40 Mile Air 2020!

[Ag111]

Well it’s official! We leave the tarmac in Tok on August 27th! Bigger group this year with 6 of us. This will be the first trip for my dad. Can’t wait!

Who else re-booked for 2020 and what days are you guys up there?

 

[buzzy]

Awesome, we got a spot for the opening week. Anyone have any experience with the opening week with 40 Mile? Thanks

 

[Brendan]

Anyone need an extra hunter? Man, have to start planning this trip....

 

[Ag111]

Awesome, we got a spot for the opening week. Anyone have any experience with the opening week with 40 Mile? Thanks

We hunted the first week of the season this past year and had a fantastic hunt. Search for 40 Mile threads on here where more experienced guys like AKBorn and a few others
posted. My buddy Robie is the guy who had posted a lot about the hunt. Good info in those threads on our experience.

 

[Ag111]

Vern is another guy on here with a ton of experience with this hunt

40 Mile Caribou Hunt Report

In late August/early September, I was back in Alaska for another remote flyout caribou hunt. I opted to go again with the bush pilots I’ve been flying with since the mid-2000’s – 40 Mile Air out of Tok, Alaska. They’re really good pilots, run a safe and organized operation, and fly into some...

www.rokslide.com

TOK 8/11/19

Anyone else going to be in Tok this Sunday? My group is flying out for caribou Monday and will be hanging out in Tok Sunday.

www.rokslide.com

 

[Nick Muche]

Headed with them again for moose, grizzly and caribou in early September. Taking some of my family from back in WI, I think they’ll never be the same.

Best of luck!

 

[robie]

Congrats man. Very jealous that I won't be going back this year.

Sent from my SM-G892U using Tapatalk

 

[buzzy]

Thanks AG111 for the info. I sent Robie a PM to get additional info on the logistics. I may reach out to you as well to get a different perspective if you have some time to answer questions from someone who hasn't done a drop camp before!. Thanks

 

[280rem]

Well it’s official! We leave the tarmac in Tok on August 27th! Bigger group this year with 6 of us. This will be the first trip for my dad. Can’t wait!

Who else re-booked for 2020 and what days are you guys up there?

When did you get through to them on the phone this morning?

I’m booked for August 21 fly in! Been quite a while since I’ve done this hunt. Serious fun to be had!!

 

[280rem]

Headed with them again for moose, grizzly and caribou in early September. Taking some of my family from back in WI, I think they’ll never be the same.

Best of luck!

What date are you flying out Nick?

 

[Ag111]

When did you get through to them on the phone this morning?

I’m booked for August 21 fly in! Been quite a while since I’ve done this hunt. Serious fun to be had!!

Phone lines opened 8am AK time, I kept calling until I got through at 8:05. At 8:06 and 8:07 two other guys in our group got through. Leif said... "man you guys sure did call us a lot this morning. " Yes, Yes we did Leif.

 

[AKBorn]

Congrats to Ag111, Nick, and 280Rem for booking an awesome adventure! Nick, I sure wish I could have hunted some of the grizzlies I've seen in the 40 Mile country, but a non-resident born in Alaska is still a non-resident lol.

I would have loved to shoot this one in 2017, he was in the open and the wind was favorable, as much as you can ask for when shooting a grizzly:

Taking my girlfriend up for 2 weeks in June, so I won't be hunting the 40 Mile country this fall. Good luck to all!

 

[VernAK]

That's a good boar!

I'll try to get him for you when I go in next fall.

 

[AKBorn]

He was a nice boar Vern. We saw him on the 2nd day of a 12-day moose/bou hunt, about 600 yards from camp but on the same ridge we were camped on. I told my buddy “We’re gonna run into that bear again, better to have a discussion in broad daylight, when he’s in the open, than take a chance on him coming into camp one night.”

So we started approaching in the open, and whistled and yelled while we were about 300 yards away. In the photo he is circling to get downwind, and we lost sight of him for a spell in a gully, but we were still in the open. I saw him poke his head over the ridgetop about 80 yards away and downwind of us; so I yelled and started walking toward him slowly. He hesitated for a second, then trotted off the ridge, and we never saw him on our ridge again, although we did see him further away a couple of days later.

I’m pretty sure we could have snuck to about 100 yards for a great first shot opportunity in the open, and with plenty of opportunity for follow-up shots (also in the open) if needed; the only cover would have been behind us. I sure wished I was an AK resident on that day!

 

[280rem]

Phone lines opened 8am AK time, I kept calling until I got through at 8:05. At 8:06 and 8:07 two other guys in our group got through. Leif said... "man you guys sure did call us a lot this morning. " Yes, Yes we did Leif.

Congrats, it took me till 8:13 to get through. Can’t wait!

 

[robie]

I'm doing my best to return the favor and answer questions from anyone like several of you guys did for me. This is one of my broad takeaways. That I think can help a lot first timers.

_______________________________________

The main thing I took away is this isn't an extreme hunt, most of the gear you currently have will be fine, you don't need head to toe fancy camo. Caribou don't spook to the next county when they see you, if you get within 200 yards they will jog off another 50 and stop and look at you. We had some big bulls walk 200 yards of camp and a large group walk down our landing strip. Don't waste money on buying ultralite gear that you don't currently have, spend it on the extra gear load and bring in some good food and whiskey instead. The water around camp is as cold as a refrigerator, so we brought bacon and put it in the creek with a rock on it, you can do that for anything that needs to stay cold. If you are on a ridgetop it might be a hike down for water but the water will be very cold.

The best part about this hunt for me was the adventure and the great group in camp. It will rain, the wind will blow, you will be delayed on getting in or our of the field, just relax and let it happen. Take more pictures and video than what you feel is normal. I looked at mine yesterday and loved reliving every part of the journey.

We had 4 guys in camp last year and my group is taking 6 in the field this year. In my mind everyone may not get the biggest bull but camp will be a blast, each day will be full of stories and memories made. They may not all get to camp the same day or out of the field the same day but that's just part of it. They will have memories that will last a lifetime.

 

[VernAK]

Great advice Robie!

I like to emphasize the extra gear load as it makes a much more comfortable camp. I like a heavier, thicker mattress and a chair. Take cheap tarps to butcher meat on. We take the precooked bacon from Costco. No mountain house except for emergency rations.

 

[Ag111]

I definitely second Robie's advice. the extra gear load is $1000 for 200lbs of gear. Split 4 ways that is $250 for 50lbs of extra gear.

So do you think you will be happier in the field for a week with that new fancy $250 Kuiu down puffy jacket or 50 lbs of cots, chairs, bacon, whiskey, blankets, extra dry clothes, dry boots, etc? The extra gear load was the best value for money on the entire trip.

 

[dreamingWest]

Great info on these threads! Thanks for sharing. It is funny how awesome a chair is after being without one for a few days. Well worth $250.

How difficult do you guys think it is for a new guy to fly with 40 Mile Air? Should this be a 1 year plan? 3-5?

 

[Kylep0801]

Man I’m just taking it all in. I have a moose hunt booked for sept 2020 but my daughter is adamant about a bou hunt. So good ol dad is looking now sounds like a good time.