It's Me vs. The Wife... you guys tell me who wins

[Greyinggrayling]

If you DIY:
This is a situation where your pilot is a very important part of your success. A pilot is not a guide. But a good pilot can “guide” you or dissuade you in your areas of interest (have choices 1,2,3+ ready).

Fear of grizzlys can be overcome, usually by repeatedly camping in bear country. Black bears can be more precocious than grizzly, so doesn’t matter where you go. Just practice clean camping techniques. Always give them something more enticing outside away from the tent than inside and they won’t bother you.
Have her read “Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance.” It helped me understand bear behavior quite a bit. I don’t fear them, but I respect the hell out of them and am strict in camp.

But if she remains afraid of bears no matter what, and stays concerned about getting skunked on caribou, you will not have a good time, and saving money will not have been worth it. Personally, I would rather not go at all if I was going to come back angry after fighting in camp for a week.

 

[strousek]

Thank you everyone for the input. I think we got a little carried away with the fear of bears driving the entire hunt here. To note we are both Colorado natives that live on acreage in black bear country. We camp extensively every summer with our two little kids in bear country. Black bears are nothing more than big racoons in 99% of cases here. This summer we had one drag our yeti cooler away from the wall tent and proceed to open it. My wife was the first out the tent with a flashlight and 10mm yelling at that sucker to drop our hash browns. She has a great respect for bears but I wouldn't say a terrified fear. Grizzly are a whole different animal with a much greater respect on our end as far as temperament and destruction is concerned.

The idea of a guide for her helps alleviate the worry of what if a bear is in camp. If we have a guide simple... shoot the sucker. I will be honest I do not know all the rules of self defense but I was under the impression that a non-resident can not shoot a grizzly without a guide so shooting a bear in camp on a DIY hunt is a no no.

More the idea of the guide for her is to ensure that we have a once in a lifetime experience and the aide of an outfitter to ensure that. There are many things that can ruin this hunt. Bear problems is one. Not seeing caribou is another. I am prepared for the obvious of Alaska weather that can leave you stuck in a tent for days getting antsy. She feels that with an outfitter that has years of experience with hunts of this nature that "we" will be far happier with our hunt in the end.

 

[Tod osier]

Thank you everyone for the input. I think we got a little carried away with the fear of bears driving the entire hunt here. To note we are both Colorado natives that live on acreage in black bear country. We camp extensively every summer with our two little kids in bear country. Black bears are nothing more than big racoons in 99% of cases here. This summer we had one drag our yeti cooler away from the wall tent and proceed to open it. My wife was the first out the tent with a flashlight and 10mm yelling at that sucker to drop our hash browns. She has a great respect for bears but I wouldn't say a terrified fear. Grizzly are a whole different animal with a much greater respect on our end as far as temperament and destruction is concerned.

The idea of a guide for her helps alleviate the worry of what if a bear is in camp. If we have a guide simple... shoot the sucker. I will be honest I do not know all the rules of self defense but I was under the impression that a non-resident can not shoot a grizzly without a guide so shooting a bear in camp on a DIY hunt is a no no.

More the idea of the guide for her is to ensure that we have a once in a lifetime experience and the aide of an outfitter to ensure that. There are many things that can ruin this hunt. Bear problems is one. Not seeing caribou is another. I am prepared for the obvious of Alaska weather that can leave you stuck in a tent for days getting antsy. She feels that with an outfitter that has years of experience with hunts of this nature that "we" will be far happier with our hunt in the end.

If you have a guide in camp it isn't like you can just kill a griz. He certainly isn't going to just wack a pest bear for you and were you to want to do so you would need to be in a unit where you could get a tag (and then you would be paying $$$$$ for a combo bear and caribou hunt, vs just caribou).

Look up Alaska Defense of Life and Property laws (aka "DLP"). Travelling to to any state for me requires a basic understanding of how you can legally defend yourself - if you are not willing to do that, having a guide may be an approach consistent with your travel style.

 

[xsn10s]

I didn't read all three pages but I can't see the downside of following your wife's wishes. My best wishes for a memorable trip for a handsome couple.

