Brooks Range Caribou Hunt

[Machias]

Heading up there at the end of Aug.  For some of you guys that have been up there, can you recommend gear that made your hunt more enjoyable or was downright necessary?  Do you think a Pair of White's Pac boots would be a good choice?  What type, if not, would you recommend?  What lures should I take for fishing?  Any way recommended for fixing fish that we do catch?  What caliber do you recommend...is my 30.06 suited to that environment (tell me no, so I have to buy a new rifle...and then recommend a good caliber!   )  How are the bugs during late Aug and besides a Thermocell do you recommend a headnet?  I appreciate any and all advice, thanks!

[lewy]

Have a great trip! I also will be hunting the brooks range this fall, pretty stoked!

[jmscon]

@Pathfinder101 was there last August or maybe two years ago, might have some input.

[jmscon]

How are you guys getting up there, drive up or commercial flight? Fairbanks?

[Machias]

We are flying from Spokane to Seattle, then to Anchorage and finally into Deadhorse.  Getting picked up there and driving for a little over an hour, then a Airboat ride into the hunting area.

[Machias]

I am taking a Garmin Inreach, should have mentioned that in the opening thread.  They also mentioned there is a lot of ptarmigan so hoping to pop a few of those for dinner. 

[jackelope]

@Pathfinder101

I don't know much about the terrain and the boots best served for that terrain, but I'd look hard at a stiff pair of leather mountain hunting style boots. Whatever you choose, I'd get them now and start putting miles on them so they're broken in when the real work begins.  I had a thread about pac boots and hiking a while back and that thread convinced me they're great for keeping your feet warm but not great for hiking in.

[jackelope]

@spin05

[jackelope]

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,200485.0.html

[Machias]

    Thank you!!

[spin05]

@spin05

My son and i hunted Brooks range last september.  Spent our time in a set of Kuiu guide gear with one item as back up and some extra layers.  No bugs in sept for us. Far as boots we just wore our reguler danners around and did great. We took a set of Wiggys waders but never used them but where always in our packs.   We hunted south side of brooks so kinda of a diffrent animal then where your going.We did bring a cheap head net. Bring lots of parachute cord . We ran out. We had a blast. Migration was late and we didnt kill anything till the last days and we were not suppose to be there. Were only still there due to bad weather.   We both shoot .270 win.  My son shot his at 135 yards lying it its bed. I shot mine at 255yrds up on a mountain.   your 30.06 will be fine. We only caught some pike no grayling. spoons like a silver canadian wonder did best on the pike.

[lokidog]

When I hunted caribou, I wore my hip waders the entire time, I was down by Iliamna though and not in the Brooks.  Your 30-06 is plenty of gun, sorry to not be more enabling on that front.... 

As far as lures, Panther Martin spinners (Yellow body with red spots and silver blade is my favorite) seem to work really well, you could also bring some flies and a casting bobber if you get into Grayling.  A couple of Little Cleos would be good so you can cover some water, especially if windy, I like the 1/3 oz blue/silver ones.  Arctic Char are delicious any way you want to cook them.  The Grayling are good as well, fried or grilled.

I would always have a headnet along, I like to use them even here in WA during early archery season. They weigh next to nothing and take up little space.

I would love to get to AK again some time for Caribou.

[tchoutacabouffa]

I am hunting off the haul road from Aug 10-Aug 20. Then down towards Portage for my DM210 Moose hunt Aug 30 - Sept ?


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[ASHQUACK]

Sounds to me like you are heading to the same area we hunted. As far as boots, I wore my regular hiking boots around but always had a pair of the breathable hip waders in my pack. I wore them several times while crossing the small rivers and some very wet spots in the tundra. We hunted Aug 21-30th and that year the weather was nice and the bugs were bad! A head net was a must. I carried a 7stw and it was more than enough gun for caribou but I questioned whether or not it would be enough for a grizzly if need be. A trout rod and small #3 vibrax in blue and purple absolutely killed the grayling and artic char, daily. The only other thing I suggest is make darn sure your sleeping bag is good in wet cold weather. It snowed on us the last 3 days of our hunt. The final thing we did was had an extra set of dry clothes in a vacuum packed bag just in case.

[Skyvalhunter]

Look at the Wiggy's over boot Waders. I found the Ultimate Bug suit top to be the best when I was in the Brooks Range. As for spinners I would look at anything in a pink color the Char and grayling loved them.