Hike in Caribou

[MattErickson]

Good afternoon everyone! I've been working these last couple weeks attempting to plan a caribou hunt for this upcoming season. It has always been my dad's dream to harvest a caribou and i figured that we should make it happen this year. As funds are a little low I am trying to plan a hike in or possibly canoe in trip. I have been looking at google earth and old posts extensively for areas to hunt. Would we have a better chance at finding a bull in the northern rockies (7-50, 7-51) or go Dease lake way into 6-20, 6-23,24 ? Any info on general areas, caribou hunting tactics and anything else caribou related would be fantastic! or just post your caribou hunting stories so everyone can get anxious and excited for the upcoming season!

[walks with deer]

Caribou feed at the speed you run.

Counting points can be hard good optics that country is open..

Buy a cart don't just think you can back pack it.

Lots of big bears.

[VLD43]

PM sent............

[digger dogger]

Caribou feed at the speed you run.

Counting points can be hard good optics that country is open..

Buy a cart don't just think you can back pack it.

Lots of big bears.

^^^
This here, they are heavy, even deboned!
Unless you plan on taking atleast two trips to get out the animal, and camp, dont hike in too far.
I hope you do well, and definetly get yourselves into shape, if not already.
Sorry i dont have any info on hiking in, in either region.
I see VLD has some info for you:-)

[klondikemike]

Well I hope when you do connect with a good area and get a caribou you tell us the story. The chance to take your dad out on his dream hunt in itself is pretty awesome.

[rifleman]

how far do you want to go? how long do you want to spend on your trip?

[MattErickson]

A story will definitely be coming after the hunt is finished! As far as distance in the province I will head just about anywhere. I think I would have from the 29th or 30th of september up until the 9th or 10th of august to spend on the trip or I can go from the 14th to the 19th of august. Hopefully between the 2 of us we can get a caribou out in 1 load but I wouldn't have any hesitations to make a second trip in to get all the meat. Would it be better to go earlier or later? I have more time later so that was going to be my preference

[Rackmastr]

Good luck on the trip. As posted, caribou are big critters when compared to a sheep or goat, etc. Two guys on a hike in trip with gear will be loaded pretty good with a ram, let alone all the meat, horns, cape (if taken) from a bou. We shot 2 of them in the same day and had a pretty decent hike back down to our lake and it was a ton of work for sure. A guy almost regrets shooting them both on the same day, but the pain is short lived and it made for a cool story on the trip.

Two guys can handle a caribou and horns, but once you start dealing with camp and gear I'd imagine you're pushing any limits to doing things. Add in a cape and it becomes near impossible for 2 guys plus gear. Not sure the type of shape your Dad is in, but something to consider when hauling big loads or planning on coming out heavy. But as posted, plan for two trips and you can make it happen.

Some awesome country up north regardless and you can sure have a pretty cool adventure in either region. I cant wait to get back up there for a bou/moose combo hunt sometime!!!

[GoatGuy]

A caribou and camp between two guys resulted in a cracked pack frame and a trip to the seamstress to stitch the shoulder straps back together.

So far as spots, you'd be way better served flying in somewhere around the Dease lake country - will make for a much more enjoyable trip.

[DawsonCreedmoor]

A backpack caribou trip i went on a couple years ago, there were 3 of us. We were able to carry (1) cape, antlers, meat and camp, barely. Probably one of the shittiest pack outs I've had. Super Heavy. Go to Region 6, fly into any lake near the big plateaus.

[digger dogger]

A backpack caribou trip i went on a couple years ago, there were 3 of us. We were able to carry (1) cape, antlers, meat and camp, barely. Probably one of the shittiest pack outs I've had. Super Heavy. Go to Region 6, fly into any lake near the big plateaus.

Hahaha, im going back for more punishment this year, with some high school buddies.
Boy are they in for a treat!! Neither has backpack hunted before:-)

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Toughest pack outs I've ever had.
We spike-camped on a flyin and killed two bulls on the same day. After I killed my bull, we had spike camp plus my bull and it was all we could do just to stand up. After a couple kms my buddy says to me.. "This is brutal! There's no way I'm shooting one of these!" Well, a few hundred yards later he changed his mind and downed a nice bull.
It was actually a good thing as then we could spread the weight of spike camp over two trips.
When we got to the bottom, we only had one hundred yards to get to camp and let down mentally. I tried to take one step but couldn't do it. I called out to my partner who was just behind me only to discover that his body had also failed. We had to ditch our packs and take a full 10 minute rest for the final hundred yards.

