Adak Caribou

[far rider]

Has anyone hunted the Adak Island AK caribou heard lately. I am looking for information about the best area, and transportation  hints. Planning on going this year and experience is the best teacher.

far rider

[John Havard]

fr,
Steve Hohense went a couple of years ago.  He should show up here soon.  Logistics can be challenging getting to and from Adak.

Good luck!

[HornHunter]

fr
 http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/forumdisplay.php?f=2

do a search on adak some very good info there

[Steve H.]

Hey is this quick enough!

Benny Piney and I went in 2005 but take note from HH above that conditaions have changed--it's no longer the same with some bozo taking out a whole cohort of mature bulls in one year.  Several managemen t agencies have had troubles with this particular outfitter.

Benny published a piece on Adak in Traditional Bowhunter Magazine; I believe it was Aug/Sept 2006.  There is also a section I wrote on putting a trip together.

[Steve H.]

http://tradgang.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=52;t=000081

Check out the 2005 Archive page way down on the opening page for 1 of 4 parts on Adak.  Pics may no loner be intact?

[Steve O]

Steve H,

Was that the place with the "rodent" problem?  Is that something you have to watch for with any forest service cabin up there?  Is it a good idea to take along a tent even if you are planning to use one of the cabins?

[Steve H.]

Yes, this is the rodent place however there is no Forest Service out there.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a couple cabins but these are not on the rental system like FS cabins are that have rotine maintenance.  You never know who could beat you to the cabin, its kind of a fisrt come first serve sorta deal so you would be off guard to not have a tent and assume you have a cabin available.  The cabins out there are really in bad shape and have outlived their purpose.

[Steve O]

Got it, thanks for the info.

[Roadkill]

I lived and hunted on Adak in the 1980's.  Lots of nice animals, boating around the isalnd is key.  Camping on the beach is windy, but you can move into one of the many coves and be OK.  I hunted Thumb bay to take my biggest of the 9 I killed there.  I also stalked a monster on the side of Mt Reid.  Bay of waterfalls also produced inthose days, but I only trapped fox there.
Many ptarmigan to sweeten the pot.  Not a lot of stalking vegetation so use the terrain and let them wander to you.  they have only one enemy-you.  they get big.  Tundra is a bitch to walk on with a pack.  Adak-in fact all those islands- have that moss that can hide streams under them.   They are sometimes large clay slick banks.  if you fall in one the moss can cover you over.  The cold water and slick sides make getting out of these difficult if you are injured.  As you walk listen for running water-even if you don't see it, and be aware.  Expect rain or snow often-we had measurable amounts every month of the year.  It is a unique place.  we had shirts that sdia-"adak, it isn't the end of the earth but you can see it from here"

[Roadkill]

Oh the article claims some guy took the first caribou with trad gear.  I know a Navy guy named Ken Hobbs who claimed that title from the 70's..      caribou were put on the island from the Porkipine herd in 1957.

[Steve H.]

We were told Benny's was the first by locals, no claim by us.

Ferns often mark the waterways Roadkill speaks of above and stick out above the surrounding grass.

Actually, they are from the Nelchina Herd.

[Zbone]

Interesting stuff guys - thanx

[Roadkill]

Locals?  The natives live a couple of islands over.  They were talking to transplants who happened to be on island for a few years, I doubt their history goes back farther than a few years when the Navy left. Hobbs died a few years back so we can't confirm he took caribou with his longbow, but he told me he did and lived there a few years before I did.  I take my hat off to those guys who did take caribou out there-it is an amazing feat.  I can't think of any stalk harder than Adak.  You can see those big white mains for miles!  And they can see you farther than that!  The terrain is steep, slick and unforgiving in stalkable areas.  The big flats offer not much in the way of cover.  Benny-you da man whether you were the first or not.
  John Martin from AkF&G told us the other herd-but he was also the guy who told the Head of F&W the caribou were a hazard to the airplanes as they were all over the runways. I never saw one closer than the ammo dump.  They wanted to restore the entire chain to only native animals and he was for just shooting all the tundra buffs/artic fox as they were seen.
I did all the search and rescue work on those islands-Sitkin, Tanaga, Attu.  Been all over them.  They are destroyers of knees and hips due to the moss, that can hide a 3 feet deep hole or a rock.  You can't see what's under it and a hike can be an ordeal.  Can point out many still occupied gun positions-guns still there pointing out to sea.  Many airplane wrecks, some beached ships.  Miles of anti-invasion fencing along the beaches. It was a great place to be stationed. It is a bitch to hunt!!!!!three time zones west of Anchorage!  I loved being out there.
When you go be mindful that you are going to a place that is unique and be careful.  Not much in the way of support out there.Way to go Benny.....TBM thanks for carrying that story-brought back lots of memories.

[Steve H.]

The ptarmigan have rebounded nicely since they worked the foxes over hard.

[far rider]

thanks for the eye opening info guys, appreciate it!
far rider

[HornHunter]

When I go back (and I am going back) I really want to check out some other Islands, there is no question they could swim there, and as far as i know they are untouched,
whata you think steve?
up for another adventure?

Adak is mystical place--great fishing
Boy could I spend my summers there

alot has changed there in the past two years with the caribou, and I am afraid alot more is going to happen out there, probably not for the good,

that place left an empty spot in my adventure side that needs filled!

Scott George

[Steve H.]

Yes!!!!

Al has likely access to another island with long-time feral reindeer that also has me interested.  I wanted to chat with him about it but can never get him on the phone!