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Caribou is among those species that just seem unattainable to the average hunter. They’re not spread throughout a lot of states like whitetails, and it’s not always easy to locate a trophy.
Effective hunters typically share tales of treacherous conditions in grizzly nation and spike camps gone awry in the pursuit of these magnificent animals. Ticking this one off your to-do list is still possible with the right research and planning.
Caribou can be discovered in northern United States and Canada along with some parts of Europe. You might plan a trip overseas, heading to remote regions of Alaska or Canada is more practical for most hunters from the Lower 48.
Caribou in Alaska
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Video game, the state holds about 950,000 caribou that make up 32 different herds but some of these caribou also cross over into the Yukon Area of Canada.
Each year, approximately 22,000 animals are collected by hunters in Alaska, but subsistence users declare the majority of hunted caribou. With unforeseeable numbers and tensions in between numerous affected celebrations, caribou searching opportunities in Alaska are continually changing.
Alaskan Caribou Hunting
A non-Alaska resident annual hunting license will cost you $160, and a non-resident caribou tag will cost $650.
Non-residents permits can be purchased over the counter for some units, but Alaska also offers drawn hunts for hunters in other units.
A lottery awards the tags and hunters must pay an application fee to enter, usually by mid-December.
Caribou seasons usually run between July and December. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game closely monitors populations and can close units early if harvest quotas are met before the season is over. Bag limits vary by unit.