I can only imagine how brutal the pack out would be after a successful pack in caribou trip.

[Rackmastr]

Toughest pack outs I've ever had.
We spike-camped on a flyin and killed two bulls on the same day. After I killed my bull, we had spike camp plus my bull and it was all we could do just to stand up. After a couple kms my buddy says to me.. "This is brutal! There's no way I'm shooting one of these!" Well, a few hundred yards later he changed his mind and downed a nice bull.
It was actually a good thing as then we could spread the weight of spike camp over two trips.
When we got to the bottom, we only had one hundred yards to get to camp and let down mentally. I tried to take one step but couldn't do it. I called out to my partner who was just behind me only to discover that his body had also failed. We had to ditch our packs and take a full 10 minute rest for the final hundred yards.

I can only imagine how brutal the pack out would be after a successful pack in caribou trip.

Crazy how caribou seem to have that same type of story for a few of us. When we loaded up our first load of the two caribou back to our little spike camp, I had enough weight on that I felt like I shouldn't be walking. The snow was coming hard and visibility sucked, and we had spent the last few hours de-boning and caping two bulls. My buddy was wearing a hard cast from breaking his wrist a week before so wasn't able to do as much heavy work as I was, but worked away at the de-boning process. I helped him load his pack and then struggled to stand with mine on. At one point, I knew I had too much weight and should have just stopped walking, my buddy was about 300 yards ahead of me and I can remember thinking that I wished he was closer as I needed to stop but would need his help to even get my pack off safely.

Fun times once we got back to main camp...but that trudge across rocky/marshy tundra in a blizzard sure was memorable. Having a giant set of bou antlers and strapped to a pack does make a guy smile a bit though. We packed 3 bulls off the plateau that trip as well as a grizz hide amongst 4 guys. A LOT of packing involved!

[444marlin]

My son and I were heading back to the lake to restock after three nights in a spike camp.
Before heading down into the valley we stopped to take on last look.
We spotted this bull way off in the distance. The opposite way we were heading of course.
Dropping our camping gear we took off after him. Short story, one trip each, two hundred plus pounds of meat and a
7 km hike out the next day. Pretty much staggered into base camp.
Would I do it again at 64. In a heart beat.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/bull_resized.jpg

[MattErickson]

Wow 444marlin! that is a beauty! I would love to have that strapped onto my pack

[Buck]

My son and I were heading back to the lake to restock after three nights in a spike camp.
Before heading down into the valley we stopped to take on last look.
We spotted this bull way off in the distance. The opposite way we were heading of course.
Dropping our camping gear we took off after him. Short story, one trip each, two hundred plus pounds of meat and a
7 km hike out the next day. Pretty much staggered into base camp.
Would I do it again at 64. In a heart beat.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/bull_resized.jpg


You have a great attitude !!! Nice Bou

[hawkdog]

Atlin area is good as well.

[Sitkaspruce]

I remember when we had 2 bulls down at the same time. I thought, here we go again, as it was a close repeat of the last trip we did....and I thought I would never do that again!! Snow, wind and brush made that trip epic!!!

We each packed what we thought was around 100 lbs. about 4 k back to the lake for the first trip and my buddy was pretty well done. He had never seen ground like the ground up on the plateau, and anyone who has knows the plateau knows the hummocky, rolling, wet, rocky, ankle turning ground can be brutal if you don't have the right boots. And no hiking poles!!!

Anyways, we slogged back up to the rest of the meat and decided to go in back in relays. I would cape out the bulls while he packed the meat back in 60 lbs. packs to a location around 2k away. It took longer, but in the end, we were both safe with no broken or strained bones or muscles.

It will always be tough, but the end result is well worth it!!!

Cheers

SS

[Cordillera]

Also remember there are nice caribou and then the big ones. The really big ones are either two crazy heavy loads or three tough ones. Lots of five pointers have nice racks but may have 150 pounds of meat deboned. Then you find the bruiser and its closer to 250 pounds including the rack. You don't even think about a cape.....

There are are only a few places to hike or canoe for caribou. The best spots are fly in where you can get closer to the high country.

[358mag]

Toughest pack outs I've ever had.
We spike-camped on a flyin and killed two bulls on the same day. After I killed my bull, we had spike camp plus my bull and it was all we could do just to stand up. After a couple kms my buddy says to me.. "This is brutal! There's no way I'm shooting one of these!" Well, a few hundred yards later he changed his mind and downed a nice bull.
It was actually a good thing as then we could spread the weight of spike camp over two trips.
When we got to the bottom, we only had one hundred yards to get to camp and let down mentally. I tried to take one step but couldn't do it. I called out to my partner who was just behind me only to discover that his body had also failed. We had to ditch our packs and take a full 10 minute rest for the final hundred yards.

