Arrow Head Outfitters AK
Caribou
Anyone ever used these guys?
Plenty of very mixed reviews on them in several places. Rokside comes to mind. I think Nick flew with them a few times as well.
Even though Hunt and Nick had decent service with them, I've read enough bad stuff about them for me to avoid them. Like Trial153 says: "plenty of very mixed reviews"...
I've flown with them twice and I don't think we had "decent" service either time. I'll never use them again, even if it were free. Additionally, you can hunt the road system in the same area and have just as good of a chance at a caribou for far less $.
Several North Slope options for Caribou, AHO wouldn't make the cut, IMO.
My rationale for this has NOTHING to do with the quality of hunting... they cannot control that and no outfitter can. It does however have to do with the service they provide and the quality of that service. The juice isn't worth the squeeze...
Nick, what made you decide to use them, and then use them again?
Hunted the road in 2014, killed a few bulls and then nothing was seen for several days. So, we went up to AHO and asked if they had an opening for three guys to fly out right away. They did, and the price was reduced to less than half.
We flew out, had the time of our life with regards to Caribou being all over the place! After a few days, we asked to be moved (which they said they would) and they went back and forth for several days about not moving us even though there wasn't a caribou within 10-20 miles of us. Finally flew out after a snow storm. Not a bad trip, but their unwillingness to come move us and their attitude towards it was less than desirable.
Why did I go back? The following year my buddies (Hunt and family) wanted to caribou hunt. Since we had seen thousands of caribou with AHO the year before, we decided to go for it... I wasn't basing this on customer service, I was basing it off of a damn good hunt the year prior (for a few days) and hoped to be in amongst migrating herds once again. We all killed nice bulls on that trip. That said, our SAT phone broke on day 2. They never once flew over for a welfare check after several days, even though they like you to check in every few, which we were unable to do. On Day 9, we were to be picked up. No one came. Day 10, no one came. Day 11, no one came. Finally, on Day 12, they came and to this day I believe the only reason they came is because my First Sergeant called them and asked where the hell I was... Never once did they fly over our camp during that time. We were fine, but what if we hadn't been?
That, in a nutshell is my story, there's more, but I don't care to go into all of it on here.
This will be short thread lol
I stand corrected! ;). So I’ve officially never heard a good report...
Interesting stuff, Nick.
I know they advertise like crazy on social media, which kinda throws up a flag for me. Should be no need for THAT much advertisement.
Thanks guys. Any recommendations?
If I wanted to hunt the north slope or the brooks in general for caribou, I’d be booking through Billy Molls website and do his DIY option which is the same price as all the rest.
70 North, Coyote Air, Bushwhacker, BRA, and Deadhorse Outfitters are your other options and they’ll all do their best.
I flew with Jeff at Bushwacker in 2016 (for sheep). Had a terrible hunt due to weather but can’t say enough good things about Jeff as a pilot. He will do everything in his power to ensure his hunters have a great trip.
Pat and I did the North Slope of the Brooks Range, floating the Colville River in 1989. By chance met Kurt there. Awesome animals then.
We had a good hunt with them. Everybody shot caribou but they were on the tundra and it we had to share the defense rifle. The week before we were there the guys hunted them with stickbows in the timber and they averaged way more than one caribou per person. Outfitting is a tough business, we could have cried but we made a good trip out of it. Alaska is no joke and it's dangerous so be careful.
I would say steer clear of 70 N as well because the owner can be tough to deal with as you may be talking to and dealing with him on logistics while you’re trying to fly out of Happy Valley and he is sitting in Anchorage. They do however have a Helio which is essentially a larger payload airplane that is almost as versatile as a Cub. In essance you can fly in a pretty nice camp and a couple guys on the tundra easier.
