Last arrow; winter caribou

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 07:27:00 PM

It was basically a day trip.

I drove most of the night, then got a few hours sleep at a friend's place.

Walked into a small lake in the dark, and made a little hide near a caribou trail that came down a frozen stream to the lake.

Waited most of an hour before the sun came up.
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JakeD · November 15, 2016, 07:33:00 PM

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 07:44:00 PM

This time of year, with the lakes frozen, the caribou use them to get from A to B more easily, rather than weedling thru the stunted spruce.
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My friend had sent me to a good lake. Fresh caribou tracks practically covered it.
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Trenton G. · November 15, 2016, 07:58:00 PM

Don't get to hear many caribou hunting stories. This should be good.

The-Talon · November 15, 2016, 08:00:00 PM

Damn this is good.. I was hard pressed for some reading material tonight.. this should hit the spot nicely.

Tater · November 15, 2016, 08:04:00 PM

Waiting for the rest of the story..

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 08:05:00 PM

You guys are great.
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30-some years looking at caribou tracks and I still get a kick of their shape.
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And I don't have a blue filter on my camera, that's just how the light is quite a bit of the time, this time of year.

Warden609 · November 15, 2016, 08:30:00 PM

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 08:32:00 PM

I don't really like sitting a trail much, but the crunchy snow made sneaking to stick bow range pretty much impossible.
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But the snow did make spotting a trail easy-peesey, and also gave direction of travel.
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Trouble is, as you might expect, there's more than 1 trail headed onto the lake.
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So I sat a good one, and of course when I stood up for a better view a bit after first light I see this:

A couple dozen caribou 150 yards or so away on a different trail. I could barely see them with the flat terrain and brush.

superkodiak · November 15, 2016, 08:43:00 PM

keep it coming!

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 08:47:00 PM

Watched them for about 20 minutes, after which they melted into the trees and were gone.
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Plenty of time for me to re-think my choice of trails. :rolleyes:

Crittergetter · November 15, 2016, 08:51:00 PM

Ohhh... this is good! I just put in for caribou last week!! Keep it coming!!

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 09:11:00 PM

Alaskan caribou are pretty good at making a bowhunter feel silly, and I was getting that feeling again.
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Great seeing animals though.
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After a bit I snuck back in where I'd seen them, and found a bottleneck of trails with a copse of small spruce adjacent that was makings for a great hide.
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I sat there for a part of the short day we have, then got impatient and hiked into another lake altogether.
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Eric Sprick · November 15, 2016, 09:30:00 PM

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 09:31:00 PM

A pic from the new hide.
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Mike Vines · November 15, 2016, 09:34:00 PM

Thanks for the story Tim. Caribou are on my short list of "To-Hunt" animals, and this just gets the thoughts flowing.

Yewbender · November 15, 2016, 09:34:00 PM

Great pic's and story so far!!! Now get on with the rest lol!!!

chinook907 · November 15, 2016, 11:12:00 PM

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And here's a pic @ the other lake.

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Stayed only a few minutes as the sign on the lake was pretty scarce.
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So back I went to the first lake, and rebuilt my hide at the inland spot.

November 15, 2016, 11:38:00 PM

I would love to kill a caribou one day!

In for the rest of the story!

Bisch

Roy from Pa · November 16, 2016, 08:10:00 AM

Awesome area... Best of luck...