BOWUNTR
Member
Almost as good as a dating service.... good luck.... can't wait for the story. Ed F
Early Call for Partner - 2013 Caribou Hunt
- Thread starter mdhunter61
- Start date
Well we are booked and ready to roll this coming August.Man am I pumped up for this trip!!!sending my check off to 40 mile air tomorrow.Have to thank Mike again for allowing me to join him on this trip!!Probably have to give up my Sept. elk hunt for this but it is Alaska caribou.Any suggestions on hunting gear that I may need for the trip would be appreciated.Probably need some good rain gear.Going to be giving my 300 a good workout at the range all spring and summer
Anyone have some pics of their alaskan hunts to get my blood pumping please post
Anyone have some pics of their alaskan hunts to get my blood pumping please post
the nikster
Well-known member
Mixedbag,
Compare your list to Mike's. He has just about everything and it is all quality equipment. There is no need to double up on stuff if he has it already. Rain gear is a must. I hunted with one guy who spent 5 straight days in camp while I hunted because he had insufficient gear. Remember, if you are dead you cannot hunt! Spend top dollar on the things that will keep you alive-do not skrimp here. A loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter will keep you full for days as a back-up plan. Mike will not pressure you to shoot a caribou early. Use his skills and judgement to supplement your trophy knowledge. Remember that you alone decide what is a trophy worthy of your bullet.I came home without on 3 straight trips while I waited for the big one.
Nick
Compare your list to Mike's. He has just about everything and it is all quality equipment. There is no need to double up on stuff if he has it already. Rain gear is a must. I hunted with one guy who spent 5 straight days in camp while I hunted because he had insufficient gear. Remember, if you are dead you cannot hunt! Spend top dollar on the things that will keep you alive-do not skrimp here. A loaf of bread and jar of peanut butter will keep you full for days as a back-up plan. Mike will not pressure you to shoot a caribou early. Use his skills and judgement to supplement your trophy knowledge. Remember that you alone decide what is a trophy worthy of your bullet.I came home without on 3 straight trips while I waited for the big one.
Nick
mdhunter61
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2010
- Messages
- 433
I'd call that a modest statement Nick - you shot the biggest caribou I've seen taken in all of my Alaska hunts, and set the bar way up there! Hope you're enjoying your new digs?
Michael
Well,the time has finally come and I leave this Monday for my first(not last) trip to Alaska.Think I'm as prepared as I'll ever be at this point.I'm shooting good to 200 yrds,but would have liked a little more range time.Its been a busy year for work.All my stuff is packed and I'm ready for the trip.Hope to have some pics when we return in 2 weeks
I couldn't have done this trip without this site!!!All the locals I know only dream about trips and never do them.luckily, I was able to hook up with Mike for this.I've met a few guys from this site and all have been great and a good time to hunt with.
I couldn't have done this trip without this site!!!All the locals I know only dream about trips and never do them.luckily, I was able to hook up with Mike for this.I've met a few guys from this site and all have been great and a good time to hunt with.
pointingdogsrule
Well-known member
Good luck and ENJOY 
good luck to all
the dog
good luck to all
the dog
idnative1948
Well-known member
And we wait.... Good luck to you!
npaden
Well-known member
Good luck to you both! Sounds like a great adventure is in store for you!
B
big28hunter
Guest
Pumped for you Scott! Best of luck! Awesome of Mike to invite you along. I'll be pulling for you both. Post plenty of pics! Good huntin' and GOD bless
dustinf
Active member
Awesome. Congrats!
Colberjs
Member
Waiting for pics!!
Hmmm... You wouldn't have to twist my arm too hard to shoot a moose instead of a caribou! Looking forward to the pics! I really need to sit down and study the logistics for a DIY AK hunt more. It's a bit daunting/overwhelming but I think I could get it figured out.
mdhunter61
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2010
- Messages
- 433
Shoot me your email address and I can send you starter gear lists, food list, etc - have done 8 AK remote hunts in the past dozen years, and would hunt AK with Scott again in a heartbeat. Another OYOA member (the Nikster) is another AK hunt partner who I would hunt with again, and he has good tips for AK hunting as well.
We had a great time even with rain every day of our hunt except one. Got two caribou, saw two grizzlies (one ran right past camp the first night), and saw some wild remote country! Only 12 months until next year's adventure.
