Cost of a Caribou Hunt

[fowladdict]

Looking into a caribou hunt in 2012 and just wanted to get a general idea of what you guys that have gone this year spent on your trip. Including airfare, picked up and dropped off, shipping game home, gratuities etc. And I would really appreciate any recommendations of what you would do if you went again. And what not to do is always good too

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[chasendeer]

I put my hunt this year together for about $1000 a head from CA to AK. The big saving was using air miles for the ticket.
Jay

 

[fowladdict]

Thanks Chasendeer. What do you think you spent total on the trip?

 

[dexnrex]

My ticket as purchased with air miles as well eliminating that cost. My total cost was $900.69. No kidding.

 

[chasendeer]

It was under 1,000 total.
Jay

 

[the nikster]

I spent $500 on air to anc. another 500 on hotels in anc. 300 for a rental car to Tok. 100 on a hotel in Tok. 100 for fuel. 1800 for bush flight. 350 for additional gear load. 600 to have caribou flown back to Tok. 300 total for luggage including meat and horns. 200 for food. Also had some gear to buy and tips.
I'd say my trip cost me close to $5000 total. Everybody saw me coming?
That's not even counting the tag....
I don't know how a person flying free to Anc, paying for a tag and food and ANY transportation or luggage costs could do it for less that $1000. I don't think this guy wants to know how much your spouse thinks it costs, but how much it REALLY costs.

 

[Calvin]

1k is awesome for any AK hunt. It takes me $500 to get to anchorage on Alaska Airlines, and I live in AK! I'm guessing your guys are doing walk in hunts from the road system? Bush flights are crazy expensive, especially when additional flights are needed to get meat out..

 

[Calvin]

I spent $500 on air to anc. another 500 on hotels in anc. 300 for a rental car to Tok. 100 on a hotel in Tok. 100 for fuel. 1800 for bush flight. 350 for additional gear load. 600 to have caribou flown back to Tok. 300 total for luggage including meat and horns. 200 for food. Also had some gear to buy and tips.
I'd say my trip cost me close to $5000 total. Everybody saw me coming?
That's not even counting the tag....
I don't know how a person flying free to Anc, paying for a tag and food and ANY transportation or luggage costs could do it for less that $1000. I don't think this guy wants to know how much your spouse thinks it costs, but how much it REALLY costs.

Nikster,

I think the only way they got it at 1k is that they used miles to get free airfare. It also helps if you have a buddy up in AK who can provide lodging, a vehicle, and who has camping gear. Then you can do it very cheaply. When you are hauling up your gear, paying hotels, rental cars, etc, a DIY hunt, not matter for what species, can get pricey.

I'm currently looking at ways to shave costs, and be able to spend 3 weeks up in the interior next Aug with my boys, hunting everything we possibly can as residents. We are probably going to take my vehicle over to Ketchikan, and ferry up to Haines. We'll then drive and do multiple hunts for multiple species in that time frame, all while living in tents.

 

[chasendeer]

It was easy here is the break down
Ticket 40 plus 40,000 air miles
lic 85
tag 315?
transpation 150/3
hotel 150/3
car rental 85
land use 50
lugage 310/3
We camped out a but one night.
Jay

 

[MN Public Hunter]

It was easy here is the break down
Ticket 40 plus 40,000 air miles
lic 85
tag 315?
transpation 150/3
hotel 150/3
car rental 85
land use 50
lugage 310/3
We camped out a but one night.
Jay

I'm interested to see where this all goes because I would like to someday do this as well.

Were you only in AK for 2 days? I see one hotel and 1 day at a friends.

All divided by 3? Means three people hunting? To get back on the plane and you did that for $310 bucks horns and meat for 3 caribou?

$85 bucks for a car rental sounds good, for a whole week? No gas or is that the transportation cost of $150/3?

If these numbers all mesh I could got to AK for less than 2 grand, hunt and get back to MN...not a bad cost I say.

 

[Oak]

It was easy here is the break down
Ticket 40 plus 40,000 air miles
lic 85
tag 315?
transpation 150/3
hotel 150/3
car rental 85
land use 50
lugage 310/3
We camped out a but one night.
Jay

Did you eat while you were there?

In my experience, having done 4 trips to Alaska in the last 4 years, it always ends up costing substantially more than you expect. The little unexpected things that come up really add up. I haven't bothered to add up the costs for any of my trips, because ignorance is bliss.

