Which outfitters have the most reliable hunting for trophy caribou?

Email Wade at www.crosshairconsulting.com. He has several outfitters up north. You have to be a lot more choosy about Caribou these days. The numbers are way down in certain herds, and unless the outfitter can transport you from camp to camp along the migration route, you may be SOL .

Hunting bou is just about fresh meat to rural Alaskans, not something I'd ever spend bucks to do. Take her for sheep or moose if you are spending money on a guide.

All my kids been brought up catching the migration before any of the sport hunters show up; now when you have literally hundreds or thousands of caribou on all sides of you just 50 yards away and you have subsistence tags to fill; now thats fun for kids. My wife just cuts and wraps and I'm happy enough to let my twins do the shooting.

Whenever the caribou show up, many of the Indian women get a bunch, but I have only seen a couple white women out there seriously hunting. All kinds of caribou, just never seen any guides where we hunt.

Ok, well anyway since the question was regarding recommendations; Ive been in ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,) twice for sheep. The North Slope of the Brooks Range is absolutely stunning scenery and at the time the caribou herd was very healthy and the hunting quite good. My partner on one hunt took a nice bull. I'd recommend speaking with ANWR biologists regarding herd health and then speaking with air taxi operaters licensed to operate inside the refuge about a drop off hunt.

Another popular caribou hunt is around Kotsebue, over in nw Alaska. I'd call area game biologist working for the state fish and game for herd health questions and then research air taxi's working out of the area for a ride to the place to put up your tent.

Usually, the pilots are aware of herd movements. It is illegal to guide a hunter to game if not so licensed, but the pilots do have a list of set places they are able to land the plane so,........I guess anymore most drop off hunters have some kind of sat phone along. When the hunt is over or if some other contingency pops up you can call the pilot to come pick you up and move you to another location or back home. The pilots literally fly every day all day that time of year so the have a good handle on whats moving where and how their drop off clients are doing.

I have not been taking a phone with me when I fly. Two years ago when the warden flew in and checked me after my friend and I had killed a bear and a bull, we asked him to let our pilot know we'd like to have some meat hauled out. Last week when I was camped out on the coast I simply chose to not shoot early in the trip since the game would spoil before I would be picked back up.

If the caribou hunt is a good one you may well have the same option. Rather than shooting one the first day you may be able to browse for a really good bull or two, wait a few days, kill in the middle or toward the end of the trip and the meat wouldn't spoil before the plane comes to get you.

I would prefer to hunt caribou in northern Quebec rather than Alaska. From what I have seen trophy quality is much better and hunts more reasonably priced. I've been very succesful hunting out of Schefferville, Que. (2 caribou) with very good trophy quality. As the migration route of the caribou is subject to change I would hunt with someone who is willing to hunt from spike camps. Hunting from a lodge can be unsuccesful if the migration has suddenly moved 100 miles. Can't recall the outfitters name right now, but I'll post it shortly.

Quebec outfitter: Jack Hume Adventures. Hunts run from $5800 to $6600 per hunter.

Thanks you guys. We are thinking about taking our travel trailer to Alaska (probably the Kenai for Rainbow fishing) for the month of September. I was thinking it would be pretty cool to add a caribou hunt onto the trip for my wife.

Once we identify a couple of good outfitters, I'll probably call them and say we may be available to fill a cancellation spot.

I was watching 75-100 caribou today near home. Nice size (for the interior) grizz has been after them and hope to see him, actually we need to kill as many bear as possible where we live as they really hammer the bou & moose. I think the caribou are about ready to calve which brings in the wolves & bear. I haven't seen any calves yet either. Buddy saw the bear 3 nights back at 4am on supply run (bear didn't even run when he stopped) and I have sat along the road last 2 nights for a couple hours same time, but no bear. First night the bou were awful nervous, running back and forth looking down in area the grizz has been coming from. Last night they were just feeding/ laying around and less than 100 yards from me along the road. I believe the bear get most of the calf production soon as they drop, Indians claim they actually chase caribou to get them to drop calves early. All I want to do is kill any bear after the caribou. When they have had predator control, our heard increases in the past.

Anyway, they need to award permits to people who kill a bear where we call home. Thats how bad it actually is.

Also, I have seen outsiders in campers get caribou in sept right from the road. Problem is you never know when & where the caribou will show up; hard to plan. Why the guide thing probably is best route unless you are in Alaska for like a month. The guide will get you to where they are. I have seen 8000 caribou stretched across the valley 5 foot apart and other years, not a one during same time frame & season.

Jon,
Thanks for the referral to Wade. He had exactly the right hunt, but I was too late for this year.

SBT, oh well....there's always next year!