 

[AKBorn]

Thanks for the clarification. For what it's worth, generally (most of the time, yada yada) Alaska grizzlies don't seem to be as aggressive as the grizzlies hunters encounter in the Western states. Most of the grizzlies we have encoubtered beat feet once we identified ourselves or they got our wind.

Most of the units that currently offer decent caribou hunting also have griz tags available OTC for non-residents with a guide. If it were me, I would talk with potential guides and say you are primarily interested in caribou, but would shoot a grizz encountered close to camp for ease of mind purposes. Then inquire if they can structure the cost to accommodate that (i.e., caribou is primary species with griz paid on a trophy fee basis if one is shot).

Your characterization of CO black bears can loosely apply to AK griz as well - i.e., 99% are no problem, but be wary for the oddball.

 

[Grisha]

Didn't have time to read the post but one thing I know - its best if the wife wins...

 

[strousek]

Thanks for the clarification. For what it's worth, generally (most of the time, yada yada) Alaska grizzlies don't seem to be as aggressive as the grizzlies hunters encounter in the Western states. Most of the grizzlies we have encoubtered beat feet once we identified ourselves or they got our wind.

Most of the units that currently offer decent caribou hunting also have griz tags available OTC for non-residents with a guide. If it were me, I would talk with potential guides and say you are primarily interested in caribou, but would shoot a grizz encountered close to camp for ease of mind purposes. Then inquire if they can structure the cost to accommodate that (i.e., caribou is primary species with griz paid on a trophy fee basis if one is shot).

Your characterization of CO black bears can loosely apply to AK griz as well - i.e., 99% are no problem, but be wary for the oddball.

Thank you. Your responses are very helpful and well thought out.

 

[brant89]

Since this is supposed to be her dream hunt and your treat for her 40th birthday, I would suggest tailoring the hunt towards her. If that means hiring a guide to giver her the peace of mind she needs to relieve her anxiety about bears and getting skunked then I would absolutely swallow that pill for her sake.

 

[jjohnsonElknewbie]

My wife and I have been hunting together for a very long time. Her dream hunt has always been Alaska Caribou so we have said for our 40th birthdays we will treat each other to an Alaska Caribou hunt. Turns out 40 is only 3 years away so we need to book this thing now but here comes the problem... I am an avid DIY hunter and fisherman. I have zero intention on hiring a guide for any of my hunts and find the challenge of a DIY hunt the thrill more than a kill. I have drawn some pretty coveted tags in CO including moose and mountain goat and scouted extensively to ensure that I was successful on a mature animal. I have no doubt that a fly in drop camp hunt is 100% up my alley.

Now comes the wife's idea of the hunt. She is slightly if not moderately worried about grizzly in camp and there only being the two of us. She would greatly like the added assistance of a guide for that aspect. She also has done some research and heard horror stories of drop camp hunts going consecutive days without seeing a caribou. I think she fears having to listen to my bitching in the tent after not seeing a caribou 5 days into a hunt. She wants 100% to go with a guide. Not needing the whole lodge sleep in a bed package but just having a guide on the ground with us.

I have a freeze drier at home and make all my own meals. I have twice the amount of gear needed for this hunt and have no fear myself of using a bear fence for grizzly deterrent. Money is obviously a factor in that from my research a drop camp is about half the price of a fully guided hunt.

So I assume the majority of you can probably tell me she will most likely win but I would like input from you guys who have gone DIY and guided and as to if you would go that route again or change things up. Any guide recommendations are greatly appreciated as well. Picture for attention I guess of us scouting for goats a couple years back.

View attachment 601836

Happy wife, happy life. Been married 22 years...

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Do what your wife says. You get to go caribou hunting and she is happy.

 

[MoeFaux]

Instead of echoing the many "happy wife - happy life" comments, let's break it down from a risk v reward perspective:

If you were able to talk her into a drop hunt, it seems you run a significant risk of her not enjoying the hunt. Whether she's uncomfortable in the camp due to bear concerns or she resents you if you get skunked - she's having a bad time either way.

On the flipside, if you can gather the money for a guided operation, she's going to be more comfortable, she doesn't have you to blame if the animals don't show up, and you still get to hunt caribou with your wife! Sure, it may be your favorite way to hunt, but I doubt you have any risk of being unhappy with the experience.

