A buddy and I are looking to go to Alaska in the next couple of years for a caribou hunt. Our current plan is to do a self-guided hunt, but we'd like a outfitter and/or bush plane to fly us in and out.

Has anyone done this? And do you have any recommendations on outfitters to use? Any other logistics or issues we need to consider?

Following. I think there is a poster on here or two that has done this. This is a trip I want to knock out as well in near future.

Following as well!

https://www.deadhorseoutfitters.com/

https://arrowheadoutfitters.com/

I know guys that have used these two shops and were pleased.

Did you say "a buddy"?

As in just one???

Hey now, don't you guys go booking up my outfitters!



Just kidding, of course

Lol. Does that mean you want to go?

I went with arrowhead this year and it was a fun first time Alaska experience, but my group got screwed in my opinion. Arrowhead and Dead horse are the two most popular/ affordable outfits out there. They are numbers pushers and overbook. If you don't care about quality and just want peace of mind, safety, little help from an outfit then Arrowhead or Deadhorse is worth looking into.

If I was to do it again I'd spend a little more and go with a reputable smaller outfit that wants to targets big animals farther off the Highway.

Thanks for the feedback. Any recs on those reputable smaller outfitters?

Sorry no, I've heard of a couple but haven't researched or spoken with them directly enough to recommend them. When we got back on the Dalton highway I talked to several guys that killed world class Bou but don't remember the outfits.

Recap of my trip

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/3393991/replies/65451448#65451448

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Lol. Does that mean you want to go?

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Been on my bucket list for years, yet my friends are flaky as all get out.
You need a 3rd, I'm in.

Another bit of advice from me is choose your hunting partners wisely - that are at the same in shape level, same goals, same amount of crazy as you, know they will hunt as hard as you. I took two guys that have never been on a back country hunt and it was a little overwhelming for them. They didn't have the right gear, couldn't do the hikes the other two of us were doing. I was prepared to hunt all ten days or even a little longer, and they tapped out few days early to have the plane come get us which ended my hunt early.

A group of 2 is better than a group of 4 for this hunt. Logistically with 2 you could rent one uhaul truck and save money, increase odds of both killing with 2 shooters instead of 4.

Great advice, and I'm not concerned in the least about my partner.

He and I have hunted CO together every year since 2018. Most years my brother joins us, but either way the two of us have hunted each year. He was with me when I killed my first rifle elk and my first archery elk. We were together in 2022 when I killed a mule deer and he killed his first rifle elk, within 10 minutes of each other in the same valley (I told this story before). So, at least I have the hunting partner part worked out.

Anyone have any thoughts or experience with Ram Aviation?

AgEng06 said:

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Anyone have any thoughts or experience with Ram Aviation?

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We used Ram Aviation in 2018 and they were great.

We posted a lot of info in clinte234's thread a few years back. You can find it here:

https://texags.com/forums/34/topics/3008014

Ram Aviation was top notch…not that I have anything to compare them to…but they were easy to deal with and did what they said they were going to do.

Apache said:

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Lol. Does that mean you want to go?

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Been on my bucket list for years, yet my friends are flaky as all get out.
You need a 3rd, I'm in.

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We must have the same group of friends.