I hear tell of many outfitted hunters coming back home skunked from Caribou hunts. Was it a bad season up there? How are the heards doing in general? Was Al Gore right and global warming is ruining hte artic ecosystems ( )???

My imperssion is the migration varies for many reason and regarless of numbers you can get skunked if you're at the wrong place at the wrong time........even if it was the right place at the right time last year.

Brett

quote:

Was Al Gore right and global warming is ruining hte artic ecosystems ( )???

No, Al Gore has never been right...about as ar left on the left coast as you can go. Pray for a high tide!

Isn't crazy Al from Tennesse??? Don't blame him on us, we have enough of our own home spun wackos.

As to the caribou: One outfitter told me the numbers were way down due to what he claimed was mis-management and over harvest. Anyone have insight to that?

Where were the hunters hunting? If they were in the Illiamna area that area has been hammered for years. There still are plenty of good areas left for those who do their homework.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Where were the hunters hunting? If they were in the Illiamna area that area has been hammered for years. There still are plenty of good areas left for those who do their homework.

Sorry - don't know my heards well - one was hunting out of Kotzebue, another was hunting the Artic heard (same?) and another was western Canada,where exactly I don't know. I know this isn't scientific sampling but just wondering if its all a coincendence?!?

Well, so far those herds are doing OK. Although the freezing rain and current cold temps may be changing things as we talk. They must have just had one of those hunts where things don't fll into place.

WS,

Alaska is a big place and there is some very good caribou hunting there. As Phil said a little research should put a hunter on a good hunt. Caribou are great wanderers and herd numbers can crash quickly so just because Joe had a great hunt in one spot in 2000 is no indication that anyone should plan a hunt in the same area for 2011.

I'm booking the Central Arctic herd and Porcupine herd that are doing well at present. I wouldn't even look at a caribou hunt out of my old stomping grounds around Dillingham or anything in the Iliamna King Salmon area. These hunts used to be incredible but the big herds are gone. A guy I'm sure could find a few bulls in the right spots but the days of the mighty Mulchatna herd are gone.

Mark

I can't address any herd except the Porcupine. There was to be a registration hunt in early Dec. as I recall. Due to the fact that there were so many animals near the Steese & Taylor Hiways, they cancelled. If I remember correctly, they wanted around 300+ animals taken but didn't want "combat hunting" with so many animals so close to the road so they were waiting for the herd to move further away. There was an article in the News Miner last week on it. That sort of procedure really screws those of us that don't have a snow machine. I only have a 4-wheeler & there's no way I'd take it way off the Steese in winter. With this herd and the methodology (ie., registration) they almost always go over the quota and more than one guy has ended up with bullet holes in his snow machine. IMHO, the methodology is one big klusterfxxx.
I think it should go to a drawing with the period extended out until the required # of animals is taken.
Fish & Feathers seems to be trying to provide the most opportunity for the public to hunt at the expense of the management of the herd but what do I know.
If Phil is up in Central, maybe he has more current info. Just my thoughts.
Bear in Fairbanks

That's the 40 mile herd you are reffering too. The nelchena herd is doing well but no non resident will ever get to hunt that herd. The CACH that's the herd on the Dalton hwy ie the haul rd. The state is worried about the herd crashing not enough animals being taken. Reason that is a archery only area unless you walk or fly 5 miles off the Dalton hwy then you can use a rifle. Drive to happy valley charter a plane 1st as non residents you can shoot 5 Bull caribou out of that herd. Residents can shoot 5 a day but for most of us that is a 800 one way oddysey. The WACH supposed to be Doing real good. The 40 mile herd is supposed to be doing good too. Your buds just had shitty luck. Several thousand bou could be here today and be 40 miles somewhere tomorrow.

Caribou really are here one day and gone the nx; usually once they get the heck shot outta them; they pick up and move. The forty mile herd comes right through where I live and I have seen miles of bou 5 foot apart.

Our road was washed out and closed during season, so we didn't see hundreds of outside hunters show up; still the caribou didn't show up during usual window of several weeks as they normally do. Everybody here got what they needed like every other year, but it was a down year.

The 40 mile herd is really affected by wolf depredation. When F&G and the state gets away with some wolf control; the caribou benefit immensely. The wolf luvers have some influence with the politicals.

I have friends from outside who claim our bou are the biggest and they have hunted all over. I see huge bulls early but I could care less, just fresh meat. If you want to get a nice bull, come up the end of the Taylor earliest part of the season. One side of the road is closed to atv's as they don't want to happen what occurred out Eureaka in 1980's once everybody from Anch bought 3 wheelers; and shot 3 bulls every weekend. So you have to hike in, easy hike 4 miles. There's usually a few military guys and a couple locals that hike in and they always get super nice bulls. I personally wouldn't walk 100 yards for any caribou as we just use our subsistence tags once the outside hunters are gone. Trick is, come a day or two before season, locate the bou, check out the big bulls, and be prepared to back pack a day or two 4 miles back from road. I usually see 10 or so big ones, lots of bulls people be proud of, we usually have 800-1000 caribou right there waiting until they've been shot at some.

We also have the porcupine herd but you have to snowmachine into them and just too much work.

Too bad about the Mulchatna herd. I wanted to hunt it with my son one day. I cannot believe the locals do not know where the animals are in their migration. The bush pilots that fly daily should have a very good idea.
I know out of Kotzebue the locals would fly the Noatak every day during the migration to determine when the herd would swim the river. A day or two prior they would load up their boats and wait for the crossing. Pop them in the heads with 22's in the water. Pretty effecient but not great sport. I doubt they took the big bulls, probably the "tender" animals! That was a big herd up there but the animals were not as large as the Mulchatna or on the Penninsula.

quote:

Originally posted by eezridr:
I know out of Kotzebue the locals would fly the Noatak every day during the migration to determine when the herd would swim the river. A day or two prior they would load up their boats and wait for the crossing. Pop them in the heads with 22's in the water. Pretty effecient but not great sport. I doubt they took the big bulls, probably the "tender" animals!.

That is called GROCERY SHOPPING!!

quote:

Originally posted by 323:
That's the 40 mile herd you are reffering too. The nelchena herd is doing well but no non resident will ever get to hunt that herd. The CACH that's the herd on the Dalton hwy ie the haul rd. The state is worried about the herd crashing not enough animals being taken. Reason that is a archery only area unless you walk or fly 5 miles off the Dalton hwy then you can use a rifle. Drive to happy valley charter a plane 1st as non residents you can shoot 5 Bull caribou out of that herd. Residents can shoot 5 a day but for most of us that is a 800 one way oddysey. The WACH supposed to be Doing real good. The 40 mile herd is supposed to be doing good too. Your buds just had shitty luck. Several thousand bou could be here today and be 40 miles somewhere tomorrow.

323:
Yup!! My bad. I screwed up on the herd name. According to the News Miner, F&G is gonna open that hunt up tomorrow (Wed.). The bummer is that they're saying it's a 10-20 mile trip off the road by snow machine over rough country without a lot of snow just to get to the hunting area.
I think the way they managed this hunt is ridiculous and wish it had been a draw so that those of us without snow machines could participate. I've only got a 4-wheeler.
Bear in Fairbanks