Dumb Alaska Questions

desperatehills

Very Active Member
Messages
1,382
I received a email today from Alaska airlines. Airfare from Southern Oregon for about $450 round trip to Anchorage. This is quite cheap and my wheels started to turn. I spend a fair amount of time on MM but this is my first time looking at Alaskan Adventures. I glanced at a few of the haul road caribou stories and thought this might be a way to get my feet wet hunting Alaska. Hope you don't mind, these questions are very basic....

#1 How far is it to the hunting area from Anchorage?

#2 Is the tag over the counter?

#3 What does the tag cost and can you get more than one?

#4 Is this the hunt that is archery only for so many miles from the road and you can rifle hunt after that?

#5 Are the caribou hard to find? How many animals would you see in a normal day?

#6 What are the season dates.

#7 Is there good fishing in the hunt area.

#8 Are there any books you could recommend to a beginner Alaskan hunter?

I think this trip could be a great adventure, one that could be successful even if a tag didn't get punched. I have hunted Oregon for 30+ years and started hunting several other western states over the last seven years. I have been to Alaska several times but never hunting and all south of anchorage. Any advise would be appreciated. Thanks, Jim
 
Sorry, I have nothing to add, just replying so I can follow the responses as I've thought of doing this same hunt myself. Hopefully, I'll be asking you for advice next year!
 
Yes, I was thinking this could be a great filler hunt if I am unsuccessful in the draws. I would go into it with very little expectations. Just being up there for a week or so would be a great adventure, tagging a caribou would be a bonus.
 
Someone has to know something useful for you!
If nobody responds you might want to PM a couple guys who have posted success stories on here.
Good luck and I hope you find out what you're looking for.
Zeke
 
I understand this is a lot of very basic information. I think this thread is a sign I am suffering from cabin fever. I love the application season almost as much as I like the hunting season. I am putting in for Wyoming elk with a 42% chance of drawing. That means I have a 58% chance that I REALLY need to learn more about Alaska caribou. I hope someone takes pity on me and helps start a new adventure.
 
LAST EDITED ON Jan-14-14 AT 09:45PM (MST)[p]>I received a email today from
>Alaska airlines. Airfare from Southern
>Oregon for about $450 round
>trip to Anchorage. This is
>quite cheap and my wheels
>started to turn. I spend
>a fair amount of time
>on MM but this is
>my first time looking at
>Alaskan Adventures. I glanced at
>a few of the haul
>road caribou stories and thought
>this might be a way
>to get my feet wet
>hunting Alaska. Hope you don't
>mind, these questions are very
>basic....
>
>#1 How far is it to
>the hunting area from Anchorage?
A long damn ways:) It's roughly 17 hours. I fly in to Fairbanks but it's still about 11 hours to the hunting area.
>
>#2 Is the tag over the
>counter?
Yes, you can pick one up when you arrive.

>#3 What does the tag cost
>and can you get more
>than one?
You can buy up to 5 tags but they each cost $325 and you have to purchase a AK hunting license ($75 I think)

>#4 Is this the hunt that
>is archery only for so
>many miles from the road
>and you can rifle hunt
>after that?
Yes, Within 5 miles of the haul road you have to hunt with a bow. Beyond 5 miles you can rifle hunt. (5 miles is a long hike on the tundra) Another thing to mention about archery hunting in AK is that you must have completed a BOWHUNTER safety course before you can hunt there with a bow. The friend that went with me last year couldn't find a class in his state so he took the online version and then flew up a few days early and completed the field day in Fairbanks before we drove up to hunt. The only glitch was that the airline lost his bow so he had to borrow a bow from a friend of a friend to pass the shooting portion because my bow was too long. He passed and his bow arrived the next day.

>#5 Are the caribou hard to
>find? How many animals would
>you see in a normal
>day?
Generally not hard to find but it really depends on where they are with the migration. You could see very few or thousands.

>#6 What are the season dates.
Season is open all year long.

>#7 Is there good fishing
>in the hunt area.
I've never tried the fishing because the hunting actions has been awesome the last 2 years so I haven't had a chance to try fishing but I've heard the grayling fishing is very good.

>#8 Are there any books you
>could recommend to a beginner
>Alaskan hunter?
I'm sure there are but I don't know of any.

>I think this trip could be
>a great adventure, one that
>could be successful even if
>a tag didn't get punched.
>I have hunted Oregon for
>30+ years and started hunting
>several other western states over
>the last seven years. I
>have been to Alaska several
>times but never hunting and
>all south of anchorage. Any
>advise would be appreciated. Thanks,
>Jim

You are correct in thinking this would be a great adventure. I love hunting the haul road. I generally go the first week of August and have had good luck. (2 pretty good bulls in 3 years) Most people say I go too early because the bugs are still bad and the migration isn't usually cranked up but I have to go before school starts here in CO and I prefer more bugs but less people. A bug suit is an absolute must!!! If you want to talk about it, shoot me a PM with your phone number and I'll give you a call. I've gotten a lot of great information on this site in the past and am more than happy to pass on my experiences.
Hoopscoach

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud"
 
>LAST EDITED ON Jan-14-14
>AT 09:45?PM (MST)

