Winter Storm Warning

 
 Caribou

After suffering through the lack of snow in the fall and early part of winter we are finally getting some much awaited snowfall. When we got back to Noatak from our holiday vacation back in Michigan we still didn't have any snow. A couple of day after we got back it started snowing. We now have about two feet on the ground and more upcoming. It's nice to finally get out on the snowmobile and ride.

 Bull

Yesterday I went for a little cruise southwest of town. There are reports of wolves getting close to town so I headed out early in hopes that I might run into a few (its relative because it doesn't get light until 11 am). I was also hoping to run into a caribou or two. I figured once I got across the Katchoruk creek just south of town I would have wide open tundra to the foothills and mountains. I was wrong. There are so many willow filled, steep banked drainages that I got to a point where I couldn't really go farther south. I could have gotten through if I really wanted to but I had already picked my way through, up, over, and around for about 10 miles, so I eased in a more westernly direction where the going wasn't such a maze. I traveled about 5 miles until I saw what I thought was the Kivalina trail off in the distance. I turned that way deciding to follow the trail back, up over a rise and "bam" caribou. It was a small band of bulls. I decided to shoot one even though they are still skinny. With all the snow we have now it was easy to get close to them. As I went to line one up in the scope I realized the lens was covered with snow. I brushed the snow out, but it was still really foggy. I could barely make out the silhouette from about 75 yards. It took a couple of shots, but I got a small bull. I loaded up and headed home.

Oren Making Bedtime Snack

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