Where to go in AK?

[Scuba]

My self and hunting partner are in the planning stages of a 2016 drop hunt for Bou in AK. I have it narrowed down to the North Slope or Kotzebue. I want the best chance to bag a decent animal however I know I cant eat the horns. Cost is a factor and it seems that Kotzebue would be bit cheaper with not having to rent a vehicle. The biggest factor for me though, is the privacy. We are overrun with other people here in Nor cal and have no desire to see anyone else while we are hunting.

Both of us are experienced backpackers and I have lots of time hunting. We will be rifle hunting for this hunt. Im sure this will be the first of many questions and I would love to hear you opinions.

 

[Stid2677]

Kotz is a Village on the coast,, the caribou hunting is done north of town and requires a bush flight. The caribou migrate from the coast near Deadhorse and winter north of Kotz. The caribou hunting near Kotz is a late season thing with the caribou showing up mid to late September. You would be hunting the same herd, they summer on the North Slope and migrate over when it starts to freeze so expect the same class of animals. You can road hunt off the Haul road, but you will have lots of company, not hard to hike out and get away, but to rifle hunt you must be 5 miles from the road or bow hunt within the corridor. Many drive up to Coldfoot or Happy Valley and get flown out and dropped in front of the migration. Be warned that hunting migrating animals can be tricky, feast or famine. Everything must fly into and out of Kotz and they have very little infrastructure to handle the yearly influx of hunters. Lodging, meals and shipping can get very expensive. So pick your poison, you and hundreds of others all want the same thing. North Slope is the cheapest, with some work you can be alone, anytime you add bush planes it gets expensive fast.

 

[Stid2677]

The 40 mile area is another option, some road hunting, but it is a zoo. I have flown with 40 mile air and had some good hunts. It is one caribou only but super cub hunts are cool and the logistics are mush easier.

some 40 mile bulls.

North Slope

 

[Scuba]

Awesome Bulls! I think we are planning on a fly in hunt. I haven't had a chance to contact Mike w/ 70 north yet but I've heard he is one of the go to guys on the north slope. It seems that the 40 mile heard is very limited and can close at any time. How late were you hunting to get the hard horned bulls?

 

[Scuba]

Also what makes a super cub hunt logistics easier?

 

[colonel00]

Not sure where you are coming from but how is Kotz cheaper than renting a vehicle and driving the Haul Rd? That has to be some steep flights to get to Kotz and the to fly out from there, right?

 

[Stid2677]

Awesome Bulls! I think we are planning on a fly in hunt. I haven't had a chance to contact Mike w/ 70 north yet but I've heard he is one of the go to guys on the north slope. It seems that the 40 mile heard is very limited and can close at any time. How late were you hunting to get the hard horned bulls?

Mike and Bob at 70 North are great guys, I fly with them every year for sheep. I suggest you book now as they fill up quick and the season is short.

The Caribou will be in velvet until the first week or so of September, even in the last week of Aug, it gets hard to save Velvet as they are getting close to shedding it and it gets easy to damage.

The 40 mile area is broken in zones and the fly in zone almost never closes, I have never see it close. The road zones shoot out in a day or so.

40 Mile Air is in Tok and an easy drive from Fairbanks,, they have a hunter shack, walk-in cooler so once you get there all you need is close by, no need to air cargo gear and meat out of the Village.

 

[Scuba]

We would be flying out of Sacramento. I live well north of there. Sac to Fairbanks or Anchorage Then a flight to Kotz. best deal I could find was around $1200. Plus the transporter.

Flight from sac to Fairbanks alone is $650 plus the rental car which for 7-10 days seems to get really expensive if they know you are driving on the haul road. I looked at Go North ant they are over $1000 for 7 days.

I know it will cost an arm and a leg to get meat and all that home from either place with Kotz being way higher.

The more I look the more I think I want to head to the North Slope. Its gonna cost several extra days though, and time off at work is hard to come by.

 

[Stid2677]

You can fly straight into Deadhorse,, I guy on here said they rented a truck from Deadhorse. This is outside my knowledge base.

 

[Scuba]

Sweet. Never even thought about flying into Deadhorse. Googled it and its only $1200 Looking more feasible. I will try to get ahold of Mike in the next few weeks. I was planning on the last week in Aug into the first of sep. Or there abouts.

 

[Stid2677]

Sweet. Never even thought about flying into Deadhorse. Googled it and its only $1200 Looking more feasible. I will try to get ahold of Mike in the next few weeks. I was planning on the last week in Aug into the first of sep. Or there abouts.

I believe Mike can fly you from there or shuttle you to Happy Valley. He also has basic lodging at Happy Valley.

 

[Ray]

Any chance you have a credit card with an air milage plan? If not, then sign up for an AK Airlines Visa card and stockup on milage. That is one of the easiest ways to keep the cost down. They do have black out periods that you will have to pay extra milage or money for to get a fair.

The other option for Tok is that 40 Mile has a commerical scheduled flight from Fairbanks that can save the drive and rental. I would think that their air fair would be cheaper than letting a rental sit in their lot for a week.

Another option for North slope caribou is to fly on milage into Fairbanks, then commerical flight on Writes to Bettles and then air charter with say Bettles Air. I do not know how that penciles out.

If this is a once in a life time caribou hunt don't bring time off from work into it. That will eat away at your mind. I have lived in AK for over 30 years and I let that do me in. I squandered my youth to the paycheck rather to the mountains where it belonged. Not once did the share holders of the companies I used to work for thank me for my dedication to my job.

 

[aggieland]

Just Read on bowsite, 40 mile air is already booked full. Guess I'm going to have to starting making new plans. Any other good air services in that area? All bowhunters in our group of 3 and wouldn't mind a little ground cover.

 

[Nick Muche]

Aggie, try Tok Air. They may have an opening.

 

[aggieland]

Talked with zack this morning. Getting dates lined out. Thanks!

 

[VernAK]

Always check safety records and reputations of bush flight operators.

 

[Scuba]

Thanks for all the great info.
Ray, It will probably be a once in a life time hunt. As far as time off goes, its mostly just getting approval for the time off. It is hard to get a large block off because my shifts have to be covered by the other guys.

Stid, correct me if I am wrong but Happy Valley is down by Homer, on the Keni?

 

[VernAK]

There is a Happy Valley near Homer but the Happy Valley for caribou hunting is on the North Slope at the northern edge of the Brooks Range along the Haul Road.

 

[Stid2677]

What Vern said,,,,,


Happy Valley is little more than an old airstrip used when building the road for the pipeline. It is now a base of operations for a couple guides and air taxis and the Alaska State Troopers have a shack there too. Not going to find it on a map, but I believe I have the coordinates if you need it. If you go take your fishing gear, not bad fishing on the Sag right behind the air strip.

 

[colonel00]

Here you go, try this:

https://www.google.com/maps/@69.148539,-148.8353059,1593m/data=!3m1!1e3