Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska My 10yo Daughter's caribou quest

A quick introduction, I have been lurking here on the forum for a while but I haven’t posted much. I’m a single dad raising my amazing 10 year old daughter, Renee.

We lived in SW Wyoming from 2012-2018 before taking the leap and moving to the North Slope in 2018. This year we moved to Barrow. I am a school teacher and I have taught everything from preschool through 5th grade. This year I am teaching PE for the first time. I teach in the largest elementary school in Alaska.

Renee is the student council president. She is an amazing kid. She loves to hunt and has been at my side for the last 2 dozen or so big games animals I have taken plus a loy if small game. Whenever I ask her if she wants to go hunting her only question is “should I start getting dressed now?”

After years of chomping at the bit to get behind the trigger, this year she received a sweet little 257 Roberts for Christmas(Remington Mountain Rifle in a Pacific Research stock with a Leupold 2.5-8x36 in S&K mounts-did I mention that it is sweet?!). So after some practice Renee is now looking to do her part in filling the freezer.

Below is a journal of a few of recent trips we have taken.
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Easter Sunday hunt

For Christmas this year I purchased a rifle for my ten year old daughter Renee. It is her first big game rifle, all previous shooting having been done with her pink .22 Savage.

Fellow AR member Mark Young offered up the perfect first rifle. It is an early 90s Remmington 700 mountain rifle in a Pacific Research stock topped with a Leupold 2.5x8 scope in S&K mounts. Total weight is 6.5 pounds. Best of all it is chambered in the classy 257 Roberts.

The rifle was lost for almost two months in shipping. Both Mark and I were crushed! When it finally arrived out of the blue we were ecstatic. I'll never forget the call when I told Mark that the missing rifle just appeared at my FFL dealer after Fed Ex had told us for weeks: "sorry, sometimes things get lost..."

The beautiful Pacific Research stock is too long for Renee so fellow AR member tsturm gave me a M700 youth stock. I ended up cutting it down to a 10.5 in
LOP.

I had a some brass and bullets but I was having trouble coming up with powder and primers. I finally broke down and borrowed some from my girlfriends father. He has enough of everything to outfit a small army and he is always offering me anything I need so it worked out well. Plus I have been giving his family half of each caribou we get, so I didn't have to feel too guilty.

I loaded up some 87gr Sierras with 37gr of Varget for starting load for Renee. Velocity should be in the 2800-2900fps range.

Renee was raring to head out and try out her rifle. So as soon as the ammo was loaded so we took it out for a bit of practice. As you can see Renee did pretty well kneeling with a rest. If you look closely you can see two bullet holes:



On Easter Sunday I had tsturm's shortened youth stock fitted(10.5 inch LOP) so we headed out in the afternoon looking for caribou. The weather has been warming up and I have been concerned that the snow will melt and we won't be able to use the snowmachine which with bring our hunting to a halt for quite a while. On this trip I really wanted to secure two caribou. I figured one for us and one for my girlfriend's family and we would be set for some time.

On our way out we shot a group to see where the rifle was shooting in the new stock. The bullets landed into a group just over and inch. The group was centered three inches above the bulls eye.

We headed North almost as far as you can travel before hitting the Arctic ocean. For the first time in a long time there were just no caribou to be found. The weather was great so we continued to cruise and search. Finally we found a group of four caribou and we were able to get up on a low plateau where we were somewhat hidden. I figured that we would close the gap to 150 yards and I would get Renee set up for the shot.

Before we were within 250 yards the caribou saw us and slipped into a fold. I expected to see them pop up running away from us but before I knew it they appeared 150 yards in front of us on the plateau. They had actually came in for a closer look. Caribou.....

Before I had any chance to get Renee set up the caribou were headed out into the open. The had passed down wind and were completely spooked. We tried to close the distance but they kept taking off when we got to within 300 yards.

