I have been back for a month now, but hit the ground running as soon as I landed, so I finally got a chance to post this.
I went on a two-man drop hunt for Caribou (Western Arctic Herd) with a friend of mine in late August. We flew out of Kotzebue, Alaska with RAM Aviation (who, by the way, run a fantastic, professional air service). We were dropped off along the Noatak River, Brooks Range. We set up camp along the river, setting up our tent & kitchen in the willows, and filling our collapsible water jug in the river (we were told we should not have to worry about Giardia in this area, which I am told is not entirely true)...
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-PlaneDash_zpsaf73d0f1.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-PlaneDash_zpsaf73d0f1.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-Kotz_zpsf562db8f.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-Kotz_zpsf562db8f.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-PlaneView3_zpsb997b199.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-PlaneView3_zpsb997b199.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-Cessna_zps7c3379e9.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-Cessna_zps7c3379e9.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-Kitchen_zps93391efb.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-Kitchen_zps93391efb.jpg.html)
We began glassing the following day...
The weather was in the high 30's-low 40's...We were there two days before we saw the first Caribou, and they were 2 miles away from where we were (two miles from camp)... Along the way, we saw a beautiful bull Moose, Grizzlies, a Wolf, all kinds of Birds, and breath-taking scenery/colors across the Tundra...
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-Tent-Snow_zps7210a963.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-Tent-Snow_zps7210a963.jpg.html)
On the third morning, we woke up in the early morning hours, before light, to the sound of river rocks being scattered around right outside our tent...during a long, suspenseful wait, we listened attentively to try to decipher what creature had caused the sounds...at Dawn's early light, we discovered a rather large set of fresh tracks belonging to what must have been a Sow Grizzly, and those of her (yearling) cubs...I figured they most likely were walking the river, and when they came across our campsite (nestled into the stunted willows along the riverbank) they spooked and scattered the rocks...
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-BearPile-_zps8ea1d760.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-BearPile-_zps8ea1d760.jpg.html)
Days three and four found us spotting small herds scattered around, observing their movement and trying to figure out stalk maneuvers in a landscape with so very little cover high enough to hide a human (unless they're low-crawling)...I got to make a really good stalk on four excellent bulls, which began at around 200 yds. The bulls had bedded in a tight group while being glassed, and I decided to get after them. They were in blueberry brush (ubiquitous there), up on the edge of a hilltop knoll, with only their antler tops visible, which made the first 100 yds. go quickly....checking the steady wind to make sure I still had the crossing left-to-right, I kept moving...at that point I hunched down as close to the ground as I could, while still moving as quickly as I could (not terribly quick), dodging from brush-clump to brush-clump until I made it to around 75 yards... from there it was a low-crawling affair, pushing the bow ahead of me as I went...moving slowly, praying that they would not get up, I made it to 17 yds., when the fletching on one of my Kaiser Kustom arrows raked a blueberry branch...the closest bull's antler tops quickly turned in my direction...I froze...
:campfire: Caribou have long been on my bucket list.
Well you got me....... :coffee:
Dunno about drinkable water...two of us managed giardia a number years ago now. I let my guard down and took the same advice and didn't use the one of 2 filters we had used for 12 days. wamo!
Looking forward to the rest of the story, as usual, always exciting!
Me too! This is my dream hunt.
Caribou are on my bucket list too - and moose... and elk... and mulies... okay I'm a little needy..
Let's hear the story!
:coffee:
:campfire:
C'MON! The rest of the story!
regarding giardia, I think if there are beaver and/ungulates around, then its probably there. Hoping you guys got lucky.
:campfire: :coffee: , Will be watching this!
:campfire:
Great stuff Don - keep it coming! Alaska is a magical place.
Caribou is my dream hunt for sure. :campfire:
:campfire:
This is gonna be good....... It already is. :coffee:
Good so Far. Keep it Don. Glad you didn't get Giardia. My dad caught it on the brooks range. It can make a trip of life time miserable.
Is that your crap Don...or the bear's? :scared:
The pemmican I make looks like that (lol)
Next year...take me man!
