Detailed Information for Planning
Can I leave my gun in my hard case in the smaller plane?
All hunters are required to have a soft gun case/sock for their rifles. Rifles/Guns will be taken out of their hard cases when you arrive in Kotzebue and will need to be placed into a soft case of some sort. Don't worry, we've got plenty of room in one of our Connex's to leave anything you don't need in the field with you (i.e. hard cases, suitcases you brought that you don't need in the field, keys for the truck you left back home at the airport .... you know, the essentials).
Licenses, Tags, Harvest Tickets & Harvest Reports - Where do I obtain these items?
You can purchase these items anytime between now and 6 weeks prior to your hunt
They will be sent directly to your home and you will need to ensure you have them on your person when you arrive for your hunt.
Many times the AKDF&G sends out the Licenses, tags & harvest REPORTS, but they fail to send the Harvest Tickets. This has been an ongoing issue for years! So, when your packet arrives, please open it up and ensure that you have all FOUR items. If you don't have the Harvest Tickets, please log back onto the AKDF&G website and request a Harvest Ticket, then print it out on your computer and bring them with you. UNFORTUNATELY - THESE HARVEST TICKETS ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AFTER JULY 1ST WHEN THE NEW REGULATIONS ARE RELEASED. SO WE WILL SEND A REMINDER TO YOU ALL AGAIN IN JULY TO REMEMBER TO PRINT THESE OUT! You are required to have these when you go into the field, have them on your person when hunting and punch it when you have an animal down.
AKDF&G website can be found at: AK Department of Game & Fish Licensing Store
I normally pack in the hard roller style luggage - can those go in your smaller planes?
All weapons must be removed from the hard cases & transferred into a soft case for transport into the field (this includes PISTOLS). You'll want to bring a soft case for this transfer & your hard cases and anything that you pack that you don't want to go into the field with you, can be stowed in our buildings until you come back out of the field.
Many of you like to pack in LARGE Cabela's Bags or something of that sort for the Commercial flights to save on costs associated with checked baggage. This is perfect,
HOWEVER, when you arrive in Kotzebue, we are going to ask that any of these LARGE bags, be broken down into smaller bags as the smaller planes don't handle these large bags. So, if you pack your small/medium bags into your larger bags for your commercial flights - it makes pulling them apart easier when we stage you for your departure into the field.
How to I get my meat, antlers & capes back home to the Lower 48?
We have been doing this for a long time and by now have all this "down to a science". When coming up for an Alaska Caribou Hunt, we understand that you guys want to take your meat, antlers and capes home with you. Once you guys come out of the field with you animals, we will get you packing up the meat in Wet-Lock Boxes (Fish boxes) and your Antlers into Antler Boxes and you take them as excess baggage on the Commercial Flight home with you (by far the least expensive way to get it home):
Cost for Wet-Lock Boxes is $15/each (wax lined boxes for meat transport). Generally speaking, one caribou will fit in two (2) boxes and Capes can go in another or be rolled up and stowed in a checked/carried on bag.
Cost for Antler Boxes is $60/each. Each box will generally hold several different antler sets (split of course). These boxes work well for getting your trophies back home undamaged - so you need to plan on "preparing them" for their return trip home by bringing with you the suggested duct tape and some even like to bring cut up water hoses to wrap the end of the tines with - as each tine needs to be wrapped with cardboard (which we have a ton of for your use) or with some sort of cover (all this is up to you).
Boxes can be checked as additional baggage if within the airline guidelines and you will be charged according to your airline rules & regulations. Please verify with whatever airline you book with what their luggage fees may be.
Are Hazardous Materials such as Bear Spray, Jet Boils, Propane and Lighters available in Kotzebue?
YES ... we have a large supply of propane and jet boils available for purchase when you arrive (we will send out a request for an estimated # needed for your hunt). the Costs associated with these are:
Coleman Fuel (White Gas) One (1) Gallon: $10/each
Small Propane Canisters 1# Bottles: $10/each
Jet Boils: Large Canisters: $15 Small Canisters $10
As a reminder: You cannot bring any of these items on the Commercial flights with you and/or lighters, matches, etc.
BEAR SPRAY is sometimes available at our place if someone has left it - you're more than welcome to it. Otherwise, there are a couple of stores in town that sell this product.
What additional costs may I incur while on this trip?
Here's a "general" list to use (but only as reference, as it may not be all inclusive):
- Meals, travel arrangements & hotel stays into/out of or while in Kotzebue. Sometimes we are unable to get you into/out of the field on the scheduled days due to weather related issues. This is something out of our control as Mother Nature here in Alaska seems to have a mind of her own! When the weather is bad, we simply don't fly due to safety reasons. If this should happen, we will do our best to assist you with finding a place to stay, but we do not pay for costs associated with these stays. These are at the sole responsibility of the hunters.
- Change fees associated with cancelled or missed commercial flights as mentioned above or due to mechanical issues out of our control.
- Fees associated with purchasing your Hunting License and Tags.
- Purchasing food, fuel, extra items for your hunt that you did not bring with you or that are not provided in the Camp Gear Rental/Food Agreement. This is solely your responsibility.
