Caribou

[Buckbuster]

Hey all, I'm looking at a couple of different caribou trips and want to know if there's anyone who has been up to Canada or Alaska to hunt them. I want to make sure I pick the right trip. Thanks - Buckbuster

[Frank Ross]

Buckbuster, You've stirred up some very pleasant memories. Two years ago I took a trip up to Aylmer Lake lodge for a caribou/lake trout trip and it was fantastic. The outfitter is top drawer, the location prime and the only downside was that the week evaporated too quickly.

My trip was booked through Cabela's Outdoor Adventures and was fully guided. I've got two friends that have taken the self-guided drop camp hunt to Alaska and they had a good trip, but it's a lot of work compared to a guided hunt. Guess it just depends on what you're looking for.

Aylmer lake is in the heart of caribou country, about 250 miles south of the Arctic Circle. It's in the middle of the migration route, but as with any hunting adventure timing is everything. Problem is, the weather and migration has everything to do with it, not your schedule. The year I went in August, they were running a little behind their normal migration speed and we were seeing the leading edge of the herds. Still, there were lots of animals and I was pleased with the bull I shot.

FR

[Buckbuster]

Frank, Thanks for the heads up. I'll put it on the list. BTW, did you do any fishing?

Buckbuster

[Frank Ross]

Buckbuster,

The fishing was truly amazing. This lodge is fairly new and the lake is catch and release only, although they do serve up a fish dinner on one night. It was like taking candy from a baby. The lake is crystal clear and cold. With such a short season to stock the larder, the lake trout will hit anything you throw and some are truly monsters. Although my catches were exceptional, according to the guide, the big fish are definitely there. I caught a 40 and a 50 pound lake trout, and a bunch of smaller fish from six to 15 pounds. The grayling are also plentiful. You can read the whole story in our Field Guides section of Outdoor Info. The caribou piece is titled "Hunting on top of the world" http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/inthefield/fieldguides/guidebooks-story-1.jhtml?hierarchyId=85&contentId=ross_arctic_caribou&title=Hunting+on+Top+of+the+World. The fishing side of the trip is covered in "Lunker Lakers Near the Circle" http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/inthefield/fieldguides/guidebooks-story-1.jhtml?hierarchyId=10556&contentId=ross_lunker_lakers&title=Lunker+Lakers+Near+the+Circle, and "Grayling in Canada's Northwest Territories"http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/community/inthefield/fieldguides/guidebooks-story-1.jhtml?hierarchyId=165&contentId=ross_canada_grayling&title=Grayling+in+Canada%27s+Northwest+Territories .

Good luck making your decision. I don't think you could go wrong with Aylmer Lake Lodge.

FR

[chopper69]

Hunted Barren Ground in Quebec last fall with Club Chambeaux. Would highly reccomend. Headed to Newfoundland this October to hunt Woodland.

[grayling]

Buckbuster,

There are several options that will allow you to have a very enjoyable trip. Based on my experience with Caribou hunting in AK/Quebec I would ask you to ask yourself these questions.

1.) How much are you willing to spend?

Based on that figure, or what you have available, can determine how much work you have to do yourself. Spending $4K-5K on a fully guided trip is not unusual and those figures don't include your airfare to AK, meating processing, antler packaging/shipment to your home, and taxidermy costs. These costs can be highly effected by fuel prices and can change from year to year.

From my experience Quebec hunting prices/packages will be cheaper than AK. But the scenery in AK can be far more spectacular and your chances for multiple species can be far greater based on the time of your hunt.

2.) Physical condition?

This is terribly important because it can be the difference between and enjoyable hunt and a bad time all the way around. You should begin training by walking a perscribed distance each day. Work yourself up to 4-5 miles per day with weight added to a backpack. 30-40 lbs of lead shot will suffice. Caribou hunts can be very mild but if you go unguided this is where the work can really begin, even in mild terrain.

In AK the meat must be taken or packed back to you camp before the antlers. The antlers will be in your last load. Two guys hauling one caribou could take two trips, meaning, that you hike out, shoot your animal, hike back to camp with first load, hike back to the animal site, and hike back to camp with your last bit of meat and antlers. If you shoot your animal two miles from camp you will be covering a total of 8 miles before you are done. That makes for a long day. And with 40-70 pounds of meat on your pack and back can wear you out before you know it.

You wil benefit from the physical aspect in many different ways and you will enjoy your trip "of a life time" way more if you can handle the load.