Kris
I waited to see if they would bolt, with my bow still laid out ahead of me...
The antlers turned back toward the way the bull was originally looking, with no sign of alarm...I decided that 17 yards was a good distance, and now I just needed to wait it out, and see which one would get up and stretch first...I slowly got ready...as ready as I could in that positon...10 minutes went by like two hours...then 15...without any warning, all four bulls exploded out of their beds, and ran to the North and out of range...I checked the wind, and it seemed to still be good, but an errant swirl was the only explanation for what happened, since I did not make any noise...
back to the drawing board...
More after I go out to eat with some friends...
That was a Bear Pile Kris...I didn't eat that many blueberries...!!
As far as the Giardia; we were told that it would be fine out of the Noatak...but normally I have always kept it to the smaller springs running out of the hills/mountains...
Sounds like a great hunt is about to unfold. I'll be paying attention. Caribou is excellent table fare.
Just a question don, what kind of small game head do you use? I saw the first couple of pics and tried blowing it up but was unable to tell
Looking good, keep it up. :campfire:
This is a good one so far, don't leave us hanging.
Richard,
I normally always shoot a Judo, but that arrow has a modified Snuffer on it...it was made by a good friend of mine (Roy Burton)...he gave it to me right before the trip, and said he wanted me to shoot a Ptarmigan with it...He basically cut the blade sections off at the forward and rear supports coming off the ferrule...it shot well, and would most likely be devastating to any small game, but I never did see a Ptarmigan...
:campfire:
:campfire:
Steve
Awesome, a dream hunt of mine.
Day four ended with a few distant spottings, but no more stalks...
Day five (the last day of the hunt) began after a quick throw-down of Mountain House Breakfast Skillet...a quick glass behind camp revealed a couple small herds of Caribou as close as 1/2 mile from camp... the Caribou seemed to be separated into larger herds (30-75)composed of cows, calves, and small bulls...the larger bulls were in small groups of 3-7, and not a lot of those groups, when compared to the herds of cows...
I went out after the first herd, and spent the whole morning stalking after them, always getting within 70 yards without much difficulty, but from there it became much more difficult, as the lack of cover made it tough to close in on so many eyes watching from so many perspectives...a couple of times, when I would get near 40 yards, my adrenaline would start to hum, only to spot a cow I hadn't noticed, but she had my number; on speed dial...that's when I began sticking willow branches in my hat...I chuckled a little as I was putting them on my hat, remembering that Fred Bear always stuck a piece of foliage in his hat...I believe his was more Talisman than camouflage...but definitely both...
At one point, I was on a herd that was moving toward the Noatak, and looked like they were going to cross... I had always heard that if you can find a river crossing, your chances of getting a shot improve dramatically...I tried to guess where they were headed, and literally ran a wide circle, paying attention to the wind, to get to a downwind spot before they did...I went around a long boggy swamp, & lost sight of them on my way...I guessed about where they might be coming through (in a stand of willows that stretched along the river for several hundred yards) and headed straight for that spot...when I was closing in on the place I thought they might be, I was startled to see several Caribou just to my right, coming through the willows right at me...they saw me at the same time I saw them, and there were Caribou parts flying everywhere as they all turned inside-out to head back to the Tundra, and get them some gone...one part of the herd just stopped, and milled around, wondering what the big deal was...I just watched to see what would happen next, and a few cows committed toward the river, and the rest began to follow....I ducked into the willows and made my way toward them as fast as I could, without making a bunch of noise...as I came around, I spotted a line of Caribou moving my way, right to left...as I moved into position for a shot, they were filing by me at 25 yards...I picked out the first good shot, and sent a Kaiser Kustom Doug Fir Surewood to the rescue...the Caribou was quartering away, and as the arrow hit right behind the left shoulder, it must have hit a rib square, because the arrow was showing quite a bit as it flailed up and down as the animal was fleeing...seeing that it was a good hit, immediately got excited (even more excited), until I saw it following the others toward the river...
