do it yourself alaska

[youngtrout]

Hello, ###I was wondering if anybody out there knew of a caribou hunt in alsaka that is accessable by roads. ###I have been reading of areas that can be reached by roads but was wondering if anybody out there has actually done it? ###Or resources out there about the subject, thanks for any information people can give me.

(Edited by youngtrout at 4:05 pm on Aug. 3, 2002)

[marmot]

The Dalton Highway (a rough gravel road) is a place where you can go to hunt caribou. New rules are that you have to be a mile from the road to shoot. The tourist companies got that little rule passed so their bus tourists wouldn't have to see some poor caribou being killed by an evil hunter.....or worse yet, a gut pile.

Anyway, there it is and the hunting is almost always very good.

[doccherry]

There is good caribou hunting along the Denali Highway, from Denali over to Summit Lake. ###It's a good gravel road and the hiking is easy in that area since most of it is above timberline. ###Get 3 or 4 miles back and you should see caribou. ###Be careful with the meat, though, because there are quite a few grizzlies in the area.

[youngtrout]

Youngtrout here again, ###I have been doing a little research on the units in the dalton hwy. ###I guess my preference would be the unit 24. (It has an early season) I am looking for a early season caribou hunt. ###Do you know where I can get information about the migration of caribou in the early part of the season. ###I do not want to go somewhere and find out that theclosest caribou is 50 miles away.

[marmot]

Unless you are leaving today, you won't be hunting early.

You can expect snow, in abundant amounts, anytime during September. If I had to pick the best time it would be the first two weeks of September. The boo will be moving and the weather won't be too bad.

[Russell E Taylor]

Help me out here. ###Are you saying that you can truly "drive" to an area? ###I don't mind walking a few miles or so off the road. ###This would be infinitely cheaper than hiring someone to fly me out into the middle of B.F.A., so to speak. ###All I'd have to do is get there (AK) and rent an appropriate vehicle. ###Is this some kind of secret, or are a LOT of guys doing this? ###How much "road" competition could I expect if I planned for such a hunt?

Thanks.

Russ

[doccherry]

You can actually drive to some areas and then hike in. ###I earlier mentioned the Denali Highway. ###On opening weekend, there will be other hunters parked along the road. ###After that, maybe the second week of September, you'd have a lot more space to yourself and the mosquitoes will be thinned out by the frost. ###If you can hike in about 3 or 4 miles, you have a good chance of taking a caribou. ###It's wide open, very easy hiking, and you can glass all around for miles. ###The caribou aren't like deer in that they are always moving and covering a wide area at this time. ###Another thought is to drive to Talkeetna and fly out of there---not far, maybe 10 or 15 miles and camp. ###That would be relatively inexpensive and you should get a caribou. ###Remember, though, if you do it by yourself, you really have to watch out for the grizzlies once you have your caribou down. ###There are also quite a few moose there, mainly down along the river and creek bottoms. ###The problem with moose is that if you do get one, it's a real beast to pack it out---almost an impossible job if you're by yourself on foot. ###You may get half of it out but by then the grizzlies will have found it.

Give the guys at K2 Aviation or Talkeetna Air a call. ###I've used them before and if they're still in business, they can tell you what the best options are.

Good luck.

[Russell E Taylor]

Wow, thank you, Doc. ###I'll print this out and save it. ###I sure appreciate the response. ###Sure sounds like the second week is the way to go (for caribou). ###I haven't hunted caribou since '99 (Quebec) and I'm getting anxious to do it again sometime. ###This might be the most affordable way to do any kind of hunting in Alaska, for my situation.

Thanks again.

Russ

[Alasken]

Just to clarify a thing or two, the Denali Highway is in GMU 13. There is no nonresident season for caribou or moose in 13. The Dalton Highway Corridor is a bowhunting only area and you have to have bowhunter certificate.
Check out the regs!
AK Game Regs (http://www.state.ak.us/adfg/wildlife/geninfo/regs/huntregs.htm)

[Russell E Taylor]

Figures. ###I knew it was too good to be true. ###Getting to hunt caribou without having to hire a plane. ###Oh well.

Russ

[marmot]

I think they might honor a Bowhunter Safety course from another state.

[Alasken]

Any IBEP certificate is accepted by Alaska. It's in the regs.

[Russell E Taylor]

I sincerely appreciate the information, but I got out of bowhunting many years ago. ###Nothing against it, I just got out of it.

I guess the "highway" plan is out... which means renting a plane again, and there go the costs. ###I'll just rent travel videos, I guess. ###:nope-blue:

Russ

[Moose-Hunter]

Russell E Taylor,

If you don't mind me asking, what's your price range for a caribou hunt in Alaska? Would you be interested in a spring caribou hunt? A spring hunt will basically just be a meat hunt. I know this air service that charges just under $600 for a spring hunt, and you can take two caribou. Or are you after a trophy?