I could see that they weren't going to cooperate so I asked Renee if she minded if I used her rifle to shoot one or two. She said that would be fine. We were able to get closer by walking past them in a direction that would angle us closer.

I ranged them and the group was 297 yards away. I felt that it was too far for a rifle that we had never shot past 100 yards but I was prone and had a dead solid rest. I knew that it was unlikely that we would get closer.

I held on the first caribou that presented a clear broadside shot. I squeezed and as the rifle fired the shot felt good but none of the caribou appeared hit. I could have sworn that I heard the bullet hit but all four caribou looked unharmed and as they milled around some when back to feeding.

As soon as another stepped clear I took the same aim just behind the shoulder and squeezed the trigger. Before the gun went off I saw a caribou fall over kicking. The rifle fired and I heard a solid "whap" and the caribou that I was aiming at took off in a death run, before falling about 75 yards further away.

I was confused and then I realized that the first caribou I shot had stood, appearing unhurt, and then fell just as I fired at the second. I've never seen an animal appear unhit and then suddenly fall after 15 or 20 seconds.




Upon breaking down the caribou I found that my shots on both caribou had entered the rib cage very low, just above the brisket. Both had nicked the bottom of the heart just above the sternum and left a groove. On the second caribou the bullet hit the upper atrium just the above the valve and exited completely.

On the first caribou the bullet hit about an inch further back, below the valve and in the more solid portion of the atrium and made it through the offside rib cage but didn't exit. Unfortunately I failed to find that bullet. Also, when I went in to remove the heart from this caribou the pericardium was intact and had filled with blood. It was slightly smaller than a football. I'm still confused as to how it could be filled like an over filled water balloon after the bullet had passed through it and hit the heart and then exited.


Maybe the slightly different part of the heart that was hit accounted for the difference in the caribous' reaction to taking the bullet?






As I cut up the caribou in the long Arctic twilight Renee sang some religious songs that she learned in honors choir. I'm not a religious person but it was a moving way to end our Easter.


Anyway the freezers are full so we are going to take all the time we need to get Renee her first caribou. She is chomping at the bit to go. We are both convinced that the rifle Mark sold us is magic. I mean really, an 87gr bullet at 2800fps at 300 yards and we get two one shot kills? That has to be magic, right?


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April 25th
This afternoon Renee and I headed out looking to get her her first caribou. Just like last time we only took her sweet little 257 Roberts. Unlike last time, today she was going to be the only one on the trigger. Last time out we couldn't get her in position for a shot so I ended up taking two caribou with her rifle because we needed the meat.

The Inupiaq tradition dictates that a hunter must give away their entire first kill to the elders of their choice. We always give away half of what we kill and even so we have enough meat to get us through until the Fall. This hunt was truly to be her hunt.

We got to our favorite area only to find that our worst fears had come to pass: most of the caribou have migrated. We searched and searched and we did find one lone animal but he saw us and ran, and ran, and ran. I have never seen a caribou so skittish.

Later we found where a small group of caribou had been successfully hunted earlier in the day. This had probably been the heard that he was with. That would explain his wariness.

We took a detour on the way home and bumped into this beautiful fellow, quite the consolation prize. Of course being the hunters first, this one has to be given away. Renee already has her favorite elder picked out. She was very excited.

:


Sorry about the poor picture. We tried to get one out on the snow where we were hunting but my phone was frozen(that happens here a lot).

Our weather is "warm" now being that it is zero with the windchill. Even so I know that the snow will be gone before long now that the sun is out from 4 am until midnight. So Renee and I will be back at it again tomorrow in hopes of finding a caribou or two who have not left with the migration.

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April 26th
Well after our Saturday adventure we decided to head out again on Sunday looking to connect Renee with her first caribou. The results were similar, but in reverse. Last time we hunted hard but struck out on caribou, then we were able to collect an arctic fox on the way home.

Today we were able to connect with an arctic fox as soon as we hit the hunting grounds. We were excited but we knew that we needed to focus on the task at hand: find and stalk a caribou for Renee.

