska, then write up a hunt report on some internet forum.....complete with photos, and jabbering about the bullet and powder and optic, and special boots required.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is great that hunters desire to experience an Alaska "Wilderness" Hunt. But the more I read on this forum and other hunt forums about non-resident hunters experience with the hunt for "one single" caribou, it just seems there needs to be a "full STOP" and rethink this madness.

 

[Poser]

So, I’m confused. With the statement “‘not’ blissful wilderness experience”, are you saying that there is an overcrowding Hunter experience in the Alaskan range?

 

[MNGaryB]

So, I’m confused. With the statement “‘not’ blissful wilderness experience”, are you saying that there is an overcrowding Hunter experience in the Alaskan range?

I’m thinking he’s confused with Facebook drama and Rokslide.

 

[AKBorn]

Sourdough,

I responded in the Unit 23 thread, am copy/pasting here in case you're done with that thread...


The barren ground caribou is the last great herd/migratory large game animal in North America. That alone makes it a worthy hunt experience unlike almost any other.

Most guys that come up from the lower 48 have access to better deer and elk hunting than they would experience in Alaska. They can even draw moose tags in many Western or Northeastern states. Caribou are an animal that you can only hunt in Alaska, no other state even has any to my knowledge.

I was born in Alaska, we used to hunt moose and caribou at Hatcher Pass and the Denali Highway when I was a boy in the 60s and 70s. I've been up to Alaska to hunt as a non-resident 12-15 times in the past two decades. Several of those hunts were to hunt moose and caribou, several others were to hunt caribou only. I would jump at the chance to have a griz tag and hunt bear, but I can't do that without a guide and I am mostly a meat hunter.

On a remote caribou hunt, a non-res hunter has the potential opportunity to see caribou, moose, grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, wolverines, and maybe even a musk ox in some areas. That alone is worth doing remote caribou hunts in my eyes.

As a longtime guide in Alaska and a resident of the Kenai Peninsula, you've seen many things that non-residents will never have the chance to see. That may affect your perception of caribou somewhat. I will say that I am 60 years old, and I still dream of and look forward to remote AK caribou hunts as much as I did when I was 6 years old and we were heading to the Osar Lake Trail on the Denali for 2 weeks. There's a magic about it that I probably can't express in words.

Hope the fall is good to you and everyone on the Pen -

Michael

 

[Donjuan]

I don't think they're chasing just "a caribou"...it's a whole adventure in itself just going to Alaska. Shooting one is a bonus

 

[Bambistew]

Care to share what you think is a "trophy" animal in your mind, or is there such a "thing?"

Does a successful hunt require "two" or "more" animals to be worth it?

Is the "experience" worth anything or is all about killing a boat load of caribou for your freezer, and living off govern't cheese the rest of the year?

Are you upset that people spend their money on things, or are you upset that they have more money than you to waste?

I feel sad for people like yourself. You remind me of a guy that lives in Hope who knows everything about life in Alaska, yet moved here from California 60 years ago haha. If you're not the same guy you should look him up. You guys could commiserate together and form a utopia.

 

[ptarmigan]

A "trophy" can mean different things to different people if we're not specifically talking about a scored book trophy. I won't look down at anybody for it either. Everybody's boat floats a bit differently.

 

[Sourdough]

Is the "experience" worth anything or is all about killing a boat load of caribou

Where is the "Blissful Wilderness Experience" in going through hell with corona-virus dance........ just to get to Alaska, and spending (5) "FIVE" days on a flying hunt that you can't hunt he same day airborne. With many apparently having hellish nightmares with transporters.

Now going in for six weeks on an "Immersion" type hunt, could include some bliss.

 

[ramhunter]

"I feel sad for people like yourself. You remind me of a guy that lives in Hope who knows everything about life in Alaska, yet moved here from California 60 years ago haha. If you're not the same guy you should look him up. You guys could commiserate together and form a utopia".

I was thinking the same thing!

 

[CApighunter]

I think it’s the most cost effective species to hunt that’s not available in the lower 48. 4-5k for a caribou hunt is a lot easier to stomach for most than 8-10k for a diy moose hunt, 12-15k for a guided goat hunt, 20k+ for sheep or grizz.

 

[Clarktar]

Where is the "Blissful Wilderness Experience" in going through hell with corona-virus dance........ just to get to Alaska, and spending (5) "FIVE" days on a flying hunt that you can't hunt he same day airborne. With many apparently having hellish nightmares with transporters.

Now going in for six weeks on an "Immersion" type hunt, could include some bliss.

