Questions & Answers

Hello Friend, 

At this point you have either already booked a hunt with us for this fall or some date in the future, or you are seriously considering it and have had the opportunity to look at our brochure. You have probably started forming the questions that are so important in planning any hunt. A certain personal touch is lost in answering questions in this manner, and due to your experience many of these questions may not be questions at all, but there are advantages. At the very least I will save hundreds of hours of letter writing and will be able to spend that time more productively with my wife and kids. Thanks, I appreciate your understanding.

So... let's begin.

Q: I see that you are a little more expensive than some of the other outfitters that offer this hunt, why is that?

A: In every line of business, there is a status quo, a norm around which the majority of operators congregate. Their way of doing business is to always keep their eyes on the competition, trying to match them as nearly as possible in price and service. For reasons of economy, or neglect, one also will always find competitors who provide products or services that fall well below the norm. On the other end of the scale, one hopes to find one or two operations that don't look at the competition, but rather look at the customer and concern themselves with what the customer desires. Our goal is to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction in the industry. In order to do this, we hire the most experienced and best qualified guides available. The quantity and quality of food supplied, in all of our camps, is second to none. Indeed, it far exceeds any other camp with which we are familiar. We purchase only the finest equipment for our clients use, and it is replaced two or three times a year. Camps are checked regularly, constantly resupplying them and in most situations relocating them at least once or twice during the course of a normal hunt. Relocation assures that our hunters are always in the best place for the particular game, which they are pursuing and provides the added benefit of seeing new country and traveling new terrain. All camps are supplied with satellite phones and marine radios for safety and improved logistics. You are never "alone" in the field, you always have direct contact with me, the lodge, the office or your family and business any time it is necessary, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The bottom line is that we are committed to providing our clients with the best hunt possible and this takes an investment in time, personnel, equipment and supplies, that very few of our competitors are willing to match. It also means that we have to charge a little more for our services, but do you want anything less?

Q: What kind of physical shape do I need to be in when I hunt in Alaska?

A: The very best possible, considering your age and physical limitations. This is not to say that you have to be in First class, top-notch physical condition. Our guides are well trained and considerate. They will quickly determine your abilities and pace and will modify their speed accordingly. Their job is not to run out ahead of you, but to stay with you, guide and assist you. Just the same, the better condition you are in the more ground you will be able to cover and the greater chance you will have of locating your game. Also, the opportunity for a shot often hinges on your ability to cover a large expanse of country in a short period of time. If game is on the move and you are not in the condition necessary to get yourself in to a shooting position the opportunity will be lost. In other situations, poor physical condition will simple precludes the possibility of your even getting into prime game country.

So you can see, even though it's possible for us to slow down and walk at any ones pace, it can be vitally important that a client be in good physical condition in order to realize important shooting opportunities.

Q: How should I train?

A: Running and walking are both valuable exercises. Do them regularly until you can consistently walk four miles or more in one hour. This is a good base to build from, but is not totally adequate, in that walking on city streets and country roads does not duplicate the walking action required in the bush. Whether you will be hunting mountain sheep, or moose and bear in the bogs, you are going to be lifting your legs a lot, and lifting them high. The only exercise I know, that even remotely resembles this muscle movement, is climbing stairs, two or three steps at a time. If you really want to train, and be in top physical condition, find yourself a building several stories high and practice running stairs. As you start to get in shape, consider adding a pound or two of ankle weights to each ankle.

Q: On your equipment list you say I need to bring hip boots. Why do I need them?

A: In Alaska everything is wet. In the center of the valleys, you find rivers. Beside the rivers, you find bogs. On the mountainsides you find bogs, and on the mountaintops you find bogs. Swamps, bogs, and Alaskan hunting just seem to go together. I personally wear hip boots, even when sheep hunting. Not only do they keep my feet dry as I cross and recross the rivers and streams, but they also keep shale and rocks, sticks and leaves, out of my boots, as I ascend and descend the mountains. This may not be for everyone, but it is possible you will want to give it a try. Besides all that, there is really nothing quite so illogical as investing your time and money, in an Alaskan hunt, only to worry about keeping your leather boots dry. Especially, when you should be concentrating on making a stalk for that trophy animal you spotted just a few hours ago. Further more, much of the hunting in Alaska is done above timberline and in fairly open country. Stalks will often be made in open river valleys, where the field of view is virtually 100% unobstructed. In these situations, the only cover is likely to be on the riverbank itself, and the only way to use this cover is to be in the river carefully working your way up the valley.

