Going bou hunting to the Mulchatna herd sept 26 into the bush. I am going solo right now . If anyone is intersted please reply. Dates are 9-26 to 9-3-03 with Iliamna air guides.

Wild One, that is ONE SHORT TRIP!

fyi--I've been out with illiamna air and they are excellent!!!! Never missed getting a "bou".

Oops ....the dates are 9-26 to 10-3 .Glad to hear about the good trips with them. I have killed bou before and I know they are easy to put down but what caliber would you bring knowing your in Griz country?

what kind of price? Email me. I'm on LI

Wild one I also have used Ili air guides and they are great to fly ouy with. I use a 270 and havent had any problems with bears on any of my trips. If so I suppose I would really piss it off because I would be sending 150gr pills down range

Wild One, I've hunted the Mulchatna basin many times. Many of those times I have flown with Illiamna Air, and really like the LaPorte's who own the air taxi service. Very dependable, and their planes are always in top repair!

There are a lot of Brown Bear all over the Mulchatna basin, but if you fly South West down around "SOW LAKE" Incidently, named by me, a few years ago! There, you will be in the travel corridore for the Browns heading back to the hills west of you, for den up! These bears have been in the Katmai Park fishing, and are used to people. That is not a good thing, because they have no trouble walking right into your camp while you are standing there. We use 375H&H rifles to hunt everything in the Mulchatna, because of the heavy concentration of Browns there. Some advice, keep your food, and meat, at least 100 yds away from your tent. The last time we camped on Sow Lake, we lost four caribou to a very large sow, and her 1 yr old cub. Bears would pass within 50 yds of our camp every day or two!

I wish I had not had surgery last week, I would be tempted to go with you, as that is my favorite place in all Alaska!

Good luck, and if hunting by your self, be very careful! I'm not sure that is a real good idea, however!

Wild One
Yes there are cons to hunting solo,but....
If the choice is solo or not,go.I have done this
hunt solo.You'll be just fine.Use common sense
and keep a clean camp.Most important NO food in
your tent.That includes wrappers etc...
IF a bear comes into your tent at night,he intends
to eat you...Fight like the dickens.

AK and that area is one of my favorites...If I was
not sheep hunting in the NWT next fall I would
go in a heart beat.

Also you picked a very good time to hunt bou.

Kill a big one!

Jeff

Oh yeah,for cal 338 win mag.

[ 09-10-2003, 19:58: Message edited by: JeffP ]

email me particulars if you can

Check out web page
and see what they have to offer.

I am arriving in Anchorage on the 25th and over nighting there and then flying ti Iliamna in the am on the 26 and weather permitting out into the bush till the 3rd. Then back to ANC on the 4th for another overnight and home on the 5th. Food will be dehydrated and I am brining my Kifaru tipi out with me for shelter. If you have a serious interest drop me some mail and I will respond.

I was thinking of bringing either a 7 rem mag or a 300wsm ( kinda heavy for bou and just enough for bear) what do you think?

Wild one
I would leave the tipi home...think low profile.

I have hunted out there with a 270,30.06....
But I think the 338 win mag is ideal for AK
Of your two 300 wsm.
Jeff

Mac, I'm not sure but I don't think Tim LaPortes company is called Iliamna Air Guides. I think Tim's is Iliamna Air Taxi. I Believe these are two different companies. Tim hasn't flown any caribou hunters, in a couple of years because the caribou are so far away.

I think if you guys looked at my tipi you would change your mind . Please go to kifaru and look at the para tipi and then please reply on your thoughts.
I will not bring the wood stove instead I am bringing an MSR dragon fly. I have got conflicting info on the hippers though ,the air services gearlist says to bring just waterproof hikers . And for caliber 300wsm it is with 180 grain pills

Having hunted alaska for the last several years in a row I would say the hip boots are mandatory.

