Westwind Guide Service and Alaska Caribou Camps

Important Details

When and how is the final payment due for my hunt?
This is the most frequently asked question of all. Since we are in hunting camp continuously from early-August thru the end of September, we operate on a cash only basis. The nearest road is 100 miles away, needless to say, there is an absence of banks and ATM machines in this part of Alaska. Unfortunately, we DO NOT take any credit cards. If you wish to prepay your hunt by personal check before we leave for hunting camp in mid-August, we need to have the check no later than August 1st so it will have ample time to clear prior to our departure to hunting camp. In early June we send out a packet of information to each person in your hunting party outlining total cost of their hunt, deposits received and balance due. This way there is absolutely no misunderstanding when you and your hunting party arrive in camp. Please provide each hunter's name and mailing address.

Travel Itinerary, Weather & Communications

These are inter-related because weather in Alaska is very unpredictable and can complicate any hunting trip. Sometimes it's simply impossible to fly because of high winds, fog, heavy rain, snow or all of the above and in the same day! This may prevent hunters from getting picked on time by the outfitter or air taxi. Therefore it's strongly suggested that you make your travel plans to include an open ended return ticket and make your spouse or contact person(s) back home aware that you could return late and, if so, you will let them know as soon as you have access to a phone.

The travel agent we encourage all of our hunters to use to book travel from home to Iliamna and back is Tammi's Uniglobe Travel in Lewistown, MT. Her Toll Free number is 1+877+953-4994. She knows the routine and does a great job. She can also book your room at Iliamna Lake Lodge. By the way, Tammi is an avid hunter and a crack shot with rifle and bow.

If you do miss your pick-up flight from spike camp to main camp, because of inclement weather, chances are your spouse will be worried. This is understandable but, unfortunately, there's absolutely nothing we can do about it. We're located in a remote, rugged wilderness environment and weather is a fact of life. Please do not attempt to call my home. First of all, I'm not there and, secondly, my wife, who is often in main camp with me, cannot help but can only sympathize with you. Being the wife of an outfitter she is used to weather delays. Satellite phone calls from main camp are $30.00 for 5 minutes when the satellite phone is available. Usually I keep it with me aboard the plane for emergencies.

When I arrive in Anchorage, what then?

Continue on to Iliamna as your final destination. There are limited commercial flights from Anchorage to the bush communities. At this time only PennAir and Iliamna Air Taxi service Iliamna. This is the preferred itinerary because you will get to our main camp early and to your spike camp early and start scouting early for your hunt, which starts the following morning at first light.

What happens when I get to Iliamna?

Upon arriving in Iliamna, get your gear and look for the vans from the Iliamna Lake Lodge. If you stay at the Iliamna Lake Lodge it's about $100 a night, which includes an evening meal and breakfast. You'll be picked up and returned to the airport, which is about 2 miles away.

How do I get from Iliamna to your main camp?
The next morning a chartered air taxi pilot will contact you where you're staying with a departure time. It is very important we know your and everyone in your hunting party's itinerary because we make the air taxi reservations for you and your hunting party, but everyone pays for their own flight. The round trip cost is $500 per person (cash ONLY). The pilot will let you know which group of hunters should be where and at what time. The plane is a Cessna 185 and can accommodate the pilot and three (3) hunters with their gear.

Barring any delays out of Iliamna you'll get to our main camp early, which allows you to get all your paperwork completed and be issued your license & tags. You then get your gear stowed aboard the airplane and are flown to your spike camp where you can do some scouting for the following morning when your hunt actually begins. Remember your hunt does NOT include any travel days. With our Deluxe Camp, the air taxi pilot will fly directly into this camp and the outfitter will meet you to complete the paperwork and collect any remaining money due.

Upon Arrival

Gear Bring a soft case for your rifle and leave your hard case with Holliday Air until your return flight to Iliamna. In order to transport you and your gear to a spike camp the Super Cub you'll fly in is 22" wide. You can bring a large duffle to main camp but you will be required to pack your gear in smaller bags, preferably waterproof, so they can be stowed individually in the limited space. These bags are available thru Cabela's at reasonable prices. DO NOT bring duffle bags with wheels. DO NOT bring extended pack frames. They will not fit in a Super Cub. Please observe the MAXIMUM weight limit of 75 lbs. per person. This will be strictly enforced. DO NOT bring hand held radios for locating game. This is illegal. If you are hunting caribou, you do not need hip boots. Knee high boots are recommended. Sleeping bags are NOT provided on any hunt. You must provide your own.

Are our drop camps pre-set?
Absolutely not! Because of the unpredictable nature of the annual caribou movement we NEVER pre-set any drop camps. We scout the area from the air to see the general direction the caribou are headed and put down as close as possible along the migration path and then you set up your own camp.

Care of Meat

Once your animal is down the next, and most critical step toward getting good freezer meat is the proper care of the meat in the field, especially in warmer weather. This is very important especially when the meat reaches the butcher. No butcher in the area will accept meat that smells bad. Even if you don't want the meat it's still your responsibility until it reaches Iliamna. We strongly recommend you order the instructional video "Field Care of Big Game" from the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game by calling (907) 267-2187. The cost is $15 including shipping & postage and they take major credit cards. Contact Elaine Larimer at the following address:

Alaska Department of Fish & Game
333 Raspberry Road
Anchorage, AK 99518
Attn: Elaine Larimer

Hunting License & Tags

A packet of information regarding the cost of hunting license and tags is sent out in early June. If you are the contact person in your hunting party it is your responsibility to make sure everyone reads this information. Every year hunters show up in camp with absolutely no idea of what to expect because the person making all the arrangements failed to share the information with them.

