Well I want to see Alaska and what better way than to hunt it. What's a good hunt for an Alaskan newbie? I'm thinking Caribou? It seems reasonable enough but I have no idea what I'll need to get to have any amount of success.

I really haven't hunted much away from home and really have no clue where to even start this adventure.

I've been hunting caribou since the mid-'80s. I'm not a guide and have nothing to sell but feel free to PM me your phone number and we can chart a bit. I live 100 miles north of the city. A bit lower on the AR Alaska hunting page you can see my thread of a flight service you probably don't want to use. I have booked with another for this fall.
Cheers,
Cal

From your post I'm not sure if you are considering going guided or unguided. For your first trip I would recommend going guided. A caribou trip would be great. This way you could get your feet wet and see how how the Alaskan hunters prepare both physically and mentally for hunts.
That being said, an unguided caribou hunt would probably be your highest chance at success for any species without a guide. An unguided black bear trip to some place like POW island stands a reasonable chance at success but doesn't feel like a wilderness Alaska hunt to me. You don't get the awe effect of the vastness that Alaska can give.
There are regulars on here from Alaska that will probably chime in and give you great advice.
Good luck with your hunt and I hope you can post some great pics of a wonderful trip.

Are you looking for guided, unguided, outfitted where you get dropped off in the back country, raft trip, etc?

If you're doing unguided, all on your own and don't mind hiking, doing the Dalton Highway caribou hunt can be a good option. It requires packing yourself in at least 5 miles and packing the meat out the same distance. Not an easy hunt physically but one that has a fair rate of success if you don't mind the work. Keep in mind, hiking tundra is not like any ground you've hiked in the lower 48.

If you are looking for a guided hunt then the sky is the limit. You are only restrained by your own pocket book.

Caribou is a good choice for a hunter new to Alaska. Success rates are fairly high, the racks are impressive and caribou generally live in spectacular country. Caribou meat, at least from a bull, is best if taken prior to September 15th. After that they tend to get pretty rutty and stay that way for a while. I've only ever taken early bulls so cannot comment on the meat of later season bulls. Late season cow caribou is excellent.

I would start by down loading the Alaska game regs and study them. Spend some time looking at Google earth at some of the areas that interest you. You'll be amazed at how few roads exist.

If you opt for an unguided, do it yourself hunt, be truthful with yourself regarding your skills and abilities as well as your physical conditioning. You can get in trouble in a hurry up here if you over estimate your own abilities and conditioning. Not trying to scare you but you need to be aware that there often isn't help if you get in trouble. A sat phone is wise thing to rent or own while you're hunting here.

While I have no experience with the type of wilderness Alaska has to offer, I have guided horseback rides and packed hunters in and out of Colorado's back country. That has put enough knowledge and caution in me that I wouldn't want to do this totally unassisted. Maybe 20 years ago when i still knew everything! HA! That being said I'm not sure my bank account can stand a fully guided hunt.

A caribou hunt can be done unguided. It really depends on how much money you are willing to spend.

You can hike the 5 mile corridor off the Haul Road (I wouldn't) as previously mentioned, fly in to Kavik River Camp for a relatively cheap price and have access to some amenities while you hunt or fly in somewhere remote where I believe you would have your best chance for success and you will experience Alaska in its truest form. It really just depends on what kind of experience you want.

If you have the budget, go as far away from the resident hunters as you can get. There are a lot of caribou there, and the hunting is pretty easy if you are in a good spot. Just remember that caribou never stop walking and if you let one walk past you, you will never see it again.

quote:

Originally posted by ElCaballero:
Well I want to see Alaska and what better way than to hunt it. What's a good hunt for an Alaskan newbie? I'm thinking Caribou? It seems reasonable enough but I have no idea what I'll need to get to have any amount of success.

I really haven't hunted much away from home and really have no clue where to even start this adventure.

I can give you a bit of info that may help. My partners & I hunt the North Slope with rifles. We usually go about the end of the first week of August and hunt GMU 26-B. YES!! We drive the road up as well. Firstly, nonresident tag cost. As of 2014 regs, a nonresident hunting license was $85. You would need a nonresident Caribou tag - another $325 each. In addition, you need harvest tickets - free to all. In all seriousness, I would not travel up there after about the 1st of Sep't. You can really get hit with the weather and be in trouble if you don't have proper gear.
I think your best bet is to try & book a guided trip and the reason is that you will have a problem accessing that area. I understand that car rental agencies here in Fairbanks DO NOT allow their rentals being taken up the Dalton. If you drove it, you'd know why.
Assuming you can get up the Dalton, there are some transporters available. I know there is at least one located at Galbraith Lake located on the north side of the Brooks. Don't know the name, however.
Although very expensive, you could possibly get a charter out of Fairbanks - Wright's Air comes to mind here. Also, there is a flying service located near my home here in North Pole and they operate up north all summer. For the life of me, I don't remember their name. I also understand there is at least 1 operator out of Prudhoe Bay. My suggestion here would be to go to the State of Alaska home web site, then go to the Division of licensing. Look for a list of TRANSPORTERS and then print it out. This list should have the names & addresses of all licensed transporters in the state.
It will be difficult for you to gain access to the north slope as a non resident if you don't have your own vehicle.
Also, you must keep in mind the hunting regs on wanton waste. Both the state and the feds are vicious on this one and believe me, they do check on you.
Hope some of these comments helped and good luck.
Bear in Fairbanks