Alaska Caribou Hunts
Alaska Caribou, Nomads of the North!
Alaskan Barren Ground Caribou, Nomads of the North!
We offer 2 or 3 Fully Outfitted Unguided Caribou hunting trips each year starting/leaving out of Anchorage. You will need to have at least one other hunter to hunt with you. The Alaskan Barren Ground Caribou trips are fully outfitted fly out spike camp hunts that take place in low rolling foot hills on the Northwestern side of the Alaska Range. You are provided a “suggested personal gear list” and detailed lists of all the equipment/supplies, food and drinks included by Alaska Bush Adventures for your hunting trips in Alaska. We strongly suggest taking advantage of the information provided on the FAQ (frequently asked questions) page within this website, as it will have these lists and much more helpful information to help prepare you better for a hunt with Alaska Bush Adventures.
We have Guided hunts for Moose, Brown & Black Bears, however we only offer unguided fully outfitted hunts for Caribou. Over the years it has been the highest success rates for our hunters, 100%, in Alaska. Generally, most hunters are skilled enough to experience an unguided Caribou hunting trip without bearing the higher cost of utilizing a Guides assistance.
Other than your personal gear, we supply the hunting and camping gear along with food and hot/cold drinks that is necessary to undertake an Unguided Caribou hunting trip in Alaska. The Tents are Extreme Weather types able to tolerate the fall weather of Alaska, pack frames, 2 burner cookstoves with fuel, LED Lanterns, basic kitchen cooking and eating utensils and other supplies. The camping and hunting equipment/supplies to ensure a thorough package of the essential items necessary for this hunt. We will provide you with list of the food items for your meals, hot and cold drinks and another list of the camping, hunting supplies/equipment for your trip.
If you want to donate some of your meat, we can take care of that for you also. As well as some information for Meat Processors & an Expediting/Taxidermist Service if you want help with your Trophies in any way, including a finished Caribou Mount for your home.
Alaska Caribou have large, concave hoofs that spread widely to support the animal in snow, wet bogs, and soft tundra. Alaska Caribou are strong swimmers and their feet are very useful as paddles when crossing rivers and lakes. Alaska Caribou are the only member of the deer family in which both males and females grow antlers. The antlers of adult bulls are large and massive.
The antlers of cows are a stunted version of the bulls and are slender and irregular in shape. As late fall comes so does the change of an Alaska Bull Caribou’s color from mostly brown to a white-necked mane with a whiter rump, white feet leggings, and white body side stripes. The weight of adult bulls averages 300 to 350 pounds or more.
Calving occurs in mid to late May in Interior Alaska and in early June in Northern and Southwestern Alaska. After calving, Alaskan Caribou stay in post-calving groups to help avoid predators. Alaska Caribou stay in the high mountains and around snow packs, where the wind and cool temperatures protect them from the summer heat and insects such as mosquitoes, gnats, white socks, and warble flies.
After cooler temperatures arrive in August, Alaskan Caribou spread out and feed heavily on new willow growth, grasses, sedges, and lichens, called reindeer moss, to regain body weight for the Winter.
Around late August the velvet on Caribou antlers gets rubbed off and they acquire a dark brown polish Soon the rutting season and the start of their fall migrations will happen.
Mature bulls have been adding thick fat deposits on the back and rump, which is used to provide greatly needed energy during the rut and into winter. Sparring and fighting begin mid to late September, depending on the onset of cooler temperatures. Bulls shed their antlers in late October / November, but smaller bulls and non-pregnant cows may not shed their antlers until early Spring. Pregnant females usually retain their antlers until calving in late May or early June.
You can also enjoy excellent Sport Fishing during this hunt for Rainbow Trout, Arctic Grayling, (Char) Dolly Varden, Burbot, Northern Pike.
Thank you, Master Alaskan Guide/Outfitter Hugh Les Krank and Ryan L. Krank.
Call us at 480-657-3174, or fill out our contact form and we’ll call you to make your Alaska hunt happen.