Float hunt versus drop camp for caribou

[Where's Bruce?]

The float option adds variety of camps and scenery and requires a lot more efforts for breaking camp and floating, which some groups admire and others do not.

Floats add $500-$800 per person for raft rentals

drops allow you to really learn one area and ambush more strategically after a few stalks.

In the end it's about what each group member wants from their hunt. If i had one guy who wouldn't do well on a float plan, a drop would be more suitable for that group that year.

Ah, who am i trying to kid...a float's where it's at and I'd convince a cripple to do it if he could still grab a draggin handle! Make a man out of ya, IMO, harvest or not.

Not if you buy one. I purchased a Yukon Yak for some trips:



...and this PR49HD for AK. Here I am on my first wild whitewater run in the PR49 as shown on Facebook...



...and here's the same shot in real life.




Those are crazy rental rates...just buy one, unless you wanna much bigger raft. $1000 won't get you much in the NWT. Kinda like owning a boat (Break Out Another Thousand)

 

[Larry Bartlett]

LOL...you crazy bastard

 

[VernAK]

For a minute there, I thought that was Bartlett in the pool.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

LOL...you crazy bastard

Takes one to know one.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Not if you buy one. I purchased a Yukon Yak for some trips:

View attachment 181547

...and this PR49HD for AK. Here I am on my first wild whitewater run in the PR49 as shown on Facebook...

View attachment 181548

...and here's the same shot in real life.


View attachment 181550

Those are crazy rental rates...just buy one, unless you wanna much bigger raft. $1000 won't get you much in the NWT. Kinda like owning a boat (Break Out Another Thousand)

I’ve had my PR49 in a pool too. I was mostly getting sun burnt and drinking beer though.

 

[rayporter]

my days of floats are done but looking back, it was the only way for me.


i did not have to drag on every float. twice we had high water.

 

[J Herzer]

I much prefer float hunting, although a drop camp in a target rich environment can be very relaxing and enjoyable as well. For the most part when you're looking at floatable rivers in the Brooks range, having excessive white water experience is not at all a requirement. Being able to pull your raft up, and or down, shallow braids that you mistakenly choose is more often the case. I think that one of the biggest mistakes people make when choosing to float hunt a river up here, is biting off too much river for their allotted time. It's been my experience that just picking out a shorter section of a river system (like 30-50 miles max.), that has a good natural funneling/pinch point area, and having upwards of 10-14 days to spend on the river, works best. Planning on floating 100 miles of river in 10 days often turns into just that, floating. In the end you spend all your time breaking camp, floating/dragging, and setting up camp again, day in and day out, that you end up not hunting much at all. My favorite scenario is: fly into a gravel bar and set up camp, hang out and hunt around that area for a day or two depending on what the area offers. Then after a day or two, pack up and spend an afternoon/evening floating for a few hours, and say about 10-15 miles, or until coming on a good looking area to hunt. Set up camp there and spend the next day or two, or three hunting. Then pack up camp and do it all over again until you've reached your designated pick up spot. I think that by tackling it that way allows you to spend time in areas that can be very productive, as well as keeping things from feeling rushed. It also allows you to enjoy the entire experience to its fullest, and gives plenty of time for other activities like fishing, exploring, and maybe even gold panning, if you're into that sort of thing. Plus if you want to stay up late one night celebrating, and sleep in the next day, you don't feel like now you need to do double time to make up for time lost.

Troutbum - sounds like you've done a fair bit of float hunting for caribou... Together with five dedicated hunting partners and very experienced river runners we are trying to put together a float hunt for 2023. Our timing will be late Aug so we are thinking North Slope. Half of us bow hunt, half rifle. But I have to admit I'm a bit overwhelmed in trying to pin down a river and then a section of that stream. Not looking for "go here" but rather are there general areas that you would avoid? My early research leads me to believe that demand for air taxis exceeds supply - would you agree with that assessment? Thanks for anything you can add so I can bring it to the group. Cheers

 

[VernAK]

IF I WERE YOUNGER, I'D BE LOOKING TO FLOAT SOMETHING IN THE 40 MILE COUNTRY. THE HERD IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND THE RIVERS ALL CONTAIN GRAYLING AND SOME HAVE DOLLY VARDEN.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Troutbum - sounds like you've done a fair bit of float hunting for caribou... Together with five dedicated hunting partners and very experienced river runners we are trying to put together a float hunt for 2023. Our timing will be late Aug so we are thinking North Slope. Half of us bow hunt, half rifle. But I have to admit I'm a bit overwhelmed in trying to pin down a river and then a section of that stream. Not looking for "go here" but rather are there general areas that you would avoid? My early research leads me to believe that demand for air taxis exceeds supply - would you agree with that assessment? Thanks for anything you can add so I can bring it to the group. Cheers

I’ve hunted a bit up there, but not a ton by any means. The last time I did a hunt on the north side of the Brooks was in ‘04, so it’s been a while.

Your best bet would probably be to lock down a transporter, like Brooks Range Aviation or somebody out of Kotz., if you’re looking at hunting the north Brooks. After that, if I were in your shoes, I’d focus on their recommendations. They’re flying around the areas more than most and they usually have a very good idea of where the caribou are at any given time during the most hunted part of the season (from Aug. into the first couple weeks of September).


