Caribou Plans

[HuntinFool]

This is what I have planned out for my August 2015 Bou hunt. I am just looking to get some thoughts on this. Nothing is booked yet. Any tips or suggestions are more than welcome.

Fly into Prudhoe Bay $1300-$1500 round trip. I will get an Alaskan Airlines Credit card as soon as I turn 18 to build points, and nock some price off of this.

Buy hunting license and two tags for a total cost of $735

Be picked up by the outfitter, (70 north) in Prudhoe Bay and driven up to Happy Valley. $600 round trip split between hunters.

Fly out from happy valley to hunting spot for $2000 round trip.

If extra flight is needed to get meat out it is $1500 split between hunters.

Shipping meat back should be roughly $300 according to 70 North.

The gentleman I spoke to said that the only way to get your antlers home is through a company called antlers express? Rough cost of $500 split between hunters.

Total cost of hunt should be a little over $5000 dollars.

 

[zekers]

I've hunted twice off of the Dalton Hwy. if you're a bowhunter you can split that cost in half and hunt in the 5 mile corridor. I flew into Fairbanks, rented a truck and camper from GoNorth, and drove up. Most of the caribou seem to travel within 20 miles or so of Happy Valley. Rent a raft (very important) and get across the Sag...you'll leave all the crowds behind. Just process the meat and pay the extra baggage fee on the plane and load it into a cooler. Lots of ways to get your antlers back cheaper. I've taken my wife both times and it never cost me over $3000. Was about $2000 for my buddy. August 13th or so is when we went. Go hang out on the outdoorsdirectory site for awhile searching and you'll learn a ton. Also Pristine Ventures. You can buy all your supplies at Fred Meyer in Fairbanks. You'll go broke buying a loaf of bread or bottle of water in Deadhorse! Good luck!

 

[HuntinFool]

I have considered that option, but I have heard some really mixed reviews. If I go that route I would definitely go across the Sag to try and get away from the crowds. I will definitely do it with my bow, but I am still trying to convince some of my family/friends to go with me and I can almost guarantee that they will do it with a rifle. I have a family friend that lives in Sterling that has hunted the highway a few times so if I go that route I would see if he wanted to go as well, so I could have some first hand experience.

 

[Beamerfish]

We hunted out of Happy Valley last year and had a great hunt. We used a different transporter but 70 degree north has a good reputation for the most part. They know where the caribou are and will get you there. Three of us each took our 2 bulls each but we had to work for them as they weren't moving much yet. Footwear is a challenge in that country - it is a giant soggy swamp. We wore top end boots (Meindls) with knee gaiters - that worked OK. I think something like stocking foot goretex hip boots worn in the regular boots would be ideal. We also took a small raft - it was a huge help as we were on a small river. Good idea to take along a pack rod and some small spinners and spoons. Fun grayling fishing if you are on a river or hanging around Happy Valley waiting for a flight. Take your thermacell and deet - bugs can be brutal. Probably a good idea to spring for the $30 wolf tag. Slim chance but it would be a bummer not to have one if the chance presents. We saw a few bears but didn't have any problems - good camp discipline. We drove up from Oregon so can't help on the travel.

 

[Beamerfish]

We thought about the bow hunt but figured if we were going all that way, we wanted to do it right. Glad we did. Looked to us like that bow hunt was a tough go. Hard enough to get in rifle range of those beasts let alone bow range on that wide open tundra. Lots of competition too.