I looked at the tipi tent. bring two tents. make one a true fourseason galeproof integrated floor waterproof keep you safe tent. I have spent weeks in AK when it rained nonstop. And we got wet, and we had the best of tents. If you are not backpacking, forget a 2 pound tent. take shelter with you. last trip we were out for 4 days longer than planned because the weather kept all planes out of the air. and take hip waders, dont let a pilot tell you different. they fly dont walk.

How do you kneel down in wet mush without hippers? how do you clean a bou without kneeling?
how do you cross a swollen creek with ankle highs?

Listen to your friends here and stay comfortable first. And have a great trip. gotta love the iliamna region...when your high and dry.

Wild One,
Take the tipi! It will take anything that the "Mully" will dish out...no sweat! If more people understood what they were all about, they would own them! 300 SM will work fine. Hope you get a companion to hunt with. You will have a good time non-the-less! Good timing on the hunt, b.t.w. It sounds like the C'bou are finally starting to herd up some. Weather had been a little warm until this week.
best,
bhtr

Wild One,

I live just west of Iliamna in Dillingham. I've hunted the Mulchatna herd for over 20 years and my advise is to go by the flying services gear list. Hip boots will kill you if you try to walk far in them. As for your rifle bigger is always better but if you keep a clean camp the bears should not be a threat. That does not mean they won't take your meat. A best quality light weight tent is your best bet. Perhaps the Kifaru is just the ticket.

A word to the wise. Jerry is right about Iliamna Air not taking people caribou hunting because the animals have been so far away. Check with the people you are flying with just before you leave to see where the concentrations of bulls are. Lately the concentrations have been up in Unit 19 at the time of year you are going. That is a long and expensive charter from Iliamna.

I agree about the hippers. Ili air guides use both wheels and floats. They prefer to use the wheels (super cubs). I took my hip waders along and they stayed at the landing zone. Take the good hiking boots if that is what they recommend.

As for tents, if the Tipi is windproof and not gonna fold over in high winds than by all means take it. I lost my fly during the night one time, luckily it was a nice night so I slept without it and found it the next day. The area around Ili does produce good wind.

I took this hunt last year in the first of September.

Lessons learned :
- Put your tent up in whatever brush/trees are available to break the wind. Even if you have to clear a flat area. You can go to bed to bluebird skies and be woken up 1 hour later with the tent wall/roof hitting your head.
-Bring bug spray and maybe a headnet. Glass in a somewhat exposed area. As soon as the wind drops, the bugs come out in force.
-There were grizzlys around our camp ever morning and evening. It really added to the enjoyment of the trip. We didn't do anything stupid, and they didn't bug us. They tended to stay bedded around a brushy creek most of the day.
-I would recommend the boots, at least knee highs. I actually brought both. The hikers were great for packing where we did not have to cross water or bogs. But, we did have to cross water to get to some caribou. Depends on exactly where your are. We were near a creek and a huge bog. Others were on dry rolling hills. You taxi should not know exactly where he will put you at this time.
-Put some Dr. Scholls insoles into the rubber boots. Makes a world of difference in comfort. You can get them cheap at WalMart.
-Bring only synthetics. Cotton will stay damp and hold water on your skin. Sythetic socks are nice even in the rubber boots, even though the boot can't breathe. None in our group had blisters. If you go back to camp, swap socks and hang the old ones in the tent to dry. A piece of duct tape over the area before the blister forms can save your feet.

For once, I thought I had the perfect gear. Gortex hat and pants. Sythetic long johns and fleece layers. Cabelas wind shirt (a life saver, quiet, and cheap, especially compared to the windstopper brand clothes). Helly Hanson Impertech rain gear. Quiet and you will stay dry. Lacrosse burly knee high boots. Good enough for all but the worst areas, which I could walk around (eventually).

