Alaska 2012

[Kazekurt]

I traveled to Alaska this year to hunt caribou via fanboat with some friends and it was a blast!  I flew into Fairbanks and met my friends, then traveled with them up the Dalton to the north side of the brooks range.  We saw Dahl sheep and a mountain goat near Antigun pass, and later 3 musk oxen and a pile of caribou.  We had 12 tags total and were blessed to fill all 12 in just 3 days.  We also caught a bunch of Arctic char and graylings.  Alaska is how I imagine heaven will be


My best bou!

Several of our bou in the boat with 2 of my pals.

Goat pic near Antigun pass

Some of our fish


Nice few of the river and the tundra.

[Bigtine96]

Looks like a awesome trip!

[quadrafire]

Looks like an Awsome trip.
Got a kick out of the boat all the way from Cocoa Florida 
Was this an archery or rifle hunt? Did you hunt anything other than caribou?

[Kazekurt]

I just took my rifle this go around as I wasn't real sure what to expect and we had never hunted this far north before.  I'll probably take my bow sometime in the future but it will definitely be a challenge as the tundra is pretty open.  I've spent a lot of time chasing Mullies in open country but not quite this open!  I had two caribou tags and a wolf tag.  My buddies were Alaska residents so they could shoot just about anything but musk oxen, though we really only pursued caribou and fished.  They harvested some bears and Sitka deer later down south but my wife and budget wouldn't let me go back a second time.  I'm hoping to try moose, grizzly, or Dahl sheep next year but that will be tougher as you have to have a guide or a very close family member to hunt them.  Unfortunately my buddies don't count in the state's eyes:(

[Austrian Hunter]

My dream right there.  Awesome trip!  Is Caribou meat very different or similar than our deer and elk? 

[Wea300mag]

Looks like a great trip, congrats on your success.

[Bshiftbc]

Jealousy is such an ugly emotion!!

[sled]

Beautiful!

[Kazekurt]

The meat is very tasty IMHO.  My friends and their families eat a lot of caribou and fish throughout the year.  I think many Alaska residents rely heavily on wild game for subsistence as tags are usually either cheap or free for them and most other food is expensive because of the freight costs to get it there. 

[Skyvalhunter]

Yep it is awesome up there. I did a backpack hunt for dall sheep on the North side of Atigun. On of the best places I have been. Will head up there this summer to do a float, hike trip cant wait. Nice pics thanks for sharing

[cohoho]

Used to be my favorite every year trip, run Dalton, launch at the Sag and run the river up the Ivashak and hit the Caribou, now it has been twice since I left and can't wait til next time to run with the friends.  It is truly awesome above the Brooks Range for sure.  Super cool trip it is for sure.  Probably getting my Hillbilly (WV) buddies up there in 2014 for some Airboat Caribou, as they will feel exactly like you do right now, on cloud nine...  Miss that place everyday and then pics like these come up, should make for an interesting night at the dinner table for me and the wife...

[ribka]

Airboat for caribou? Sounds like a good time. Have hunted Quebec for caribou when the herds were better with long bow and had a great time

Looking to do a caribou hunt in Alaska this year or next year.

Here's a tip : Divorce your wife and fly your buddy down here to WA and marry him to take advantage of the Alaska guide laws 

I just took my rifle this go around as I wasn't real sure what to expect and we had never hunted this far north before.  I'll probably take my bow sometime in the future but it will definitely be a challenge as the tundra is pretty open.  I've spent a lot of time chasing Mullies in open country but not quite this open!  I had two caribou tags and a wolf tag.  My buddies were Alaska residents so they could shoot just about anything but musk oxen, though we really only pursued caribou and fished.  They harvested some bears and Sitka deer later down south but my wife and budget wouldn't let me go back a second time.  I'm hoping to try moose, grizzly, or Dahl sheep next year but that will be tougher as you have to have a guide or a very close family member to hunt them.  Unfortunately my buddies don't count in the state's eyes:(

[Royal47]

Jealousy is such an ugly emotion!!

 

Congrats! That sounds like a dream hunt!

[Kazekurt]

"Here's a tip : Divorce your wife and fly your buddy down here to WA and marry him to take advantage of the Alaska guide laws "

I never would have thought of your "broke back or chuck and Larry" solution to my guide problem; lol.  Not sure my friends would be willing to take one for the team:-)

[RB]

Awesome!