I've been doing some research and it looks like I have my buddies on board for this. I'm thinking about going in late September for several reasons. One is that the caribou rut is over and they say the meat gets a bit nasty on the bulls during the rut since they drink the cows urine. The rut is mid August to early Sept. Another reason is our big game seasons here run Oct. 10th to Nov. 8th. We will do a fly in backpack hunt. Has anyone done anything similar? Have any pointers? Obviously don't get eaten by a bear is a good idea.
Anybody been to Kodiak Island deer and/or caribou hunting?
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Thebear_78
Handloader
- Sep 30, 2004
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A bear fence is a good investment. Bring your climbing boots and good glass. Gorgeous country, Bring a predator call, lots of really nice fox on Kodak too
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Yes the bear fence and sat phone are a must have. It sounds like many people also take a small bear proof metal barrel for food. I'm not sure I want to use a predator call and attract the bigger unwanted predators. I can see taking a fox as the opportunity presented itself though.
I think the biggest thing we will need is really good rain gear and gators, either one really good tent for all 3 of us and another one for gear or two really good two man tents, tarps, something to read when you get rained out, maybe a solar battery charger, slip over hip boots (or just regular hip boots), plenty of parachute cord. Obviously the standard camping stuff is also needed. I also plan on gallon Ziplocks and garbage bags to put the meat in and sink in the river/creek to keep the meat cold.
I will probably bring a .300wsm, .300wm, or a .30-8mm in case I need to make longer shots. I have a few .338's too but I think the .30's would be fine. What does everyone else think? Or any other ideas?
I think the biggest thing we will need is really good rain gear and gators, either one really good tent for all 3 of us and another one for gear or two really good two man tents, tarps, something to read when you get rained out, maybe a solar battery charger, slip over hip boots (or just regular hip boots), plenty of parachute cord. Obviously the standard camping stuff is also needed. I also plan on gallon Ziplocks and garbage bags to put the meat in and sink in the river/creek to keep the meat cold.
I will probably bring a .300wsm, .300wm, or a .30-8mm in case I need to make longer shots. I have a few .338's too but I think the .30's would be fine. What does everyone else think? Or any other ideas?
Thebear_78
Handloader
- Sep 30, 2004
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There are a lot of cabins you could rent. Might be better use of money than shipping all the extra tents and gear.
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Most of the cabins are a long ways from the caribou and I would bet around them the deer get pounded pretty hard compared to off in the bush somewhere. From what I've read and what the biologist I talked to in Kodiak have told me the caribou tend to hang in the Ayakulik River valley. Mainly from south of Grants Lagoon on the northern end and clear down to where the Ayakulik R. runs into the ocean. They can be many other places but that is where they usually hang I guess. They tend to hang where the tundra is and that is the largest amount of tundra on the island.
Guy Miner
Master Loader
- Apr 6, 2006
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Buddy of mine did this for several years.
He told me that the bears know that a rifle shot means a meal is on the ground.
Be careful.
He always hunted deer there with a .338 Win mag & 210 gr Nosler Partitions - for the bears - it did a fine job on deer as well.
I've been on the coast, looking out towards Kodiak Island, in September. Weather can be nice... Or BRUTAL.
Wind and Rain and cool temps. Sideways rain...
Dang, what an adventure!
Enjoy!
Guy
He told me that the bears know that a rifle shot means a meal is on the ground.
Be careful.
He always hunted deer there with a .338 Win mag & 210 gr Nosler Partitions - for the bears - it did a fine job on deer as well.
I've been on the coast, looking out towards Kodiak Island, in September. Weather can be nice... Or BRUTAL.
Wind and Rain and cool temps. Sideways rain...
Dang, what an adventure!
Enjoy!
Guy
salmonchaser
Ammo Smith
- Dec 13, 2013
- 5,114
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Bear spray, I've sprayed two over on the peninsula and it works. Should still be silvers, but if not lots of big dollies and steelhead. Bring a six to eight weight fly rod or summer steelhead spinning rod.
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I have a 338 Baer, 358STA, 375-358, 416 Rem., or 458 Lott I can take but I think for the most part a 300 magnum of some sort should be good. I plan to load 215 Berger or 212 ELD-X Hornady's for everything but bears and a 180 or 200 gr Partition/AccuBond, TSX for bears if I need them. I want to be able to shoot long if that is the only shot I have. I may never get to go again or anytime soon so I want to maximize the potential.
