WESTERN ALASKA CARIBOU HUNTING

MIXED BAG Combination Hunting & Fishing is conducted from our base camp in the beautiful Noatak National Preserve. We offer hunts for the big four Alaskan species. Limited hunts for Grizzly Bear, Moose, Caribou and Dall Sheep.

The western Alaska Caribou Herd is  the largest huntable  caribou herd in Alaska.  Opportunities abound to take mature white-maned heavy-antlered bulls, with the added bonus of having a crack at a wolf if your luck is with you.  We hunt Caribou in September as the Caribou begin to form groups for their annual fall migrations.  Conditions vary, but you should expect the opportunity to see and stalk numerous bulls in five or six days of hunting.  When:  September 1-30, with exact dates to be determined with individual hunters Where:   You will hunt in our exclusive guide-use  area in the Noatak National Preserve. After flying commercially into Kotzebue you will be flown by bush plane into an area of caribou concentration.  Accommodations  are comfortable tent camps with plenty of food and an experienced guide.    Price:   1x1 guided  $8500, with a second caribou available for an additional $3,500
            2x1 guided $7500, with a second caribou available for an additional $3,500
This price doe not include airfare from Kotzebue,  all equipment, food,  trophy care and preparation in the field, and transportation of all meat and trophies back to Kotzebue. We cover all bush flying once they arrive at base camp. It is the hunters responsibility to pay charter in, as well as, out of base camp with all their meat and trophies.

FALL 2011 MOOSE AND GRIZZLY PERMIT HUNT OPPORTUNITIES

We hunt moose and grizzly bears in the Noatak National Preserve northeast of Kotzebue, Alaska.  This is an exclusive guide-use concession in an extremely remote and unspoiled part of Alaska.  I have been hunting this area since the early 1980’s and held this concession since 1987.
The area comprises the extreme western end of the Brooks Range, known as the DeLong Mountains.  The terrain is generally above tree-line, with willow and cottonwood trees in the river bottoms and alpine tundra above.  Its open vistas make it perfectly suited for spot and stalk hunting that allows for excellent trophy judging. Hunters fly commercially to Kotzebue (3 scheduled flights daily on Alaska Airlines) and then take a charter from Kotzebue into the Noatak National Preserve.  Because there are no permanent structures allowed in the preserve we hunt primarily from spike camps.  These are comfortable camps equipped with cots, lanterns, and a heat source - either propane or woodstove.  Depending on game movement, hunters may spend several days in more primitive backpack spike camp conditions but guides are in routine communication through radio and satellite phone.   All hunters are guided one on one and there are typically between two and four hunters in the field at any time.  The only other hunters you can expect to see are those who may be sharing camp.   Mountain Monarchs usually only guides a handful of moose and grizzly hunters each fall, allowing us to concentrate on each individual hunter.  Although the permit system is cumbersome it does result in superb trophy quality.  

Hunting Dates and What to Expect:

Moose hunts occur in September, generally between the 1st thru 20th.  2 (10 day) hunts back to back. Permits are limited and draw success is approximately 40%.  Our moose hunters kill moose between 60” and 65”, or greater, and nearly all hunts are successful.  Most times it is a matter of looking for a bull you want in a location from which you can retrieve him.  Seeing a half dozen mature bulls in a hunt is normal. Grizzly hunts can be scheduled for nearly any dates in September and the first week of October.   Draw success is around 75% and most hunters kill a bear in the 8 foot size range, with skulls between 23 and 25 inches.  These bears are true inland grizzlies, and are classified as such for B&C.   A hunter normally sees around  ten bears in a ten day hunt, but like all bear hunting you might see three one day and then none for two days. Caribou are numerous (over 358,000 in the Western Arctic herd at last count) and are available on a trophy fee basis (Trophy Fee = $3500 upon kill).  Wolves are commonly seen and sometimes present shot opportunities.

Cost

Moose 10 day 1:1 guided - $18,500
Grizzly 10 day 1:1 guided - $15,500
Moose / Grizzly Combo 1:1 - $ 28,500

Does not include charter flight to base camp

Tag Fees

N.R. Moose $400 N.R. Grizzly Bear $500 N.R. Caribou $325

How It Works

Following the receipt of your hunt contract, Mountain Monarchs will assist in the hunt permit application. The permit application deadline is December 31st with results published by late March. If you are successful, your hunt deposit reserves your hunt with the remaining 50% due upon notification. The final 50% will be due July 1st for Fall hunts. If you are unsuccessful, your hunt deposit will remain on file and an application can be made for the following year. If you draw a permit, they are NONTRANSFERRABLE and you are responsible for the full value of the hunt. As listed above, the State of Alaska will require you to purchase a metal locking tag for each species of game you intend to hunt. I am an experienced guide, pilot and outfitter and a veteran of 38 Alaskan Seasons. At Mountain Monarchs, we have assembled a great team of guides and we would love to take you hunting.