Alaska Caribou and Grizzly Bear #267

This outfit for the last several years has been outfitting in a very remote area in farthest north Alaska, and have been having very good success. They hunt both grizzly and caribou in the area. You can book caribou only, or do the combo of griz and ’bou. The outfitter is a third generation bush pilot with many years of flying safely under his belt. And he likes to encourage you to bring family to the arctic. He has hunted many father/son; father/daughter and husband and wife groups. The Arctic is a once in a lifetime experience the first time! And every time thereafter!

CARIBOU HUNTS: (Bear info follows)
These caribou hunts take place along the North Slope of the well-known Brooks Range. The area is home to over 200,000 caribou and this outfitter has been permitted to hunt it from end to end. That gives him a concession area that is 400 miles east to west and 100 miles north to south. That translates out to 40,000 square miles.

The Western Arctic Herd’s summer range and calving grounds are in the heart of this outfitters area. Those caribou migrate in September southerly and group up in the Gates of the Arctic park along the continental divide. He also hunts a second herd and a third herd as well, namely the Porcupine Herd as well as the Central Arctic Herd! So there is normally no shortage of animals. However, caribou can move 20 miles overnight, so no caribou hunt is a sure thing. But this outfitter and his partner have over 35 years of combined experience hunting on the north side of the Brooks Range, and normally do very well. His 2021 success was around 85%, which is excellent! And not a single complaint! AND you have the option of taking a grizzly if one is seen. In 2022, opportunity rates were 100% with a 95.5% success rate!

This outfit hunts Alaska’s largest caribou herd, the Western Arctic herd, which has shown growth since 2014, and in 2017 estimated to exceed 200,000 animals with excellent fawn and cow survival, according to a survey completed by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. We feel that this outfit is poised to offer you some of the finest caribou hunting to be found in North America, with 3 herds it can reach! Two other caribou herds are also nearby including the Porcupine herd which is over 190,000 animals. However, caribou are never a sure thing due to their wide ranging habits and overnight disappearances. At present only one caribou per non-resident hunter. Also note that you are in very competent hands. And often there is some world class fishing right close at hand!

This outfit’s concession area is located north of the Gates of the Arctic National Park and adjacent to the famed ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge) and extends westerly for hundreds of miles. You will fly almost to Prudhoe Bay in far northern Alaska and will take Alaska Air to Fairbanks, where you will overnight. But please do verify flight destinations with us, as they are all subject to change.

Hunts normally run Sunday to Sunday with you arriving in Fairbanks no later than Saturday. On booking your trip you will receive a full packet of information; including gear lists; phone numbers to arrange your charter flight, name of suggested hotel to stay at and much more. The packet will explain how to obtain your hunting license, your locking metal tag and your harvest tag. You must have all three of those! Again, this will be laid out in your hunting packet.

Please be aware that you will be either spot and stalk via foot hunts, or you can elect to purchase the rafting hunt. Both require the ability to hike and walk. Either way you will find lightweight hip boots to be a huge necessity between the raft and the wet tundra. Some newer leather boots give you a roll up cuff that doubles as a wader. If you book a non-rafting hunt, then you will be walking on wet tundra too, as well as getting in and out of the water.

LODGING: They have 2 base camps with all accommodations including telephone and internet.

2024-2025 PRICES (subject to change without notice until deposit received)

7-DAY CARIBOU HUNT – $14,900 per person 2×1, $14,000 per person 3×1 or $17,900 per person 1×1.
7-DAY GRIZZLY HUNT – $21,900 per person 1×1. Add caribou on trophy fee basis for $5,000.
NON-HUNTER – $5,000 per person.
CHARTER FLIGHT Fairbanks to Main Camp – $2,100 per person, round trip. Once at the main camp, all bush flights into the field are included.

PAYMENT IN FULL IS DUE BY JUNE 1 OF YOUR HUNT YEAR.

DATES: Traditionally hunts start late in July and run into Early September. Contact us.

DETAILED INFO ON WHAT TO DO AND WHEN TO DO IT IS SUPPLIED ONCE THE INITIAL DEPOSIT IS PAID. YOU MUST ALSO FILL IN A QUESTIONNAIRE AND THE OUTFITTERS CONTRACT.

TRANSPORT: Hunters fly to Fairbanks, AK. Their hunts run Sunday thru Sunday. Plan to arrive in Fairbanks on Saturday. Take a motel for the night. Book your return flight for the following Monday night, no earlier then 9PM to allow for bad weather. Please allow an extra weather day if you can- you likely may need it. There is a Charter flight from Fairbanks to base Camp and is approximately $1,500, Round Trip, Per Person. Verify your flights with the outfitter. Charter flights MUST be paid for at least 60 days in advance, or lose your spot. Licenses and Tags are NOT available in camp- purchase 60 days in advance. Trophy shipment to Fairbanks is $200 per animal.

