Funny that you talk about money and skill. My caribou hunt this year wil cost me $1,200. A non-resident will pay about $2500 - 3000 because of extra plane tickets to Alaska and shipping and tags. There is a lot of skill involved, but maybe not all of it relates to just pulling the trigger. Everything from gear selection to keeping your camp clean, to figuring where you are at on the tundra. Remember, you can see or hear a highway, and its flat, flat. flat.

There are so many little details that can go wrong. Set your tent up improperly or in a poor location - you can die. Get turned around - you can die. Keep a dirty camp and have a bear rip your tent or you - you can die. I guess I just don't see how driving to your local woodlot and sitting on a tree stand hours on end requires any more skill than spotting and stalking a caribou. I know one thing though, its a hell of a lot less fun and I would rather walk four miles anyday that sit on my butt from sunrise to sunset.

I am not a fan of high fence hunting, but looking at this objectively, I think that stating that only an animal has been pressured to the point of turning nocturnal is truly hunting is pretty ridiculous.

In my humble opinion as a former guide and life long hunter:

The toughest trophy is a record book whitetail, bull elk,goat or bighorn on public land unguided. There are probably some extreme hunts in other parts of the world that are as or more difficult but that is beyond my experience to comment on. Almost anyone can drive around in a Land Cruiser and shoot animals. But not everyone has what it takes mentally and physically to plan, pack and execute a hunt in a draw only, public land area (especially a wilderness area) and take a record animal.

But everyone has their definition of a trophy. The way I see it, as long as you had fun, made some memories, spent time with the people you love and your doing what you love, a rabbit could be the greatest trophy of them all.

I agree with you on that!

Besides how much "skill" does it take to shut up, be still and not fall out of a tree for 10 hours? Not that much IMO. Been there done that. I would much rather do the 15-20 miles of hiking through rough terrain elk hunting or the 10-15 miles for a mulie. I would absolutely love to hunt the tundra. I have hiked there and will likely go up for ptarmigan this august when I am up for fishing. I would sacrifice almost anything for a caribou hunt!

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