1pointer, I don't think the logistics are terribly difficult.We would have to pay a bit extra for extra baggage with the airfare but that's all really.Or, the gear could be direct shipped to 40 mile ahead of the hunt.way I look at it,is most my camping equipment could fit in a large cooler for the flight out.May have to use a shipping company to get the gear back home though as I figure the cooler would be full of meat;positive thinking
mdhunter61
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2010
- Messages
- 433
After Action Report...
Been back at work for a couple of weeks after our Alaska hunt, finally have a minute to catch my breath and post some pics. This was a different year for caribou in Alaska – the very late spring, hot dry summer, and wet start to fall really altered the typical migration patterns.
Scott (another Hunttalker) and I flew into the bush on August 28 – a cloudy morning, the clouds were dropping throughout our 90 minute bush plane flight. I was worried we might have to turn around and head back to town, but we made it to camp. Here’s a pic from the Super Cub, you can see the clouds dropping onto the ridgetops.
After landing, we started setting up camp, stopping a couple of times to say hello to some visitors.
A pic of our camp, with the sleep tent, gear/food tent, bucket stools, and UDAP bear fence.
Been back at work for a couple of weeks after our Alaska hunt, finally have a minute to catch my breath and post some pics. This was a different year for caribou in Alaska – the very late spring, hot dry summer, and wet start to fall really altered the typical migration patterns.
Scott (another Hunttalker) and I flew into the bush on August 28 – a cloudy morning, the clouds were dropping throughout our 90 minute bush plane flight. I was worried we might have to turn around and head back to town, but we made it to camp. Here’s a pic from the Super Cub, you can see the clouds dropping onto the ridgetops.
After landing, we started setting up camp, stopping a couple of times to say hello to some visitors.
A pic of our camp, with the sleep tent, gear/food tent, bucket stools, and UDAP bear fence.
mdhunter61
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2010
- Messages
- 433
Scott (mixedbag on OYOA forum) enjoying camp and checking out the scenery.
Time for some steaks for dinner – I always cook up ribeyes the first evening in camp, before we start our Mountain House regimen (or bacon and eggs).
About 45 minutes after dinner, I was checking out a far ridge through the spotter when I heard some rocks clattering up the creekbed. I was about to tell Scott we had some more caribou coming past, camp, when I saw a grizzly roaring down the creekbed towards camp! I grabbed my rifle and jacked a shell in the chamber; he came running past camp about 40 yards away, saw us, didn’t like what he saw, and kept right on trucking. I think he thought we saved a steak for him! Here’s a picture I snapped while still holding my rifle.
Time for some steaks for dinner – I always cook up ribeyes the first evening in camp, before we start our Mountain House regimen (or bacon and eggs).
About 45 minutes after dinner, I was checking out a far ridge through the spotter when I heard some rocks clattering up the creekbed. I was about to tell Scott we had some more caribou coming past, camp, when I saw a grizzly roaring down the creekbed towards camp! I grabbed my rifle and jacked a shell in the chamber; he came running past camp about 40 yards away, saw us, didn’t like what he saw, and kept right on trucking. I think he thought we saved a steak for him! Here’s a picture I snapped while still holding my rifle.
mdhunter61
Well-known member
- Joined
- Oct 3, 2010
- Messages
- 433
The next afternoon, I saw a couple of bulls heading our way about a mile away, and when they got closer Scott and I ran up the ridge to intercept them. I snapped this picture just before Scott shot the larger bull on the left.
Scott made a good shot from about 200 yards, and was elated to have a great bull down – his first Alaskan big game animal!
For the next few days we had a lot of rain and not too many caribou – here you can see that although we had rain along the creek, it was falling as snow on the ridgetops.
When the pilot came in to get Scott’s meat and antlers, he said the forecast called for quite a bit of rain in the days ahead – based on the weather and the relative lack of big bulls we were seeing, I decided to shoot the first decent meat bull we saw. Here’s the pilot landing to get Scott’s meat and antlers.
Scott made a good shot from about 200 yards, and was elated to have a great bull down – his first Alaskan big game animal!
For the next few days we had a lot of rain and not too many caribou – here you can see that although we had rain along the creek, it was falling as snow on the ridgetops.
When the pilot came in to get Scott’s meat and antlers, he said the forecast called for quite a bit of rain in the days ahead – based on the weather and the relative lack of big bulls we were seeing, I decided to shoot the first decent meat bull we saw. Here’s the pilot landing to get Scott’s meat and antlers.
