Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska DIY Float Hunt

Hello, we are looking to put together a float hunt for Caribou in 2019. We are considering putting in South of Cold Foot and then floating until we're at least 5 miles away from the Dalton Highway. Does anyone here have experience with this type of trip?

My specific questions are:
1. Is this good caribou country?
2. When would be the best time to go?
3. What's the state of the river like in July/August/September there?
4. Would we be able to paddle back up stream to the Dalton or do we have to continue downstream to someplace like Bettles and arrange return transportation from there?
5. How "busy" with other hunters is this neck of the woods during hunting season?
6. Would we be better off starting further up the river and archery hunting than we would floating until we're 5 miles out and rifle hunting?
7. Are there any other areas that anyone would recommend for a DIY Caribou Float Trip that don't involve a bush plane?

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

There is boo there....after snowfall in November...

Ah, OK. I don't think that's gonna work for us.

The rest of my party is only interested in float hunts with a total cost of less than 4K door-to-door. It's gonna be pretty challenging to put this together. When all was said and done we dropped around $7500 a piece on our 2017 hunt.

Most of the float hunters were moose hunters. Some floated TO Bettles, some floated FROM Bettles. Best moose were killed in the refuge. Two 70" moose came through from the refuge. Caribou are on the north slope until later in the season. It's gonna take a bush plane.

If you paddle back upstream. Take video. And remind me to address you very respectfully.

Teasing aside hope you guys can put together a great hunt. Harder and harder to do on the cheap, even for residents

Thanks Dennis. We enjoyed meeting you in 2017. Are you with Brooks Range again this year?

No, I stayed home so I could go to Africa this summer. I have even better plans for next summer!

Fly out of Bettles to the Killik river, float hunt down to the Colville River then on to Umiat where Wright Air service can pick you up in one of the Grand Caravans. Back in 08 we float hunted the Kurupa, down to the Colville then got picked up in Umiat. We saw lots of caribou on that trip along with some grizz, wolverines, and a few moose. This was a hunt put together by Larry Bartlett who owns Pristine Ventures, if you're looking to rent some boats he's the man with the plan.

That might just work.

After last summer (2017) I am sceered of float trips. We had heavy rains and about 50% of our parties lost their gear, boats and some lost everything but what they were wearing.

I have said it here repeatedly, but there are very few people I would do a float hunt with. They are usually just fine and plenty easy and safe, but a weather front coming in at the wrong time can turn them into an extremely dangerous nightmare in a couple hours. And in those situations you do not need anyone there that does not know exactly what to do when schit happens.

They can also turn into a lot more work than a simple backpack hunt. I have seen many instances where naive flatlanders have gotten themselves in truly dangerous situations.

I have said it here repeatedly, but there are very few people I would do a float hunt with. They are usually just fine and plenty easy and safe, but a weather front coming in at the wrong time can turn them into an extremely dangerous nightmare in a couple hours. And in those situations you do not need anyone there that does not know exactly what to do when schit happens.

They can also turn into a lot more work than a simple backpack hunt. I have seen many instances where naive flatlanders have gotten themselves in truly dangerous situations.

And you said it repeatedly...again!

But it has been a while! And I think it bears repeating.

Diy float hunt starts tomorrow. 100 mile run for moose, bucks, Black bear, and wolf. Moose being primary target.

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Sounds like a great plan! Right up until the moose dies in a big swamp!



Good luck!

This is se ak moose hunting. We beach hunt. Haha

You look to be set up Joel!

Then make sure you set down your MaiTai before shooting!

Well, I thought I had this thing all figured out. I saw that Tok offers float hunts that begin on the Charley and end up on the Yukon, so I figured if we could float the Yukon and pass where the Yukon and Charley intersect we'd be in 'bou country for the 40 Mile Herd. Apparently that's not the case.

We're trying to put together a float trip for 'bou where we can take a commercial(ish) flight into our starting point and out of our final point. I was hoping Eagle -> Circle would do the trick, but I guess it's a relatively rare phenomenon for the caribou to come in range of a hunt based off of the Yukon.

Bummed. I guess it's pretty obvious that if this type of hunt were doable, more would be doing it.

That would be the 40 Mile Herd and it's very difficult to predict where they will be or when they may
decide to change direction. But usually Eagle to Charley River mouth is not a hot spot.

I've seen raft hunters wading and dragging rafts for many miles because of low water in the Charley.

As you thought....if it were easily accessible or inexpensive, it would be crowded.