2023 DIY Caribou Planning

[ddavis_1313]

Just wanted to chime in. I have a group of three of us that are planning a 2023 caribou hunt. We’ve been researching this for a long time, two of us almost went in 2012 but some life stuff happened and pushed it back. Now we have a third guy and are committed. Starting at the beginning of COVID, I formulated an excel sheet of basically every caribou guide in Alaska I could find online. Called each of them (some didn’t answer so I emailed). It’s a pretty great document breaking down cost, units, dates available, services offered, etc. without exposing the entire list, the top contenders are:
RAM
BRA
Golden Eagle
Arctic Air

After talking with each of these four over the phone, talking to references, and reading here (long time lurker), we think we’ve settled on Golden Eagle. May seem silly to some but this may be a one time trip for us. Cheers everyone and thanks for any input you may have contributed unknowingly.

Well I didn’t do all the spread sheets but I suppose I did my homework to an extent Bc I ended up going with ram air for next September with my wife and I.


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[Wyobull]

Looks like I’m digging a post up from awhile back, We have booked for Sept 1-9 2023 4 hunters, Ram was our chosen Transporter. Doing the homework prior to booking was painstaking. Many are booked even thru 2024 now, 40 mile is basically only taking repeat clients. Costs are going to increase as they are with everything else, Have added to the budget in anticipation. Now to get the gear. Is there anything that is a must have other then the obvious? Got the gear to survive in the wilderness of Wyoming.

 

[Robber]

Looks like I’m digging a post up from awhile back, We have booked for Sept 1-9 2023 4 hunters, Ram was our chosen Transporter. Doing the homework prior to booking was painstaking. Many are booked even thru 2024 now, 40 mile is basically only taking repeat clients. Costs are going to increase as they are with everything else, Have added to the budget in anticipation. Now to get the gear. Is there anything that is a must have other then the obvious? Got the gear to survive in the wilderness of Wyoming.

Let me know how it goes! I should of started planning a caribou hunt a couple years ago with all the interest and price increase. Good luck!


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[ddavis_1313]

Let me know how it goes! I should of started planning a caribou hunt a couple years ago with all the interest and price increase. Good luck!


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My wife knocked this guy down first day. I should have shot a bull that came by while quartering hers bc we woke up with bears in the area and the bou pretty much moved out. We lost all of our meat and another group on the ridge lost one of those caribou and a cape as well as part of the second they killed. All in all it was an amazing trip. We can’t wait to go back and do it again!


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[Robber]

My wife knocked this guy down first day. I should have shot a bull that came by while quartering hers bc we woke up with bears in the area and the bou pretty much moved out. We lost all of our meat and another group on the ridge lost one of those caribou and a cape as well as part of the second they killed. All in all it was an amazing trip. We can’t wait to go back and do it again!


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Wow, great caribou!!! Who did you go with if you don’t mind me asking?


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[ddavis_1313]

Wow, great caribou!!! Who did you go with if you don’t mind me asking?


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Wow, great caribou!!! Who did you go with if you don’t mind me asking?


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Ram. First class all the way!

We didn’t even get half the caribou back to camp before bears go on it. We saw hundreds of them too. Had a big heard walk right by us.

Wife could have shot this guy at just over 100 yards and cut the pack out distance in half. But she wanted a big shovel so she held out. I told her that it was her hunt so take what she wants but she’s persistent and was willing to hunt hard. So she dropped the other one at 340 yards after running (more like stumbling and tripping) 1/4 mile and work into position to get a shot as the bull came out of a drainage into the tundra. She ended up killing right at 1.5 miles from camp. Worst part was the last 3/4 of a mile. Had to switch back up the ridge to get to the top.

That tundra is humbling. Hard to explain it and I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it. It’s some of the most unforgiving country I’ve experienced. Wind always blows, rains at a moments notice, always cold, and unstable footing.

If I go back I’d probably use rams gear. They have boxes tents and gear and a cot would have been nice. That ground is rocky and sucks crawling in n and out of a tent. We took a hilleburg and enjoyed it but a sharp rock in the knee will leave you cursing. Lol


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[ddavis_1313]

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[ddavis_1313]

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[ddavis_1313]

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[ddavis_1313]

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[ddavis_1313]

There are a few more pictures.

