Planning on doing an unguided caribou hunt for 4 people in the next 2 years. Looking for information regarding the best areas and any recommendations for outfitters. Thanks in advance.

Are you looking to fly in and camp or float hunt?

https://40-mileair.com/hunting/

If flying in, I've heard nothing but great reports from folks who've used 40 Mile Air. And if unguided, you'll be using a "transporter", not a guide - Alaska game regs quibbling, but if you use that word rather than "guide" in a google search, it might give you better results.


http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/ind...hunting.transporters
http://www.tokairservice.com/alaska-self-guided-hunts

If you want a float hunt, you might talk to Michael Strahan over at the Alaska Outdoors Supersite:
http://www.alaskaoutdoorssuper...unt-planning-service

Also, Larry Bartlett provides unguided services: https://pristineventures.com/a...guided-hunt-planner/

Thanks for the info- very helpful! Have not decided fly in or float trip. Gathering information at this point.

Where in Ky are you? Danville here, from Louisville.

quote:

Originally posted by bwoodie:
Planning on doing an unguided caribou hunt for 4 people in the next 2 years. Looking for information regarding the best areas and any recommendations for outfitters. Thanks in advance.

Well, first, Don't come to Dillingham! you're welcome here of course, but caribou hunting around here is a complete waste of time. We used to have a very large and popular herd, (The Mulchatna Herd,) but their a small fraction of what they used to be. I haven't shot one in years, maybe more than a decade.

I generally think some of the federal lands like ANWR are better than state lands and the air taxi's permitted to fly into federal lands are are little more closely vetted. Recently, Fairbanks, Kotsebue, Kaktovik and a couple other Brooks range towns have been popular with traveling hunters to fly out of for caribou hunting.

If you look at the list of permitted air taxi's in places like ANWR and other federal lands it may be a good place to start. I suspect most will be honest with you and be willing to tell you if they may well be able to put you on a successful caribou hunt or not.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by bwoodie:
Planning on doing an unguided caribou hunt for 4 people in the next 2 years. Looking for information regarding the best areas and any recommendations for outfitters. Thanks in advance.

Well, first, Don't come to Dillingham! you're welcome here of course, but caribou hunting around here is a complete waste of time. We used to have a very large and popular herd, (The Mulchatna Herd,) but their a small fraction of what they used to be. I haven't shot one in years, maybe more than a decade.

I generally think some of the federal lands like ANWR are better than state lands and the air taxi's permitted to fly into federal lands are are little more closely vetted. Recently, Fairbanks, Kotsebue, Kaktovik and a couple other Brooks range towns have been popular with traveling hunters to fly out of for caribou hunting.

If you look at the list of permitted air taxi's in places like ANWR and other federal lands it may be a good place to start. I suspect most will be honest with you and be willing to tell you if they may well be able to put you on a successful caribou hunt or not.

Isn't the area around Kotzebue (23) closed for nonresidents? I shot 13 caribou in that area in days gone by.

quote:

Originally posted by A7Dave:
Are you looking to fly in and camp or float hunt?

https://40-mileair.com/hunting/

If flying in, I've heard nothing but great reports from folks who've used 40 Mile Air. And if unguided, you'll be using a "transporter", not a guide - Alaska game regs quibbling, but if you use that word rather than "guide" in a google search, it might give you better results.


http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/ind...hunting.transporters
http://www.tokairservice.com/alaska-self-guided-hunts

If you want a float hunt, you might talk to Michael Strahan over at the Alaska Outdoors Supersite:
http://www.alaskaoutdoorssuper...unt-planning-service

Also, Larry Bartlett provides unguided services: https://pristineventures.com/a...guided-hunt-planner/

Dave: I too was looking around on the DIY caribou hunts and saw a couple of your posts here and in another thread. I have a fair amount of experience, but I confess much of the last 15 years or so has been with guides or PHs. But I have a younger friend and he wants us to go and DIY . So I was thinking of Alaska caribou. Its also been over 20 years since I have been to Alaska.

I saw your reference for 40 Mile Air and I am definitely going to call them about the transporter. I guess the Area 2 is the best chance from the other posts?

I also looked at the planners above but one of them is booked until 2020 for planning.

I also saw where you recommend Adak Island.

Is there one you recommend more?

I also have a question about hunting caribou in rut. I know the wardens are quite serious about the use and no waste of meat. But does that apply in caribou rut too? I can't imagine what to do with the caribou meat at that time.

We just want the best opportunity to see caribou and have a chance to bag one or two over a week or time frame.

Thank you Dave and others for throwing in to the thread. I realize the threads a couple of months old too. But Ive got to get going on this if there is any chance for us to make it in 2018.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by bwoodie:
Planning on doing an unguided caribou hunt for 4 people in the next 2 years. Looking for information regarding the best areas and any recommendations for outfitters. Thanks in advance.

