Couple more Caribou

[Zhurh]

Caribou have migrated through, probably be back in a month or so. Kids still have their tags so maybe when they get home at end of semester/Xmas; I'll watch them kill a couple more which is always enjoyable. Ya, it's just like fishin. When ya have a good day, you just can't wait to go out and kill some more and I'm glad I ain't ever growed out of that either.

We are just meat hunters, and actually until they changed the law last year where you had to shoot bulls, we always shot cows cause they were better tasting. Probably better bulls only the whole way around if we can get them early enough. Our caribou usually show up early August and are around until the end of Sept, then also around a few weeks throughout the winter. We can shoot them clear into March, but nobody does as they have in their minds that caribou are to be shot in Aug & Sept; somewhat tradition. I always see about 20 double shovels pre season and they either get scarce or are shot off quick. After the season started, my daughter got one and I could have shot another one, but way too far of a pack and I didn't want to get my boots wet crossing a creek. We prefer shooting them as close to the truck as possible or where we can get 4 wheeler right to them. Best 10 yards off the road if possible.

So this first pict is one of those 20 yards off the road groups of caribou. I just took pict that day, didn't shoot any. You all would never believe if ya saw 8000 caribou 5 foot apart as far as the eye can see in every direction. My friends tell me about how much game there is in Africa, I guess the caribou migration is what Africa's like. Also a couple average bulls family members got. Hope you all enjoy the picts.

[woolleyworm]

Nice shots! I loved watching the caribou migration when I was up in Deadhorse. Thousands of them and they'd block the road for hours sometimes; was kind of aggravating at first, but then I realized that I was still making $30/hr and there wasn't anything I could do but wait..

[netexasemt]

I want to get one of them so bad.............

[Chinook]

Great bull! Nice job you guys!

[hunte567]

Nice

[Brisk44]

Nice bull and nice pics. I'm lookin forward to the day I'm up there for some fresh caribuo.

[vytoland]

whoa... loks like the herd is on the move. weel some of them

[H-D]

I would love to go hunting in Alaska!
are their antlers solid inside like stag or soft like elk?

[Zhurh]

I cut the points off for a buddy, he makes knife handles with them. They look solid enough to me. When the caribou first show up, in early August, they are in velvet. Within a month they are rubbed clean and bulls all sparring with each other.

Outta staters can drive up, camp and shoot the same bou I'm shooting. Our road doesn't close until Oct. We mostly hunt the 40 mile herd, season starts end of Aug until they shoot off maybe 500 caribou and then they close the season, usually a week or two long. I live out here, so we get subsistence permits as rural residents and have a much longer season.

I have a buddy from Georgia has a cabin in our community, spends 5-6 months here hunting everything, retired Viet Vet (I think I've heard about every hill in I CORP) and he swears we have the nicest bou he has ever seen anywhere in Ak or Canada. He actually works most the year in Alaska so he can keep residency here, travels back and forth to see family & VA doctors, ect.. He use to hunt in Africa back in 80's but he said it has gotten so expensive he'd rather hunt in Ak. He also says he rarely hunts in Georgia even though he has a place there; just got use to our game in Alaska. He keeps telling me if I find him a decent Indian Woman, he'll stay here for good, ha ha. All the old Grandmas out the village tell him he needs a good Indian Woman, ya right. The Indians all like that old White Boy too, ha ha.

Anyway, it ain't hard to go hunting in Alaska on the cheap, just got to figure it out and stay away from the hunting sites that all the guides brag up their skills on. Most guys drive up with a enclosed trailer & 4 wheelers; then set up cots in trailer to sleep on. They ride in 10-15 miles on trails and do pretty good. About half them shoot moose & bou right off the road, but it's better to have an atv. Most of them stay 2 weeks and hunt hard, shoot moose, caribou, bear, and wolves where we live.

Have a few friends who came up with trailers and spent several weeks hunting, liked the hunting, open country, mountains, all the freedom and no taxes that they moved up the following year. One friend was from Florida and lives 25 miles outside Fairbanks, does plumbing here & there and is always gone hunting. He even bought horses and now practically lives in the Brooks Range after the sheep.

We have decent hunting in Ak. To me shooting a moose is no different than a deer, just fresh meat; so I guess everything is just bigger up here and you can shoot grizz & wolves whenever ya want to. Some guys who are natural born killers in the woods, the place becomes heaven.

[Chinook]

Hunting in AK is such a differnt animal, than anywhere Ive ever been. Which is a fair bit for a fairly young chap. But the frequency, and sheer volume in some ares means the opportunities are excellent! I hope to be up to shoot a nice 'bou next season. Maybe try for a BIG bear. Ive got three rugs from previous "greats," but I missed 2 monsters in the Yukon valley 5 seasons ago. Granted they were way outside of 350 yds, and one had to be close to 500... So I dont feel bad at all! Ive got unfinished business with that drainage!

[H-D]

wow I went to the Alaska dept of wildlife website non resident lisence annual 85 bucks? seriously?

[Zhurh]

Ya Chin, figure last week august, thats when caribou starts, but since I live here, i can hunt earlier, so in other words, you can watch me shoot double shovels and we always have 4-5 licenses for my family. Ya gotta be here the first day as the super huge nice bulls getr shot off quick, then all you see is average 3-4 year olds. After first couple days, I see hundreds of 3-4 year olds for every dub shovel I see. That one my daughter got was a nice one I thought. I've seen higher & bigger, but that double looked quite nice.