3.) Guide vs. Unguided

If you don't know what you are doing with survival gear, basic 1st aid, hypothermia, etc... you have no business gong into the AK bush without a guide. I am not trying to scare you I just want you to know that this place is a killer and it has nothing to do with the animals. There are plenty of books that you can purchase about hunting caribou in AK that can give you a better picture of what it is like and what you need to survive and be perpared. If you would rather not do that stuff than a guide is your best and only option. Remember that you want to come home to your family and tell tales of your hunt and things that you have seen. Don't let your ego get in your way!

Don't let you guide sell you on success rate. Ask for references and get phone numbers and call these people and ask them questions like, " how much of the work do the guides handle, will they move me if we are not seeing animals", find out hidden costs. Ask them if they felt comfortable with the guides.

4.) Expectatations?

Don't get ideas of B/C bulls in your head. Yes they are there, but be realistic. The first time you see a mature bull you have to have patient not to shoot because mature does not mean trophy. If they are in velvet the will look huge especially if you are whitetail hunter from the lower 48.

AK caribou can be very differnt than Quebec bulls. Different antlers and such. A trophy in one place is not a trophy in another. Don't let you guide tell you what to shoot. Look for trophy potential. At least 7-9 points on top, good mass, large bez tines with good palmation and a long shovel that is at least to the nose of the 'bou. Dont' worry about the double shovel. If it happens great but I have seen many a hunter pass up huge bulls that didn't have a double shovel and then be dissappointed by the smaller double shovel bull they took.

By picking the guide service you go with will determine what herd you would hunt in AK and also the time you are there. Guides out of Anchorage will usually hunt the famous Mulchatna herd. But realize that this herd has seen a decline in hunter success the last few years with not many trophy or good bulls taken. Can be great fishing potential but also lots of bears.

Western Arctic Herd. Good success rates and good trophy potential but can be much more expensive as it is much further away from Anchorage or Fairbanks. Can be lots of work involved as well. Fishing potential not as great here as some rivers get little or no salmon run but grayling fishing, on the fly rod especially, would be good to great.

Central Arctic Herd. Because of location there is only one guide service I can think of. But the scenery would be absolutely fantastic as you would be in the heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. It really can't be replaced or duplicated in Alaska or or anywhere in North America. If I had my choice this is where I would tell you to go. Check Larryrivers.com for booking possibilities. Great reputation! Fishing can be great with grayling and arctic char, which quite possibly are the most pretty fish in the world for a fly fisherman.

Porcupine Caribou Herd. Expensive to get to. Hard to get to. Larry's spike camps can hit portions of this area which can have huge trophy potentional. Scenery can be once in a life-time. Multiple species are a possibility. Can't get much better for all-arounnd experience.

5.) What to shoot?

Ask any resident hunter in AK and they will tell you several different rifles. In most cases you will hear of three. 30-06, .300 Win Mag, and .338 Win Mag. The last two have kick and most from the lower 48 can't handle it and shoot it accurately. Nothing to be ashamed of, just reality. Use the flatest shooting rifle you can find and one you can shoot the best. .270, .284, .280, 7mm Rem Mag. Don't practice from a bench, but from a standing, kneeling, and prone position. There are no benches in AK or Quebec!

6.) Bears?

How do you feel about them? If you go unguided then I must put it this way. You either wake up or you don't and you hope it didn't hurt. If that bothers you go with a guide or go to Quebec. You can do all the safety precautions and still be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

7.) Clothing/Gear?

Don't skimp. Don't bring anything that is cotton. All breathable, in most cases. And remember, "You get what you pay for."

I hope this helped. Don't believe the marketing campaign. Check with former hunters. Don't have record book expectations. Be prepared to work, guide or no guide. Do your homework. Leave your ego at home. Enjoy the experience. Both places are spectacular and offer what the stuff of dreams are made of!

Good Luck,

Grayling

[wapiti57]

Grayling makes several excellent points. I just returned from my first-ever caribou adventure. We hunted the Western AK herd. We chose to go unguided, opting for an outfitted drop camp hunt. Basically the outfitter supplied all camping equipment and food. We provided our own sleeping bags and personal gear.

This is, without question, the hardest hunt I've ever been on. I am thankful that one of our group had done this several times. It made a big difference and gave us plenty of reassurance in choosing hunting location, camp site, etc.

If you hunt unguided in the Alaska bush, you are truly on a wilderness experience, but you must fend for yourself in every aspect of the hunt. Our group took 10 caribou, and let me tell you, packing out 10 caribou is a lot of work. These are not small animals and they live in unforgiving country. Walking in the muskeg tundra is the toughest thing I've ever done.

