Damned climate change fudge-up the schedule this year.
But patience is virtue. So they tell me.
The sea ice formed a couple weeks late, back in Oct/Nov. I was in Hawaii when it did set up enough for the caribou could cross about 3 weeks later than normal, and they came through.
I was conflicted.....
Then there were a couple week-ends of trouble shooting the Bravo's non-compliance.
Turned out it is smarter than I am. I hate when that happens. But I'm getting chicken with age. If it ain't working right, I stays home! It's humming now.
Then weeks of weather/ wind/cold/ dark interim. Chit just wasn't right for me to go out. At least not beyond walk-home distance, solo.
Got off work 2:45 tonight, out of town 3:15. Running bare- bones. No real survival gear- I ain't going that far - I only have 3 hours of daylight. No sled, two day packs, with bare-bones stuff. . Just in case I do find caribou....Clear skies, 20 degrees, 11 mph E wind. Pretty near the gorgeous level!
4 miles down the Beach road to the Alice? Dome, hang a left another mile to/ thru the windmills site. A mile or so past that down the Peninsula (whatever the hell that direction is!) I topped a hill and glassed. Caribou HO! 2 of them- about 2 miles away. Looked like bulls. Ain't legal till the first. Stupid Regs! But misery and 'bou love company. Go take a look.
Helluva nice snow-machine stalk. Last half mile I was able to stay just below the top contour of a stream bed above the bottom brush, eliminating visibility, and reducing noise. Didn't hurt that the wind was directly in my favor, and I just idled + along, keeping machine noise as low as possible.
I could get used to this road hunting...
Stopped machine, got out the Bog-Pod tripod shooting rest, walked 30 yards up contour, and there they were.
Yep, bulls. No horns, dammit. They come legal on the first again, but I like watching critters. Ranged em, anyway. 347 yards. 10 or so minutes later I chanced to look over my shoulder, across the brushy creek bed. Critter coming out of the brush. Cow! (antlers!). Ranged. Damned if she wasn't 347 yards ! The rifle is zeroed at
300, and groups right at 1 inch at that range. With a good solid rest.
Shifted BOG. Made the worst shot of my life. While settling the rifle in the
BOG rest , I inadvertently triggered the thing with my gloved hands before ready/intended. No excuse- it was 20 degrees F. for God's sake. Shouldn't have had the finger on the trigger! Shot her right through the hams.
She wasn't going anywhere, and obviously crippled, so I waited for her to stand up again ( I knew where the cross-hairs were when I fired!) and the presentation, then finished her properly.
I hate it when chit happens! That pecker-shot several years back was kinda funny- this was just disgusting.
Dressed her out, loaded the rib cage in the basket (not towing a sled ), stuffed the hinds inside, fronts on the side, wrapped in tarp and we were off.
Bravo ain't happy with a passenger on back, but I was home by 6:40, just after dark.
Got's meat in the freezer! Finally. Store bought chicken and pork don't count.
More better with a cleaner kill....