If anyone books for a September hunt I can’t recommend enough to stay an extra few days and go fish the Kenai River. It’s spectacular. The gentleman in the picture was our guide for a day and I can see why he was recommended to us by a local. He put two rookie fly fishermen all over rainbows and dolly’s. It was after the sockeye spawn so we floated using beads and it was like fish in a barrel. His ability to maneuver the boat and put us in spots holding fish was awesome to watch. From what I gathered talking to other people he’s one of the best guides on the river.

Alaska is a beautiful place. It captured our hearts and is somewhere we will be going back to multiple times again. Of all the places my wife and I have vacationed on beaches or hunted this place felt the closest to home. We still talk about how amazing it would be to either move there or spend summers there just to fish, hunt, and explore. We will see. Lol. I honestly have never felt so in my element yet completely out of my element at the same time if that makes sense. All we wanted to do every single day is explore and learn as much as we could.

In another life I’d have moved there at 18 and never looked back. Lol


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[Robber]

Ram. First class all the way!

We didn’t even get half the caribou back to camp before bears go on it. We saw hundreds of them too. Had a big heard walk right by us.

Wife could have shot this guy at just over 100 yards and cut the pack out distance in half. But she wanted a big shovel so she held out. I told her that it was her hunt so take what she wants but she’s persistent and was willing to hunt hard. So she dropped the other one at 340 yards after running (more like stumbling and tripping) 1/4 mile and work into position to get a shot as the bull came out of a drainage into the tundra. She ended up killing right at 1.5 miles from camp. Worst part was the last 3/4 of a mile. Had to switch back up the ridge to get to the top.

That tundra is humbling. Hard to explain it and I’ve never seen or experienced anything like it. It’s some of the most unforgiving country I’ve experienced. Wind always blows, rains at a moments notice, always cold, and unstable footing.

If I go back I’d probably use rams gear. They have boxes tents and gear and a cot would have been nice. That ground is rocky and sucks crawling in n and out of a tent. We took a hilleburg and enjoyed it but a sharp rock in the knee will leave you cursing. Lol


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I appreciate the information on the hunt. I’m glad you guys had one heck of a hunt and that is a beautiful caribou, love the cape on him. What dates did you guys end up going in September?


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[ddavis_1313]

I appreciate the information on the hunt. I’m glad you guys had one heck of a hunt and that is a beautiful caribou, love the cape on him. What dates did you guys end up going in September?


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Sep 9-15 I believe. Or 8-14. One of those two


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[ddavis_1313]

I appreciate the information on the hunt. I’m glad you guys had one heck of a hunt and that is a beautiful caribou, love the cape on him. What dates did you guys end up going in September?


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We caped the entire bull. She’s having a shoulder mount done and the rest will be made into two pillows with a white freak through them. Their coat is extremely soft!


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[Catchfish]

Great bou, how did you guys lose all your meat, the way I read it you got half to camp originally did a bear come in and take it from your camp?

 

[ddavis_1313]

Great bou, how did you guys lose all your meat, the way I read it you got half to camp originally did a bear come in and take it from your camp?

We brought the heart, backstrap, and tender loin to camp in the first trip. Left the rest on alders in a drainage. Got up nest morning and that was gone. 40 yards from the tent.

Packed hinds, ribs, and neck meat and wife had hind and ribs and went 3/4 mile up drainage and dropped it at base of the ridge. Went back and got the rest including cape and skull cap. Within an hour and a half there was a sow and 2 cubs destroying the meat we just dropped.

Got the rest to camp and the next morning they had taken a shoulder and knower on the other.

That little bit of meat on a shoulder was all that was left when we flew out day 3.


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[ddavis_1313]

We even tried moving the meat pile one night. This was from the tent. That bear was sniffing and licking the ground where we originally had the meat. We tried our best. I still don’t know what caribou tastes like. Lol


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[Loco4dux]

That's wild, looks like an epic adventure though. Thanks for following up on the conclusion of the hunt.
CC: @Bonehammer @Camel titties @uwantasandwich

 

[Catchfish]

What a bummer