Caribou Hunting in Alaska: An Overview by Christopher Batin, Editor, The Alaska Hunter
Introduction:
If you want to enjoy an Alaska big game hunt, and stand an excellent chance of success, I recommend you choose the arctic drifter, the barren-ground caribou.
If you're a newcomer to Alaska big game hunting, a caribou hunt will hone your wilderness and camping and hunting skills without demanding too much exertion or skill. In many areas of Alaska, caribou are at peak numbers, and your chances of success are near 100 percent in such herds.
Nomads of the arctic and sub-arctic tundra, Alaska's barren-ground caribou are a gregarious species. It's no wonder they are always on the move for an adequate supply of food. Near the Beaufort Sea in mid-July, it's possible to see up to 50,000 caribou per square mile. That's one heckuva eating machine. Even though the majority are cows and calves, it's one of Nature's most awe-inspiring, yet humbling scenes.
Alaska has its share of trophy bulls, also. Biologists estimate the bull:cow ratio in some herds is 40-50/100. Without a doubt, Alaska is the number 1 choice for hunters wanting North America's best barren-ground caribou hunting.
But hunting caribou is more than just going out, choosing your animal, and making the shot. Caribou are as unpredictable as the northcountry environment they thrive in, and hunters can go for days without seeing a single animal. Ron Kahlenbeck and his wife Deb did just that last year when they hunted the Mulchatna herd in Unit 17 in the Lake Clark region.
"For two days we hunted, and didn't see anything," he said. "Suddenly, caribou were everywhere. I took a nice bull, and Deb said she wouldn't shoot one unless it was right on the beach next to camp. It was less than a day before she got her bull."
Many hunters prefer the challenge of stalking caribou while they are still in the mountains in early to late August. The mountains are ablaze with color, the weather is in the 40s to 70s, and sweet blueberries abound. High alpine plateaus and mountains from 3,000 to 5,000 feet dwarf 100 year-old spruce in the valleys below. On these ridges, where it appears nothing can exist, you'll find the biggest bulls, fat and lazy from feeding on grasses and lichens all summer. Look for them on windy knolls, where they escape the constant harassment of flies and mosquitoes. You'll also find caribou cooling off on alpine snow banks, especially on a hot day.
But the Mulchatna is only a single gem in the jeweled crown of caribou hunting opportunities. The Alaska Peninsula is another prime area, where trophy Boone and Crockett bulls are taken each year. The Forty-Mile herd near Tok, with over 22,000 animals, is another popular and ruggedly beautiful area to hunt. It's possible to see at least 15 caribou per trip, and in late autumn, as many as a hundred or more. But this season is subject to emergency closure (read update on Tok area caribou this issue) and hunters should use caution when booking a hunt in this area.
The Central and Western Arctic and Porcupine herds have over 500,000 caribou total, but this area is also more expensive to hunt. Hunters have a very good chance of taking a trophy caribou if they have patience and restrain themselves from shooting the first bull they see. For more information on the best caribou hunts you can experience in Alaska this year, as well as details on how to plan your trip, refer to Hunting in Alaska: A Comprehensive Guide or The Alaska Hunter or talk to Chris Batin personally for a one-on-one consultation for the best hotspots for this year. Alaska Hunter Publications, 221 Bentley Drive, Fairbanks, AK 99701 907-455-8000 or FAX 907-455-8264.
This page last updated: March 25, 2003