You and everyone in your hunting party must pre-pay the hunting license and tags by money order or personal check and it must be received no later than July 15th.

After you fill your initial tag and wish to purchase additional tags, they can be purchased in main camp. Westwind Guide Service is an authorized agent for the Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game. Please be prepared to pay for these tags in cash. The prices are as follows and are not subject to any state sales tax:

Weights of Alaska Big Game Species

Species - Moose
Live Weight - 750 - 1650
Carcass Weight - 375 - 825
Boned Weight - 250 - 600

Species - Caribou
Live Weight - 150 - 500
Carcass Weight - 75 - 250
Boned Weight - 55 - 175

Handling & Transportation of Meat/ From The Bush To The Processor

Once you have field dressed your animal, the next step is taking good care of the meat until you can get it to the processor. We suggest using non-cotton game bags so they will not hold moisture if they get wet. While you're waiting for us to pick up your meat you need to keep the insects away and turning it so it can crust properly. We recommend one game bag for each quarter; another for neck and rib meat, another for back straps & loins and another for the heart & liver (optional). Meat, if you plan to keep it, is too valuable to skimp on game bags. We strongly recommend getting tag holders, nylon tie wraps, rubber surgical gloves, litterbag, absorbent dry towels, and sanitary wet towels.

We will fly your meat/trophy back to main camp at no charge. If you want to keep your meat we will make arrangements with the air taxi for a "meat haul" back to Iliamna. Their flat rate for flying a moose, including meat/horns from camp to Iliamna is $400. For a caribou it's $75. For black bear and wolf hides there is no charge as they take up little room.

Also, be prepared to split your antlers because most moose and caribou racks do not fit in a Cessna 185, which is the type of airplane Holliday Air uses. If you have a record book set of antlers and don't want to split them, the option is to pay a premium for transportation. This will usually require having a Super Cub make a special trip from Iliamna to main camp and return. The cost for this is about $400. Compared to a Beaver on wheels, it would be about $800.

You need to make prior arrangements with Northern Air Cargo before you leave for main camp to fly your meat to Anchorage where your processor can pick it up. Be sure to sign an air bill and transfer slip authorizing a designated individual for pick up. Your meat means a lot to you and to us, but it means nothing to anyone else. If you have not made prior arrangements and tagged the meat, antlers and hide, once it reaches Iliamna no one will know what to do with it and it could sit on a pallet for days exposed to flies and the heat until you arrive. By then it'll be spoiled. So, a little pre-planning can make all the difference.

What happens after my hunt?
On your return from main camp to Iliamna, plan to spend the night at the Iliamna Lake Lodge because we're always at the mercy of Alaska's ever changing weather conditions and may not be able to get you back to Iliamna before the last flight of the day leaves for Anchorage. The following morning you leave for Anchorage.

How do I get my antlers and meat back to Anchorage?
From Iliamna to Anchorage your meat and trophy will be strapped to a wooden pallet and flown by Northern Air Cargo (Phone: 907-243-3969), which is the only cargo carrier from Iliamna to Anchorage. The rate is about $.32 per pound and this is paid in advance (credit cards accepted). There is only one (1) flight a day Tuesday thru Saturday. They DO NOT fly on Sunday and Monday, so plan your return accordingly. Once in Anchorage, the meat and trophy is your responsibility to transport to a local butcher or pack for your return trip. It's also recommended you bring some old garden hose and duct tape to protect the antler tines during shipment, which will probably have to go air cargo.

If you have made prior arrangements with a local butcher he can pick up your meat at Northern Air Cargo (with your signed transfer slip) and take it back for processing, wrapping, labeling, freezing and shipping. Below are names of several very reputable local butchers who will, with prior arrangements, pick up your meat at Northern Air Cargo, take it back and process it according to your instructions, wrap, freeze, and ship it to your home. Allow a couple of weeks for this as all meat processors are busy during and right after hunting season.

Trapper Creek Meats: 907-561-8088
Alaska Sausage & Seafood: 907-462-3636
Indian Valley Meats: 907-653-7511

Taxidermy
If you plan to take your trophy home to your taxidermist, you must secure a wooden crate because the airlines are not as lenient as before regarding shipping of antlers. And wooden crates have to be specially made. We recommend Dave Dunn Taxidermy 907-376-9472. With prior approval, instructions and deposit, he'll meet your Northern Air Cargo flight, pick up the hide, cape, antlers, etc. and take them to his shop. When your trophy is ready he'll prepare a shipping crate, take it to the airport (we recommend a trucking company) and ship it to you, or you can pick it up at the airport if you elect to ship it via air cargo. In large parties combining trophy shipments is cheaper if they all are shipped in a single container via motor freight.

Capes
All guided hunters will have their capes and hides cleaned, fleshed and salted. Unguided hunters should contact their taxidermist for detailed instructions on how to care for their capes and hides in the field.

One final word….be able to shoot well off-hand because often there is only a split second between a record book animal and no shot at all.

Summary

We've attempted to address as many major issues as possible regarding an easy transition between getting to and from our hunting camps with your meat and trophies. The explanation and costs were as realistic as we know them. If you have any specific questions that have not been adequately covered, please feel free to contact us.

Westwind Guide Service
P.O. Box 298490
Wasilla, AK 99629
(907) 373-2047

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