You may actually purchase your boots and never have the opportunity to use them on your entire hunt. This especially true if you are hunting sheep. However, if hunting bear, moose or caribou their use is almost certain. Regardless, having them along is better than being on a hunt without them, only to find that they are needed. Call me with your boot size, I'll happily pick them up for you.

Alternative???  Yes, many clients and guides are now going to Koflax plastic boots, with "Glacier Socks".  Personally I've not used them for years, because I had no love for them when they first came out. However, I'm told they changed the design and that they work well.  Many of my guides now use them and swear by them. I think that's an attempt to justify what they paid for the boots, who wants to admit they were a sucker?  ... smile. 
 If you hate hip boots, or need the ankle support, I suggest the Koflax boot might be the answer to your problem, but I will never admit, in front of my guides, that I said that. You can buy them in Anchorage, click here for addresses....and call in advance to be sure they have your size in stock! Bernie's is the specialist in this area, as they specialize in hunting.

Q: Will my fishing waders do?

A: Probably not. Waders are generally designed to be loose around the ankle and were never designed with extensive walking in mind. What you need in Alaska are ankle-fit hip boots. These boots are specifically designed for hiking endless miles. They are narrow around the ankle, forming a snug fit that keeps your foot from sliding back and forth as you walk the valleys or climb and descend the mountains.

Q: Where can I buy ankle-fit hip boots?

A: Probably not your neighborhood sporting goods store. In fact, as far as I know they are only available in Louisiana and Alaska. If I had to hazard a guess I bet you could find a pair or two in Florida also, but you will probably find it most convenient to order them from Cabella's. Cabella's offers several types of hip boots. Be sure you select a model designated either as ankle-fit or contoured ankle. Still having trouble finding them? Give me a call. I can purchase them for you in Alaska and have them waiting for you in hunting camp. You can expect the price to be between $65.00 and $85.00. Or allow a little extra time in Anchorage and you can pick up anything you need. For addresses, click here.

Q: Do I need to bring a pack?

A: The answer can be yes or no. If you have a backpack that you are familiar and comfortable with I recommend that you bring it. However, if you have no use for a pack, other than for this particular hunt, please let me know in advance. We have a few on hand, not enough for everyone in camp but more than enough to handle most situations. If you enjoy equipment and want a pack that will carry well, last for years, and drain your wallet, get the one we use for guiding.  It's made by Barney's Sports Chalet:

Q: How big should my pack be?

A: If you bring your own, bring a real pack, not a daypack. A frame pack with sack large enough for your gear and a sleeping bag is desirable. Sleeping bags hung outside of the sack tend to get soaked any time it rains. For the most part, your pack will never be full or heavily loaded. You will use it for carrying your camera, raincoat, a warm jacket and perhaps a bite of lunch. Your guide will be carrying the bulk of the load, but, once you are in the hills and have taken an animal the situation becomes a little different. Now there are cape, horns and a load of meat to come out and only one way to do it, that's on your guides back. In all likelihood its going to be a bigger load than your guide can handle by himself. For this reason, you'll probably want to assist him by carrying his camera, optics and raincoat, while he uses that extra space to stuff in the cape and a quarter or two of meat. With a little help, you will probably get the entire animal back to camp that night, and tomorrow you'll be finishing up the fleshing or in the field trying to fill that second tag. Without your help there will be another day of packing, while you wait around camp, and a precious day of hunting will be lost.

Q: How much ammunition shall I bring?

A: At least two boxes, probably three. More, if you are bringing bullets of several weights. You may have sighted in your rifle the day before you left, but its a rare hunter indeed that doesn't want to confirm the accuracy of his rifle once he arrives in camp. A change in humidity or a bump on the airlines may have changed your point of impact enough that you will need ten or fifteen rounds to bring it back to zero. Bring enough ammunition so that you are prepared for the worst situation.

