Adak Island Transporter Hunt!!!
Caribou
I’m booking a transporter on Adak this fall to hunt caribou with one of my friends. I’m still needing to fill some slots on the boat. The dates of the hunt will be Oct 3rd to the 13th. The is a DIY transport hunt only. We will be traveling to the southern end of Adak. There hasn’t been a transporter on Adak for around 12 years now and the caribou bulls have been able to mature and with some reaching true trophy size. So, basically, we will be the first group of bow hunters to hunt the southern part of Adak in 12 years. You’re also allowed 2 bulls on Adak unlike other areas in Alaska. Please contact me for pricing and details.
Thanks Brady
Where are you getting your information with regards to Adak and the health of the herd there in general?
When I lived there we had no limit and killed a lot of bou. One of the concerns of the biologists was that overpopulation would cause the habitat to degrade and the size/quality of the animals to decrease once the navy left..
I had a twin diesel 34' commercial boat and have been around the island and into every nook and cranny. Was a lot of fun.
Hope you do well.
There has been a few locals with boats that have traveled to the south end of the island in the last 12 years. But since there hasn't; been a study or a transporter that's all we have to base it on. Local knowledge.
I went in 2005 and caught the tail end of the good era.
If you guys kill 300" bulls I'll be totally impressed but the likelihood of that happening is about as good as Hillary winning in two years....
Possible? Maybe... mature bulls like you stated, not likely but, what do I know. Best of luck and I hope you getter done on mature bulls like you hope; just don't count on it...
Is this the "reindeer" herd I remember reading about years ago?
Not reindeer. Brought in in 1958 and were wild bou.
No, not reindeer, these are stocked form the Nelchina herd. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=sQQk4d4P&id=AD2856998D3AE41FF73F0EC8987F8BC9CAA01397&thid=OIP.SBZUJGsuWjPAl-kyo19llQHaFu&mediaurl=http%3a%2f%2fwww.adfg.alaska.gov%2fstatic%2fspecies%2fspeciesinfo%2fcaribou%2fimages%2fcaribou_herds.jpg&exph=608&expw=787&q=alaska+caribou+herds&simid=608007302430001794&selectedIndex=0&ajaxhist=0
Atka island has the big reindeer from Siberia you probably read about, that Shocky hunts. Kodiak also has reindeer, but AKFG calls caribou.
If you're going to Adak for any reason other than the adventure of going to Adak, then you're off course. Good luck. Don't expect to kill, or even see, big racked caribou bulls.
I want to hunt caribou on Adak as an excuse to go to Adak. It's an amazing piece of history, and apparently the base there is mostly still in tact.
My son has gone the last 2 years just to do so with some buddies. He went to school there. The place is coming apart. You can't leave modern buildings unheated in a super high humidity and extreme wind environment without it happening.
Well wiki says there are trophies there so it must be right...
Hunting and fishing are bountiful sports in Adak. Hunters particularly prize Adak caribou, the largest of which can exceed 700 pounds. There is no bag limit for cows, but in 2007, the Board of Game passed new regulations for bulls. If you want to get to the South end of the island where the majority of the caribou are, there are currently two licensed local boat charter services - Aleutian Adventure Tours and Homeward Bound Charters.
Those ones on the Shockey show I seen were monsters, and he said they were from reindeer bloodlines... Their racks looked so too...
The hunters that have negative experience hike from town. I haven't heard of anyone going all the way to the southend of the island for years. I've talked to a few locals that have boats that have been to the south end and there are big bulls. If you interested in more details please pm me.
Both clockwise and counter-clockwise trips are challenging for a small boat. With satellite it's not like it was but you are on your own with little chance of rescue so make sure the operator has a reliable craft.
Clockwise you can run into bou once you start south between Adak and Kagalaska. Before you can't see much (steep). From then on you may see bou at any time but often you can't get ashore even with a 13.5' Zodiac.
If they are making a quick run and drop off with later pick up, bring plenty of food and fuel. You don't know when you're actually coming back.
Oct 3-13 will place you in the rut and if you kill a big bull it may be inedible. Butchered a couple F&W had confiscated and even my dog wouldn't eat the meat. They were early Oct kills. We never hunted October.
Just wondering who your transporter is. We have similar a trip lined up for oct 20-27. You'll have to let us know how it was and if you have any tips when you get back. Thanks
hunt forever - how did your trip turn out?
Yellowlab21 - is your trip still on?
I too am curious. The folks I know that went shot young bulls and cows so far.
"If you want to get to the South end of the island where the majority of the caribou are, there are currently two licensed local boat charter services - Aleutian Adventure Tours and Homeward Bound Charters."
Al Gidings (sp) owns "Homeward Bound" and relocated to Haines years ago--I'm sure its been at least five or six at a minimum.
