I have been on a couple DIY Caribou hunts in Alaska. First time I was chastised for not taking a sat phone-pilots couldn't fly and we ran out of food and fresh water. Second time I took an InReach and was glad I did-communicated with my wife via text and she related my communication to the pilot in his office. Kind of a big deal to the pilot that you can communicate pickup times and emergencies when you are 80-100 miles in.
Article makes some good points. The bush pilots are not supposed to be guiding you but they will put you into good area of caribou migrations. Herds of animals will be traveling through the area but you still have to plan a strategy to ambush them. You don't have to travel very far from camp but be prepared to cross streams and do some running behind brims to get into position if you want a trophy.
Be aware that Alaska has different game rules and their G & F Dept will be checking the guides camps by air for caribou that have not been field dressed properly. NO Gutless methods allowed there-rib bones have to be showing from a low level fly over. They will love to show you guys how much meat you are wasting by landing and finishing the job as evidence plus slap you with a substantial fine. Key is, do your homework.
Dan D comments above are likely close to the cost. The bush pilot is likely $2500 but getting there and hotels, food and renting gear etc can add up. Depending on the location of the bush pilot, they may let you pitch a tent at their airport if you need to wait for a flight out or you get there ahead of time. There is some waiting involved once you get there--pilots are busy flying groups in and out and watching the weather.
Good article. I would suggest that the more a person anticipates and knows his hunting area the more confidence he will have. The more confidence the less anxiety. Having a resource like Gohunt is a big help. InReach coupled with an iPhone also provides the added insurance-being able to communicate and recall information reliably.
I have hunted solo in the past and did an elk rifle hunt last year in the Bitterroot of Idaho but I would not suggest solo hunting to someone that does not have an intimate knowledge of the area (history, plant and animals likely to encounter).
Positive self thinking, having the confidence of area knowledge so you can tell yourself ""oh, go to sleep you big baby!""
Good write up about the wolves in Idaho. The Canadian Gray Wolf is not being managed very effectively by hunters/trappers unfortunately. But the elk have changed their habits to survive. I believe I heard somewhere that the total number of wolf pack membership is down but the total number of mating pairs continues to expand.
We can directly blame the US Fish and Game (a few extreme employees) for imposing these invasive non-native wolf species on the residence of Idaho and completely crippling the economy.
And now the native wolves of NW Montana have been cross-bred by these monsters and their populations have ballooned as well-last I heard that population had gone from a stable 150 to well over 700. In a short time.
Same agency is wanting to re-introduce the Grizzly bear back into the Bitterroot drainages of the Selway And Frank Church. My guess is they have already released some without approval. I see a lot of Grizzly warning signs and know of efforts to reestablish white pine habitats to help support a population.
All we can hope for is these extremists in the US government retire or get washed out of the USFF&G and USForest Service when the swamp gets drained.
Brandy, I just found your spreadsheet and great write up on your gear list. It's nice to read about pack weights. I have been elk hunting with a backpack (use to actually look even heavier than the picture you shared of one of your earlier hunts). But, I realize in retirement now my pack weight has to drop in half and I also take in an additional quarter bag.
I find your list very insightful and I have picked up several good ideas for fine tuning my list. I'm looking for a new tent and will research the Tarptent. My current tarp/Bivy ain't the best on a windy ridge! My hunts in the backcountry are usually not as long as yours (6 days-5 nights) which help me with 5 or 6 pounds and I don't count calories so my meals are a bit spartan compared to yours but you make a excellent point about eating enough.
A couple things I have discovered that you might be interested in. I have carried every name in stoves and fuel, each a little lighter than the next including the Jetboil. I never heard of the customizing Jetboil kits before you covered it (great read). But I have cut my stove down to .5 oz DIY alcohol stove plus a Snow Peak titanium cup (DIY lid) to hold it in, doubling as my drinking cup. The alcohol stove works better when temperatures drop in the teens and boil times never change. Best fuel ends up being Heat (gas line treatment) and I figure 2 oz per day-the 12oz bottle of Heat is a nice size for me and I don't need to repackage.
Your picture of TP in a sandwich bag doesn't appear to be enough for nine days (at least not for me) but that being said I learned a while ago that Kleenex packets are the only way to go (they make a double folding pack that holds 10 tissues). I will also buy wet wipes in small individual packs and but one on each side of the Kleenex packet pockets and slip it into my back pocket. I figure one Kleenex packet for two days, so I wear one and have two packed in my personal kit. One packet is about .5 inch thick-don't even know you have it until you need it.
