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From: drh@sequent.com (Dennis Halicki)
Newsgroups: rec.hunting
Subject: Hunting in Alaska
Message-ID: <542@erb1.engr.wisc.edu>
Date: 17 Apr 91 12:07:55 GMT
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I received the following request after I posted an article:

> To: drh@sequent.sequent.com
> Subject: rec.hunting posting
> Date: Tue, 09 Apr 91 12:53:16 MDT
> 
> 
> Can you post any information about your self-guided caribou hunting
> trip to Alaska ? I'd like to do something similar, and could use the
> information. I'm sure others would also be interested in the details/story.
> 
> -Darrell Johnsrud


Five of us participated on this hunt. My good friend Paul and I are
both from Portland, Or. Paul's dad, his brother, and another friend
>from Boston also went.

We were trying to save as much money as possible, so we did not hire a
guide. Additionally we did not hire an outfitter to provide us with
camping equipment. We brought our own with us. This was a hastle
checking it in and out of airports, but it was well worth it. We had
to keep the gear to a minimum, since you are restricted to 3 items
each on the airplane, which could not weigh more than 70 pounds each.
The meat, cape, and antlers all flew back via air cargo. We even had
to bring our own food from Portland and Boston. There is no store in
Illiamna where we were headed. We brought fairly heavy food items,
like baggels, cheese, ham, etc. that would keep for a week without
refrigeration. Be sure that a couple of your baggage items are back
packs which can later be used to haul the meat back to the lake where
the float plan will pick you up. There are also limitations on how
much a float plane can carry. Be sure to ask the people you use what
their weight restrictions are. This was a limiting factor on how much
gear you can bring. Remember also that on the flight home you will
have about 150 pounds of caribou.  I shot a big bodied one that was
150 pounds of boned out meat, plus around 30 pounds of antlers and
cape.

We all flew to Anchorage and met at the hotel. From Anchorage, we flew
via ERA aviation to Illiamna. From there we hired a float plane
service to fly us out to the middle of nowhere, and pick us up 6 days
later. Where we went may or may not be important, since I have heard
that there are many great caribou hunting grounds in Alaska. I would
pick a location that sounds appealing to you.

Our trip was the 3rd week of September. The Caribou rub their velvet
around the first of September, so we wanted to get them after they
rubbed while they were rutting. As soon as we were dropped off a big
storm hit. for the next day and a half we couldn't hunt, because of 80
or 90 MPH wind gusts. There is no way to shoot in this kind of wind,
but we did see a lot of caribou. A couple of our tents blew down and
broke the poles apart. It was a good thing I had a method for fixing
my poles.

When the weather cleared, it was fairly reasonable, partly to mostly
sunny, occasional wind and rain. The caribou were everywhere. We saw
hundreds of them every day. With this many caribou, I would be careful
not to shoot the first one you see. I spent the first couple of days
judging trophies, then shot the best one I saw. Bring a flat shooting
rifle, since long shots were the rule. A bow hunter does have a chance
of getting close out here. I got to withing 30 yards of a couple
herds, but no big bulls were in those herds. It is real marshy in
spots, so bring hip waders, or at least knee high boots.

We all 5 shot nice caribou. We spent a lot of time boning out the meat
and hauling it back to the lake, so don't wait till the last day to
shoot.

All in all this was a great hunt. I'll do it again some day. It's not
that challenging to get a caribou, but getting a big one is the real
challenge. The total cost was just under $2,000 each, so it's a much
cheaper way to hunt Alaska. I think that guide services charge $3,000,
then add about $1,500 more for tags, air fare, etc.

Note also that you could hunt moose and other species this same way.

Have fun,

Dennis Halicki
Sequent Computer Systems Inc.
Beaverton, OR
Internet: drh@sequent.com
UUCP: ...!sequent!drh