RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

Thanks for the help ArticBowMan & AK Jeff! I should have know better than to post a question like this. Now there will be a convoy of Hunting.net bumper sticker on the haul road.
I am not a fan of road hunters. I will be archery hunting. I will have my wife with me, so things can't get too haywire or she will kill me.
I have a copy of last years hunting regulations at the house. I will read up before I ask more questions.

ArticBowMan, You have already helped a bunch. I have a big meeting at work Feb-3rd. After that meeting I should have a good idea on when I can take vacation? I am hoping for mid to late August.

Thanks,

Wolfk Killer

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

The Sag parallels the Dalton and the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. There's a number of access roads for the pipeline that go down to the river and double as boat launches. The river usually isn't very far from the road so you wouldn't have to pack a raft all that far most of the time. The Sag is mostly Class I,but it can get reallybraided and shallow. There's grayling fishing and Dolly Varden (often called Arctic Char) that run in the Sag. If you want more info you'd probably be better off getting Bartlett's book on float hunting Alaska. You can get it through his website ( http://www.pristineventures.com/alaska_hunting_books.htm).

I don't doubt dayna did that hunt in 2001 for $2K, but I'd budget more than that now. If you don't believe me just go to Alaska Airlines website, or find out what fuels running in Coldfoot. Sticker shock takes on a whole new meaning.

AK Jeff

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

The main problem you will have is that no rental car company allows you to take their vehicles on the Haul Road. Competition is pretty intense from other hunters and the caribou may or may not be there when you drive up the road. If they are not there, there will none around and no walking or scouting or floating is going to help.

I have hunted out of Kotzebue and that is a good hunt, lots of animals, but it is getting more and more crowded. Also, the Western Artic herd is not really known for its trophy potential, although there are certianly some nice bulls in there, not nearly as many as the Central Artic or the Mulchatna. I took a 370 class bull up there a few years ago, and it was the best bull I had seen in two years up there. Kotzebue is also above the Artic Circle, and extreme weather, and I mean extreme weather can and does happen. My buddy was hunting up there last year when they had Military Hercs helicoptering hunters out of the field.

I hear good things about Papa Bear out of Bethel or Renfro's. They access the Mulchatna from the backside and seem to be finding the bulls when other outfitters near Dillingham, Soldotna, etc. are just not getting intobulls.

If you are dead set on the Sag, I believe there is an airboat service that runs guys up the river past the five mile corridor where you can rifle hunt and get away from the crowds.

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

Lookin' forward to hopefully meeting you Wolf Killer. I'm sure you'll have fun up north. Be prepared for road hunters though. You'll see tons of 'em no doubt about that. You can't really blame them for the most part. That country is so incredibly flat and open that the road is often the only thing to hide behind. Best of luck to you. Holler if you have any more questions. It's too cold todo muchoutside so I'll be pretty well glued to the computer until it warms up. That'll probably be in July.

AK Jeff

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

I've heard Airport Rentals rents trucks that can be run on the Dalton. I've also heard good things about Papa Bear, but I wouldn't be too inclined to hunt the Mulchatna considering all the bad reports floating around. Ram Aviation out of Kotzebue has gotten some really good reviews. I'd definitely look into them if I was after the WAH. Last I heard the airboat transporter (Alaska Goldrush) on the Sag wasn't doing drop-offs anymore. He still does guided hunts for about $4K a pop, but that's it. ABM knows the finer details of that though.

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

The sad thing with with the guys out of Kotz is that there are way more bad ones than good ones. I have heard Ram was doing a good job, as well as Jim Rood, but I also hear he sold his flight service????????

$4000 for a caribou? Man, that is a little steep. Especially considering the logistics involved. A guy could do a fly in guided one on one for that price.

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

My bad. It's actually not $4K. It's $4,500. Ouch!!!!

http://airboatfishing.com/alaska_hunting.htm

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

Last season the airboat guide only took one hunter. He just recently got his guide license for unit 26B. He has his transporters license but is on probation for taking the airboat into ANWR and dropping off sheep hunters. His transporters license was not valid int he reserve, and airboats are not allowed in the reserve, so he had two whammies at once. He's a nice guy, capable of running his airboats and has good equipment. I seem to remember him charging the hunter more than that $4500 price tag last year though. My brother and I walked to his camp and talked to him for a while after shooting a couple of bou. He also helped scoot me off a shallow spot when I got a little high and dry in a braided section. Man the water level was low last year! We ended up pulling 9 caribou out in about 8 days of total hunting up the river, then we arrowed a few more on the road system.

There are a couple of good sections to launch a raft and float the sag for a bowhunt. Probably the best for an August hunt would be around 70 Mile (Orange Pipeline Milemarkers) and float to around 50-54 Mile. This is dependent upon where the caribou are however.

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

ABM, I am going to shoot you one more email.

Thanks,

WK

RE: Alaska Caribou (DIY)
 

Thank for the info guys
One more question could a guy combine this hunt with moose?
BBJ