Another breakfast meal that ends up being my favorite is cereal in a large sandwich bag with two table spoons of dry milk (get Nido brand dry milk sold in the Hispanic isle because it has fat). Just add cold water and my Raisin Bran never taste better. Super light and I do well on a big helping-easy in the morning.
I also take my iPhone because it has a better screen to view GPS maps. I also take an InReach but opted for one of the original ones because it was cheaper, lighter, a bit smaller plus I find the texting easier on my iPhone that this allows. I take two extra AA Littiums. This combination has allowed me to communicate with the outside world about up coming severe weather approaching on a trip in Idaho and same thing on a Caribou trip in Alaska-picked up a day early and just got out in time. On the Alaska trip my wife was the go between after I would text she would call the pilot on a land line.
Here is one more thought. I just picked up a small LED (seemingly water resistant) flashlight at Walmart for $1-one of those ozark branded items they had in a rack. It's less than an oz and is a nice blaze red color. I am thinking it will replace my Black Diamond headlamp Xmas present from a few years ago and the extra flashlight I always feel important to stash in at the last minute.
Really consider what the iPhone is capable of especially in a Red Pepper waterproof case. It's a excellent emergency flashlight. it's a outstanding camera/video recorder, best compass with altitude, map replacement and GPS with better maps and a better screen, a book, a movie, a log book-and maintains a log of the 7 day/night weather forecast, a medical reference with a Red Criss App, can even take your pulse, and provide a strobe light for a rescue air flight. There are hunting apps like Thimble, slope and range finding apps I'm finding the iPhone may be the best 5oz I have on board because it's allowing me to eliminate so much and make solo trips possible with communication through an InReach. If I keep it in the air plane mode I find about 3 days of battery life keeping it turned on. I take a 4oz battery jumper and can get two complete charges-more than enough. I guess what I'm saying is you could eliminate your separate GPS because you have better capability with Earthmate and other iPhone GPS apps.
Thanks again. I will follow your posts and wish you good hunting. Chuck
9 years ago
7 steps for planning a DIY Alaska caribou huntI have been on a couple DIY Caribou hunts in Alaska. First time I was chastised for not taking a sat phone-pilots couldn't fly and we ran out of food and fresh water. Second time I took an InReach and was glad I did-communicated with my wife via text and she related my communication to the pilot in his office. Kind of a big deal to the pilot that you can communicate pickup times and emergencies when you are 80-100 miles in.
Article makes some good points. The bush pilots are not supposed to be guiding you but they will put you into good area of caribou migrations. Herds of animals will be traveling through the area but you still have to plan a strategy to ambush them. You don't have to travel very far from camp but be prepared to cross streams and do some running behind brims to get into position if you want a trophy.
Be aware that Alaska has different game rules and their G & F Dept will be checking the guides camps by air for caribou that have not been field dressed properly. NO Gutless methods allowed there-rib bones have to be showing from a low level fly over. They will love to show you guys how much meat you are wasting by landing and finishing the job as evidence plus slap you with a substantial fine. Key is, do your homework.
Dan D comments above are likely close to the cost. The bush pilot is likely $2500 but getting there and hotels, food and renting gear etc can add up. Depending on the location of the bush pilot, they may let you pitch a tent at their airport if you need to wait for a flight out or you get there ahead of time. There is some waiting involved once you get there--pilots are busy flying groups in and out and watching the weather.
9 years ago
The pros and cons of elk hunting aloneGood article. I would suggest that the more a person anticipates and knows his hunting area the more confidence he will have. The more confidence the less anxiety. Having a resource like Gohunt is a big help. InReach coupled with an iPhone also provides the added insurance-being able to communicate and recall information reliably.
I have hunted solo in the past and did an elk rifle hunt last year in the Bitterroot of Idaho but I would not suggest solo hunting to someone that does not have an intimate knowledge of the area (history, plant and animals likely to encounter).
Positive self thinking, having the confidence of area knowledge so you can tell yourself ""oh, go to sleep you big baby!""
9 years ago
Why predators in the West need predatorsGood write up about the wolves in Idaho. The Canadian Gray Wolf is not being managed very effectively by hunters/trappers unfortunately. But the elk have changed their habits to survive. I believe I heard somewhere that the total number of wolf pack membership is down but the total number of mating pairs continues to expand.
We can directly blame the US Fish and Game (a few extreme employees) for imposing these invasive non-native wolf species on the residence of Idaho and completely crippling the economy.