- We are in a service related industry - if our Staff is working hard for you, getting you to and from the airport, assisting with your bags, boxes & meat, or our Pilots are working for you getting you into and out of the field in a SAFE manner and assisting you, please make sure you show them you are grateful at "tip" them appropriately. We all work hard for you guys to ensure you have a great hunt - please make sure you remember our staff members.
Detailed information for planning for an Alaska Caribou hunting trip or any other trip using a Transportation Service in Alaska, requires lots of planning and information gathering. If you haven't seen what you're looking for on our website, please be sure to reach out to us on the Contact Us page and ask any questions you may have!
Which Flights do I take to get to Kotzebue?
When looking at booking your flights into and out of Kotzebue for your Alaska DIY Caribou Hunting - we do recommend trying to stay with Alaska Airlines all the way from the Lower 48 up. HOWEVER, we do realize this isn't always possible .... so when making your reservations, you'll want to use the Airport Code "OTZ" as your final destination.
We like for you guys to schedule your flights into town on the evening before or the EARLY morning flight on the day of your scheduled flight into the field. On the way out of Kotzebue - we suggest you look into "FLEXIBLE" or "REFUNDABLE" tickets and book them on the day AFTER you are scheduled to come out of the field. For example, if you are scheduled to hunt:September 3 - 9th you'll want to look at flights for:
September 2nd (the night before & secure a room in town) OR September 3rd early morning flight departing Anchorage at approximately 6:30am.
Departing Flights should then be booked on the early morning flight out of Kotzebue on September 10th. That way you have time to deal with your antlers, capes and meat when you come out of the field on the 9th (weather permitting of course).
You can learn more about Alaska Airlines Change & Cancellation Fees by clicking here.
Once you have booked your flights, be sure and send us a copy of your itinerary so we can ensure we have someone at the airport to greet you when you arrive.
Remember we are constantly updated our ongoing Questions & Answers section - so be sure and check back often so you know what to expect when you arrive. If you have something you don't see here on, shoot us an email with the title "Alaska Hunting Q&A" and we'll get right back to you!
Why do you ask for our Height & Weight on the Hunter Contract?
The Hunter Contract provides personal information on you for planning purposes. As you know, we are not flying large airplanes from airport to airport - we are flying small Bush Airplanes for off airport landings and weight limits are a key element in planning for a safe flight. We do ask that you guys are sincere in the answers you give us as it plays a big factor if we have someone who is 6'4" and 260#'s vs someone who may be 5'10" and 175#'s. Again ... just for flight planning purposes - and SAFETY IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE!
Camp Gear Rental/Food - Can we Customize?
Long and short of it is ... No. There is a LOT of logistical moving parts that go into getting the food and camp gear out into the field with you. We supply you with a Supplied Gear & Food List, so if you see something you can't have or need specific food while in the field, you need to plan on packing it for yourself. REMEMBER - anything you pack will go towards your weight limit restrictions.
Is there a Grocery Store in town that we can pick up some supplies?
Absolutely - keep in mind, Kotzebue is a small/very expensive place to live. The Grocery stores are stocked by supplies that are either barged in or brought in by plane. It's not like running down to your local Walmart back home, they have the necessities and then some - but plan accordingly, as you may go into sticker shock on some items.
I like to "partake" in a drink or two after dinner. Is there someplace in town to get a drink?
Kotzebue is known as a "Damp Village" - this means liquor is available at the local City Run Liquor Store, but there is no liquor served at the restaurants in town.
Kotzebue is a small Village, however, it happens to be the largest Village in the NW Arctic of Alaska, the "Hub" of several small Villages in the outlying area. Kotz used to be a "Dry" Village ... meaning Alcohol was not sold or available for purchase and was regulated on the amount any one person could bring into town. In a "Damp" Village, Alcohol is sold and available in town through the City run Liquor Store (that happens to be attached to the City Jail) - however, it is still regulated on the amount any one person can purchase (on a permit you must purchase before purchasing the alcohol) on a daily basis and also regulated on the amount you can bring into town with you when you arrive.
As with most things in the remote areas of Alaska, things can be quite pricey - the Liquor store is NO exception to that rule. (for example: a 6 Pack of Beer can be $19.99) Whether you choose to bring it with you or purchase in town and take with you into the field - remember, there are SPECIFIC restrictions on what you can bring with you. Currently, the City is listing the following as the Importation List:
1 Liter of Liquor
2 Liters of Wine 1 Gallon (10 - 12 oz Cans) of Beer
1 Liter of Liquor
2 Liters of Wine
1 Gallon (10 - 12 oz Cans) of Beer
Purchasing from the store has a little different limits, but are similar and have daily limitations on a per person basis. You can check out the City of Kotzebue Website if you'd like for more specific information.
As a side note: Although we have enjoyed a drink or two, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT GUNS AND ALCOHOL AREN'T A GOOD MIX. Please drink responsibly! We are not endorsing or suggesting anything with this article - it is just a specific answer to a question that has been asked several times.
Go to the City of Kotzebue website for more information on the store hours and a Guide to Legally Obtain Alcohol in Kotzebue.