Caribou
I have been hearing about herds of caribou right close to town for a couple weeks now so finally on Saturday I headed out to see if I could catch one. My plan was to be on the way at daybreak. I gassed up at about 10:00 am, and then waited around for it to get light outside. I packed a duffel bag with some emergency food, knives, spare socks, shirts, rope, and matches. The hands on the clock showed about 11:00 am when I headed out. Still a while before daylight, but I had been chomping at the bit since about 6:00 am. I dressed up and headed out.
Herd of Caribou
I didn't know exactly where to go but I knew the trail to cross the creek was out past the dump somewhere. As I was nearing the dump I saw a moose take off into the spruce trees between the dump and the airport. I knew other teachers still had some moose tags to fill, so I blasted home and gave them a call. I was on my way back out and I saw them driving to get the moose. I stopped and waited to see if he would get it. A few gunshots later I heard him calling on the vhf saying he did.
I headed back out on my original course. I followed a trail from the dump leading toward the hills. As I was driving along I could see where the creek bottom was from the willows. It seemed like I was heading more south and I should have been headed west. I knew that I had to cross the creek at some point I just figured the bridge was farther south than my original impression. I saw a cross fox on the trail so I tried to cruise up to it to see if I could get it. It must have scooted into the trees because I didn't see it at all once I got close to where I saw it. After the fox got away I realized that I was now close to the main channel and had probably got onto the wrong trail. Sure enough at the end of it I was at Ikpiks, the spot I always go fishing. Definitely not the right spot. I turned around and headed back. I found the right trail, and I was finally on my way.
I made it to the bridge that crosses the creek. I stopped to take a look at it. It is an extremely sketchy looking suspension bridge. The support on the south side is cracked and sagging badly. The bridge reminds me of an old dock that's been left in the water for multiple winters all sagging and twisted. There were caribou right across the creek.
I headed in their direction. I didn't really know the best course of action. My first tactic was to try to walk up to them slowly from downwind. I got about 150 yards away and the group moved off slowly so I headed back to my machine to follow them. I followed them for almost a mile trying to get close with a good angle to shoot. I let the caribou get over a small rise while and decided I was going to just try to drive slowly up to them and stop when I had a clear shot before they took off. I drove over the rise only to see the caribou almost a half a mile away already! I flew towards them going down the rise into some willows. This is when I realized the caribou that I had been following were in the willows. I got through to the other side and waited for them to trot out. They came up onto the tundra. I got set up and took a shot. The hollow thump of a hit! I gutted it out, tied it onto the machine, and headed back. It probably was a good thing I didn't get two because there wasn't much room on the machine. Getting back across the bridge was a little bit of an adventure. The caribou leg got caught on one of the cables as I was crossing back. So there I was in the middle of a badly sagging bridge trying to pull this caribou off my machine, balancing on rotting cross members, cussing myself out for not bringing the sled. Eventually I got the caribou off and my machine across. I was sweating my butt off. Finally I made it home, just in time before the mini blizzard that was coming.
Herd of Caribou
I headed back out on my original course. I followed a trail from the dump leading toward the hills. As I was driving along I could see where the creek bottom was from the willows. It seemed like I was heading more south and I should have been headed west. I knew that I had to cross the creek at some point I just figured the bridge was farther south than my original impression. I saw a cross fox on the trail so I tried to cruise up to it to see if I could get it. It must have scooted into the trees because I didn't see it at all once I got close to where I saw it. After the fox got away I realized that I was now close to the main channel and had probably got onto the wrong trail. Sure enough at the end of it I was at Ikpiks, the spot I always go fishing. Definitely not the right spot. I turned around and headed back. I found the right trail, and I was finally on my way.
I made it to the bridge that crosses the creek. I stopped to take a look at it. It is an extremely sketchy looking suspension bridge. The support on the south side is cracked and sagging badly. The bridge reminds me of an old dock that's been left in the water for multiple winters all sagging and twisted. There were caribou right across the creek.
I headed in their direction. I didn't really know the best course of action. My first tactic was to try to walk up to them slowly from downwind. I got about 150 yards away and the group moved off slowly so I headed back to my machine to follow them. I followed them for almost a mile trying to get close with a good angle to shoot. I let the caribou get over a small rise while and decided I was going to just try to drive slowly up to them and stop when I had a clear shot before they took off. I drove over the rise only to see the caribou almost a half a mile away already! I flew towards them going down the rise into some willows. This is when I realized the caribou that I had been following were in the willows. I got through to the other side and waited for them to trot out. They came up onto the tundra. I got set up and took a shot. The hollow thump of a hit! I gutted it out, tied it onto the machine, and headed back. It probably was a good thing I didn't get two because there wasn't much room on the machine. Getting back across the bridge was a little bit of an adventure. The caribou leg got caught on one of the cables as I was crossing back. So there I was in the middle of a badly sagging bridge trying to pull this caribou off my machine, balancing on rotting cross members, cussing myself out for not bringing the sled. Eventually I got the caribou off and my machine across. I was sweating my butt off. Finally I made it home, just in time before the mini blizzard that was coming.
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