Having said that, this hunt was also the most rewarding trip I've ever been on. For the first time ever, I felt as if I was on a true wilderness hunt, with no lifelines, no phones, no communications. Just you and the Alaskan elements. It was incredible.

Our hunt was based out of Kotzebue, and we hunted north of Kotzebue. The outfitter lands on gravel bars with small Cessna airplanes sporting tundra tires. It's basically a controlled crash landing on a piece of rock bar in the middle of a river, at least that is where we were dumped off. All your gear is unloaded (takes several trips with the small plane[s]) and the plane takes off. You hope they come back in a week or so. You then must decide on which side of the river to camp. We chose east because we saw lots of caribou from the air on that side. We had to cross three channels of river, humping all the gear, food, tents, cook stoves, etc., every step of the way. It took all day to establish our camp. You must do the same when the hunt is over, plus hump all your caribou out as well.

If you don't like to work hard, and don't want to pack the world on your back, choose a guided, outfitted hunt. Our hunt was awesome, and we took 10 caribou in our group, but it is a lot of work.

If you choose such a hunt, there are a few things to keep in mind. Travel is weather dependent, especially in western AK in September. We got stuck for 2.5 days on the front side of our trip because the weather had caused major backups with the outfitters. They could not fly for the previous six days before our arrival, which messed up all scheduling. That meant our hunt got started late, and we got picked up late as well because of more weather. We missed our airline connections and it took nearly four days to reschedule out of Kotzebue. So, keep in mind that these things can and most likely will happen to you when you travel to remote hunts. That means extra motel/food/airline ticket costs. Things to keep in mind when you plan such a trip.

What did I learn? A great trip that I will do again, maybe for moose next time. But I will purchase airline tickets that can be exchanged or changed without fees. Travel insurance would also be worth looking into. I won't make motel reservations for the back end of the trip because chances are you won't keep them, and you'll have no way to let them know so you'll get dinged for some fees there. Plan at least another 1/3 the cost of the trip in the budget to cover expenses for delays, antler/meat shipment, etc.

[lostacresranch]

Hey all, I'm looking at a couple of different caribou trips and want to know if there's anyone who has been up to Canada or Alaska to hunt them. I want to make sure I pick the right trip. Thanks - Buckbuster

There is a big deal going on with an outfitter in Quebec that took a whole year of hunts that had been paid for and ran with all the money. Lots of info on Bowsite.com about it. We are talking over 840,000. worth. BE CAREFUL! these were "world Famous" and had a great rep. They just kept the money and stopped hunting. The Government of Quebec is involved, but say they cant do anything.

[Cam]

This is a gamble..Personally I think there are better places than Ak..Caribou are hit and miss..I had two bad trips booked through (better not say).Lots of crooks up there ..Check very carefully!!!!Last one out of Kotzebue..Left 5 days with 5 gall water,no caribou and no check flight..was told not to drink the water in that area for some reason..Don't believe their success rates..I had a lot of experience or could have gotten into trouble fast..Like you heard,, the terrain is horrible walking and packing..5 hunts-2 caribou..if they aren't there or leave you are stuck..I would trust word of mouth over booking agents..Check out Manitoba also..Herds change from year to year

[Cam]

grayling was right on with his advice...You can go to Namibia and shoot 5 animals for about the same price and not kill yourself,,be sure of getting game and be treated a whole lot better

[Cam]

Namibia for same money,5 animals and treted a whole lot better.Grayling is right on

[TallTines]

Anyone notice this thread is from 4 years ago? Not that it's not relevant, just checking. As a matter of fact I was thinking about posting a thread asking where forum members had hunted caribou and if anyone could suggest where the best value in caribou hunting can be found, any ideas?

[Cam]

One other piece of advice it to be absolutely sure you can be moved if necessary..If you can find this in Ak you also have to wait till the following day to hunt..You cannot hunt the day you fly..Like the other guy said about Mulchatna herd it has crashed and a number of units have been closed to caribou hunting..This is a fantastic adventure but be aware you may not take anything or it will be smaller than expected so go with the idea of enjoying the trip just in case..bringing back meat and horns is also expensive...

[TallTines]

Thanks for the advice gents! I checked out those links Jim, nice bou! Congratulations! I saved Mike's email adress and will drop him a line when we decide to go.

TallTines

[huntinny]

I've been to Q C for caribou several times. Used explosylva, club chambeaux, and been on the winter hunt several times. All were unguided and good hunts, got nice animals, but on the unguided be prepared to due some hunting. Not all guys in camp got bulls- maybe I just get lucky- caribou up there are hit or miss you may not see a lot of animals. On the unguided hunts there are usually animals around, you just need to work for them. I think if you spend the money on a guieded hunt your likely to get a better camp- but nothing is gaurenteed when hunting for caribou.