DUE TO ALASKA WEATHER AFFECTING FLIGHTS WE STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE! Just ask us for the info.

For overnight we suggest Pikes Waterfront Lodge which has wireless, a fitness center and is a nice place. Tell them you will need a shuttle to the East Ramp for the 11AM charter. No hunting until next day, of course. Another choice is Pikes Waterfront Lodge: (907) 456-4500 or 1-877-774-2400 http://www.pikeslodge.com

LICENSES: Prices change- check!! License and 2 Caribou Tags = $ 735. One caribou is $410. Licenses and Tags are sold in camp. Trophy shipment to Fairbanks is $200 per animal. For licenses go to: www.adfg.alaska.gov/Store.

Hunt Dates: Most start the last week of July, and cover all of August and about the first 2 weeks of Sept. Call us for Availability.

Mandatory: and Alaska Fish and Game is truly vigorous about enforcing these!!
• Alaska Big Game Hunting/Fishing license (must purchase online, not available in camp)
• Metal locking tags for each species you intend to hunt (must purchase online, minimum of 60 days prior; not available in camp)
• Harvest tickets for all caribou you intend to harvest. (Download harvest tickets online after July 1st; not available in camp)
• They do not accept credit cards. Please bring blank checks for any intended trophy fees
• Bring $200 cash or personal check for expediting fees from Umiat to Fairbanks for each trophy

GRIZZLY BEAR – SAME AREA! Do as an add-on to caribou or do a griz hunt alone with an option to add a caribou!

In addition to world-class caribou hunting this outfitter will offer you the chance to also hunt for the Arctic Barren Ground Grizzly! These grizzly hunts will be 1×1 hunts in both spring and fall. They do these grizzly hunts right in the heart of the caribou’s calving grounds where the grizzlies are highly concentrated. The griz are there in order to feast upon the newly born baby caribou as they are dropped in the spring. These bears actually live here year round but are normally widely spread out over a vast area. But, during the Spring because there of this super-high-quality food source the bears are present in excellent numbers, and the extra protein from the new-born fawns allows them to grow quite large. This Outfitter is one of only a handful permitted to operate in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Understand that the Arctic Refuge is the last great untouched wilderness on earth. It is what Montana must have been 200 years ago. This area stretches from the continental divide to the Arctic Ocean. You will see no one else, see no other human footprints or hear gunshots that are not your own. The area boasts the farthest north population of Dall sheep in the world and is as close to unhunted as it gets these days. The area is also home to an extremely abundant barren ground grizzly bear population. The outfitter prides itself on having one of the best true interior grizzly bear hunts in the world.

AND ALWAYS BE IN SHAPE – IT WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT YOUR SUCCESS!

MANDATORY ITEMS TO HAVE WITH YOU:
• Alaska Big Game Hunting/Fishing license (must purchase online, not available in camp)
• Metal locking tags for each species you intend to hunt (must purchase online minimum of 60 days prior; not available in camp)
• Harvest tickets for all caribou you intend to harvest. (Download harvest tickets online after July 1st; not available in camp)
• They do not accept credit cards. Please bring blank checks for any intended trophy fees
• Bring $200 cash or personal check per species harvested for expediting fees for each trophy to Fairbanks
Suggested Camping Gear Checklist (50 lbs. weight limit per hunter)
First Aid Gear
Large Pack (waterproof, internal frame)
• Rifle; sighted in 2” high @ 100 yards Caribou: .243 – .338 Grizzly: .270 – .338
• Soft case for rifle or bow to be used for transport between Fairbanks and camp. This helps keep weight to a minimum on charter and AAA’s smaller planes. Hard cases used for transport on Alaska Airlines can be stored at Wrights Air until your return to Fairbanks
• 20 Rounds of Ammunition
• Sharp Knife
• Satellite Phone (optional BUT STRONGLY ADVISED FOR EMERGENCIES)
• Personal water filtration system
• Sleeping bag (0 degree minimum)
• Headlamp / Flashlight
• Camp pillow (optional)
• Sleeping pad
• NO COTTON CLOTHING!!
• Cabela’s Tundra Hip Boots (combination hiking boot/hip wader) or similar
• Shoes for around camp
• 2 sets of Synthetic Long Underwear
• 4 pairs of Underwear
• 4 pairs of Synthetic Socks / Liner Socks
• 2 pair of Fleece Pants (Mountain Hardware)
• 2 Fleece Shirts / Sweaters
• 1 Fleece Coat (Mountain Hardware)
• 1 Water Repellent Parka (Cabela’s Guide Gear)
• Rubber Rain Gear (Grunden’s or Helly Hansen)
• Hat for sun / rain • Hat for warmth / bandana
• Gloves for warmth; wool is best or waterproof at least or both
• Personal gear- toothbrush, comb, razor, contact lens, glasses, prescriptions and other meds, cameras, books fishing tackle.