I liked the Gortex pants. Although not totally waterproof,it was good enough. When it really got bad (and you cannot glass when it is really bad), I could hunker down and my long Impertech parka kept most of the driving water off of my pants. They are not completely breathable, but worlds better than the rubber rainwear, which will leave you dehydrated in short order if active. I ended up leaving my rubber bibs at the camp for most of the trip.

PS:

Baby wipes - the only shower you will have !

I am going to bring my hikers and a pair of over hippers made by Wiggys. I know this tipi is wind proof and its profile is low and wide it will stand better than most.
Mark young ....I see on there web site that they fly to 19 that is the reason I wanted to go with them seeing as how it is a 2 bou unit. I hope they stay there or are in 19 when I get there .If they wont fly me to 19 and the bou are there do you have a # of anyone that could be of better service I don't care at that point what it costs? I had planned on calling AKF&G in Dillingham everyweek until I get there to see where they are at. I spoke to the biologist last week Jim was his name.I know my gear and have tested it on the tundra before I know the system works .
Do either of you guys know of a place that rents sat phones in Anchorage?

Wild One,

Please read the regs carefully. Unit 19 has 4 subunits and each one is different for non-residents. Don't make the mistake of telling the air service where you want to go. Let him take you where the caribou are. They could be in Unit 17 by the thousands.

That late in the season Bay Air here in Dillingham might be able to take you. They have my recommendation. They are my friends and I have put my life in their able hands many times. 1-907-842-2570.

Try these guys

Satellite Communications of Alaska
4631 Shelburne Place
Anchorage, AK 99516
Tel. (907) 677-9699
http://www.phonehome.tv
Email satcomak@gci.net

Wild One,

All I can tell you about Sat Phones is that a buddy of mine just called me on the rented phone he is bringing up here on the 17th. Good connection and I'm sure he wouldn't mind hooking you up with the people he dealt with. His name is Dr. John Belknap(just address him as FB). Anyway his phone # is 1-509-922-6023 in Spokane, WA

I believe that ACS, Anchorage local telephone company, rents sat phones (907-575-9945 or e-mail wrls-info@acsalaska.com). Not sure how their prices will compare.

You should have a great trip, though I would have one concern. It is getting a little late and they will be starting into the rut. A bull can be basically inedible once he gets wound up. You will be there right on the cusp of the rut so you are taking your chances with the quality of meat.

I have another question for you . how do you deal with the garbage out there when you cant burn it ? I was also looking for bear proof food containers . I am bringing all dehydrated food.

On my trip, we brought it out.

We brought cup, plate, knive, and fork for each guy. We ate dehydrated food and caribou backstrap. Without paper plates, lots of paper towels, etc, it was just one bag for everybody and could be compressed pretty small.

In our case, a fly over was supposed to happen every other day or so, weather permitting. This seemed pretty standard when I was checking outfitters. They will land and bring out your caribou once you have one down and get it into cold storage in Illiamna. They have to do this if you are flying out in a cub. They can't carry a man, his gear, and all the meat back in one trip. Wouldn't be a big deal to carry out a bag of garbage with the 'bou. Then, just pack the final bit out with your gear.

We usually do the same thing. Bring along a few trash bags and treat it like meat. Keep it away from camp etc.

As for food, we never did bring any of those bear proof containers since flying in you are dealing with a weight issue. If you have room and under the weight by all means bring them. Usually we just put the food in a water proof bag and put pots and pans on top of it. Kinda like an early warning device in case a bear gets curious. One time we had a bear you could set your watch to he was so regular in our camp. He never touched the meat or the food, he was just nosing around. A very disciplined bear.

Oh and Ili air guides has a meat shack were they hang the meat and you can debone it when you come out of the field. Not much for cold storage in Iliamna. Even NAC doesnt have cold storage. They will bring it the meat to airfield when its supposed to fly. Dont try bringing it with you because most bags dont even make the flight. They also have real nice cabins to stay in before and after the flight. The Kneens are great people and Cindy is a sweetheart. You will have a great trip.