There were guys from Wash State here last fall, they were shooting 30-378s so I hunted some with them and they done good.

I just got my permit booklet from AKF&G, have to look her over this weekend, My nephew drove up last sept, I met him 70 miles down the road and had him follow me. I didn't go half hour, and I saw a bull (moose)300 yards from road in the trees. I backed up and got the nephew out of his trk and he shot that bull before it got into cover. Talk about luck, shot a moose on the drive to my house. Anyway nephew will be in Afghan aug & sept 2012, so me and him might do a permit hunt after he gets back.

Like I said, plan on being here on aug 29th. We hunt 20 E zone 3 RC 860, look it up on AKF&G site. Mostly hunt from Jack Wade all the way home.

[Zhurh]

HD, Base license, then you need extra tag for moose, caribou, wolves, bear; thats where they get ya. Most people buy a tag or two I think, end up spending 5-6 hundred for the state.

[Chinook]

I am goin to do everything I can to make it to the Yuke, and hunt with you next season Sir! It's been too long since I was in the Big Mountain country. Im too used to the rainforest, and scrub on the South Coast!!

Being a non-resident nowadays, It is super expensive to harvest game in AK. Still way cheaper to get tags there, than in some of the Western States where you draw for Elk, and maybe a Mule Deer tag too, but that'll burn 1000 bux easy, just for the tag, not the outta state liscensing fees!

HD,
In Alaska you can buy an Annual, non-resident Humtimg Lisence for 85, like you already found...this is the only way to go, if you are only hunting, otherwise you buy hunt/fish combo liscences for lots more... The Caribou tags two years ago were 325, Brown Bear was 500, Black Bear was 250, Deer are 150, Elk 300, Moose are still 400 I believe, but the Wolf tags are like 20, or 30 bux... Heres the gig. For Brown Bear, Mtn. Goat, and Dahl Sheep... You need an eligible outfitter, or guide. Lots of residents have the liscensing, or permits, but you have to fill out this form stating your guides name, company name, and "Outfitter/Guide" liscensing information. Its not really a headache if you do plenty of pre-planning, but I see guys every season I hunt there, who are expecting to do all of this great stuff, only to be relegated to a Deer, or Wolf tag, and a duck stamp depending on location. Alaska has the finest hunting in the US, and it can be had for a reasonable, outta-stater, prices. Just gotta plan how, and what you want to harvest. Zhurh, and Carne Frio are prolly some great recources to ask general questions to. Like seasons, numbers, ya know...

[H-D]

I want to shoot a caribou, elk, or moose (something we don't have in Mississippi) but it will be years before I have money to blow on a hunting trip (5 small kids)

[Chinook]

No doubt. Its certainly an investment, but I try to make it a little more "worthwhile." If you are on a tighter budget, only buy the Caribou, or moose tag. Some folks dont' really care for moose, but I find it very tasty! You can feed a small army for many months if all you ate was Moose! But you divvy it out, and it will last a year or better. No problem. You end up with a lot of meat when you get into AK's BIG, big game. I guess its just a trade off. I eat maybe 15 pounds of beef. In all forms.. Every year, but I usually go through a little over 200 pounds of big game every year. I'd say 10% does get given away, another 10 gets made into "stew chunks," 15% or so gets ground, usually with pork fat, 25% are "steaks" or "slabs" of meat, and another 40% or so gets cured, or made into pepperoni, jerky, or what have you. And it usually all gets consumed! I might spend a few hundred bux or more a year on beef, or pork, or chicken from the grocery store if I didnt have Alaskan game on hand. Definetly not a better value by any means, but its a worthwile trade off to make! All it takes is time! Alaska is worth it just to see the scenery! Beautiful place to draw big game blood.

[BETH]

they look small are they the size of a deer? send me some horns i do like them

[Chinook]

Not quite! Hehehe! They are bigger than Elk, Lots are well in excess of 500 lbs. live and kick'n of course. Some people say they have taken 1000# caribou, but I dont think Ive ever seen one that big. Big critters for sure!

[Zhurh]

Caribou are bigger than whitetails we got back east in Pennsylvania. Bulls 3-4-5 hundred lb or more, cows are about size of an 8 point deer. In that pict, were young bulls, cows & calves. We can gut and swing cows over side of a pickup bed, not bulls. We are getting Whitetails & mnt lions moving in from Canada, elk are only couple hundred miles away too;;; someday maybe my kids will be eating them too.

My buddy with the forge gets all my horns for knife handles. Not many people here are into sport hunting, just meat. Some throw racks on top of their roofs, but most don't hang them, some do outside but nobody has racks inside or trophy rooms. Seen as immoral, comes from Indians around here. They don't believe in bragging about wildlife as they think the moose allow themselves to be killed to provide food for man. Moose know it's their purpose on earth to do this Everything has a purpose in nature. The Indian influences spread to the Whites and affects our worldview of Nature.

All I know is moving to Alaska is the best thing I ever did, no regrets; just wish I'd had done it when I was younger. I came into the country when I was in late 30's. I just feel like I belong right here, never felt that way my entire life when I lived back east. Now our kids are off at school, daughter's going to Texas to school nx fall, I guess UAA isn't good enough anymore. Wifey says she wants to live closer to the kids down the road; but that won't occur until I leave this earth; hopefully many years away, ha ha. As if the kids want their mum around, ha ha.