Not trapping so bare with me. I have questions for you Alaskans.

I am planning a Caribou hunt up the haul road Agust 5-15. This is my first trip. I have a buddy driving up from Washington and I'm going to fly into Anchorage. I was wondering if you all had some advice for me. I am bringing my bow and a rifle. I am considering bringing my AR.308 because I can break it down and pack it in the case with my bow as opposed to two cases. It is a sub MOA rifle. My first question is will I look like an idiot toting an AR to hunt in AK?

Second: Has anybody had much luck finding caribou that early in August?

Recommendations for gear? What do you folks use for tundra insects?

If we harvest early, we will head back to Anchorage. Do you have any suggestions for a quick processor in the area?

Finally. I'm am going to try and squeeze in a halibut trip out of Seward and hit the silvers. Any suggestions on a good charter.

AR 10 would be great for hunting, I usually use my ar 15 to hunting them. Wouldn't know about hunting caribou around anchorage area. We usually hunt winter time. Maybe in September if they arrive early.

Me and my partner normally hit the Haul rd the first week of Aug. Honestly it is hit or miss if you catch the herds coming through and there is no rhyme or reason. One season we saw 3 bou in the course of a week cruising and spotting, decided to stay that one extra day and we saw hundreds and harvested a few.
Plan on driving and spotting a lot, on any given day we put close to 150 miles in and gas is not cheap. Focus on the area between pump station 3 and Dead horse. If you decide to try and rifle hunt take a gps and make sure you are 5 miles from the HWY, The troopers and fellow hunters do not play.
A 308 IMO is a good gun to use if you decide to go that route.
For archery, a range finder is a must, the tundra will throw you off.
For gear, it is the land of extremes, it can be nice one minutes mid 40's to 50's and can drop to the 20's and rain and snow. Good wet weather gear and plenty of dry clothes are a must. Browning makes a camo pattern called sage, it blends extremely well in that terrain.
Good optic are also a must. Personally I prefer MUC boots up there, pretty swampy and wet.
For the bugs, I use Ben's. The only place the bugs are bad are in the low areas and the bou normally blow through them and rest on the high ground.
I process my own so can't give any recommendations for a processor.

If your buddiesdriving up meet him in fairbanks. Its over 700 miles rt, fai-anch!!!


Processors, indian valley meats in anch or delta meats in delta jct

As said bou are hit/miss. As is weather. 6” snow i e day 75 and sunny by lunch. Whitesox are brutal. Head neats and bug juice. Skeeters can stink as well. Bring a canoe/raft to cross the sag. Generall theyre still way north.

If u can afford it fly out!

If u go west just south of pump 2, watch the bend in the road it gets a lot of people!!!

Bring fish gear and have fun!

Unless something has changed, you must be five miles from the road to use a firearm.

Just don't decide to ride with your friend back south unless you find other means to get your AR back to the lower 48. The Canadian border authorities would sort of frown on that.

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate the heads up. Definitely not donating my AR to Canada, lol.

Hopefully we can find some bou moving by then.