Sounds like the safe way to go is bite the bullet and do it her way this time. But NEXT time, you've got a big ol' bargaining chip!

Good luck and happy hunting!

 

[Duckhunter14]

I think you already know the argument is over before it began. Your wife will get her way. butttt you may want to remind her that adding a third person can make or break the trip. Even if you are promised the best guide ever, things change and you may get the last minute kid who’s never guided clients before that year or the grouchy old guide who bosses you around the whole time and insists you sit in one spot the whole time until the caribou appear because that’s how he’s always done it.

If you guys already hunt together and are comfortable being uncomfortable then you’ll be totally fine. My hunting partner and I went this past august and took a bear fence (against all advice from the transporter and others) and we were just fine. We had multiple griz around our camp (that we could spot with the binos/spotting scope) the entire trip and never had any issues with them getting too close to our tent. We were prepared with the fence, a 10mm handgun and my rifle (my hunting partner brought a bow). We also were cautious about where we stored food and meat and kept a clean and tidy camp and always had our heads on a swivel. A diy caribou fly in trip was an amazing experience. Do your homework on judging animals before you go and do it diy you’ll both love it.

 

[Mojave]

You could hunt Greenland do a July or August muskox/caribou combo for both of you for $12,000-15,000.

Just book with European booking agents and not American ones.

Google Jagdriesen. https://jagdreisen-reibenwein.com/groenland/

 

[ElkArcher918]

Happy wife, happy life. Go fully guided this one time. It'll pay off well in the long run for her and you.

 

[Mojave]

Seriously consider Greenland, Iceland or Norway.

Cheapest good Alaska caribou hunts are $12,000 https://worldwidetrophyadventures.com/species/caribou/ Horseback from WTA should be really good.

Cheapest good Canadian hunts are in $18,000 https://worldwidetrophyadventures.com/trips/mackenzie-mountains-caribou-outfitter/

My booking agent Leif Jonas has Norwegian wild reindeer hunts in Hardangavidda for $6000 a person. https://jonas-jagd.com/norwegen/

You can also hunt reindeer in Iceland or Greenland with this outfitter. They are very well known. https://www.lax-a-hunting.com/reindeer-hunting/

Canada has priced themselves out for me for a lot of things.

 

[jhm2023]

My wife and I almost exclusively hunt together and always DIY in Alaska. The hard earned DIY hunts with your spouse is a pretty great "couples retreat", especially looking back on the trip afterwards. It reaffirms a lot of trust in each other being left to your own devices without help and working together to enjoy the adventure and find success. It makes long stretches of bad weather more enjoyable anyway, I'm pretty certain my last kid was conceived on a sheep hunt. I doubt she'd have been up for that with a guide in camp.

For the price of a guided hunt you can probably do more than one DIY hunt, buy multiple tags to hunt other species, and/or pay the money to fly into prime areas versus trying to hike out. Caribou are where they want to be regardless if you have a guide or not and the better bet is to have a quality air charter that is willing to move you around if needed. As far as bears, you'll likely see some, but they are not really the "danger around every corner" issue people fear them to be. Keep your area clean and generally stay alert.

Enjoy your hunt whichever way you decide and be sure to post the story and pictures on here.

 

[Mojave]

You could also hunt on Adak on your own for caribou. I think you can rent an ATV. Not sure about trophy quality. You can stay in the hotel there and treat it like a western antelope hunt.

 

[bpurtz]

Go on 2 hunts - Guided with your wife hunting in 2024 then take her back on a DIY in 2025 when you hunt.

 

[Greyinggrayling]

Caribou hunting in AK right now is not great. Depending on what the biologists do, there may not be a NR caribou hunt DIY readily available in the next 3 years. They are shutting down many interior bou hunts here, including subsistence. The comment about Adak is a good one, that hunt doesn’t seem to be as affected, but pressure on that herd may increase now that NR hunters may start heading down there.

 

[B_peschke87]

My wife and I are going in 26 with my buddy and his father-in-law. She was also worried about bears but now that my buddies father-in-law is going who has hunted numerous times in Alaska she is more at ease with it. We are taking a bear fence and hand guns for piece of mind but hopefully don't need either. I cant see paying for a guide when you can do 3 DIY hunts for the same price.