Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Got one. Finally.

Nice!!

Taking a break from butchering, right now.

Sled loaded with survival/dressing gear and machine topped out when it started lightening in yesterday about 11:30 AM. Problem was the lighter it got, the foggier it got. Temperature about 14. By 12:30 i could barely see runway lights 400 yards away. fug-it- I decided to run the loop road anyway. Had heard no machine traffic (them Eskimos are smarter than me???), but I'd gotten lucky that way last week, so WTF.

And it might lighten up on higher ground, a mile out. So it proved. Visibility improved to a mile and a half or so. Cut out through the basin where I killed last weekend, which had been riddled with droppings from pass-throughs, with no luck. Just short of the wind-farm, I cut a left, East, tho my mind insists it is South. Gotta pay attention to those discrepancies - even just a couple miles from home.

A mile or so later , crossing a big flat, i saw a line of 30 or so caribou traveling single file, roughly parallel to me, off to my left. Really should have seen them earlier. I was totally exposed, but they hadn't twigged to me. I shut down and ranged, to no effect. Whether it was light condition, distance, or slightly cold batteries, the Leupold 800i wasn't registering. I don't shoot at range without. I estimated 600-700 yards, beyond my comfort level.MYy eye-ball estimates on flat ground or across water really sucks. Last weekend, I thought the animals were about 300 - range finder said about 125. Who ya gonna believe? Range finder was right.. One shot, one kill.

They were traveling toward a willow line, so I waited until they went out of sight, then motored forward. Hadn't gone far before the leaders re-appeared, now going left to right across my front. Then they started to feed. I made a couple hundred yards exposed, slow and quiet, without them twigging, until I was behind a screen of brush on a low knoll. My finder called it 327. Good enough.

Just for Reloder, I picked out a really big cow first. Then a second one larger than last week's.

OK- I'm lying... but both turned out larger in body.

The bigger one was obviously older, both by body size and teeth wear. The second had a smaller jaw size, but was larger in body than last week's kill. So it goes.

I just dropped two cows, standing broadside, clear of the others, before the others reacted and moved off at a fast walk. Crusted snow is hard on these critters, and I don't blame them. It is a real pain to walk through, but the snow machine likes it.

By the time I'd gutted the big cow, fog had closed in to 200 yard or so visibility, which was slightly spooking, GPS and compass. in pack not with standing. I ripped the guts out of the smaller cow, loaded them in the sled, then followed my tracks back.. Nice that it wasn't blowing. I had to go slow in that flat light as to not lose my back-trail. I did once, and had to make a small circle to regain it. In a mile or a bit better, the windmill towers ghosted out of the fog and I was home free. Literally - about 3 miles. Arrived home about 3:30.

Skinned out the big cow on the lagoon ice out back of the apartment. By the time I finished it was dark, so I did the smaller one by electric yard light in front, and cleaned up the bloody snow by shovel. I knew those new-fangled electric lights would come in handy sooner or later!

Jeez, another epic adventure. Congrats on getting meat and not getting lost.

Christmas deliveries may be slightly late. Fat man really should mark his team. Jolly , my ass!

Certainly different hunting.. Glad for the story.. Enjoy the caribou!!!!

Congrats on your success, enjoyed the details.

No field pics- when I decided to go off-road, I went to text my wife, but I'd forgotten the iPhone... technology creates whole new problems...

But I wasn't worried about her worried - much . As my oldest son said when he got into a problem inadvertently skiing off-limits years ago, " I've been with Dad in enough rhubarbs, that I just figured it out". (the ski-patrol was organizing to look for him when he got back to the lodge).

I'm still wondering if that is good or bad....

Processing burger meat.

Looks like a great way to get your winter meat supply. Also a good way to enjoy the outdoors.

Good job, that'll be some fine eating!

It's good! Farts are ferocious. Gave half a cooler to my old hunting buddy here in Soldotna , recovering from cancer episode.

Ironbbender's new knee might get him a package or two ifnhe begs...

Begging.

Lemmee buy you lunch while you're in the banana belt. Call me.

Ha. Yup. I wuz rite. A cityslicker.

Las, that does sound a bit more stimulating and disconcerting than when folks in downtown Houston or San Antonio brave the coyotes to get dinner at the local grocer for sure. Thanks for the update.

Heres hoping Irons knee gets well.

It's doing great, thanks. 7 weeks tomorrow.

Laig with the new knee has become my 'good leg'.

Glad to hear it, Mike.

All I need now is for las to answer his dang fone!

Allright. Good to hear.

Nice one, sounds like an adventure.