At this point I ran as fast as I could, in an effort to cut off it's path to the river, knowing that if it made it to the river & crossed, I would have no way to retrieve it...I succeeded in getting close enough to spook some of the other animals in front, which made them head farther downriver...this change in direction sent the wounded one up onto the bank of the river, stumbling as if it would collapse...I slowed down and stumbled a little myself, as I got another arrow from my quiver...at this point, the Caribou got a second wind and dashed toward the river to be with the others...each crimson splash it made as it went out into the current was highlighted by the sun behind it, and with each lunge my heart sank a little more as I realized that I had just lethally wounded a magnificent creature, that I would not be able to recover...the feelings of disappointment I felt were only magnified as I backtracked the bloodtrail as I slowly walked back in disbelief...there was alot of blood...lung blood...I suspected that due to the low penetration I witnessed, the arrow must have only gotten through one lung... after a couple hours of what-ifs, and druthers, pondering how I could possibly get the quarters back across if I swam the river???...How long would Hypothermia take in that water??? The current was so swift, I just didn't see a way to continue... I found some respite in the fact that I had done everything I could to recover the animal, and also in the fact that it would not be "wasted"...there were enough Wolves and Bears in the area, and I knew it would be found within hours...yet still, it is not a great feeling, by any means...
After a change of underwear, and a refreshing baby-wipe "shower," I came to the conclusion that there was nothing more I could do, except go out and give it my best shot for the last couple of hours left...
Man that is heartbreaking. I recall reading a similar story by Mike Mitten in his book, One With The Wilderness. As I recall, his was a bull Moose that crossed a river and was unrecoverable. It happens to the best of hunters.
Sorry for the way it turned out for you, but it sounds like an awesome experience despite the disappointment.
Thanks for sharing.
No Giardia risk? Patently false. You just got lucky.
After heading back out, we spotted three nice bulls feeding together a few hundred yards away...two bulls were good sized bulls, and the other much bigger, with dark chocolate colored velvet on his antlers...It was a beautiful, sunny, 50 degree afternoon with hardly any wind...the first day of it's kind since we arrived...after glassing them for awhile, we saw something else moving in the brush by them, and out of the willows came a bull much bigger than the chocolate bull...he must have been bedded while the others were feeding...both of us were gawking at the size of his rack, and I said to my friend, "that is one nice Caribou right there"...I watched a bit longer and assessed the situation, checking the wind and hypothesizing on which way they may head, and where I might have the best chance at a shot...I said to my friend that the temptation to go after them was getting to me, and I was going to make my move...I chose a high spot between two bogs that would be a natural bottleneck if they made their way South, and there were two prominent clumps of willow in the bottleneck that I thought would be good for cover...I started out at a quick pace once again, and made my way to within 150 yds. easily...the bulls seemed content gorging on lichen in the same basic area for the moment...as I was heading toward them, one of the two smaller bulls bedded, giving me a burst of confidence that I would not have to run to keep up after Caribou on the move...after making it to within 100 yards, I began to low-crawl again, heading for the largest (and closest) clump of willows in the bottleneck...when I made it to the clump, I sat up and watched the bulls feed, while I began to visualize the different possible scenarios about to happen...I felt my chances were better than average that the bulls might head my way, since the majority of Caribou I had seen in the last few days tended to move through this general direction...the bogs on either side of me created a barrier that I suspected they would avoid, so the dry area in between seemed my best bet...the bulls hadn't moved much at all, and were back and forth when they did...the younger bulls then began to move my direction as they both fed...this brought the chocolate bull over to where they were and he actually leap-frogged to a position even closer to me, now at around 80 yards...my heart began to pound, and I kept calming myself down, while all of the pre-shot thoughts ran wild through my mind...like a new pilot starting up a plane, I ran through the checklist of possible problems; this branch could make a noise on my lower limb...I can shoot through there if they come that way...my face is covered...anchor point, smooth release, pick a spot...then I spy the next, smaller clump of willow, and I think, "man, if I was up there, I might get a great shot if they continue on this course"...But is it worth the risk? ...Yes...
