Caribou in the Brooks Range

[BrentD]

I went to the Brooks range chasing bou in 2012 and it is still to this day probably one of the most awesome adventures I've experienced. It's a special place for sure.

Can you tell us some details of where and when and with whom, by boat or by plane, etc. etc. etc. ??

Pictures are good, and so far, your story is a good one. Keep it going!

 

[brownbear932008]

Can you tell us some details of where and when and with whom, by boat or by plane, etc. etc. etc. ??

Pictures are good, and so far, your story is a good one. Keep it going!

Brooks range bou!

I am finally getting the chance to sit down and do a little write up on my Alaskan caribou hunt. First off it was one of the most amazing trips I have ever been on in my life and gonna be very hard to beat I think. We arrived on the 8th of Sept. in Fairbanks after a very long flight from...

www.hunttalk.com

I think most of what your looking for is in here. Things in AK have a way of changing so some information may be outdated. I'm not sure if Mike still flies out of HV.

 

[oxn939]

Can you tell us some details of where and when and with whom, by boat or by plane, etc. etc. etc. ??

Pictures are good, and so far, your story is a good one. Keep it going!

Did the North Slope gig in '18. We had everything from 40 knot arctic gales to 70 and sunshine on the X, and ended up killing a nice bull at 40 yards. It's an extremely austere environment up there, but also very beautiful. Kind of like planet Mars. Lived in waders for six days, but evidently there are places where you don't have to. Mosquitoes are truly biblical; you basically just want to wear rain gear to keep them out.

 

[RandyM]

I went to the Brooks range chasing bou in 2012 and it is still to this day probably one of the most awesome adventures I've experienced. It's a special place for sure.

Got any tips for a first time Archery bou hunter ?

 

[RandyM]

Did the North Slope gig in '18. We had everything from 40 knot arctic gales to 70 and sunshine on the X, and ended up killing a nice bull at 40 yards. It's an extremely austere environment up there, but also very beautiful. Kind of like planet Mars. Lived in waders for six days, but evidently there are places where you don't have to. Mosquitoes are truly biblical; you basically just want to wear rain gear to keep them out.

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is it possible to archery hunt in such wide open terrain?

 

[oxn939]

is it possible to archery hunt in such wide open terrain?

It is. I actually could have killed my bull with a compound, as mentioned above. There are also rivers that have some taller willows, which got probably 6' high in the area we hunted. If you look at those pictures closely, you can see that there are subtle topographical folds that can be used to stalk.

 

[brownbear932008]

Got any tips for a first time Archery bou hunter ?

Yes work the terrain to your advantage and if they are walking away forget them your never catching up. The area we were in was very open and for the most part the only vegetation higher than your knees were the willows in the river bottom. It's wouldn't be easy but not impossible either. I would think you would need to be ready to shoot over 50 yards unless you get a good crossing area on a river.

 

[RandyM]

Yes work the terrain to your advantage and if they are walking away forget them your never catching up. The area we were in was very open and for the most part the only vegetation higher than your knees were the willows in the river bottom. It's wouldn't be easy but not impossible either. I would think you would need to be ready to shoot over 50 yards unless you get a good crossing area on a river.

Thanks for the info

 

[RandyM]

It is. I actually could have killed my bull with a compound, as mentioned above. There are also rivers that have some taller willows, which got probably 6' high in the area we hunted. If you look at those pictures closely, you can see that there are subtle topographical folds that can be used to stalk.

Yeah, now that I look at the pictures more closely I can see what you are talking about. Thanks for the info.

 

[AlaskaHunter]

Get way in front of the direction the bou are feeding towards or find a bedded bull near riparian shrubs.
Whitesox (no-seeums) are attracted to bloody hands while butchering.
A portable electric fence around camp may help in terms of problem bears.
Either strip the velvet in cold water or do your homework on velvet care.

 

[Jglenn198]

Awesome thread with some great info