Q: At what range should I be sighted in?

A: Personally I sight in dead on at 350 yards. When sighted in at that range, at 100 yards I am a few inches high, at 500 yards,  a few inches low. I have never found that trying to guess range and calculate trajectory was particularly edifying when a trophy animal was making good its escape. When the point of impact is zero at 350 yards, one can simply put the cross hairs on and fire in virtually any situation that you are likely to encounter in the field. You may find that you are more comfortable with a 250 or a 275-yard figure, but just keep the general principle in mind when you make your selection.

Q: What caliber do you recommend?

A: I recommend that you bring the caliber that you shoot well. Beyond that I am particularly fond of the .300 cartridges regardless of manufacturer. I believe that the .300 Magnum cartridges are to Alaska what the 30.06 is to the Lower 48. It's capable of handling any game in Alaska to a greater or lesser degree, though obviously, in specific situations other caliber will out perform it. For brown bear, I highly recommend a .375 H & H, followed by the .338 Winchester. 7 mm also has a good following and performs acceptably on the lighter game.

Q: Do I need to bring a sleeping bag and pad?

A: No, we supply bags and pads for all of our clients. This way we know you will have an adequate sleeping bag for the situations you are likely to encounter. If, however, you are especially tall, heavy or just have a preference for your own bag, bring it along. You then can have a choice.

Q: What kind of raincoat do I need?

A: A good quality Gortex_TM raincoat is adequate for the Brooks Range and in most cases will be adequate for hunting the interior mountain ranges of Alaska. Gortex_TM is not acceptable if you will be hunting in Southeast Alaska, Kodiak or the Alaska Peninsula. In these harsh environments we recommend that you equip yourself with heavy-duty Helly Hansen_TM commercial grade rain gear. A lighter, yet expensive alternative that we have found to be acceptable in most conditions, is the 3/4 length rain gear made by Cool-Dry_TM.

Q: How do I purchase my license and tags?

A: It's simple, just fill out the application forms that we will send you. Then return them to us, along with your personal check, made out to me, in the amount indicated on the application form. I am a licensed vendor and will purchase your licenses for you and have them waiting in hunting camp.

Q: Do I need to purchase tags before I shoot an animal, or can I wait until after the trophy is taken?

A: You must purchase a tag for each animal you intend to hunt, prior to the start of the hunt. Licenses and tags, once purchased, are non-refundable.

Q: What is the procedure once I arrive in Alaska?

A: The procedure for all of our hunting camps is basically the same. Only the location will vary. Let's discuss our sheep camps first. When planning a hunt in the Brooks Range, you should plan on arriving in Alaska two days before the hunt. Your destination will be the Deadhorse airport at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. You will arrive in Anchorage in the afternoon or evening and spend the night there. The following morning you will return to the airport, at which point you will embark on an Alaska Airlines flight to Deadhorse. In Deadhorse, you will be met in the airport and assisted in collecting your gear. From there a shuttle will take you to camp. Depending on the weather it could be an air charter, or a combination or truck and air transportation. Costs vary depending on the method, but we charge a flat rate of $350 round trip. Sometimes bad weather can require several charter flights instead of one (when turned back by weather) and this is expensive. Charging a flat fee makes it something you can plan for and the rate allows us to average out the costs over the years. This also covers the expense of getting your trophies to Deadhorse for shipping.

Brown bear hunters should also plan on arriving in Anchorage, Alaska. Once again we will have rooms waiting and in the morning you will return to the airport in time to make a 9:00 a.m. departure on Peninsula Airlines. Peninsula Airlines is a scheduled carrier, serving the Alaskan Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands. After approximately 2 hours flight time you will arrive in Sand Point, where I will meet you.

Once you arrive in camp the procedure is the same for every area that we hunt. First, you will be introduced to our staff. One of these individuals will be assigned the responsibility of moving you and your luggage to your accommodations. Another individual will give you a quick tour, showing you through the facilities and explaining the functions of the various pieces of equipment and the camp procedures that we employ. Their job is to answer any and all questions that you may have about the area, the hunting, and basic operations. Other individuals will have prepared the shooting range and within a couple hours you will have the opportunity to check the optics on your firearms, prior to departing for the field. At some point I will also meet with each and every hunter. I use this opportunity to give you your hunting license and tags, explain safety equipment, and emergency procedures, and will deliver to you any specialized equipment that you may have ordered. We will also use this time to fill out the last remaining paperwork and close out the finances, before the hunting begins.