I watch the bulls for a moment and decide that if they keep their heads down for a moment(as they have been while feeding) and give me any kind of window, I would only need to make it five yards before I could use the small willow as cover until I got up to it (15 yds.)...as soon as one bull looked up to check for danger, then put his head down, I made my move and headed for the small clump...when I crawled to the 5 yard spot where the clump was between me and the bulls, I was so relieved to see that they were still feeding...I crawled the rest of the way, and did a repeat performance of the pre-shot inventory/visualization/self calm-down...now at 65 yards & feeding towards me, I had no other options but to wait and see what would transpire...
The young bulls were still together, and off to the left of the chocolate bull, who at this point is closing in at 50 yards, with "Bruce" (the biggest bull; I had named him that while we were glassing him) way behind all of them...I was envisioning possible (perfect) shots, focusing on the chocolate bull, since he was coming my way...as things seemed to be coming together (Finally!) for me, my hopes were temporarily dashed as the choco bull made an abrupt change in direction, and started to feed quartering away from me...NO!... as soon as he did that quick move, Bruce came trotting up to him and cut him off, leap-frogging to within 45 yards, and feeding my way...there were some heart beats... the lump in my throat caused me to wonder for a split second if I had swallowed my headlamp...I had practiced at longer distances all Summer in anticipation of this trip, and began to ask myself when would I commit to take a shot...as the choco bull continued to head to the right, around the Eastern-most bog (further away from me), Bruce did a beautiful little spin and began feeding at a perfect, quartering away angle...as I watched him feed for a short moment, I swear that the clouds opened up, and a shining beam of golden rays shone on a little spot, just left of, and in front of the driver's side hind quarter...I drew back my 60# bow, and as soon as I felt my index finger touch the corner of my smile, that Tall Tines gave birth to one of the most beautiful flights an arrow has ever experienced...the quiet release went unnoticed by all four bulls, and the length of the shot (around 44 yards) produced an arc that was lofty and enduring...that Kaiser Kustomized Surewood shaft flew flawlessly & unfluctuating, all the way until it disappeared through Bruce's left side...the Zwickey Delta zipped through the entire Caribou, exiting just inside the right front shoulder... the bull hunched up, and stumbled about 60 yards, where I watched him drop...The flight of that arrow has played in my head in slow motion ever since it happened, and I seriously doubt that it will ever stop...
Which, is just fine with me...
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/Caribou1_zpsb83030b9.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/Caribou1_zpsb83030b9.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-Heart_zps0800ff97.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-Heart_zps0800ff97.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-Eye-Pack3_zps5b5e5257.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-Eye-Pack3_zps5b5e5257.jpg.html)
We got the meat packed out just in time to see the sunset, and gorge on fresh backstraps and onions...
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-Sunset_zps48b8b93e.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-Sunset_zps48b8b93e.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-VelvetScrub_zps8ba0bfa6.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-VelvetScrub_zps8ba0bfa6.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-HeavenlyGrub_zpse738d827.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-HeavenlyGrub_zpse738d827.jpg.html)
(http://i944.photobucket.com/albums/ad287/dkauss_photos/AK-BadassRing_zpsdcf5cb5a.jpg) (http://s944.photobucket.com/user/dkauss_photos/media/AK-BadassRing_zpsdcf5cb5a.jpg.html)
What an outstanding animal Don - congratulations! I've only hunted caribou once (unsuccessfully) and have felt the need to return ever since. Your story has just made that urge grow stronger!
Thanks for sharing your great writing with us.
What a bull! Great story, great shot, great adventure in the Great Land!
Great story. Thank you for sharing it with us.
:clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Wow! Great story and pics. A 44 yard heart ahot is not too shabby either.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :clapper:
:clapper: Great story, great bull and great shot!!! Thanks for sharing your adventure!!!
Great story and shot on a fantastic caribou! Thanks for sharing the story. Rick.
Thanks guys...I'm sure we'll talk soon, Joe...
Great story, great bull and super adventure. Congrats!
