2017 Alaska Haul Road
Caribou
I was talking to a lead biologist in Fairbanks today. Due to herd decline they may restrict the haul road caribou hunt to just residents. Decision should be reached at the end of February. unfortunately i have already purchased a caribou tag and put a down payment on a 4x4 camper. Just spreading the news.
Those costs may be minor when weighed against how lousy a hunt you would probably have. We haven't gone up the last two years and several years before that were very poor. We have a fellow who works security at Deadhorse and truck drivers who keep us informed. We can get underway in a day and there simply hasn't been enough caribou to warrant the 15 hour drive.
You should talk to the Tok biologist about the 40 mile herd and also the Nelchina herd. Increasing numbers may make another bou hunt possible for you.
Sounds good!
Haven't heard anything about that... I'll try my hand at some of those elusive bou.
You've heard the old saying, "If you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute...it will change". The same can be said of Alaska hunting regulations and seasons.
Tom...I hope you get to make your hunt. The Fortymile herd may indeed be your best backup option.
Sounds Good?? I don't think anything bout that sounds good! Hope it works out where you can go! Be a sad day when Non residents can't hunt the Haul Road! Hunt
Would this also cover the caribou that are hunted by flying out of the Happy Valley area?
Man, sounds like caribou across the board are getting hammered population wise. The Beverley and Queminurak (or however you spell it) herds here are way down as well. Newfoundland down...
"Would this also cover the caribou that are hunted by flying out of the Happy Valley area?" I'm sure it would as they are the same caribou.
This is a long way from where I live and I don't track it very closely so first I have heard that this herd is doing poorly and consideration for restricting the season.
You have to hunt caribou when they are available. Anyone remember the phenomenal hunts in the 90s in the Mulchatna herd? I have heard that herd is starting to come back now, close to 20 years later.
The Nelchina herd is doing well but much of that is HEAVILY hit by resident redneck contingent with ATVs. The 40 Mile herd is doing well too but access is tuffer as there aren't many landable lakes for float plans, mostly super cubs on tires and more terrain so often harder physically.
Any new information about this possible closure to nonresidents?
The whole caribou thing is concerning all over.
I was helping my son on a sheep hunt in the Mt. Harper unit. 40 mile caribou. We saw a lot of caribou including some big bulls. My son has a pic of a bull so close that the legs and head are chopped off.
These are very big caribou. In 1988 I killed a bull that provided 165 pounds of boned out ready to package meat. The terrain is very tough and 40 mile Air provides one of the services to get you in there. There is another guy out of Tok but I can't remember the name.
It's expensive to hunt. If I had chosen to kill a bou the meat fly out would have been $800 on top of my $1500 flight. Only one tag also and the hunt could be closed but that's extremely unlikely in Aug-Sep.
Has anything new come of this?
Unit 26B Remainder has been changed to 1 bull for NR, 1 Aug - 15 Sep is the new season.
This is the majority of the hunt area.
If you're interested in reading the changes, Google Alaska BOG and follow the links to the proposals and actions.