I actually killed my first deer in Idaho with a 338WM and 210 Partitions and my second with a 350 Rem mag. I still have the Remington model 600 350 Rem. mag.
I've been on the Yukon R. in early September moose hunting and to Chicken, AK for caribou in September. I've also hunted the Kenai Peninsula for moose in September and experienced the rain. All 3 times it has rained it's fair share so I will try to get a really good set of rain gear like Kuiu before I go.
If it wasn't for the float plane a person could do it pretty cheap. It will probably be 12-1400/person just for the round trip on the float plane. The rest of it would be less than that since I can use air miles for the tickets to Kodiak and that includes tags, license, food, etc., etc.
We would be at the tail end of the silver run and nearing the end of the steelhead run but I intend to do some fishing as well. Kings will probably be over with by then and king season was closed this last year on the Ayakulik R. anyway. The total run in 2014 was under 800 fish compared to peak years of over 13k fish.
I'm pretty jacked about it but we still have to make sure everyone can afford it this year or we'll have to wait until next year. There are 3 of us slated to go so far. We all 3 duck hunt together and two of us big game hunt together. So it should be a pretty good adventure.
I actually killed my first deer in Idaho with a 338WM and 210 Partitions and my second with a 350 Rem mag. I still have the Remington model 600 350 Rem. mag.
I've been on the Yukon R. in early September moose hunting and to Chicken, AK for caribou in September. I've also hunted the Kenai Peninsula for moose in September and experienced the rain. All 3 times it has rained it's fair share so I will try to get a really good set of rain gear like Kuiu before I go.
If it wasn't for the float plane a person could do it pretty cheap. It will probably be 12-1400/person just for the round trip on the float plane. The rest of it would be less than that since I can use air miles for the tickets to Kodiak and that includes tags, license, food, etc., etc.
We would be at the tail end of the silver run and nearing the end of the steelhead run but I intend to do some fishing as well. Kings will probably be over with by then and king season was closed this last year on the Ayakulik R. anyway. The total run in 2014 was under 800 fish compared to peak years of over 13k fish.
I'm pretty jacked about it but we still have to make sure everyone can afford it this year or we'll have to wait until next year. There are 3 of us slated to go so far. We all 3 duck hunt together and two of us big game hunt together. So it should be a pretty good adventure.
Paul Barnard
Beginner
- Oct 12, 2004
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I was blessed to have spent 3 years on active duty in Kodiak and managed to score 2 SCI record book class Blacktails. Another one was just shy. Don't worry too much about bears. In all the time I spent in the wilds there, I only encountered one bear. I saw others, but they were crossing the road. Even hunting them I never saw one. I did have a very close encounter though. I need to tell tha story one day. Before I got there I heard that bears ran to the sound of a shot, but that's more urban legend than anything of substance. Bears have a natural instinct to avoid conflict with man. I would expect most bears to be close to salmon streams that time of the year. Silvers are still plentiful and the bears need to fatten up as much as possible. There will be some bears up higher where you hunt deer, but most will be down low.
A topo map will be very useful. The terrain is rugged. You can look out across the mountain and it looks smooth, almost groomed. But you'll come to an alder patch and there will be a 100 foot gorge that you can't cross in the middle of it. I was pretty fit at the time and found the hunting to be pretty damned strenuous. Especially after the kill.
Take your 300 magnum and some 180 Partitions (or your favorite premium) and use it'll do you justice on deer. In the HIGHLY unlikely event you had a close encounter with a bear, they'd work great for that too.
When I was stationed there, rangefinders were just really hitting the streets. I didn't have one and being from the Gulf Coast, I struggled to accurately estimate range. If you have one, take it. Take good binoculars. Take quality rain gear. Take a mosquito head net. Take a camera! Take your time. Glass frequently. That time of year all the putchki will be dead, so there will be a lot of brown in the distance that you will have to filter through. When everything is bright green in early August, the deer stand out on the hillsides. Any time you top any peak or ridge, do so very slowly. I saw and shot most of my deer cautiously cresting a peak.
If time will allow, see if you can get in a little salmon fishing. The last of the bright silvers are making their way up stream.
The deer on Kodiak are unequivocally the best wild game I have ever eaten. My mouth is watering just typing that. At that time of year, they will have a good thick layer of fat on them. You'll cut that off, but it still flavors the flesh. DELICIOUS!
