{"id":4569,"date":"2025-12-27T03:08:52","date_gmt":"2025-12-27T03:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/diy-caribou-hunting-plan-your-own-hunting-trip\/"},"modified":"2025-12-27T03:08:53","modified_gmt":"2025-12-27T03:08:53","slug":"diy-caribou-hunting-plan-your-own-hunting-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sawahsolutions.com\/range\/diy-caribou-hunting-plan-your-own-hunting-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"DIY Caribou Hunting | Plan Your Own Hunting Trip"},"content":{"rendered":"
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If you\u2019re like most hunters in the lower 48, the allure of hunting in Alaska has probably always been on your mind.\u00a0There\u2019s something about that rugged and beautiful state that just captures our imaginations. And when you think of Alaska,\u00a0it is\u00a0hard not to dream of all the big game hunting opportunities there are.\u00a0If you\u2019re looking for a true wilderness adventure and have the DIY hunting spirit, you need to seriously think about DIY caribou hunting. Due to the rough terrain and remote locations that caribou tend to inhabit, you\u2019re in for a real adventure\u00a0should you decide to pursue this species.<\/p>\n

But first,\u00a0planning a DIY hunt\u00a0is not always a simple thing \u2013 there\u2019s a lot of planning that\u2019s needed to do it right. You also need to realize that\u00a0hunting\u00a0caribou\u00a0is\u00a0not often as simple as just driving to a hunting location, getting out, shooting an animal, and packing up again.\u00a0After flying into a major airport from your home state, you\u2019ll\u00a0very likely\u00a0need to catch a smaller plane to a more rural setting. In some cases, you may even\u00a0need\u00a0an outfitter\u00a0or\u00a0bush\u00a0pilot\u00a0to\u00a0fly you somewhere truly remote, like we did, for a caribou drop camp.\u00a0Drop camp hunts involve a pilot\u00a0literally dropping you off\u00a0somewhere in the remote wilderness, where it is truly you against the natural\u00a0world\u00a0and little if any human influence for miles and miles. This kind of hunt is the one that really captures the DIY caribou hunting spirit. So if this sounds interesting to you, keep reading below for more information about caribou\u00a0hunting.<\/p>\n\n

Caribou Basics<\/h3>\n

Many people confuse caribou and reindeer, thinking they are the same thing.\u00a0Technically, they are different subspecies\u00a0\u2013\u00a0what most people know as \u201creindeer\u201d\u00a0occur in northern Europe and Russia, while\u00a0\u201ccaribou\u201d\u00a0are the North American\u00a0subspecies.\u00a0Caribou are between a deer and elk size-wise, weighing in at about 300-400 pounds.\u00a0Both males and females grow antlers, but only males get the large sweeping semi-circle antlers that they are known for.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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They also have large hooves that act like snowshoes to help them move across both the soft tundra ground in summer and deep snows in winter.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Yet, they are surprisingly fast moving across the thick brush of the tundra with this giant footwear.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0Caribou are migratory herd animals, moving several hundred miles between summer and winter ranges in very large groups. Some smaller herds do not migrate at all, however, and are called \u201cresident herds\u201d for that reason. They still cover a lot of ground on a daily basis, but they typically occupy the same general area throughout the year.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0These are the herds we targeted during our\u00a0<\/span><\/span>DIY\u00a0<\/span><\/span>caribou\u00a0<\/span><\/span>hunting\u00a0<\/span><\/span>drop camp.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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