Well I had a great trip and a humbling experience.
I drove the 750 miles by myself and found what I thought was the area we were going to hunt and camped for the night. The next morning I awoke at 6:00 am and looked for a place to hunt. I caught 2 caribou in the spotting scope coming off of a cut in a ridge and proceeded to stalk them.
For my first ever bow hunting caribou stalk I did really well. completely soaked my 8" boots in 10" of water, discovered the ferocious artic bugs and took a 40 yard shot at a 50 yard caribou. Great start!
I went back to the truck, changed socks and drove off looking for another group of possible canidates. Nothing found, I headed back to the same area as my first stalk. As I looked around I spotted antlers sticking out of a pile of gravel about 1 mile off the road. Seems my first bou, were hiding in a gravel pit.
Another stalk of a mile across the nothingness of the tundra. I made it to about 186 yards from the bou and then they spotted me. I low crawled another 50 yards and put a pile of gravel between us. That allowed me to sneak around and get within 20-30 yards. I snuck up over a gravel ridge and the bou were right there. One at 19 yards and the farthest at 35. The one at 19 was small and the 35 yard one was a beautiful bou. Arrow loosed and I lead the bou by too much. Round two over.
Bou 2, Dave 0.
I went back to the truck had lunch and returned to the gravel pile. As I walked around the gravel pile there was another bou in the pile. And again, I blew a 20-25 yard shot at a running bou by leading him like I would have a whitetail. These things are so big that I was shooting at them as opposed to picking a spot. Time to correct myself. Round three: Bou 3, Dave 0.
I climbed up on the pile and used it as a lookout point for caribou. I spotted one coming through the willows and did another stalk. But, somehow the bou disappeared. Round four: Bou 4, Dave 0
I was getting a little frustrated by now. I spotted another bou about 1 mile off coming off of the river. I watched him and he disappeared into the willows. Soon after I spotted him in the willows about 300 yards away. Another stalk on!
When I failed to see the bou where he should have come out I was puzzled. Then out in the middle of the gravel riverbed, 180 yards away, there he was just standing there. Now no one can stalk across 180 yards of open ground I thought. Well I was here to hunt so I tried.
My bow tucked against my body, I shuffled my feet onto firm rocks and sand. The bou, had his head in a shallow hole, licking the sand. 150, 125, 75, 60 and his head comes up about a foot. I figure that now he had me. Open area, no cover, and me there like a tree stump. But he did nothing but put his head down again.
I needed 10 more yards so I moved slowly forward. At 50 yards he was perfectly broadside so I raised my bow as if in my yard practicing for those so many 40, 50 & 60 yard shots that I have practiced in the past.
Perfect shot! One third down the body and double lunged. He took off and dove into the river. Swimming hard he soon tired and headed back to my side of the river. The river was way too deep for me and I was about to loose my first caribou. I looked down river and spotted a riffle heading out into the river. Bow down, jacket off I ran down stream and headed out to the top of my boots. Here he comes...... about 5 feet too far out for me to reach. Into the Sagavanirktok river I went and reached for an antler. Success! Got hold of him and the current swung him closer to shore as I firmly held my ground. He was mine.
I was a mile off the road, soaked up past my knees and boots full of water. I decided to hike the mile out, change and come back with my pack frame. It took me two trips to haul the caribou out and I arrived at the truck at 11:30 pm. Time for pain medication as carrying an entire caribou by myself was just too much.
I had a great trip, only hunted 12 hours and had to head home. The 75-80 degree head was going to melt my ice too fast to protect my meat. The salvage of the meat is first and enjoyment of the wonderful terrain secondary.
Next year it is going to be a Pope & Young bull or nothing.