 

[the nikster]

I DO believe that 3 or 4 folks can get together and reduce costs substantially. Most of my costs were only split 1 way. Also I left room on both ends of my hunt to allow for delays-these days ended up costing me nearly another $1000 total(hotels, food, rental etc).
I also can see that having a friend in the state can reduce costs(hotels, eating out, part-or all-of the rental).
Assume my buddy invited me up on a hunt...
air miles plus luggage could be 40+55(rifle and 1 bag)
buddy pickes me up at airport and we eat at his place 0
4 of us take his 4x4 suv to store fro groceries split 4 ways 50 each
same 4 drive to steese early in morning on day of hunt 15 each for fuel
harvest 3 bulls and decide thats enough my tag was 325
drive back 15 each for fuel
sleep at buddies place 0
take bou back as luggage-3 coolers of meat, 1 box of headgear, same 2 bags=210
I get $720 for a bare bones/no frills DIY Alaska Caribou Adventure
I suppose it can be done in other areas as well.

 

[chasendeer]

It was a backpack hunt we got droped off at the end of the road sleep on the ground for ten days living out of my backpack eating mountain house meals. The last day we got picked up rented a car for the day and a room for the night. We did only kill 2 bou's brought home all the meat. My friends were also from California no resident help

 

[Calvin]

Sounds like he hunted on private land, on the road system.

The reality of hunting in AK is that it costs $, unless you have the hook up, or hunt on the road system. Most plane companies run $500-700 an hour, for a decent sized plane, that'll get you and your buddy, and all your gear out to your hunting spots. If it's an hour there, it's an hour back. (you're billed for 2 hours) So you are looking at 4 hours of flight time, just to get in and out. Shoot caribou or moose, and you are looking at 1 if not 2 more flights out, depending on how many animals you killed. Then you have your meat to deal with. It all adds up.

I'm always interested in "cheaper", so I'm really curious how these guys are getting to AK, getting tags, getting into the field, getting meat out the field, and getting meat/horns home for under 1k, even on AK air miles.

 

[the nikster]

That is running lean and mean.
I hunt that way for elk on the divide.
I can hunt elk for about $15 a day excluding fuel and tags.

 

[indian larry]

If your going to spend the money to come up and hunt do it right, dont cut corners to try and save a buck. Do it right or do it twice, but then again twice isnt always a bad thing

 

[dexnrex]

In my case having a buddy in Fairbanks that had all the camping gear and lined up the bush flight from a friend made all the difference.

 

[MN Public Hunter]

Like my momma always said...if it sounds to good to be true...

 

[alaskasourdough]

One way to keep cost down somewhat but still get away from the road system and into the bush is to do a float hunt. Rafts are available for rent in both Fairbanks and Anchorage and probably other areas as well. Float trips are very popular with outsiders and locals alike and are much cheaper than an air charter. Another way to cut costs is to do away with the car rental and hotel by renting an RV, there are RV rental places all over Alaska and you can do one way trips, ex: rent RV in Anchorage and return in Fairbanks. Before the trip check out some of the many books available on hunting Alaska, Chris Batin, an author living in the interior has some great books on hunting / fishing Alaska. If you young and can rough it you can just sleep in the rental car or just throw a sleeping bag out at the side of the road, you can camp pretty much anywhere on public land. You can save money by shopping for food/supplies at places like Costco, etc. If anyone in your party happens to be a military retiree, there are Army/Airforce bases in Fairbanks, Anchorage, and Delta Junction where you can shop at the PX/Commisary. If you're an archery hunter you can rent a car in Fairbanks and drive the Dalton Hwy., the pipeline corridor parrallels the road and is closed to firearm hunting for five miles on each side of the pipeline however you can still archery hunt. Species in that area include both moose and caribou for the non-res. If you are a rifle hunter you can still do the same thing but you're much more limited, there's a small area called Toolik Lake on the Dalton where the pipeline swings away from the pipeline for a couple miles and there's a small spur road that gets you a little farther yet, otherwise it's a 5 mi walk each way. One last thing to try is a little last minute, but Alaska has what's called a PFD (Permanent Fund Dividend ) that's given out to residents each year. When they checks come out there are killer deals offered on almost everything you can imagine in an effort to get people to spend the checks, you may be able to save some money during this time.