[tempted]

It's been great reading about all the hunts...I have been to AK and QC, In Ak I hunted with Lake Clark Air this was back a few years they had a drop camp that Cabelas sold, it was awesome, they dropped us off out way out in the tundra where there was nothing but bears and Caribou. Keep your meat away from your camp just like the guide will tell you, you dont want grizzly's hangin to close to the tent:)
In QC we went with Ungava Adv. north of Kuujjuaq, this was 4x1 guided hunt.
We got nice caribou at both places but QC had great: fishing, cabins, lodge with cooks, guides, showers and more, we got a little spoiled.
Another thing I found out is that if your not seeing animals walk 3 miles in any direction you will find them, or they find you?

OUT

PS eat the wild blueberries (http://www.findyourblueberry.com/2007/04/09/gratitude/) they are awesome

[Cam]

The Lake Clark people were so nice and on the 1st hunt my wife took a large black bear and I got a giant caribou..Only decent one we saw....Next year we took another couple and went with them...0 bulls in whole unit and their guided hunters shot cows..Hit or miss!

[jimbires]

TallTines , I want to clear up the info I gave you . if you book with Mike you will be in Mikes camp , camp inukshuk . there are two guides at the camp . Mike and his helper . when I was there it was Erick . I hunted with Erick . my 2 buddies hunted with Mike .so you have a 50/50 chance of being guided by Mike . one guide to four hunters . Mikes wife is the cook . we hunted the resident herd . we were not there for the migration . we had 8 guys at camp and took 14 bulls and 2 cows . each hunter gets 2 tags . the one older guy I went up with was done by noon the first day . he got excited and shot a cow first thing , then a few hours later he shot a small bull . we had no trouble finding caribou . these guys will move you to a more productive camp if needed, at no extra charge . and you can hunt the day you fly . , we had many hunters from different outfitters on the the flight back , from Kuujjuaq to Montreal , with us . the big thing I noticed was how the meat and horns were taken care of . the handful of guys that hunted with safari Nordic meat was spoiled . our horns were wrapped for protection. I saw guys horns get broken . just a lot of little important things . now it is also my understanding that when hunting in Canada you must have a guide . I don't understand how these guys are using a guide service but it is an unguided hunt ? I'm not saying the guys I used are the best . I'm saying I was happy and I would definitely use them again . I feel I got my moneys worth . no bears in this area . but there are wolfs . Jim

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m257/jimmyboy16866/caribou-hunt/033_33.jpg


http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m257/jimmyboy16866/caribou-hunt/032_32.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m257/jimmyboy16866/caribou-hunt/012_12.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m257/jimmyboy16866/caribou-hunt/027_27.jpg

http://i106.photobucket.com/albums/m257/jimmyboy16866/caribou-hunt/001_1.jpg

[TallTines]

Thanks for the additional information Jim! and for the Pix!! It looks like everyone had a great hunt and the terrain looks exactly like I pictured caribou hunting. Me and my hunting buddy have never been but have talked alot lately about trading our annual elk hunt for a bou hunt one year. Unless the economy changes drastically it won't be this year, but I'm starting to put together a file of info because it will be soon. Congratulations on your hunt again and once more, thanks for all of the info.

TallTines

[steller]

Great pictures, Jim. Reminds me of the caribou hunt I had in 2001, on the Manitoba / Nunavut border. The terrain looks nearly identical to where you were. Rocky ground, very few trees, lots of moss. We also had the same experience with finding caribou - we weren't there for the migration (missed it by 1 week!), but we did find the local herds wandering around.

Our hunt involved a LOT of walking - we usually headed out shortly after 9 am, and walked all day (packed a lunch), arriving back at camp for dinner. We didn't have any guides with us - they stayed at camp. We all had 2-way radios, and if we downed a caribou, we would radio in our co-ordinates and the guides would come help us dress and pack-out the meat and antlers. Some of us shot our caribou quite far from camp (mine was a 1-mile ride in the Zodiac, then another 2-mile hike across the tundra), so it typically took the rest of the day.

Fishing is also an option in some caribou areas, if you are near water. Make sure you ask your guide if you should bring your fishing rod. If you shoot your animal in the first day or two, you'll have a lot of free time on your hands for the rest of the trip. Fishing is a good way to fill that time (but then again, so is sleeping in, drinking beer, and enjoying the scenery!).

Good luck, and enjoy your hunt!