Boat accessed vs fly in camp

[macmo]

Hi guys,

I'm researching for my first trip, this forum has been a huge help, I've read some great stuff and appreciate the time people put into sharing their experiences. One thing I'm considering that I haven't seen much info on is pros/cons of being dropped off by boat instead of a plane (not a float trip, just a boat accessed drop camp from Prudhoe Bay). I see a lot of info on float trips vs fly-ins, anyone have thoughts on fly-in vs boat in?

Seems like there's some definite perks to airboat accessed: less limitations on weight, slightly cheaper, less chance of foul weather grounding planes for a day or two. What are the cons to airboat accessed camp? Less animals? Smaller bulls? Is the fact that you're limited to the waterways a downside? More crowded along the waterways vs being flown in?

 

[Beendare]

All I know is that the Chandalar lake outfit Ryan [I chose poorly] that left me in a motel for 4 1/2 days runs those airboats up on the Brooks range and those are breaking down constantly. I would be Leary of doing a hunt like like that...at the very least I would plan for the worst.

 

[Blockcaver]

I had a great moose/caribou archery hunt in the Brooks 30 yrs ago. We went up a river 80 miles and got dropped off. Mid-hunt, we got moved. 3 bowhunters...two big caribou and two nice moose bagged. Probably a lot different today but it worked well then. Those are adventures even more so than just a hunt. Good luck on it!

 

[PGWest]

I am also pretty interested in this, but am having troubles finding any places that will boat you in? Anybody know any outifts that bring in on airboats vs plane, outside of the Chandalar lake outfit that Beendare listed above?

 

[Larry Bartlett]

There is a company that does airboat drop camps on the Slope, but there's a catch: They are volume operators, so the "remoteness" factor ain't there because camps are somewhat clumped on about 20 miles of state land. Camps get located where caribou concentrate, so keep that in mind.

Google "airboat drop hunts Sag river" for a bunch of resources.

lb

 

[Gunnersdad49]

We did a float trip last fall, dropped off by airboat, and we rafted out. It was about a 65 mile float. We saw caribou almost every day, but in 10 days, I never saw what I would call a shooter bull. 2 guys killed what I would deem a meat bull, and a third got a gorgeous white wolf. We opted for an air boat because there were 6 of us. The logistics of getting 6 dudes plus gear anywhere with a bush plane were too much, so we went with the airboat. The guy that dropped us off is also a guide in the area, so there was a bit of a competition between us and his clients. Half of our world was difficult to access, because it was across the river from us.
The fishing was great, ptarmigan hunting was good, and bear watching was pretty good, but our caribou hunting was just ok.

In summary, you will get further from people if you fly, but you can still make a trip out of an airboat, and it adds its own degree of adventure.

Buy or rent an InReach or Sat Phone before you go.