Guys, I was able to participate in a caribou hunt earlier this week.  I hunted with a good friend/co-worker.  We hunted the north slope of the Brooks Range in AK.  We walked in five miles off the haul road/Dalton Highway, found some high ground, and shot two caribou (one cow and a small bull).  

It took us two days to cover the first five miles on the walk into the hunting area.  The tundra is pretty wet (pretty much muskeg) and consisted of some pretty steep climbs.  

We were able to make the hike out in one day despite dragging two caribou on our sleds.  We stuck to the ridge tops which kept us on better and drier ground.  Hope you guys enjoy the photos.

We hunted well north of the Arctic Circle.


An example view of the Haul Road going into the south side of the Brooks Range.


Parked at the top of Atigun Pass in the Brooks Range.


Made it to the bottom of Atigun Pass despite the snow and big rigs.


A fellow hunter's success.  We met him hiking out this bull.  He had already made one trip hiking out the meat.  It was a six mile trip one way.  He made a total of two trips.


The successful hunter had a helper with him.


Some incredible views on the walk into the hunting area.


My friend blazing a trail across the tundra.


Camp set up for the night.  We were only able to make it three miles before we had to give up (exhausted and bad weather moving in).


Getting ready to move out the following morning (it was raining and snowing).


Finally made it to the high ground on the second day.  We shot two caribou shortly after this photo.  The sheds are from hunters who hunted this area before us.


A look into the Sagavanirktok River Valley.


More great scenery.


Loaded up for the walk out.


A long drive back to Fairbanks.


More cool views on the drive back home.


We stopped in Wiseman, AK on the drive back to Fairbanks.


Wiseman, AK post office!


We both shot two small caribou, but we saw many caribou.  Most were much too far away for a one day stalk.  Overall it was a great hunt.  This was the most physically exhausting and rewarding hunt I've ever conducted.  Hope you guys enjoy the photos!

I'm jealous.  Thanks for sharing.

BTW Caribou is the best game meat, not even elk is better IMO.

Terrific pics, thanks.



What did you use on them?

Pretty cool OP.


Now where is the dinner pics of the caribou?

We both were shooting .338 win mag.  I hand load 160 grain TTSXs and my buddy shoots any factory load he can find (believed he used a generic Remington 250 grain factory load).

Cutting up the meat tonight!

awesome, I had my first taste of Alaska a few weeks ago, and I definitely want to go back

Nice pics OP! My dad used to go on one of those hunts every year when we lived up there. Hopefully I'm not stuck living in the lower 48 for much longer.

I plan on retiring up here!

Beautiful!  Thanks for sharing!

So nice, I'm sure you had a great time.

I was on my way back from Prudue Bay in about 1976 on the haul road. I screwed up and some steel feel off my trailer; I went back to get it and was throwing it back up on the trailer[pissed at myself for being so
stupid]. It was summer and about 8:00 pm and when I was done I had a funny feeling. I turned around and a large herd of caribou had walked up behind me and were watching the dumb human. They were not afraid of me so I watched them for a few minutes but had to get going.
I used to feed some Wolves along the highway because were got all the food we wanted from the pipeline camps; They would get up close but I did not trust them. Same with the brown bears; they would come up to the driver side window[some put there feet on the steps] but I was a little leary of them.
I have many wild stories from going up/down the haul road.
 What you did is much more rewarding.Thank you for the photo's, they bring back great memories.

I'm not able to hunt or walk  much anymore so I really enjoy hearing other's stories,and seeing their photos.....thanks for posting.
Congratulations to you and your buddy!!

I have a nephew in Fairbanks.......good kid.

Thanks guys!  It is truly a privilege to serve up here.  I'm glad yall enjoyed the story and photos!

Nice Photo's! I was up there in 1989 hunting moose on the south fork of the Koyukuk River. The haul road was gravel back then and the Artic Circle sign was different.

Brings back memories seeing your pics. What's up with the flip flops in your Artic circle sign pic

I have to let my dogs air out.  I knew that walk in was going to destroy them so I was trying to keep them as dry as possible before stepping off.

Back in 99 I camped on the side of the road before the stop sign at Prudhoe bay.  There was a gravel pile dumped there to make road repairs it blocked the wind off our tents. We searched the area and came up with enough pallet wood to build a fire.
Caribou and Bears were about a thousand yards out on horizon it started sleeting and fog rolled in. I had a Kmart sleeping bag and im 6'2. I kept slipping out of the sleeping bag freezing. It was around 19 degrees. I didnt bring my sleeping bag with me on the plane. My buddy was all oh yeah I got a bag you can use. Fucking asshole, you never forget the little things haha
We made it back to Cold foot after two days and cleaned up in the bathroom sink there, we looked like animals.

Coldfoot is a great place.  We chowed down like kings there on the return trip.

We did too,  I also camped in that pull off area near the Arctic Circle sign.  We went way in the back and I was out on the road in camo with my AR looking for firewood and a dam RV came pulling up the hill.
You couldnt see our Bronco and I looked like a wild man so I had to hide out until they went by and drag my firewood back to camp.
We had moose in our camp area that night.

I was on my way to Prudhoe when a serious Artic blizzard blew in.The road was blown closed at Coldfoot so all of us truckers waited it out there.
It was appx. -20 with 30-50 mph wind. There were so many trucks in camp that you could not move. They had a fuel truck with a long hose that went around and fueled us. If you ran out of fuel or killed the motor there was a good chance it would not start and you were"screwed We stayed there for 3-4 days till they got the road opened up.
At Prudhoe I unloaded while it was appx.-40 with 30-60 mph wind. I could only stay outside for 5 minutes at a time then back in the truck to warm up .I pulled behind a large building to sleep[break the wind] With heater running full the whole inside of my sleeper was frost from my breath.

How far were your shots on the caribou?

Must be hard drying out there, no firewood for a campfire...

I lived in AKP for the last year I was working on Slope and talk about true wilderness. One of the last true hunts in Alaska.

Mine was right at 200 yards.  I think my friend shot his at just a shade over 200 yards.

We were pretty damp the entire trip.  But I was surprised how effectively my sleeping bag dried me out after a few hour of rack time.  Nothing like relaxing in a tent while zipped up in a warm sleeping bag and Listening to the rain bounce off the tent.

K-mart bag? hahah