Most afforable caribou hunt?
Caribou
what is the most afforadable caribou hunt?DIY or Guided? and where? Thanks in advance Matt
the only place you can DIY is AK.
affordable could mean fewest dollars spent to be able to say you went caribou hunting or it could mean the right amount of dollars to go on a hunt where you have a solid chance of not only going on a hike but killing a bou or two.
what would success look like to you?
Yep, If you just want the cheapest it's on your own in Alaska. Then again you could go On your own 6 times like I did and get one:)
So how affordable did that turn out being Charlie
I've done two 100% successful DIY caribou hunts to Alaska... under 3.5k each, door to door. Thats with my own gear and being creative. My research says thats as cheap as it gets unless you live there. Do your homework and you can do it. Ed F
An affordable hunt is still all about getting to hunt. If killing is an extreme priority to you (it isn't to everyone) could be more affordable to pay someone to help you get your animal. Guided hunts will always cost more money per day of hunting, and they offer no guarantee of a nice caribou at the end. Anybody who truly understands caribou (and the outfits that guide for them) will acknowledge the truth of that. I can quickly name a dozen good hunters who've done the guided caribou thing and never even came close to killing a bull.
I'd personally do the diy (less expensive) wilderness hunt in Alaska. Make it a true adventure on your own terms. Success is often measured in the size and number of memories....not dead animals alone.
Bou: That was my point, it was not very smart financially however at that stage of my life it was all I could afford and just "going to Alaska" was a great thrill! Floating a river for 8 days and never seeing a Caribou was not a waste at all because of what I learned and the confidence it gave me. Later in life I like to go on trips where I get stuff:) A wise old hunter once told me "take a trip of a lifetime every year". He was on to something and I follow his words:)
That Kevin guy always gives good advice! Mike
We did a DIY in Alaska for under 3K in 05. Tough hunt but a great adventure.
The Alaska hunt can be done for under 3k IF and only IF you are already pre-equiped for such an adventure. You can easily drop some a few coins gathering the correct equipment to make sure you have a comfortable and safe hunt.
PA makes a very good point. Gear costs money. The good news is that you come home from a great adventure, and you own some good reusable (or saleable) equipment. Doing that is what allowed me to repeatedly hunt Alaska for moose, caribou and black bears unguided. I can do 3 or 4 unguided hunts (with tags for all 3 species) for what one deluxe guided moose hunt in Alaska, Yukon, NWT or Northern BC can cost. I turned a one-time deal into multiple hunts and years of trips north.
I do realize the topic is caribou. You can do 7-10 days of actual hunting in wilderness Alaska (Super Cub drop-off) for less money than 5 or 6 days of guided hunting in Quebec or other provinces. You'll cook your own meals, keep camp in order and develop your woodcraft skills. Life is short, so get out there and make an adventure!
I am nearly 100% assured of taking a nice bou this fall (really only depends on my ability to field judge).
I am solo and DIY and I doubt anyone from the lower 48 can beat my prices without having friends/airline miles to really cut some costs:
Total costs: Airfare to FAI: $900 Charter Flight: $1600 (with moose = $2400) Tags (moose/bou/wolf/small game): $750 Misc (hotel, gas, tips, etc) $400 Cushion for errors $500 Meat/horns transportation etc $400 Grand total: $4500
Note I added in moose, this involves a separate flight to move to a moose location (from bou). Cost goes down if I do not take a moose.
For a bou hunt $4,500 is a good price for a hunt where you likely will get a good bou (total cost roundtrip etc). For a bou/moose comb my cost cannot be touched by a lower 48 hunter, IMO. My flight includes a meat haul (really adds in costs) if no game is taken my cost goes down well over $1000 - my total price includes getting moose and bou out of field and horns/some meat home.
That said I did a TON of research for year to make this hunt happen, it is this fall. I was not going to hunt the haul road zoo.
+1 on Kevins comments. DIY is a complete experience on your own terms. It develops hunting and woodsmanship skills that a guided adventure will not duplicate. 4 of us did the haul road hunt and drove to prudhoe bay from fairbanks. While only 2 of the 4 of us actually killed caribou, it is still the funnest, most enjoyable hunt I have ever been on. We camped where we wanted, drove where we wanted, etc. Did it for less than $2,000.
I completely agree with Kevin above. There are some great transporters in Alaska and the DIY experience is overwhelmingly more adventurous and memorable. The caribou hunters in Unit 23 flown out by Joe Shuster of Sportsman's air service killed some nice bulls and saw lots of bou... Not sure how his price holds up to others, but they were happy and successful. Good luck
I did 2 guided hunts in Quebec & saw 2 the 1st time crossing a lake over a mile away & my 2nd trip I took 1 Caribou the last day of the hunt. Guided does NOT mean a kill on Caribou in Quebec. $3000 each trip & that was several years ago. Don't get me wrong-they were great experiences for sure. To old now but I had always wanted to do the Dalton, haul road.
I might be one of the weird guys. No...of course I'm one of them!
I've done guided hunts, successful and not so successful. The same for my unguided diy hunts. I've been in deluxe camps, and some that were quite spartan. The thing which has emerged is this: I have more fun and get more satisfaction out of a diy hunt than the same hunt guided. I would really spend MORE money to do Alaska unguided vs Quebec with a deluxe fully-guided setup. I treasure my independence, and I value my accomplishments which are mine alone, or shared only with my closest hunting partner(s). I get the biggest emotional 'ummph!' from the tough diy hunts which test more than just my legs and accuracy. When I come home from those adventures, I know I spent my money very wisely...game animal taken or not!
+3 Kevin!
Nothing beats DIY bow hunting.
Great comments--thanks.
Good luck, Robb
Will be bowhunting caribou DIY on the North Slope in about nine weeks. First trip ever to Alaska. Not cutting any corners and will be staying a few days on the Kenai at the tail end of the trip.
Had enough sky miles to pay for roundtrip airfare, but figuring I'll still end up close to $5,000 out of pocket if I fill both caribou tags. Wish I had DonV's confidence level on caribou...but more confident bowhunting open tundra is going to be a challenge.
Expectation is to have the best bowhunting experience of my life...whether I bring home a caribou or not. Can't wait!
Note I am rifle hunting in a very good area. Bow would be a different story.
Thanks for all the responses!
Cheapest way tro go is probably a haul road hunt in AK. No outfitter expense and no bush flight expense. Go with a partner to split the cost of a vehicle rental. You're all in for the price of a flight, half the car/truck rental, tags(s) and misc travel costs. Doesn't get any cheaper than that.
"Note I am rifle hunting in a very good area. Bow would be a different story. DonV"
Why rifle? I thought you were bowhunting because you keep posting all the questions on a bow site? I'm not trying to start a fight either so don't take this question the wrong way I'm just curious. Goodluck either way, Mike
Adak? May be an adventure for sure but no way can Adak be considered among the "most affordable" Caribou options.
Last I checked it was almost $1500 RT just to fly from Anchorage to Adak.
Did not know that
Thank You for info
If you are active duty military, Adak Naval Air Station with a MAC flight would be a smart option.
http://www.kiskimaastakin.com/en/
Went there last year, from Connecticut it took 4 days to drive up and three day to drive home (it was down hill). Rented a Silverado from Enterprise and got a Canadian insurance card from my insurance. Wife got two, and I got one. This late in the season, not many with big racks.
mox, just curious. From home back to home what was the total cost and what do you mean "not many with big racks" Sounds like a week of driving, how long was the hunt?