I can only imagine how brutal the pack out would be after a successful pack in caribou trip.
Pictures or it didn't happen .......:shock::shock:

[pg83]

Bumping this thread as I am booked for my first caribou fly in! Don't see a whole bunch on this thread regarding tactics, I assume gaining elevation and glassing will be best. Heading up for late August!

[guest]

Does Chillcootin hillbilly hunt the Itchas Elgatchas ( spelling )?

Used to be a very nice area. With some decent Bou.

[Sitkaspruce]

As has been said earlier, get good glass, good boots, good clothes, good pack, good tent, good shape and good hiking poles.

We would find higher ground and glass and glass and glass. Caribou are always on the move, so what might not be there in the morning, might be there in the afternoon. We found a spotting scope (Swarovski) to be invaluable. It helped determine if the bull, which we could see with bino's, had 5+ points, bezes and fronts worth chasing.

Planning a trip for 2019, just deciding on where to go this time.

Cheers

SS

[pg83]

Thank SS.

All the gear is taken care of ;)



Curly, not sure if he does or does not. I looked into that area a few years ago, but never made it in there. Seems like that herd got hit pretty hard by the wolves.

[walks with deer]

matt erickson never posted a story did he...

i love cairibou hunting and caribou meat...
first trip mine dressed less than 200lbs and dad and i ditched packs and packed out...
secound bull was well over 270lbs and we opted to get a cart and come back..
3rd bull i was solo and the biggest bull yet...i deboned and cycled the meat in a blizzard about 1.5 km from the kill site and hiked the 12 km back to camp with antlers and cape in the dark with backstraps of course....it snowed all night when i came in the am i came in from high ground and glassed for tracks and birds before approaching just packing my lever action iron sighted 45-70..the cool part was i was able to use the poly i had covered the meat in, as a tobogain and was able to drag half at a time.
still made for a long day...

love caribou hunting couldnt go this year as started own buisness.. next year i have to go the cabin fever is burning..
funniest part of the pack out was when i went to dry my gear out i realized i had packed a 15lbs pound rock with me i had picked up for my wife...lol

[ryanb]

Only tactic I can recommend is don't chase caribou on the move, you'll never catch them.

Caribou seem to stay active throughout the day, unlike moose and elk that are feeding mostly early morning and evening. Wait till they bed down or are stationary for a bit before you stalk.

[SR80]

I am another "victim" of a double header caribou trip! Those damn things grow the closer you get to them! Both bulls shot on sept 4th, and both tasted phenomenal. Its basically a sheep hunt except you're looking for something a lot bigger. It was a great trip, and I told myself it would be the last caribou hunt i ever did as we were packing out! But now i cant wait to chase bou' again!

[Stone Sheep Steve]

Miss caribou hunting in a bad way.

Last time for me was 2003 when my fall holidays disappeared. Could go late August/early sept but I just can't get excited about a meat hunt in possibly warm, buggy weather.

Great adventures and awesome meat!

Agree....those double headers are back-breaking packs down the mountain.

SSS

[pg83]

Could go late August/early sept but I just can't get excited about a meat hunt in possibly warm, buggy weather.


That's on my mind. Hoping for cold weather!

Those back-breaking packouts sound like a good time.

[guest]

As mentioned before, the Itchas is a very cool place. Beautiful in its scenery, good ground to walk on once your in there. We used horses and hiked , you can fly though and hike. Again I've heard that things have changed in there with populations. Also moose can be had for LEH too if your not to far from Itchas Lake.
If I was hiking it again, I'd take one of those small pastiche sleds or SKED stretcher to help haul game possibly, just a thought. The only Bou I shot in there was mid Sept and also terrific eating. Funny you can spot or find these critters, may be a legal bull in the bunch maybe not. But trying to get a wack at EM when their on the go with all the rest of the group moving about as they do, it can be tough to get a shot. I'd love a full on white caped Big Bou but that's likely not going to happen cause when that rut kicks in ...... Well as you know the taste is a ........???

I don't know if CHillcoothillbilly hunts there, may be cool to try to hook up with him for a combo hunt.

[walks with deer]

getting full shoulder done on mine..meat was awesome