Pics from an Alaskan Hunt

[eddyhops]

Absolutely fantastic photography & trip report.

Thanks

[BryanB]

Beautiful job documenting your trip and sharing it with us.  It looks like you had a grand adventure.  I'm glad to hear the feathers worked for you.  I was hoping to see one laying next to your bow on the side of a caribou.  There is always your next great adventure.

Bryan

[Shifting Shadow]

knife river,

The colors of the pics are subdued yet vibrant. Is it due to the light that far North?

I really enjoyed the journey. I got lost in some of the landscapes. Favorite one: meadow caribou.

[4runr]

Dang Kife, you missed Flintridge for that???  :D

No really, those are some awesome pics. A dream for me some day too. Thanks for taking us along.

[Tom Leemans]

Fantastic scenery and pics! I've always wondered though, where the tradition of piling bones/antlers on the roof came from? Did folks put them there to be out of reach of scavagers? or to bleach them?

[knife river]

Tom, I've thought about antlers on roofs, too, and decided they are low-budget trophy rooms.  The "why" of trophy rooms might be akin to some cave paintings and petroglyphs.  It's one of the old things that are in our blood, like our partnership with dogs, the love of a good fire, and the desire to live near water.  It's reassuring to know that no matter how deeply we slide into the comfort that kills (i.e., western culture), the old drives are still there.

4runr, I do enjoy Flint Ridge, but I'll miss it every year if Alaska is an option (or a hunt in the Rockies, or a hog hunt, or...)!  :D

Bob, the light up there was wonderful.  Sunrise was around 7:30 and sunset was about 10:30 with lots of "glow" before and after.  The sun never got directly overhead, so the low angles made for dramatic lighting.  And, too, there was a lot of moisture in the air.  Good stuff.

BillW, how did the photo turn out that you took of BillG and I going up the ridge in the fog and rain?  That was a great time and the hard weather made it all the better!!!  

[Missouri Sherpa]

I have had a wee thought buried in the recesses of my brain that I would want to go see the land of the Caribou some day.  Your pictures make me want to revisit that idea soon and I have many questions.  How did you decide upon your outfitter?  Did you consider other areas or type of hunt, and if so what or where?  How does the difficulty of this hunt compare with a DIY elk hunt at 12000 ft?  How early in the year can you go on a hunt like this, meaning can you get back from this hunt in time for the peak of the elk rut?  How many days including travel time were you gone from home?  How does caribou meat compare other deer.  More like deer or elk?  Really enjoyed your photos.

[knife river]

Sherpa, you're going to need more info than I can give you, but here's what I have.

I met BillW via internet and he mentioned that he and his hunting partner would like another guy or two to join them.  They sounded like great guys, the hunting sounded excellent (they'd checked references), and I joined them.  It was that simple.

I considered the Mulchatna herd which has produced huge trophies, but its numbers are way, way down.  The herds in NW Alaska are some of the strongest.  Some estimates put the numbers at over 500,000 caribou.

I briefly considered the archery-only zone bordering the Haul Road, but heard a few positive things, but many negative comments about road hunting, too much pressure, conflict with other hunters, etc.  I know that other Trad Gang folks have gone and enjoyed it, though.

I think the hunt was physically easy compared to hunts in the high Rockies.  I walked about 8 miles one days, light daypack, temps in 50s and 60s, less than 800 feet elevation change.  When we packed BillW's bull, it was about a 1/2 mile uphill in driving wind and rain, but again, pretty easy compared to what one could face in Colorado.

I think our hunt was one of the first of the year for the outfitter, although the season is open year round (please doublecheck the regs).  Temps were especially warm on some days - over 65 degrees.  We were supposed to be there 1-8 Sept.  Any earlier and the antlers wouldn't be fully grown.  Another two weeks later and the bulls would be rutting.  For a lot of folks the meat of rutting bulls is very unpalatable.

Travel time should have been a day each way.  That's what it took on the way out, but our outfitter got us out a day late, then forgot to pick us up as scheduled.  That cost me an extra three days because of problems with flight schedules.  Weather can be the biggest driving factor and you could be camp-bound for an extra week if things go south.

I've had caribou several times and feel it has its own flavor.  Not bad at all, but honestly, I prefer it as sausage.  

Hope this helps a bit.