Well done Don. You experience the highs and lows, and heart break and heart shots in an Alaskan adventure you will re-live over and over. Good for you. I might try out some of those arrows. Mike
Wow! That is awesome! 'Bou is definitely on my bucket list!
Congrats on a fine animal!
Bisch
Man, that was some GOOD stuff!! CONGRATS Don on a great animal and thanks for taking us along ...
Thanks Don for letting us join you on this "hunt of a lifetime".
The arch of your arrow reaches deeply into our primeval past, in ways science cannot define and many others will never understand...we are the lucky few still connected to that early history. Most of us "few" will spend the rest of our lives seeking these very moments...years of preparation and thought for a few, mere seconds of arrow flight that in our minds, will last forever....
Love it!
Thanks Man!
Kris
Your story gave me a sudden urge to start planning a northern hunt! Thanks for sharing and NICE SHOT!
Congrats! Just awesome. Thanks so much for sharing a great story!
THATS AWESOME!!!!!!!!! :clapper: :clapper: :clapper: :clapper:
Don,
Congratulations on a wonderful caribou bull! That's a heck of a story and good job telling it. I was right there with you when the string dropped. The heart-shot picture is phenomenal!
Don, Your hunt and the way you tell the tale is Awing! Thank you!
Congrats on a fine Specimen.
Looks like a great trip. Congrats on the bou. :thumbsup: :thumbsup: It looks like we both like to collect cool little rocks...
WOW!what a hunt. :clapper:
Seriously! That's a great story. And what a nice bull. 40+ yards nice. They are big. Elk are the same way. Unlike deer they don't shrink at those distances. Nice job. Hunt of a lifetime for sure.
Beautiful bull and great shooting :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congratulations don! Wow!
Way to go...great bull and story!
Oh man! I thought the story was over when you lost the first bull to the river. Incredible ending! Congrats!!!
Great story of the real up-and-downs of hunting.
Alex
Great story Don :thumbsup:
hell of a bull and story!
Incredible hunt and a hardy congratulations!
Thanks for sharing it.
:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Congratulations on a nice caribou, heartfelt story and pictures. Sweet dreams are made from such hunts.
Great story Don, thanks for sharing your great adventure with us
Don,Great story telling and what a fantastic shot on a tremendous bull! :clapper: :clapper:
Congrats!!!
An outstanding story to go along with an outstanding animal. That was quite an experience. Thanks for sharing it Don.
I'm glad you all enjoyed it...I'd love to tell another one about a big Whitetail this year...I'll keep you posted! ;)
Mike; you will be trying the Kaiser Kustoms soon, John told me your shafts arrived already...
Thanks.
Don,
Congrats on a wonderful bull and a hunt of a lifetime. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Applause and Congrats....thanks for sharing! :thumbsup:
Hi Don-
Thanks for sharing your story. Just awesome- great story too! For those of us who dream of such a thing -or even if we never can- can you post some of the prep and how a guy coordinates something like this. I would love to know how guys pull this off, costs, etc. . .
I have asked in the past for a TG forum where guys could educate us on this stuff. Until then. . .
Any input would be great and appreciated.
Thanks
Dan Rudman
Nutshell Breakdown...
Cost of Caribou Tag & Alaskan NR Hunting License--$410
Flight to from Anchorage--$1,000 (give or take)
RAM Aviation Air Service/Drop Hunt charges (rental of tent/cot/stove/Mt. House meals)-- <$3,200
Flights from Anchorage to Kotzebue & back--around $700
***Hotels, shipping of antlers/meat, satellite phone rental, and any number of other money-hemorrhaging charges may also be incurred...
I also, want to thank Kevin Dill for taking the time to answer my questions prior to this hunt...Kevin gave me a ton of great advice, and went above and beyond the call of duty to offer some of his wisdom...Thanks! I sincerely appreciate it...
Lots of great folks on this site...we all are really fortunate!
:campfire:
Wow! What a grand experience!
