Graduation trip
Contributors to this thread:Caribou
From: BrentC
26-Jan-21
My sons should graduate college next year so It seems next summer 2022 might be the last best chance of the three of us being able to take a big trip together. Considering an unguided barren ground caribou hunt perhaps on the north slope of the Brooks Range. There are outfitters offering fly in and equipment rental. Anyone have any experience something with this? All recommendations and advice welcome.
From: pav
27-Jan-21
Brooks Range Aviation out of Bettles is a solid transporter for the North Slope, but I'm not sure about equipment rental. If you are concerned about getting equipment to Bettles, you can ship USPS and BRA will pick it up for you. After the hunt, box it back up and they will ship it home as well. You are looking at a commercial flight to Fairbanks, jumper flight to Bettles (we used Wright Air) and BRA uses float planes from there. Nice thing about float planes is the generous weight limit in comparison to Super Cubs. You could literally bring the kitchen sink...LOL!
From: altitude sick
27-Jan-21
If you want to take your own high quality gear but don't want to buy it for one trip. Check out Rgunsngear.com. I have never used them. But it’s an interesting concept. They rent rifles, tents, bags, stoves, binoculars, scopes. All top of the line stuff. It would also be a way to try gear or Optics before you buy them.
And they also have used equipment sales.
From: Nick Muche
27-Jan-21
If anyone is interested in knowing, I was told recently that BRA may not be running again this fall. I could be mistaken, but that is what I have been hearing. Hopefully that information is incorrect as their website indicates they will be running in 2021.
From: TrapperKayak
27-Jan-21
I did a drop hunt near Lake Clark west of the Alaska Range for 8 days. It was the Mulchatna herd. Not sure if that herd is huntable any more. I flew with Ketchum Air and took my own gear. 4 of us got 6 barren ground 'bou. All but one on the first day, so we had alot of free time, babysitting meat because it was unseasonably warm, but BUG FREE...highly unusual. Take fishing gear... The flights were reasonably cheap, along with Tags and license fees, thats it. Id do it again, or similar...and plan to in a couple years.
From: Nick Muche
27-Jan-21
The Mulchatna Caribou herd, in GMU 17&19, is closed to Non Resident hunting.
From: Tennhunter
27-Jan-21
You might check out some of the airboat guides, we talked with them last year and they seemed to have pretty good luck. I’m a sucker for the haul road hunting with a bow but it’s not for everybody we’ve been 3 times and have had great success each trip.
From: BrentC
27-Jan-21
Thanks everyone for the input. Seems like a good adventure but doable at the same time. Definitely plan on taking fishing gear. When the time comes I’ll do my tech challenged best to post the follow up.
From: LKH
27-Jan-21
Haul Road bou are way down. Herd dropped from about 75K to 22K.
From: Shrewski
30-Jan-21
If caribou doesn’t work out, I Took my son a few years ago when he graduated HS on a black bear boat trip out of Homer on the back side of the Kenai peninsula. I’d do that anytime.
From: kota-man
30-Jan-21
“Haul Road bou are way down. Herd dropped from 75k to 22k.”....
Pretty much since Nick moved up there... ;) ;) ;)