Thinking of a someday hunt to treat myself. Had a great conversation with a fellow on the airplane enroute to Ketchecan. He was telling me how his family enjoys caribou meat and he loves the hunt. Any experience with a caribou hunt, good or bad I'd love some stories and recommendations. If your long winded like me PM me for email or texting. Nybubba

Jim, I went after caribou in Northern Quebec several years ago. Hunting the tundra was a great experience for me. I understand the season on caribou is closed there now. I know the herd populations were down. We did not see the vast herds of yesteryear but did see enough game to keep it interesting. I ended up taking a couple of fair bulls. I muffed a 20 yard shot at a really huge bull but that is another story all to its own.

Was able to have both of my bulls shipped home. Honestly, I did not care for the taste of caribou at all. To me it rates at the bottom of the taste scale of all venison. I gave the majority of it away. My friends seemed to love the taste of it and took all I would give them. Each to his own.

I will be going on my first caribou hunt this fall. Unguided, our own gear, just using an air taxi. NW Alaska, up to 14 days if we need it. Should be fun.

I went to Quebec twice, taking 4 caribou with my longbow. That was during the "glory days".

I found the meat to be the best game meat I ever had. I hope you can go and enjoy the experience.

TMBB

Party's over its big money now. Wish I could go again but money and health TG I got a beauty when I did in the 90's. Long time ago when it was reasonable.

Drop camp in Alaska is the way to go if you can get in with a air taxi. I also took some great animals in the NWT....but like another said, it`s getting costly.

Did it back on 2001, Alaska. 1 and only time trying it.

If we had a rifle, could have killed one every day. We did not.

My buddy missed a bull, I never had a shot.

Would not trade that trip for anything. 8 days, never seeing another human, seeing lots of animals every day, great fishing.

Do it.

I was able to hunt all five species back in the 79,81,85,90 and 96.. It was a lot cheaper back then, the last hunt was for Central Barren ground out Yellowknife in 96 for $3300. In 79 we paid $2200 for 14 days Moose,caribou and Mt goat. Now that hunt would be $30k. 4 of the 5 made P&Y. All great hunts in great country.

Flew Ketchum Air from Anchorage to Lake Clarke area in late 90s. 9 days of solitude with three other guys, drop camp. We killed 6 caribou, and the only cost was the licenses and air transport, $700 or so for air taxi. Bumpy ride and we saw some ond downed planes on the way. One kinda new one too. Great hunt, and,amazingly, dry year with no bugs...:) I did not think the meat was all that great, kinda bland and lichen-tasting. I much prefer elk and even good deer meat over what I got. I would go again in a heartbeat though, same type of hunt.

Thanks for feed back. I love the pics also

What was I thinking? Ok, started looking into this more. I think that caribou now have hooves made of gold. I think I will take same amount of money spent for 2 hunts and by property locally for the entire family to enjoy for generations. Then we all can enjoy it. Plenty of hunting here in western NY

Its too bad hunting costs are pricing good hardworking people right out of the hunt these days. I see posts on here of guys going on multiple hunts for sheep, moose, musk ox, bears, Africa every year, etc. and figure, I will never get to do that. And I am gainfully employed, not yet retired. It is not the same now days. It sucks actually. The few who do that must be loaded is all I can say.

With declining herds all across Canada, good caribou hunts are becoming both very expensive and very hard to find.

Find a Safari club dinner or other club banquet dinner and bid on a hunt that could save you a lot.

And usually the hunts are not guaranteed either and unless they are willing to move you if the herd shifts you could end up with a big price and no bou.

There's a lot to think and plan on and also consider the trip insurance that's now available these days.

I was very fortunate when I was going on 1 to 2 or 3 trips a year when I was young I learned how to buy trips that are available way under the going market price.

Look for trips guys can't go on and have to cancel and you can travel more reasonable as well.

Just some thoughts.

One animal an Elk I have $25,000.00 wrapped up in and no elk yet. Shot beautiful deer but no elks.

Several guys have told me story's like this with Caribous also.

I been seeing some of the prices for the Woodland lately and they are unbelievable. I should have gone years ago and now its to late for me.

Got lucky at a Wild Sheep Banquet in BC in 2012 and was the low bidder on a 12-day guided horseback mountain caribou hunt.

Was blessed with a good one on the first day of hunting!

Would love to do the rest of the caribou but the prices on the hunts are ridiculous!

I brought back caribou and sheep meat. The wife preferred the caribou and it was good but didn’t compare to the sheep for me!

If I was going caribou hunting I would look at Greenland.

Greenland would be a good choice from what I hear but I also hear they do not allow traditional gear.

they did not allow traditional 2 years ago when i looked into it

they did not allow traditional 2 years ago when i looked into it

May not be the case, but I would bet those who don't like caribou also don't like moderately rare meat. Caribou tends to take on a bit of livery taste when cooked too long.

Lost track of how many I've eaten. Used to kill a bunch when I lived on Adak and later hunted the Haul Road and flew out a few times.

Cooked in a bear/ sheep camp north of the Brooks in '96. Brother and I cooked a Dall and Bou backstop in separate pans, kept them apart and served to about 10 people (2 were guides and 1 the outfitter). They spent 5 minutes arguing about which was the sheep and which the bou. No complaints and it all disappeared.

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