The blissfull wilderness experience is experienced, not found. Perhaps some folks don't need 6 weeks of immersion to experience it.

Corona virus hell dance? It's quite easy to travel.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

 

[Sourdough]

I think it’s the most cost effective species to hunt that’s not available in the lower 48. 4-5k for a caribou hunt is a lot easier to stomach for most than 8-10k for a diy moose hunt, 12-15k for a guided goat hunt, 20k+ for sheep or grizz.

I think that is an accurate answer.

 

[Sourdough]

Corona virus hell dance? It's quite easy to travel.

Strange......that does not seem consistent with much of the postings on this forum reference traveling to and from Alaska.

 

[Poser]

 

[Pro953]

Really underselling a good spot and stock pig hunt. Especially with archery. Come down and give it a try.

Can’t speak for Armadillo, plus the whole Leprosy thing freaks me out. But don’t knock a good western foothills pig hunt until you have been on a few. It’s not exactly a shootout at the old farm stand. Maybe in states with feeders but not on the coast.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Bambistew]

Where is the "Blissful Wilderness Experience" in going through hell with corona-virus dance........ just to get to Alaska, and spending (5) "FIVE" days on a flying hunt that you can't hunt he same day airborne. With many apparently having hellish nightmares with transporters.

Now going in for six weeks on an "Immersion" type hunt, could include some bliss.

I still think you're the same guy from Hope. He also believes that a "real hunt" can only be achieved in the course of a month or "SIX" (6) weeks [I included the number twice so you really understand how "important" it is?] Any time shorter than that, hell, you might as well just go grocery shopping at Carrs, which is probably more dangerous these days.

I'm not sure why you are so concerned about someone's experience or length of experience is, or what what animal they want to hunt. Seems like you consider a caribou a "trash" animal only good for food if you can shoot a dozen at a time? You didn't answer my question as to what you think is a "trophy" animal. Please don't say sheep or grizzly, because the only right answer is giant mule deer. The others are more like "participation" trophies.

Most (read: everyone besides you) have jobs and lives that require they attend regularly, we just try to squeeze in what little time we have left to do the things we love. Be it a day or two weeks. Very few of us "live" the hunt 24/7 like yourself. Let me guess, you live out of a tent for at least "twenty-four" (that's [24], incase you can't read numbers as words) weeks this year. If not you're just blowing smoke. I'm going to go out on a limb and say you haven't slept in a tent for more than 10 days in a year in the last 10 years.. You better have walked there too,, because you don't deserve any other level of experience given your tenured position in Alaska's hunting society.

Most people have far more important things in their life than "immersion" in a hunting "experience" that can only be achieved in your fantasy land in "six" (again for those that can't read numbers as words (6).

That utopia must be a pretty lonely place. Can't be more than 1-2 guys that can achieve your level of nirvana. You and that guy in Hope, but I'm pretty sure you're the same, so make that 1 guy.

 

[Elkhntr08]

Strange......that does not seem consistent with much of the postings on this forum reference traveling to and from Alaska.

Got back about 2 weeks ago from a 13 day trip to Alaska. Not one person ask if I was vaccinated or tried to shove a Q-tip up my nose. Went right from the plane to the hotel and next day on a bush plane.
Not sure how much easier it could have been.

 

[TheGrayRider]

From the lower 48, it’s better to invest the same amount of money in a multi-species South Africa plains game hunt than a caribou hunt in Alaska. Guide fees, airfare, and tips are the generally the same. The flight over the pond is a little longer but Africa never disappoints!

 

[Sourdough]

So, I’m confused. With the statement “‘not’ blissful wilderness experience”, are you saying that there is an overcrowding Hunter experience in the Alaskan range?

Please show where I "MENTIONED" the Alaska Range. Show where I mentioned "ANY" Range, Mountain Range, or even a Range for cooking dinner....??? See I said "Zero" about any Range, In fact I did not mention any location other then Caribou in Alaska.

My reference to, "not" blissful wilderness experience, was based on "Many" of the posts in another thread, here on the Caribou Sub-forum. You will fine several in this thread here. https://www.rokslide.com/forums/threads/unit-23-reports.230165/page-4#post-2265489

 

[Clarktar]

Strange......that does not seem consistent with much of the postings on this forum reference traveling to and from Alaska.

Well, I can tell you first hand from traveling in and out of AK on four different occasions since spring, with the last trip being the last week that it's simple. You wear a mask on the plane and in the airport. That is the entirety of the Corona hell dance" I experienced on all four occasions.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk