Haul Road in September

[glass eye]

Anyone have any experience on the Haul road in Sep ?
I'm leaning towards early Sep because I believe the swarms of mosquitos will be gone and the caribou will have hard antlers and beautiful white manes.

I'm assuming that during the summer the bou are on the coastal plain and then migrate over the mountains in Sep but I really don't know.

 

[hardwoods]

No experience with September but I was there 3rd week of August few years ago which typically is a good time per a buddy that works on the pipeline but warmer than normal temperatures delayed their movement that year until later. The little bit I do know seems they vary year to year based on temps. Best of luck if you make it up there!

 

[Kaitum]

I've been up there twice in September. Once the first week, the next the second week. Never had a problem with mosquitos either trip. Both trips the caribou had shed their velvet. Can't say either bull I shot had a super white mane then. I've hunted the Western Arctic herd in mid-September and they were much whiter at that time.

 

[Forney]

I didn't hunt the haul road but stayed in Prudahoe and was transported up the Ivishak Aug 25 and came out Sept 1. There were a lot of caribou along the haul road near Prudhoe the day we came out. The mosquitos weren't bad, there were some flies when we cleaned our animals. We planned our trip thinking the Caribou would be hard horned and they were nearly 100% velvet.

 

[Red-Team 98]

Anyone have any experience on the Haul road in Sep ?
I'm leaning towards early Sep because I believe the swarms of mosquitos will be gone and the caribou will have hard antlers and beautiful white manes.

I'm assuming that during the summer the bou are on the coastal plain and then migrate over the mountains in Sep but I really don't know.

Have many years on Haul road !
Mid Aug is the migration season for caribou.
Mid Sep winter starts up North.
Alaska Oil Pipeline runs close to road 5 mile limit with Rifle unless you Bow hunt after Yukon Bridge.
Best hunting will be between Pump 2 and Pump 3 oil stations just South of Deadhorse. Suggest Jet Sled and shoulder harness to retrieve caribou. Always take a pistol while bow hunting I prefer Glock 20.
Haul road always have good All terrain tires and at least 1 good spare. Only 2 gas stops Cold Foot and Dead Horse. Small campground at Coldfoot after small bridge on right. Lots of Bear both Grizzly and Black in area. Bring good dependable vehicle road is rocky and lots of big trucks throw rocks on windshield.
Hard walking on Tundra but I walked thru herds of caribou just to get to my 5 mile limit in Mid August. Caribou still in Velvet.
Bear really out at night so bring air tight food storage and don’t sleep in tent with snacks and food !
Liked to arrow hunt lots of arrows in Tundra. Highly suggest practicing 70 yard shots with rangefinder with Bow. And bring plenty of arrows with heads after the shot the Tundra soaks them up almost impossible to fine.

 

[COEngineer]

We were there mid-Sept three years ago. The mosquitoes were bad near Coldfoot the first night, after that we were a little further north and didn't have much trouble with bugs.

 

[BirdManMike]

Any of you guys know how far up river the dollies will be late August/early Septmeber?

 

[Kaitum]

Any of you guys know how far up river the dollies will be late August/early Septmeber?

They were a long way up the Ivishak in late August when I was there.

 

[BirdManMike]

They were a long way up the Ivishak in late August when I was there.

Thanks!

 

[Red-Team 98]

Now we hunt the 40 mile heard just outside Fairbanks. Closer to town but a lot of hunters.