If weather and time permit, we will begin moving people into spike camps the same day. When placing spike camps, I first fly your personal guide and camp equipment, from main camp, into the field. During this flight we will carefully inspect the area and locate the first spike camp that you will hunt from. Once your guide has been put in place, I will return to main camp for you, your equipment, and any spike camp materials that may not have gone out on the first flight. You will have a camp of your own, shared only with your personal guide.

Q: What are spike camps like?

A: They vary with the specie being hunted, but generally spike camps are set up in extreme weather expedition tents. These tents are both easy to pitch and are secure and dry in the worst of weather. They are quite comfortable for two men and gear and have the added advantage that they can quickly be struck in the event we find it necessary to move into a more productive hunting area. If you are a male, you will probably share a tent with your guide. If you are a female hunter, you will have a tent of your own, to give you the privacy and comfort you deserve. Your guide does all cooking and camp chores, though he will welcome your assistance in any area that you feel comfortable. The exception is in sheep hunting where ultra light tents and equipment is used to minimize weight and volume. We still use two tents for female clients but other equipment is minimized so those loads are light and easily carried with you on the hunt.

Q: Once we have been dropped off in spike camp when will you pick us up?

A: That depends entirely on you and your hunting success. As a rule, I check camps every day or every other day. This allows us to re-supply your camp with grocery items and monitor your hunting success. Once a trophy animal is taken, we will in all likelihood, pull camp immediately and move into an area that promises the best chance of success for the next animal you intend to pursue. If, on the other hand, you have not proven successful in camp, we will probably move you into another area that shows more promise. What we will not do is drop you off in a camp and forget you until the end of the hunt. 

Q: Do you use horses?

A: No, nope, nix, nyet, never, nada, zip, and onay (Pig Latin, remember?) ).   We do not use horses in any of our operations. The only ponies we have are under the cowling of the aircraft, and they always stay right where I need them and I never have to look for them in the morning.

Q: Is this a backpack hunt?

A: It depends on the hunt and the hunter. For Caribou and Brown Bear, no, technically this is not a backpack hunt, at least to the extend that you would be carrying your tent, food, cooking gear, sleeping bag, etc. with you while you hunt. It is likely that you will have a pack in which you carry your personal possessions, such as camera, binoculars and raincoat. All of our camps are placed in position by aircraft and are located so that you can hunt directly from the spike camp in the morning, returning to it each evening. For sheep hunts, yes this can be a backpack hunt. We are convinced that a sheep hunt is much more enjoyable when you carry a very light camp with you, stopping when you are tired, rather than being committed to back tracking many miles to your spike camp every evening. Packs are kept as light as possible, yet are comfortable. A traveling camp can be a real pleasure when sheep hunting, and a whole lot less work.

Q: What is the weather like?

A: This depends entirely on the area that you hunt. In the Brooks Range, where we conduct our sheep hunts, the weather is generally very good. Still, you should expect some rain, some cloud cover, and in some years it is possible to get a trace of snow, especially in the latter part of the second hunt. For the most part though, you will find the days warm and clear, with the evenings being cool and even dropping below freezing at some point on the second hunt.

In the Talkeetna Mountains, where we hunt bears and moose, we hope that the weather will be overcast and we should have a light rain, at least every few days. Such conditions are ideal for bear hunting. Even so, we find ourselves having a few beautiful hot sunny days and a few days that bring only fog and rain. Exactly the weather South-central Alaska is known for.

People, who are planning on hunting brown bear, on the Alaska Peninsula, expect the weather to be absolutely horrible. You may have a few beautiful sunny days and when you do you will be impressed with the grandeur of the Alaska Peninsula. But, for the most part, you should expect winds from 15 to 60 mphs, and a steady diet of passing rainsqualls. The weather is somewhat better in the spring than it is in the fall, but it's never good. If that sounds discouraging just remember, that there is not a location where large brown bears live in conjunction with good weather. So... put on your raincoat, tie down your tent, and prepare to enjoy one of the harshest and most enchanting areas on earth.

