General Hunt Information
To help you prepare for your hunt, here is some general information you will need to know.
Alaska Licensing
Any person hunting in Alaska must have a valid Alaska hunting license in addition to the proper tags for each species they intented to hunt. All of our hunts in Alaska are harvest ticket or registration hunts with the exception of our caribou hunt. That means licenses and tags can all be purchased over-the-counter. Big game locking tags are required to hunt brown/grizzly bear, black bear, caribou, moose, sheep, or wolverine. The caribou hunt is the only hunt we have that requires drawing a tag.
The application peiod for the caribou tag is November 1st - December 15th and draw results are posted in February.
Travel
For caribou, moose, and sheep hunts in the Alaska Range your hunt will start in Healy, AK. We suggest flying into Fairbanks and then renting a vehicle. It is about a 2 hour drive from Fairbanks to Healy. There are several options of hotels in Fairbanks and a few hotels in Healy. You will want to book your hotel room well in advance as they book fast this time of year.
For baited brown and black bear hunts you will fly into Anchoarge, AK and from there you can rent a car and drive about an hour north to Wasilla or we can pick you up for an additional fee.
We strongly encourage you to purchase trip insurance.
Arrivals & Departures
FOR BAITED BEAR HUNTS: We request that our guests arrive the morning their hunt is scheduled to start. You will then fly into camp and start hunting that evening. Plan to depart the day after your hunt is scheduled to end.
FOR ALL OTHER HUNTS: Please plan to arrive the day before your hunt is scheduled early in the morning so there is plenty of time to fly you out into the field. Plan to depart the day after your hunt is scheduled to end.
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Wounding Policy & Game RetrievalIf the unimanginable happens and an animal is wounded we considered it a harvested animal and the hunt is terminated at that time. For this reason, we ask clients to only take shots that they are comfortable with. We would much rather you have a successful shot and hunt rather than a wounded, lost animal. O'Brien Creek Outfitters will make all reasonable efforts to track and/or recover the wounded animal, however, in the case that recovery is not possible O'Brien Creek Outfitters claims NO ethical or financial liability.
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Trophy & Meat CareRest assured that after harvesting your animal your guide will field dress, quarter, cape, and transport your harvest out of the field to our basecamp. While at basecamp we will provide proper care of your trophy and meat. Once your hunt is over you are responsible for the meat, cape, and antlers. We do not provide taxidermy services, meat processing, boxes, dry ice, or shipping of meat, cape, and/or antlers. If you would like to have your meat processed at a local locker plant we can offer to deliver it for you. If you would like to have your animal mounted we can recommend taxidermists we know and trust to work with you to make your trophy come back to life.
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TippingIn general a tip of 10-15% of your base cost is suggested. If you had an exceptional time and would like to tip more than that, please feel free to do so! Our guides work hard to provide you with a once in a lifetime hunt and are dedicated to making your hunt successful.
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Do I need to wear orange?Yes, Wyoming requires at least one article of fluorescent orange or pink clothing. There is no minimum square inch requirement. Items such as a vest, hat, shirt, or sweater satisfy this requirement. Fluorescent orange or pink camouflage are legal. Archers and crossbow hunters hunting during a special archery season or limited quota archery only Type 9 season are exempt from this requirement.
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Do I need Hunter Safety/Education?Anyone born after January 1, 1966 must carry proof of completing a Hunter Safety course.
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What is your alcohol/drug policy?Safety is our top priority. With that being said we do not allow drinking alcohol or drug use while hunting or otherwise until all firearms are unloaded and stored for the day. Detection of alcohol and/or drug use while in the field will be considered grounds for dismissal from the hunt. This determination can be made at the sole discretion of the outfitter and without refund to the client. There are no excuses for the compromised safety of yourself, other clients, or guides. Drinking in the evening is allowed in moderation. Alcohol is not supplied by O'Brien Creek Outfitters.
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Are your hunts fair chase?All hunting by O'Brien Creek Outfitters will be conducted under the spirit and rules of fair chase.