And now the native wolves of NW Montana have been cross-bred by these monsters and their populations have ballooned as well-last I heard that population had gone from a stable 150 to well over 700. In a short time.
Same agency is wanting to re-introduce the Grizzly bear back into the Bitterroot drainages of the Selway And Frank Church. My guess is they have already released some without approval. I see a lot of Grizzly warning signs and know of efforts to reestablish white pine habitats to help support a population.
All we can hope for is these extremists in the US government retire or get washed out of the USFF&G and USForest Service when the swamp gets drained.
9 years ago
10 important rules of the hunting partner code11. Hunting partners in the west share the work and split the meat-an unspoken rule. The guy that doesn't share equally is a solo hunter next year!
9 years ago
The ultimate backcountry hunting gear list breakdownBrandy, I just found your spreadsheet and great write up on your gear list. It's nice to read about pack weights. I have been elk hunting with a backpack (use to actually look even heavier than the picture you shared of one of your earlier hunts). But, I realize in retirement now my pack weight has to drop in half and I also take in an additional quarter bag.
I find your list very insightful and I have picked up several good ideas for fine tuning my list. I'm looking for a new tent and will research the Tarptent. My current tarp/Bivy ain't the best on a windy ridge! My hunts in the backcountry are usually not as long as yours (6 days-5 nights) which help me with 5 or 6 pounds and I don't count calories so my meals are a bit spartan compared to yours but you make a excellent point about eating enough.
A couple things I have discovered that you might be interested in. I have carried every name in stoves and fuel, each a little lighter than the next including the Jetboil. I never heard of the customizing Jetboil kits before you covered it (great read). But I have cut my stove down to .5 oz DIY alcohol stove plus a Snow Peak titanium cup (DIY lid) to hold it in, doubling as my drinking cup. The alcohol stove works better when temperatures drop in the teens and boil times never change. Best fuel ends up being Heat (gas line treatment) and I figure 2 oz per day-the 12oz bottle of Heat is a nice size for me and I don't need to repackage.
Your picture of TP in a sandwich bag doesn't appear to be enough for nine days (at least not for me) but that being said I learned a while ago that Kleenex packets are the only way to go (they make a double folding pack that holds 10 tissues). I will also buy wet wipes in small individual packs and but one on each side of the Kleenex packet pockets and slip it into my back pocket. I figure one Kleenex packet for two days, so I wear one and have two packed in my personal kit. One packet is about .5 inch thick-don't even know you have it until you need it.
Another breakfast meal that ends up being my favorite is cereal in a large sandwich bag with two table spoons of dry milk (get Nido brand dry milk sold in the Hispanic isle because it has fat). Just add cold water and my Raisin Bran never taste better. Super light and I do well on a big helping-easy in the morning.
I also take my iPhone because it has a better screen to view GPS maps. I also take an InReach but opted for one of the original ones because it was cheaper, lighter, a bit smaller plus I find the texting easier on my iPhone that this allows. I take two extra AA Littiums. This combination has allowed me to communicate with the outside world about up coming severe weather approaching on a trip in Idaho and same thing on a Caribou trip in Alaska-picked up a day early and just got out in time. On the Alaska trip my wife was the go between after I would text she would call the pilot on a land line.
Here is one more thought. I just picked up a small LED (seemingly water resistant) flashlight at Walmart for $1-one of those ozark branded items they had in a rack. It's less than an oz and is a nice blaze red color. I am thinking it will replace my Black Diamond headlamp Xmas present from a few years ago and the extra flashlight I always feel important to stash in at the last minute.
Really consider what the iPhone is capable of especially in a Red Pepper waterproof case. It's a excellent emergency flashlight. it's a outstanding camera/video recorder, best compass with altitude, map replacement and GPS with better maps and a better screen, a book, a movie, a log book-and maintains a log of the 7 day/night weather forecast, a medical reference with a Red Criss App, can even take your pulse, and provide a strobe light for a rescue air flight. There are hunting apps like Thimble, slope and range finding apps I'm finding the iPhone may be the best 5oz I have on board because it's allowing me to eliminate so much and make solo trips possible with communication through an InReach. If I keep it in the air plane mode I find about 3 days of battery life keeping it turned on. I take a 4oz battery jumper and can get two complete charges-more than enough. I guess what I'm saying is you could eliminate your separate GPS because you have better capability with Earthmate and other iPhone GPS apps.
Thanks again. I will follow your posts and wish you good hunting.
Chuck