I'm looking to do a caribou hunt this year in Alaska (some things didn't work out for moose). Can anyone give me some suggestions for a guide for caribou? I know it's a little late to book, but I would assume there a some available slots. We were looking at Arctic River Guide Service, or maybe one of the trips Cabela's offers. Any other you guys could recommend? I was hoping to do it in August and take two caribou. A cabin/lodge is always a plus. Thanks for the help.

Al

Call these guys:

http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/akpages/akhunting/

They don't list caribou on their site because not many people book guided hunts for Caribou. But they have guided folks to some really nice B&C bulls. They can likely fit you in for this fall after the sheep hunters and before the moose hunters. If you would like a personal reccomendation on using them, email me. I can't reccomend them highly enough

Check oput this outfit, www.airguides.com

I've done some guiding for them, excellent success. email me if you want...alaskajim00@yahoo.com

Sevens,

I represent Rick Grant who I have known for years. He hunts what was my backyard until recently. The area is the home of the huge Mulchatna herd and access is out of Dillingham.
Rick has been a bush pilot and guide for about 20 years in the area and knows his stuff.

A 7 day 1x1 hunt is $4800.00 plus a $500.00 bush flight.

If you'd like more info. I'm available anytime.

Regards,

Mark

Try 40 Mile Air in Tok, Alaska. I've used them for Sheep and Moose with every satisfaction. However, because of insurance costs, prices have skyrocketed. Good Luck.

In regard to the post concerning Rick Grant, I have been requested to offer an alternative viewpoint from a recent client of Mr. Grant. I have no dog in this fight, but my acquaintance has encountered difficulties in registering on this forum and is unable to make a reply directly at present.

"Perhaps you can post this comment on Rick Grant and Tikchik Airventures for me."


"Last year (September 2004) I booked a canoe/fishing trip and two hunts with Rick Grant of Tikchik Airventures. I would NOT recommend using them. I was really disappointed in our pilot.

The first trip was a caribou hunt with a base camp at Little Grant Lake then a relocation for canoeing and fishing on the Wood River Lakes. On the third day my buddy got a young bull with antlers still in velvet that committed suicide by walking right into camp. Rick Grant got angry when we asked him to drive his floatplane 100 yards along the lakeshore to get the caribou meat that we had hung there because we had seen bears in the vicinity. Rick Grant barely spoke to us and when he did he was pretty surly. I flew several legs with him and each time he would say "Get your gear on board. Get in. Let's go. I got other clients waiting." Then he would start the engine and it was too loud to talk.

Based upon their recommendation, we went on a twelve day float hunt for moose on the King Salmon River. They lead us to believe that we would have the river all to ourselves. They never said that in so many words but it was implied in all that they said. They had told us in March that we were the only team that they were putting on that river. But when we got there, they said they were putting another team on the river behind us. They also told us that they were the only company that had a plane that could land on the tiny lake which was at the start of the float. But again, when we got on the river, there were several other teams on the river that some other company had landed there. We saw three times as many people as moose. More times than I can count, we had to bypass a place that we had planned to camp and hunt, because someone else was already there. I would hope that they would have steered us to a better location. But they sent us where it was convenient for them. They lead us to believe that we would have the river all to ourselves. But when we got there, the river was crowded with hunters. That seemed like a betrayal.

After the float hunt, those guys left and I was joined by another guy. We had planned to hunt caribou. But the pilot couldn't find them. They told us to cool our heels in the motel, until the 'bou started moving and bunching up, which we did. Everything is expensive in Dillingham; $5 for a gallon of gas, $10 for a burger and $150/day for a cheap motel. It cost us $100/day/person to wait around. After 5 days, they recommended that we go home. My companion on that trip had spent $1,000 on airfare to fly all the way from New Jersey to spend another $410 on hunting licenses and $500 on motel and food, then go home, without even getting into the field. If we had flown out, it would have cost another $1,000 each for a camping trip with no caribou. I was really disappointed in our pilot. They couldn't find the caribou when it was time and that's their primary job as far as I'm concerned. Seemed like another betrayal.

We didn't get any useful information from Rick Grant. Most of the time it seemed like an imposition for him to talk to us at all and at other times he was down right surly. We spoke with his wife, Denise, more than to Rick even though we spent more time with Rick. The information and recommendations that we got from her was mostly worthless, sometimes worse than worthless because it sent us in the wrong direction and finally she and Rick couldn't give us any information at all about the location of caribou. His concept of the responsibility of a hunting guide is different from mine. He acts like a taxi driver whose only responsibility is to shuttle people from one location to another.