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[Dust Rider]

What about running a jet boat in late august? Are the rivers too skinny and low at this point? Old college friend lives outside of Fairbanks. There are quite a few rivers in that section but are flows allowing for Caribou hunting via boat in this region. Need minimum 6” of water but prefer 12”

 

[VernAK]

Yes

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I used the 8 lb test spider wire for the char and it worked great.

If I’m using braid, I usually just use 20lb since it’s so much thinner than regular line. It’s nice to have a little more strength.

I hate char and dollies, fun to catch but I don’t like eating them.

 

[Gunnersdad49]

If I’m using braid, I usually just use 20lb since it’s so much thinner than regular line. It’s nice to have a little more strength.

I hate char and dollies, fun to catch but I don’t like eating them.

I should have clarified, I think it was 8 pound diameter, but probably more like 20 lb test.

We cut up a big char into steaks and cooked it over a fire with some butter and Montreal Steak Seasoning. It was a big hit.

 

[eshunt]

Float hunt is only caribou hunt I've been on. We had moose tags too but weren't able to connect one of those. Spent 2-1/2 weeks on the river! Best hunting trip I've ever done! And can't wait to do another one.

We got super lucky and were in the middle of the migration. There were three days we saw over 10-15k animals. Herds of 3-500 crossing the river as we floated by.

I'm partial to rafting so it was how I wanted to hunt. It was great to be able to see a lot of different terrain. We camped for 2-3 nights at each location so we weren't breaking camp every day. We saw a few animals here and there the first week. We actually shot the first two on the first day we could hunt after flying because we didn't know if we would see too many animals. Only saw a handful more until we hit the migration.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Float hunt is only caribou hunt I've been on. We had moose tags too but weren't able to connect one of those. Spent 2-1/2 weeks on the river! Best hunting trip I've ever done! And can't wait to do another one.

We got super lucky and were in the middle of the migration. There were three days we saw over 10-15k animals. Herds of 3-500 crossing the river as we floated by.

I'm partial to rafting so it was how I wanted to hunt. It was great to be able to see a lot of different terrain. We camped for 2-3 nights at each location so we weren't breaking camp every day. We saw a few animals here and there the first week. We actually shot the first two on the first day we could hunt after flying because we didn't know if we would see too many animals. Only saw a handful more until we hit the migration.


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Pretty tough to top those kinds of hunts, eh?

 

[mtnbiker208]

my caribou float hunt research has dwindled, but the wife and i are getting flown into lake clark national park and floating the chili out and getting picked up at maribou landing. should be a fun trip. her first bush trip.

 

[AKBorn]

my caribou float hunt research has dwindled, but the wife and i are getting flown into lake clark national park and floating the chili out and getting picked up at maribou landing. should be a fun trip. her first bush trip.

If you haven't already, you might consider getting Dick Proenneke's book, he lived in the Lake Clark area for 30 years or so back in the day.....

 

[AKDoc]

my caribou float hunt research has dwindled, but the wife and i are getting flown into lake clark national park and floating the chili out and getting picked up at maribou landing. should be a fun trip. her first bush trip.

I did that float (guided fishing) with an old Marine Corps buddy over twenty-years ago...did the entire Chilikadrotna River from the put-in at Twin Lakes to the pick-up at the confluence with the Mulchatna River.

You guys are going to have a wonderful adventure. The put-in is an absolutely beautiful area where you might want to spend a couple nights. We had one or two short portages around some fallen trees a day or two down the river. We flew the river on the put-in, so we knew in advance where we needed to portage. A few grizzlies along the way, so heads-up. They were well behaved with us, and I always have a pistol. If I were doing it again, I'd have my bear fence with me (didn't own one back then)...and some bear spray in addition to my pistol.

Best of luck to you and enjoy the remote adventure together.

 

[mtnbiker208]

If you haven't already, you might consider getting Dick Proenneke's book, he lived in the Lake Clark area for 30 years or so back in the day.....

I did that float (guided fishing) with an old Marine Corps buddy over twenty-years ago...did the entire Chilikadrotna River from the put-in at Twin Lakes to the pick-up at the confluence with the Mulchatna River.

You guys are going to have a wonderful adventure. The put-in is an absolutely beautiful area where you might want to spend a couple nights. We had one or two short portages around some fallen trees a day or two down the river. We flew the river on the put-in, so we knew in advance where we needed to portage. A few grizzlies along the way, so heads-up. They were well behaved with us, and I always have a pistol. If I were doing it again, I'd have my bear fence with me (didn't own one back then)...and some bear spray in addition to my pistol.

Best of luck to you and enjoy the remote adventure together.

We are flying into the proenke cabin and starting our 10 day trip there. We are getting picked up at maribou landing, 20 miles below the confluence. Really looking forward to the trip. I have rented a bear fence, and will have a pistol and bear spray. I have been fascinated with alone in the wilderness for many years. Luckily, my wife wanted to do this trip, we will see if she wants more bush trips after this one though. This is a diy trip.

 

[AK Troutbum]

I’ll echo what AKDoc said. I’ve never floated it, but I’ve done a fair amount of research on it and I have several buddies that have floated it, so take what I have to say with a grain of salt. You guys should have a great floating experience, and I think you probably picked a great trip to cut your teeth on, assuming this is your first trip. Make sure to bring your fly rods as well, because the Chili has some wonderful trout and dolly fishing. From what I understand it’s not the greatest for caribou hunting but it makes up for that with its fishing and just plain beauty. I hope you guys have a great trip.


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