What kind of hunt are you looking for? A do it yourself hunt? There are a couple of good outfitters up here that charge reasonable fees. Larry Bartlett charges $800 per group to arrange a hunt-includes planning, maps, air taxi arrangements. http://www.pristineventures.com/

Otherwise, check out this directory/forum: http://outdoorsdirectory.com/
There are a lot of good people that have been there/done that on the forum.

I think you want to hunt the western arctic (out of Kotzebue) or central arctic (out of Bettles/Fairbanks) caribou herds, as far as having an opportunity for a good bull.

Slackjaw

We are looking for a drop camp hunt for 5 of us. I agree, from what I've been hearing the Western Arctic herd sounds like a good option. I'm just having problems trying to put together a drop camp hunt that doesn't break the pocket book. I spoke with one that charges $3K. Sounds like a good hunt but that price plus $1500 to fly up to Deadhorse is 4500 right off the bat for a drop camp. Does that sound steep, or do you know of possibly a better deal, but still a quality hunt?

I looked up the Pristine Ventures you mentioned. Saw their website, tried to call and left a message.

Private Message to you.

Same topic, different group:

When I came home from my 1995 Mulchatna hunt the kids made me promise to take them some day. Son is turning 16, can now handle a centerfire rifle, and should have adequate marksmanship by 2009. Daughter will be 22 and needs some rifle work, too, but should be ready by then. This will be their first hunt, my second in AK and third ever, My brother will probably be along, a lifelong hunter who "hasn't killed anything with 4 legs in 50 years" as a teenager (long stories there, including the 1995 trip; he could bring 1-2 novices himself and possibly a hinting buddy with a just a tad more experience, though not in AK. With that many novices I think we need at least one guide, especially if we go into a spike camp.

Probably no interest in all in trophies, and if three or more others have tags I probably don't even want more meat. So maybe one guide is enough - we need one good brain and can supply plenty of hands and some muscle ourseves. Mike Long at Lake Clark hasn't accepted clients for caribou for the last two years, which speaks volumes about how he runs his operation but leaves us looking for alternatives.

I worry about getting meat back from Kotz, especially since kids' school schedules dictate the trip be as early as possible in potentially warm weather. So my preference is for folks staging directly out of Anchorage, Fairbanks, or someplace else with freezers or at least coolers.

Have EMails out to Deltana, Arctic North, Peace of Selby (hoping for some price flexibility for a large group and maybe only one guide), the Crank Ranch near Manley Springs, and the Krank family running river camps in the Kuskokwim Valley. These are based on nothing more, so far, than website information.

I'd sure appreciate any suggestions about the folks I've mentioned and anybody I really should investigate.

Thanks all for those who've read the far...