>
>>I received a email today from
>>Alaska airlines. Airfare from Southern
>>Oregon for about $450 round
>>trip to Anchorage. This is
>>quite cheap and my wheels
>>started to turn. I spend
>>a fair amount of time
>>on MM but this is
>>my first time looking at
>>Alaskan Adventures. I glanced at
>>a few of the haul
>>road caribou stories and thought
>>this might be a way
>>to get my feet wet
>>hunting Alaska. Hope you don't
>>mind, these questions are very
>>basic....
>>
>>#1 How far is it to
>>the hunting area from Anchorage?
>A long damn ways:) It's roughly
>17 hours. I fly in
>to Fairbanks but it's still
>about 11 hours to the
>hunting area.
>>
>>#2 Is the tag over the
>>counter?
>Yes, you can pick one up
>when you arrive.
>
>>#3 What does the tag cost
>>and can you get more
>>than one?
>You can buy up to 5
>tags but they each cost
>$325 and you have to
>purchase a AK hunting license
>($75 I think)
>
>>#4 Is this the hunt that
>>is archery only for so
>>many miles from the road
>>and you can rifle hunt
>>after that?
>Yes, Within 5 miles of the
>haul road you have to
>hunt with a bow. Beyond
>5 miles you can rifle
>hunt. (5 miles is a
>long hike on the tundra)
>Another thing to mention about
>archery hunting in AK is
>that you must have completed
>a BOWHUNTER safety course before
>you can hunt there with
>a bow. The friend that
>went with me last year
>couldn't find a class in
>his state so he took
>the online version and then
>flew up a few days
>early and completed the field
>day in Fairbanks before we
>drove up to hunt. The
>only glitch was that the
>airline lost his bow so
>he had to borrow a
>bow from a friend of
>a friend to pass the
>shooting portion because my bow
>was too long. He passed
>and his bow arrived the
>next day.
>
>>#5 Are the caribou hard to
>>find? How many animals would
>>you see in a normal
>>day?
>Generally not hard to find but
>it really depends on where
>they are with the migration.
>You could see very few
>or thousands.
>
>>#6 What are the season dates.
>Season is open all year long.
>
>
>>#7 Is there good fishing
>>in the hunt area.
>I've never tried the fishing because
>the hunting actions has been
>awesome the last 2 years
>so I haven't had a
>chance to try fishing but
>I've heard the grayling fishing
>is very good.
>
>>#8 Are there any books you
>>could recommend to a beginner
>>Alaskan hunter?
>I'm sure there are but I
>don't know of any.
>
>>I think this trip could be
>>a great adventure, one that
>>could be successful even if
>>a tag didn't get punched.
>>I have hunted Oregon for
>>30+ years and started hunting
>>several other western states over
>>the last seven years. I
>>have been to Alaska several
>>times but never hunting and
>>all south of anchorage. Any
>>advise would be appreciated. Thanks,
>>Jim
>
>You are correct in thinking this
>would be a great adventure.
>I love hunting the haul
>road. I generally go the
>first week of August and
>have had good luck. (2
>pretty good bulls in 3
>years) Most people say I
>go too early because the
>bugs are still bad and
>the migration isn't usually cranked
>up but I have to
>go before school starts here
>in CO and I prefer
>more bugs but less people.
>A bug suit is an
>absolute must!!! If you want
>to talk about it, shoot
>me a PM with your
>phone number and I'll give
>you a call. I've gotten
>a lot of great information
>on this site in the
>past and am more than
>happy to pass on my
>experiences.
>Hoopscoach
>
>"Rather fail with honor than succeed
>by fraud"

Greetings from Alaska! Hoopscoach has good advise. Just one thing though. You don't have to have a bowhunter's certification unless it's a bowhunting only hunt. For some reason the five mile area doesn't apply. I've hunted muskeg and tundra and I'm here to tell you that it's the hardest time walking or packing you'll ever know. Packing a caribou for five miles will drain you fast.
If you're looking to hunt Alaska cheap why not hunt blacktails or spring black bear? I've shot bears on Prince Of Wales and Kuiu on DIY hunts for pretty damn cheap. I've also hunted blacktails on POW, Mitkof, Kodiak and Afognak (where I live), for damn cheap. If you just want to get your feet wet hunting in Alaska I'd fly from Oregon to Ketchakan, hop on the ferry ($38) to Hollis (POW), rent a truck ($250 a week) buy your food, license and tags in Craig or Klawak ($85 plus $150 per tag), drive up to the cabin at Control Lake, ($25 a night, sleeps eight, split wood and propane included. You have to reserve it through the USFS ahead of time) and hunt from there. Now that my friend is a cheap Alaskan hunt!


For long distance dial 1-800-338-EDGE
 
I just called my buddy from Anchorage who qualifies hunters for the bowhunting certification. I was wrong, you do have to have a certification to bowhunt along the haul road. My bad.


For long distance dial 1-800-338-EDGE
 
If your looking for an adventure then driving from Anchorage to the haul road would be one. For hunting, it would be hit or miss I would say. You can see some caribou and try to ambush them with your boy but that is some wide open country and the odds are low. There will also be alot of other guys camping and driving the same road. We drove up and flew out last year and that was a way better proposition to actually fill some tags.
 

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