Alaska general info for Caribou

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04 October 2018, 09:18

Fjold

Alaska general info for Caribou

I'm going to start planning one of those stupid adventures of driving the ALCAN Hwy from California to Alaska and I want to hunt caribou while I'm in state. I'll be driving up with my brother who drove from Kodiak Island to California in the 80's.

So, can anyone tell me what the general seasons are for Caribou in different areas? I've driven from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Tok to Valdez and back to Anchorage so I'm a little familiar with the areas. Would anyone have a recommendation for an area that a couple of us to hunt accessible with a 4WD truck?

The Alaska F&G website seems to have all the information except that I can't seem to find the season dates.

Thanks for any help.

Frank

"I don't know what there is about buffalo that frightens me so.....He looks like he hates you personally. He looks like you owe him money."
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04 October 2018, 11:49

Scott King

It'll be an August thing.
A little bit into September is fine but mid and late September the bulls get rutty and not edible.
Howzabout you drive up and do a short fly out from tok or Fairbanks or something like that?

04 October 2018, 12:20

BrettAKSCI

quote:
Originally posted by Fjold:
I'm going to start planning one of those stupid adventures of driving the ALCAN Hwy from California to Alaska and I want to hunt caribou while I'm in state. I'll be driving up with my brother who drove from Kodiak Island to California in the 80's.

So, can anyone tell me what the general seasons are for Caribou in different areas? I've driven from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Tok to Valdez and back to Anchorage so I'm a little familiar with the areas. Would anyone have a recommendation for an area that a couple of us to hunt accessible with a 4WD truck?

The Alaska F&G website seems to have all the information except that I can't seem to find the season dates.

Thanks for any help.

A caribou for a nonresident on the road system really kind of narrows it down.

The 40 mile herd has a registration hunt. You won't be alone. You'll also be totally subject to the caribou moving to one of the roads you can access the area from. It's also likely if the caribou are near the road, the hunt will shut down within days. The hunt from the Steese highway closed in 3 days this year.

The other is the Haul Road (Ice Road) for the Central Arctic Herd. 5 miles either side of the road is bow only. If you want to hike outside the 5 mile corridor then rifles are a go.

Almost anywhere else for caribou either requires flying, a draw tag, or being a resident.

Brett

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And may your bullets shoot as swell As Fred Bear's arrow's flew; And may your nose work just as well As Jack O'Connor's too.
May winds be never at your tail When stalking down the steep; May bears be never on your trail When packing out your sheep.
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04 October 2018, 19:39

Fjold

Thanks guys, I'll talk to my brother about doing the drive up there and maybe a fly in or rafting trip. It's been over 20 years since I rafted up there but we had a blast the last time we did it.

04 October 2018, 21:46

tsturm

quote:
Originally posted by Fjold:
I'm going to start planning one of those stupid adventures of driving the ALCAN Hwy from California to Alaska and I want to hunt caribou while I'm in state. I'll be driving up with my brother who drove from Kodiak Island to California in the 80's.

So, can anyone tell me what the general seasons are for Caribou in different areas? I've driven from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Tok to Valdez and back to Anchorage so I'm a little familiar with the areas. Would anyone have a recommendation for an area that a couple of us to hunt accessible with a 4WD truck?

The Alaska F&G website seems to have all the information except that I can't seem to find the season dates.

Thanks for any help.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sta...lations_complete.pdf

05 October 2018, 00:42

Fjold

quote:
Originally posted by tsturm:
quote:
Originally posted by Fjold:
I'm going to start planning one of those stupid adventures of driving the ALCAN Hwy from California to Alaska and I want to hunt caribou while I'm in state. I'll be driving up with my brother who drove from Kodiak Island to California in the 80's.

So, can anyone tell me what the general seasons are for Caribou in different areas? I've driven from Anchorage to Fairbanks to Tok to Valdez and back to Anchorage so I'm a little familiar with the areas. Would anyone have a recommendation for an area that a couple of us to hunt accessible with a 4WD truck?

The Alaska F&G website seems to have all the information except that I can't seem to find the season dates.

Thanks for any help.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sta...lations_complete.pdf

Great!
Thanks

05 October 2018, 06:05

Scott King

quote:
Originally posted by Fjold:
Thanks guys, I'll talk to my brother about doing the drive up there and maybe a fly in or rafting trip. It's been over 20 years since I rafted up there but we had a blast the last time we did it.

It's possible that a fly out could be fairly easy. If the airplane puts you in the path of the caribou, I can just be a matter of hanging around camp/ the drop off spot, and shooting one or more as they pass by. I've had caribou travel past me by the hundred while I just stood there. It's a magnificent sight, but in those cases it's pretty easy to just dump one or more and get to butchering.
After that's over, you are still at or near the pick up point so you get to just load the plane when it gets there and get on with the trip.

05 October 2018, 22:31

AnotherAZWriter

I agree with Scott; when I lived in AK I always flew, starting by flying Space A to Kotz on weekly C130 from Elmendorf, then flying to Kiana commercial, then flying out from there (except once when I rented a boat from the pilot and hunted the Kobuk). That area is now closed for non-residents and think non-local residents.

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07 October 2018, 02:59

cal pappas

If you bring the girl that is under your signature, I'll pay for the hunt!
Cal

_______________________________

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07 October 2018, 06:47

Frostbit

quote:
Originally posted by cal pappas:
If you bring the girl that is under your signature, I'll pay for the hunt!
Cal

Thought you were done with big doubles?

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07 October 2018, 08:11

greatnorth

^^^^^

That’s some funny stuff right there!

"These are the times that try mens souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman." Thomas Paine winter of 1776

07 October 2018, 20:09

Fjold

quote:
Originally posted by cal pappas:
If you bring the girl that is under your signature, I'll pay for the hunt!
Cal

Cal,

I started using this gif about 20 years ago, she's probably bouncing them off her knees by now.

16 October 2018, 18:09

Bud Meadows

When she takes her bra off the wrinkles disappear from her face!

Jesus saves, but Moses invests

17 October 2018, 04:41

p dog shooter

quote:
I started using this gif about 20 years ago, she's probably bouncing them off her knees by now

Age does that

19 October 2018, 04:54

A.J. Hydell

Caribou 'combat hunting' with the Chuke:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rSRC-hWO9Wo

Chuke knows!

All The Best ...

18 November 2019, 09:12

bhtkevin

quote:
Originally posted by A.J. Hydell:
Caribou 'combat hunting' with the Chuke:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rSRC-hWO9Wo

Chuke knows!

This dude missed so bad he killed another animal he wasn’t trying to shoot. Phew.