Caribou in Alaska

[Hunter78]

Got this Caribou in Alaska late in Sept.  I hunted out of Kotzebue with northernairtrophy  Great experience, amazing scenery. We seen about 400 caribou, this was the biggest I seen at the end of the 2nd day in camp.  I walked 12 miles that day only seeing cows, calves and little bulls.  I spotted this one right from camp.  My uncle also got a nice one too, I heard other groups at the same time were not doing as well since the weather was nice and in the 50's the caribou were not moving much or moving east rather then south.  the last day we hunted we seen about 150 moving east. 

[beemanbeme]

Good job!  What rifle? Cartridge? Scope? Range?  Don't leave us hanging.   

[Hunter78]

Well I crawled down the ridge in the background of the picture (our camp and landing area was on top) and watched for an eternity as this herd moved closer.   I watched the entire time through the scope trying to decide between this one and one that was a little higher and wider, but lacked the palmation of the tops and bezes.  Now remember, this is my first big game hunt other then whitetails in sw wisconsin.  I had my bipod out and in the prone position Estimated range at 300 yards fired 2 shots nothing.  raised my head above the scope and relized I greatly underestimated range (later measured it at 550yrds) Herd took off, but didn't seem to know where I was and actually started to turn to me.  At this time I had ran about 100 yards to a stream that was between them and I and had to wait because this one was behind anouther.  I then got off 4 shots striking this one 3 times offhand standing 2 in the chest and one in the gut as it was going down. I hesitate to tell about the misses, but judging distance can be difficult in unfamiliar terrain. A range finder would have helped.  The rifle I was using was a stainless remington 700 in 300 remington ultra mag 150gr swifts  Luepold VX-II 3-9 scope sighted in at 250yrds
Landing  in the bush plane was a fun experience as was the flight to camp.  It was just my uncle and I there with the nearest camp 10 miles away.  We saw some Dall sheep, but no moose, found some moose sheds laying around.  My uncle saw a grizzley about a mile from camp.  There was a grizzley bear skull and a few bones a couple of hundred yards from camp.  I saw a bear den about 3.5 miles away from camp when I was stalking some caribou that first day so there are definatly bears in the area.  One big mistake I made was not taking enough water the first day.  I only took a 1 quart canteen and was too woried bout crypto to drink out of the streams.  By the time I got back to camp I was suffering from mild dehydration.  Headaches and leg cramps.  Looking back on it, might also have affected my judgement on the first shots.  I had just got back to camp and sluged a can of pop when the caribou showed up.  Actually they came from the same direction I did!  I would recomend the trip to anyone.  Kotzebue is nothing exciting and rooms are $200 a night, but once You get out hunting its great. here are a few more pics

[Cheesehead]

Great pics.

Great story.

Great adventure.

Cheese

[The Gamemaster]

The part I liked is that you walked 12 miles to find a Caribou and then you shot one 300 yards from the camp.

Sounds like the best hunting was from the camp and the cook should have gotten a Caribou before you did.

Did they cook you some fresh meat out of your trophy that night?

I would have ate it until my stomach looked like a basketball.

What did they do with the extra meat - since you cannot fly it all out?

[bigjeepman]

Great trophies ... great story ... and cool pictures. I had caribou one time and thought it was delicious.

bjm

[Hunter78]

I should have mentioned that It was an unguided outfited drop camp hunt, meaning that we were on our own, No cook or guide.  they provided the tent cooking stuff, food (we had an insane amount of canned crap to eat since we were the last hunters in that camp for the year)  chairs cots, lantern ect was provided.  We had to take down the tent and they flew the both of us our gear, their gear, and half the meat on one trip, and went back for the rest of the meat and antlers.  Truth be told, after seeing what others had got and talking to them I would opt for an unguided hunt so I wasn't pressured into taking a small bull to end the hunt quickly.  Its also more of an adventure when that plane leaves you out in the wilderness on your own. 

[beemanbeme]

Now that's a hunt!!!  Watching that plane fly away must have been something. Even tho you've got your sharp stick, you're one fall, one mis-step from being just another link in the food chain. I'd say it would really put you in perspective. 

[Hunter78]

You have to be really carefull on this type of hunt.  a minor injury could get serious quickly.  One good thing for me was my uncle who I was hunting with is a large animal veternarian.  You should have seen his first aid kit.

[corbanzo]

Look at the bez's on that baby!!  That is nice.  I love those caribou with all the points... saw one at the taxidermy shop last fall, guy had it hanging on the wall, had I believe we counted 45 points total, double shovel, double bez, just a monster.  He said, the guy who had brought it in to be mounted, "didn't have any room for it at the time."  I told him hell, if he didn't need it... give me a call... 

Those western AK caribou are nice, I have only hunted bou in unit 13, the nelchina herd, not as big, and the herds are always WAY spread out, so you don't have as many choices.  I would like to get out and find one of those trophies out there sometime....