However, there are some good things that must be said about them. They run a safe operation. Rick is a good pilot. They are also honest. Denise could have lied about finding caribou and flown us anywhere and we wouldn't have known the difference. We would have just assumed that the caribou had moved on. But Denise didn't lie to us. She was honest when she told us they couldn't find the caribou and we should go home. Their honesty cost them $2,000."

"KC"

OK I finally got approved to make posts. If anyone wants to discuss my post regarding Tikchik Airventures, they can post the discussion here.

KC

Try Bob Adams. You can book direct or through Cabelas. They have a main lodge with shower but you shuttle out to spike camp to hunt for the week. Make sure you are hunting under a master guide in AK. If not you are likely paying too much for a guided hunt and may not be legal. Try finding a link to the Alaskan Professional guides Association for a full listing.

a master guide is not significantly different than a registered guide. a master guide, iirc, is any guide that has been guiding for 15 of the last 20 years. it is not legal for any but a REGISTERED guide to book a hunt. a competant registered guide who has been guiding long enough to provide good references is far superior to a shyster "master" guide, of which there are some.

I'm not going to get into that debate but my understanding is that a guide who is not working under a master guide can't legally assist with animal selection or after the kill. Alaska has a real maze of legalitys but IMHO you run a far better chance of a quality hunt when you book under a Master guide. Most will never make it 5 years let alone 15-20 if they are anything less than top notch. There are a lot of fly by nighters and wanna be guides that will try to tell it differently.

Wagon, Nope you're wrong.
Assistant Guide.. Does most, if not all of the work. Must work under the guidance of a Registered Guide. Cannot book hunts.
Registered Guide.. Must have been an Assistant guide for 3 years,(?) have references from hunters he guided and take Guide exam from State. Has to be in the immediate vicinity of the Assistant Guide. Usually they do the flying and just sit around camp drinking your whiskey and telling lies.
Master Guide...Must be a Registered Guide for a specified number of years. Usually they sit around camp drinking your whiskey and telling lies about the other non Master Guides in the area. Doesn't mean much. He just managed to stay in business for the required number of years and applied to the state.
For more info check out the Alaska Dept.of Fish and Game site.

thanks, tj.
i didn't want to get into it either!

TJ, thanks for the correction. IMHO using the Alaskan professional guides Association list of Master guides is a valuable resource when booking a hunt. I realize the Master guide is not doing the grunt work. I believe I should have said that an assistant guide or class A assistant can not help with animal selection, cleaning etc. unless they are working under a master guide. I can only say that in my experience the Master guide system helps ferret out a long list of potential guides more expeditiously. I have never run into a "scheister" master guide but I'm sure one may exist Vs the far greater number of Registered guides with limited experience and finances.

Second the recommendation for Bob Adams. I think his Email is kipchuk1@alaska.net

i have heard good things about bob adams.

1 example of a scheister master guide would be jim keeline, see alaska with jim h. keeline inc.

as far as a.p.h.a. , they are of little help if u have a problem with their members. i do like their magazine though.

through research with both successful and unsuccessful former hunters is the way to go, as well as hunt reports from at least one club if not the more the better.

rant off...

ChuckWagon,
I'm not trying to start an arguement, just want to offer some food for thought about the APHA.
Becoming a professional member of the APHA is a matter of sending your dues membership money to them. I'm not saying there aren't some reputable Master and Registered Guides in the membership list, but a stellar reputation isn't a prerequisite to becoming a member. I'm sure that it has probably happened in the past, though I've never heard of the APHA denying membership to a guide due to less than a good reputation. That's not their mission.
Their main mission is to lobby to protect the guiding industry here. I was a professional member for a few years as a Registered Guide, but chose not to be when they spent tons of money, including mine, fighting what was obviously a loosing battle from the beggining. The board members of the organization made their choice, I just disagreed with their choice.
I agree with what cold zero says about references from former hunters of the guides a person is thinking of doing business with.
One thing I will add is that a complete list of guides is available from the State of Alaska. An inquiry can be made through the state regarding any guide to see if any complaints have been filed by unhappy hunters or any violations.
I've heard nothing but good about Bob Adams too.
Ken

Check out this site: Lake Clark Air

It's been 10 years since I hunted with them but if go again it will be with them.

Alasken, I'd agree completely that there is good and bad in every group. I just find the list of Master guides a good place to start but I would never take any group membership over sound references.