Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Out Of State Hunting => Topic started by: Kazekurt on December 17, 2012, 05:11:30 PM

Title: Alaska 2012
Post by: Kazekurt on December 17, 2012, 05:11:30 PM: 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

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1323.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu600%2Fkaze05%2FDA5A3567-6476-4320-A795-D1496BA6FA0D-2733-0000045A7FE2AA7C_zps345abc35.jpg&hash=1c3035292f8fad7f186f9e945cd343d073652941)
My best bou!
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1323.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu600%2Fkaze05%2F27614024-503C-4439-AC0A-78CA81B2A133-2733-00000459E83C7EDC_zps5d17e32e.jpg&hash=ca6a5f6c86c710b39b4c6b60044345984030d19e)
Several of our bou in the boat with 2 of my pals.
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1323.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu600%2Fkaze05%2FB7FD1779-2165-4263-81CE-4B30768C2154-2733-00000459FD107F17_zps1f8e26e8.jpg&hash=060c488d285da0aed358631cfc2fa264dc063248)
Goat pic near Antigun pass
(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1323.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu600%2Fkaze05%2FC1BA1C1F-1F1E-45A6-8747-01E2C577A00D-2733-00000459ADA3A960_zps7fb8bfa1.jpg&hash=f9c6b65f8f0f208a5de2b1b8526afbbb4a12deb4)
Some of our fish

(https://hunting-washington.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi1323.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fu600%2Fkaze05%2F8EE0883F-DA44-477B-94FA-F2500D529449-2733-00000459744B86AF_zpsf76a205e.jpg&hash=93331322edba142ec9a159ba6dafa02d5831451e)
Nice few of the river and the tundra.
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Bigtine96 on December 17, 2012, 05:14:07 PM: Looks like a awesome trip! :tup:
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: quadrafire on December 17, 2012, 05:23:51 PM: Looks like an Awsome trip.
Got a kick out of the boat all the way from Cocoa Florida :chuckle:
Was this an archery or rifle hunt? Did you hunt anything other than caribou?
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Kazekurt on December 17, 2012, 06:11:02 PM: 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:(
Title: Alaska 2012
Post by: Austrian Hunter on December 17, 2012, 06:22:23 PM: My dream right there. Awesome trip! Is Caribou meat very different or similar than our deer and elk?
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Wea300mag on December 17, 2012, 06:26:53 PM: Looks like a great trip, congrats on your success. :tup:
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Bshiftbc on December 17, 2012, 06:32:49 PM: Jealousy is such an ugly emotion!! :drool:
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: sled on December 17, 2012, 06:35:13 PM: Beautiful!
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Kazekurt on December 17, 2012, 06:56:32 PM: 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.
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Skyvalhunter on December 17, 2012, 07:07:35 PM: 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
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: cohoho on December 17, 2012, 07:14:36 PM: 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...
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: ribka on December 17, 2012, 07:34:51 PM: 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 :chuckle:

Quote from: Kazekurt on December 17, 2012, 06:11:02 PM
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:(
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Royal47 on December 17, 2012, 07:43:38 PM: Quote from: Bshiftbc on December 17, 2012, 06:32:49 PM
Jealousy is such an ugly emotion!! :drool:

:yeah:

Congrats! That sounds like a dream hunt!
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: Kazekurt on December 17, 2012, 07:52:10 PM: "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:-)
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: RB on December 17, 2012, 08:15:26 PM: Awesome! :tup:
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: ribka on December 17, 2012, 08:19:17 PM: Well if you don't I might be willing for a Dall sheep tag. Just told my wife I would divorce her to marry an Alaskan resident dude for the tag and she just hit me in the family jewels :tung:

That airboat caribou looks like a fun hunt and I love catching dollies and grayling on a fly rod.

great pics and thanks for sharing

Quote from: Kazekurt on December 17, 2012, 07:52:10 PM
"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:-)
Title: Re: Alaska 2012
Post by: TeacherMan on December 17, 2012, 08:21:18 PM: Looks like AK, lol, wet, wet, and wetter. Never rid get nice this summer/fall. AK is extreme!