Pathfinder and PathfinderJRs Alaska Caribou Hunt

[Pathfinder101]

Back in Tok, we stashed the meat in the cooler, caught another good meal at Fast Eddie’s and another night’s sleep in the bunks at 40 Mile Air.  The next morning we made a bed of ice in the back of the van, laid the meat on it, more bags of ice, covered it all with a tarp and drove like hell for Anchorage.  Got to a campground in the pouring rain right at dark, strung a tarp over a picnic table and butchered meat until 4am.  We loaded the steaks in 50 lb wax freezer boxes and drove them to the freezer at the Anchorage Airport.  Then we spent the next day trying to figure out how to get the antlers home. 

[Pathfinder101]

Here’s what we came up with (if any of you ever do this):  We went to a bicycle store and they gave us two bicycle shipping boxes.  We took them to a park and sawed the skullplates in half.  Then we cut out one wall out of each box and taped them together, forming a double-wide bike box.  We nested the antlers (along with a couple of the sheds we found) in the box and duct taped the crap out of it.  Alaska Airlines will allow you to check luggage as long as it is 115 linear inches or less.  Our Antler Box came to 98 linear inches.  Checked Oversized baggage; $75.  Almost $300 cheaper than having it shipped by freight.  First two checked bags were free, next 4 were $25 and the rest were $75.  All totaled, we got our gear, meat and antlers home for $325.  The lady at the airline ticket counter didn’t even blink an eye.  She said “I see this all the time”.  All she asked was if it was a caribou or a moose.   

[Pathfinder101]

All in all, it was definitely the trip of a lifetime for both of us.  If you ever get a chance to do it, I would highly recommend 40 Mile Air.  They are skilled professionals that absolutely know where to put you down to get you on game.  All their staff were friendly and helpful and I did not get a single piece of poor advice from any of them.  Several of the guys that were hunting heard that we were there as a graduation gift and said that when their kids graduated high school they were going to do the same thing. 

[Jason]

Awesome hunt and great pictures!! Thanks for sharing!

[MADMAX]

very cool and good info that you shared
someday I hope to do that

[Timberstalker]

Very nice write up Pathfinder. What a great trip.

[Pathfinder101]

Thanks guys

[MtnMuley]

Can't get a better start to the hunting season. Congrats you two!

[carpsniperg2]

Great critters and looks like a great time.

[Bob33]

That narrative and the photos are better than most I've ever read in hunting magazines.

[Timberstalker]

That narrative and the photos are better than most I've ever read in hunting magazines.

For sure. I'd try to submit that to a couple and see if they like it. Might get some interest.

[SemperFidelis97]

Amazing write up Pathfinder, like Bob said I haven't read too many hunting stories that were as well told, and chronicled as well as you have done with yours, well done sir.   

[Branden]

Extremely well written. Thank you for taking the time to type this up so we could follow along. Congrats on an awesome hunt.

Regards, Branden

[pianoman9701]

What a cool journey you took us on. Great pictures and story. Thanks! I also love your ability to adapt and improvise when the spit hits the fan, too. 

[Pathfinder101]

I am flattered guys.  Thanks so much.  Don't know if a magazine article is in the cards, but I'll consider it.  Hadn't really thought about that.