Well, first, Don't come to Dillingham! you're welcome here of course, but caribou hunting around here is a complete waste of time. We used to have a very large and popular herd, (The Mulchatna Herd,) but their a small fraction of what they used to be. I haven't shot one in years, maybe more than a decade.

I generally think some of the federal lands like ANWR are better than state lands and the air taxi's permitted to fly into federal lands are are little more closely vetted. Recently, Fairbanks, Kotsebue, Kaktovik and a couple other Brooks range towns have been popular with traveling hunters to fly out of for caribou hunting.

If you look at the list of permitted air taxi's in places like ANWR and other federal lands it may be a good place to start. I suspect most will be honest with you and be willing to tell you if they may well be able to put you on a successful caribou hunt or not.

ANWR indeed has a lot of caribou. I have hunted there. My caution would be the weather. Absolutely horrendous!

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by bwoodie:
Planning on doing an unguided caribou hunt for 4 people in the next 2 years. Looking for information regarding the best areas and any recommendations for outfitters. Thanks in advance.

Well, first, Don't come to Dillingham! you're welcome here of course, but caribou hunting around here is a complete waste of time. We used to have a very large and popular herd, (The Mulchatna Herd,) but their a small fraction of what they used to be. I haven't shot one in years, maybe more than a decade.

I generally think some of the federal lands like ANWR are better than state lands and the air taxi's permitted to fly into federal lands are are little more closely vetted. Recently, Fairbanks, Kotsebue, Kaktovik and a couple other Brooks range towns have been popular with traveling hunters to fly out of for caribou hunting.

If you look at the list of permitted air taxi's in places like ANWR and other federal lands it may be a good place to start. I suspect most will be honest with you and be willing to tell you if they may well be able to put you on a successful caribou hunt or not.

ANWR indeed has a lot of caribou. I have hunted there. My caution would be the weather. Absolutely horrendous!

^^ Even in the early seasons Larry? Dang.

quote:

Originally posted by TexKD:

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:

quote:

Originally posted by bwoodie:
Planning on doing an unguided caribou hunt for 4 people in the next 2 years. Looking for information regarding the best areas and any recommendations for outfitters. Thanks in advance.

Well, first, Don't come to Dillingham! you're welcome here of course, but caribou hunting around here is a complete waste of time. We used to have a very large and popular herd, (The Mulchatna Herd,) but their a small fraction of what they used to be. I haven't shot one in years, maybe more than a decade.

I generally think some of the federal lands like ANWR are better than state lands and the air taxi's permitted to fly into federal lands are are little more closely vetted. Recently, Fairbanks, Kotsebue, Kaktovik and a couple other Brooks range towns have been popular with traveling hunters to fly out of for caribou hunting.

If you look at the list of permitted air taxi's in places like ANWR and other federal lands it may be a good place to start. I suspect most will be honest with you and be willing to tell you if they may well be able to put you on a successful caribou hunt or not.

ANWR indeed has a lot of caribou. I have hunted there. My caution would be the weather. Absolutely horrendous!

^^ Even in the early seasons Larry? Dang.

Mid August. Abysmal weather the last 3 years running.

Darn it. Aint nothing easy any more!

Thanks Larry.

I am still interested in you guys ideas of Area 2 vs Adak etc though. Thanks again.

No its not easy anymore, never was in hunting alaska, and you can be confined in a tent for days due to weather, a week is pretty short and I have heard a lot of horror stories about hunting up North without a guide from my clients who tried that first and said never again, and I'll add a self hunt anywhere is usually non productive until you hunt the area a couple of times and learn the country..Just something to keep in consideration. Mother Alaska can kick your ass if not familiar with it.

Yeah well, if everything goes good then thats great.

I've had a couple of guided hunts that were the ones you don't want to hear about or write up here. Fortunately that was years ago too. On those I'd much rather have been on my own.

Recently my buddy booked a hunt with a well known good outfit in a good spot. But a couple of days before the hunt the lead guide on that area had some type of family emergency. I'm not faulting anybody for that, and neither is my bud. The outfit brought in a great guide. Top notch guy too. But he had never hunted that area. So it was a trip with some scenery and some ok food. They didn't see anything in the range of animals that either the hunter or the guide wanted to take. No rifles were fired and no tags were filled in that time. So while there is no blame game going on, there darn sure is no re-booking going on either.

So it can and definitely does work out the other way too.

I think unguided caribou is totally doable. I would brush up on how to judge caribou however; they all look big but once you have shot a bunch you get a good idea. I start at the top: if it doesn't have much on top, don't shoot. I look for a "C" shaped beam. Next, I look for palmation up top or tines that are forked in addition to long tines.
Next, check for kickers (back scratchers) - big bulls often have them, small ones don't normally. Next, check the bez to make sure they are palmated and not spikes. The last thing I look at is the shovel: if it has all the rest, the shovel is normally good.

If 40-Mile Air is booked up, try Tok Air Service