Awesome!
one thing to consider as far as drinking water up here is concerned, I didn't (and still don't) want to hijack the thread..but for those coming up here there is 2 waterborne issues we have. Both are no game when you're miles out in the bush at best, many with no sat phones/spots or any contacts with the rest of the world! Giardia is the more frequent of the two, but the next is cryptosporidium. A guy I used to teach with picked this up one year early in a long hunt and was lucky to make it home in one piece.
I just don't want the general populous believing you can just drink water anywhere up here. Its not a chance I'll take ever again! I did ONCE in 19 years and paid for it! It hit me right before I was headed out to guide moose hunters that fall. If my partner wouldn't have called I wouldn't have found out until I hit camp.
Very fine story and a great caribou, they are my favorite spot and stalk animal.
Congrats on a fine adventure :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Ok, I would be lying if I said I wasn't jealous!!!
Congrats!!!
Don, You are a very open person and thanks for sharing. I will be thick into whitetails soon. I saw 9 buck and 15 does during the last two sits, so those fresh arrows may come in handy. Ha!
Thanks for the cost info too.
It doesn't get any better than that, congrats on a fine bull! :thumbsup:
Very nice caribou, congrats!
When you read a story like this I can't help but think that trips like this one are about "as good as it gets". I'm been fortunate to be on a few myself and it's what traditional bowhunting is all about. Those (non-traditional hunters) who never experience these special moments in their lives will never understand this kind of total joy and fulfillment.
Wow! Congratulations! Awesome story and animal :clapper:
Thanks guys...
Mike; that's terrific...quite a bit of action...John says he's not going to "hurry" on them...he wants them all perfect...which is why they're what they are...
Are you seeing any pre-rut down there, yet? I'm glad I'm not a big Buck in your woods...!!
Good Luck
Horne Shooter is right on; there's nothing like it...the trad element just takes it to a level that is beyond words...you may not get "there" as often, but when you do, there is no substitute...
Just normal early pre-rut buck stuff. Ha! The bucks I saw were still bunched up and sparring as they travel and when they get to food. (soy bean fields). I can sure wait for perfection.
They're bunched up here too...
Looking forward ...!!!
Thanks for sharing and taking the time to upload all the pics. Congrats!!!
Don, Great story and a fine animal, thanks for taking me along.
Great story! Great "Bou"! I hunted the Brooks in 1985 but not with a bow. Got a great "Bou" and a even better Dall, but have always wanted to go back with my bow. Most beautiful, untouched country I have ever experienced. For those of you who have never experienced Alaska put it on your bucket list and do whatever needs to be done to make it happen. Thanks for sharing Don. Brought back a lot of memories. :campfire:
Great adventure!!! I love it and all the great photos... love this about the site, so many people doing very cool things!
Awesome hunt Don! Congratulations on making good on a memorable hunt.
Way to go sir! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
congrats on an awesome hunt and story!
Thanks fellas...
Mike; that is a sweet looking buck in your avatar...where's that story????!?
What a fantastic hunt! Thanks for posting it.
Congrats on the fine caribou. I would recommend taking a packraft on drop camp trips if you are going to be on a river or lake. They only weigh about 6 lbs.and would allow you to cross a river or lake.
Great story thank you Don for it and the pictures as well. Wow what a great bull. I can still see your arrow in flight!
A fine adventure well told...
Congrats!
This is awesome! What a great shot! Magnificently told. I will be after Caribou in 2015 as well. Will be sending you a PM with some questions if you don't mind.
I must have missed this post earlier. Congrats on a fine animal Don. Great story telling as well. These are the experiences we all live for.
Fantastic story, great job bringing us along with you.
Congratulations on a fine caribou!
I'm happy someone put this back up top, I never saw the ending to your story.
What a shot! and congrats on an awesome bull. That is definitely the hunt of a lifetime, something you'll be able to pass down and recite step by step as if it happened yesterday..
Alex
Sweet story, sorry for your loss but that is bow hunting. And you more than made up for it, what a great bull. Thanks for sharing, Gary. :thumbsup:
Grand adventure!
How difficult is it to get the blood stains of of the rack? For antlers on bou killed in early August, is it better to wait to peel the velvet until they harden a little?