I never hunted caribou there. From what I understand, they are mostly on the west side of the island. The west side isn't as mountainous and has larger "flats" if you will. More tundra like. The weather is said to be even wetter over there. Speaking of weather, it's not at all uncommon to get stuck in Anchorage waiting for the weather to break on Kodiak or to get stuck on Kodiak waiting for the Anchorage weather to clear. Build a few extra days into your schedule.
I am excited for you and your buds. Kodiak provides a unique experience.
A topo map will be very useful. The terrain is rugged. You can look out across the mountain and it looks smooth, almost groomed. But you'll come to an alder patch and there will be a 100 foot gorge that you can't cross in the middle of it. I was pretty fit at the time and found the hunting to be pretty damned strenuous. Especially after the kill.
Take your 300 magnum and some 180 Partitions (or your favorite premium) and use it'll do you justice on deer. In the HIGHLY unlikely event you had a close encounter with a bear, they'd work great for that too.
When I was stationed there, rangefinders were just really hitting the streets. I didn't have one and being from the Gulf Coast, I struggled to accurately estimate range. If you have one, take it. Take good binoculars. Take quality rain gear. Take a mosquito head net. Take a camera! Take your time. Glass frequently. That time of year all the putchki will be dead, so there will be a lot of brown in the distance that you will have to filter through. When everything is bright green in early August, the deer stand out on the hillsides. Any time you top any peak or ridge, do so very slowly. I saw and shot most of my deer cautiously cresting a peak.
If time will allow, see if you can get in a little salmon fishing. The last of the bright silvers are making their way up stream.
The deer on Kodiak are unequivocally the best wild game I have ever eaten. My mouth is watering just typing that. At that time of year, they will have a good thick layer of fat on them. You'll cut that off, but it still flavors the flesh. DELICIOUS!
I never hunted caribou there. From what I understand, they are mostly on the west side of the island. The west side isn't as mountainous and has larger "flats" if you will. More tundra like. The weather is said to be even wetter over there. Speaking of weather, it's not at all uncommon to get stuck in Anchorage waiting for the weather to break on Kodiak or to get stuck on Kodiak waiting for the Anchorage weather to clear. Build a few extra days into your schedule.
I am excited for you and your buds. Kodiak provides a unique experience.
salmonchaser
Ammo Smith
- Dec 13, 2013
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Sounds like you're pretty well dialed in. Certainly the Bears are a consideration, the weather is much more likely to cause you grief, as your prior experience indicates. I don't have numbers but I knew three people killed by the weather on Kodiak, don't know any one killed by a grizz. I have a buddy who flys down there with his wife and kids, shot lots of deer and never had a serious issue with bears.
I would probably take my 338 Jarrett, but I no longer own a 300.
From what I've seen of your postings you're skookum. Take your flattest shooting windbucker and put some meat in the salt.
I would probably take my 338 Jarrett, but I no longer own a 300.
From what I've seen of your postings you're skookum. Take your flattest shooting windbucker and put some meat in the salt.
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- #12
I have a GPS, Leica Binos, a Leica 1600B range finder as well as a Vetronix Terrapin, and I was thinking about ditching my spotting scope for a Nikon P610 or P900 camera for pictures and videos of the hunt as well as long range spotting. The P610 is 60x optical zoom and the P900 is 83x optical. If I can swing it I will take a Go-pro as well. I will also have a topo map as well as everything loaded in my GPS. I will definitely have a bug head net. The first year we hunted the Kenai the little flies and mosquito's ate me alive. I had a second brow right below my hat line from all the bug bites.
I might shoot my 338 Baer with 225AB's to see how it does as well but I'm not that worried about the 300's or 30-8mm for bears. I saw one on one of our moose carcasses when we hunted the Yukon R. He saw us first and was booking it when I saw him. I saw many sets of tracks on the Kenai Peninsula also. I also saw a wolverine and grizz tracks out of Chicken.
I do know that quality rain gear is a must as every trip I was soaked on my knees, even with Gore-Tex rain gear, when it rained hard and soaked the grass and brush.
I might shoot my 338 Baer with 225AB's to see how it does as well but I'm not that worried about the 300's or 30-8mm for bears. I saw one on one of our moose carcasses when we hunted the Yukon R. He saw us first and was booking it when I saw him. I saw many sets of tracks on the Kenai Peninsula also. I also saw a wolverine and grizz tracks out of Chicken.
I do know that quality rain gear is a must as every trip I was soaked on my knees, even with Gore-Tex rain gear, when it rained hard and soaked the grass and brush.
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- #13
