A Novice Caribou Hunter Returns from Alaska

[rastaman]

Rolltidehunter (John Whitten) is about to leave for his Caribou adventure out of Kotzebue so this is to get him fired up!
A couple of things i would like to say first...this was the hardest hunt physically that i've ever done and the most rewarding even though i didn't take a Caribou. You guys that live and hunt in Alaska, and you guys that go annually have my utmost respect.  
Nothing is close in Alaska.  What looks to be 1/2 mile is 1 to 2 miles.  Something that looks 2 miles is 5 miles, etc.
This hunt wasn't suppose to happen til next year as a 60th birthday present to myself.  Greg Campbell had agreed to take me and show me the ropes since he has done this trip 3 or 4 times already.  Some of you Georgia guys may know Greg...he was the first president of the Traditional Bowhunters of Ga. and he is a phenomenal hunter.  His elk hunt fell thru for this year so i twisted his arm and begged him to take me this year.  I am forever greatful to him.  

We did a fly-in drop camp with Ram Aviation out of Kotzebue.
 

We flew 97 miles (via my gps) out of Kotzebue northeast close to the Noatak river.
More to follow...

[rastaman]

Some random pictures on the fly-in...

[wooddamon1]

[rastaman]

 
 

The scenery was awesome.  After about thirty miles out, there were no trees...just tundra and mountains and stream and rivers as far as you could see.

[jonsimoneau]

Beautiful pics Randy!

[rastaman]

This was our humble abode for 8 days.  We were right next to a small lake.  We had a small stream next to us to get water for drinking and cooking.

[rastaman]

This is the lake in front of our tent.



We had to bust ice out of the small stream every morning to get water.  Temperatures ranged from about 15 degrees for the lows to highs in the high 30"s to low 40's.
We were lucky.  The previous 10 days the weather was horrible with high winds and rains. We had a couple of days of light rain and then sunshine for 5 days.  After we left the weather got horrible again (ask John Havard!).

[steadman]

AWESOME!!!!  

[pamike]

wow - keep it coming!!

[Big Ed]

Very cool!!

[rastaman]

We had a small mountain behind the tent.  It took us 3 1/2 hours just to get to the top so we could start glassing.

[Iowabowhunter]

That is my dream hunt! Thank you so much for the pics, please keep them coming        well and an elk hunt of course...and a moose...brown bear...dall ram lol. anyways I am immensely enjoying "going" with you just beautiful scenery up there!

[Duker]

How SWEEEEET it is  

[pamike]

wow - keep it coming!!

[ca]

wow

[ron w]

Beautiful........      

[rolltidehunter]

randy!!! thanks for Uploading pictures keep em coming!! i cant freaking wait!!!!

[Archie]

Very nice!  I sure do miss Alaska!

[PaPaFrank]

Good Stuff Randy! Please keep it coming...

[rraming]

Keep it coming!