Q: What about safety considerations?

A: Your guide is trained in First Aid. He has an extensive First Aid Kit available to him in your spike camp. In addition, in his pack, he carries flares, colored smoke, a signal card, a strobe a highly efficient two-way radio and an Iridium Satellite Telephone.  With the radio he can contact the aircraft any time I am in the area, and with the telephone he can check into camp at any time day or night.  If there are any serious complications, you will be able to notify us and we will get to you by aircraft immediately. There are medical clinics in Deadhorse and Sandpoint. Talkeetna has a clinic as well as a local doctor.

Q: Should I bring a spotting scope and binoculars?

A: Yes, certainly do. We recommend that you bring the best quality binoculars you can afford. The preference in our camps is either the 10 x 40 Leitz or Zeiss Travoid binoculars, made in Germany and Portugal. Your guide will have binoculars with him, but a second set of eyes is always beneficial. As likely as not, you will be the one to spot the trophy animal you're after. Your guide will also have a spotting scope, but it never hurts to have a spare in camp in case his is damaged in a fall, or should fail due to some other calamity.

Q: Will I be able to get phone calls from home, or be able to make calls from main camp to my office?

A: Yes.   All  camps we have telephones. From them you can call out and receive calls. Calls to you can be directed to the Lodge and we will give you the message the next time your guide calls in.  It is not practical for people to call you directly, as the phones in the field are not left on, as battery must be conserved.  You can however call out any time you turn on the phone.  There is a charge of $3.00 per minute for use of the telephone, whether the call is incoming or outgoing. Candidly, it costs us $1.50 a minute, plus monthly connection fees, and accounting time to invoice your calls at the end of the month, so we raise the rate to cover the costs.

Q: Is success guaranteed?

A: No, not only is it impossible but also unethical and illegal to guarantee your success on any given hunt or for any given species. Success is high, but it is not 100%.

Q: What happens if I book a hunt, send in a down payment, and then am unable to make the hunt?

A: Your payments will be forfeited. A down payment guarantees a client a hunt, and "guarantees" the outfitter that the client will come. If not what would be the point of money transferring hands in the first place? I make one exception. When a client makes arrangements for another hunter to take his place, we return the down payment, providing this is done in a timely manner before we go to a lot of expense attempting to re-book the hunt. If you have a replacement hunter to take your hunt, I can return your payment immediately upon receiving payment from the alternate hunter.

Q: Is it normal to tip my personal guide, and if so how much?

A: This is the most difficult question I am asked. The best answer, I guess, is to just report what I hear. The amount guides receive varies with how much effort you feel your guide put out for you, his concern with your comfort and success, and his attention to the needs of the hunt. At this point in time it seems to be uncommon for a tip to be under $700  for a single specie hunt, and clients seem to add about $200 per additional animal taken. . This last season tips averaged between $500 and $1,200      In no way am I stating that this is what you should tip your guide!  Just reporting on what clients have been choosing to do.

Q: How will my trophies be transported from camp?

A: We prefer to have the cape processed and dried before it's departure from camp. In most cases clients prefer to leave the trophies and have them sent home through an expeditor in Anchorage.
The reasons are multiple: 
1    The hide is often too wet to ship without serious risk of spoiling.
2    Airlines will no longer accept horns or antler as baggage, and resist accepting capes. You have to crate and ship them from the airport, and you can not ship out of state unless you are a "Known Shipper"  (FAA rule in response to Sept. 11)  The hide will remain in camp until it is fully processed and dried. It will then be shipped to Knight's Taxidermy, in Anchorage, Alaska. Knight's will contact you for directions and will either ship it to you or to the taxidermist of your choice. They will bill you for the actual costs related to the crating and shipping required to get the trophy from Deadhorse to its final destinations.

I hope that these few pages have helped answer your questions. I doubt I have covered them all, so please do call with any additional ones and I will answer them to the best of my ability.

Good Hunting,
Larry R. Rivers

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