We had a bit better luck in that we found two different groups. Both groups were very wary and just wouldn't let us close the distance. We did have a yearling that we could have collected but I decided that I wanted Renee to do a bit better for her first "big" animal.

With the It being light past midnight now we will be at it again this week. Renee, trooper that she is, told me: "We will get one."

You gotta love that dedication(especially when it's 1 degree above zero with the windchill!)

Today my battery hadn't had a chance to freeze so we were able to get two photos before the phone quit.

This guy is not as prime as the fluff-ball that we got yesterday, but still an absolutely beautiful creature.

The background of this photo really captures the beauty of our hunting area....



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April 30th
Well we have been hunting hard but just about all the caribou have headed for greener pastures. We made it out on April 30th which is the last day of arctic fox season. Renee had already filled her season limit of 2 foxes so I hoped that we might see one so that I could collect my first fox. The weather was amazing, the sun shining bright and blue sky as far as the eye could see. It was almost too warm with little wind and temps just above zero.

When we traveled a few miles into the area that we hunt we saw our first fox. He made it into his hole before I could get a shot. We waited a few minutes and he emerged took off at a run, only to dive into another hole before I could get a shot.

As we sat on that hole hoping for a third chance I glassed off into the distance and saw two more foxes. As they say: "a fox in the sled is worth two in the den", so off we went. We headed toward them and I was able to collect an old boy with a beautiful coat and worn down teeth. A real veteran.

Dad’s first fox:


We traveled around looking in vain for any caribou. We did find one lone straggler but he never let us get even remotely close.

With the Sun shining bright were spotting foxes everywhere. With the Sun at our backs the foxes seemed to glow like platinum and could be seen with the naked eye from a long, long ways off. We could have taken a half dozen with ease and probably a full dozen with a bit of effort but with a season limit of 2 I had to settle on just one more. Renee was happy to pose with my foxes.

Renee with Dad’s catch:


My phone took this next picture while I was shutting it down. It reminds me of an astronaut on the moon or a Led Zeppelin album cover.

Renee walking on the moon:


The weather was so nice and the Sun so bright that we lost track of time and didn't get home until after 11:30. It was a heck of an end to fox season. Of course dad still had to fix dinner, put away gear and skin foxes.

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We headed out again on May 1st. To be honest I had kinda given up on our chances of getting a caribou so we left out sled at home and packed a rucksack of emergency equipment, lashed it to the machine and headed out. I figured that if we somehow got lucky we could always return for the sled and then fetch the meat.

This trip was fruitful in that Renee gained a lot of hunting experience even if she wasn't able to connect. This was to be the first hunt in which Renee was able to get a caribou in her cross-hairs.

We found our same lonely pal and he was skittish as ever, mostly. We stopped the machine about 1,000 yards away. He hadn't noticed us and continued to feed. We slogged through some knee deep snow and closed to 400 yards before he busted us and took off on at a ground eating trot. We noted his direction and took our time getting back to the machine.

Our plan was simple: try to get within 1,000 yards on the machine and park the machine in plain sight then sneak in as close as possible. My simplest plans often work, but not always in the way I envision.

We headed in the direction the caribou had headed. Our pace was leisurely and I scanned the horizon for the first sign of our caribou who had somehow disappeared. Suddenly something just ahead appeared to be out of place. I could see something in the snow right in our line of travel. I got out the binoculars and low and behold there was our caribou just 75 yards away.

Only his eyes and ears were visible and it appeared that he had fallen into a hole or had simply been swallowed by a snow drift. I got the gun out but instead of getting Renee in position for a shot I continued to gawk at the caribou like wondering what in the world he had gotten himself into.

This went on for several minutes. Finally the caribou got tired of making a fool out of the village idiot(me) and he sprang to life and was off and running.

I still can't believe the the caribou had played me for the fool that I am and simply laid down in a small depression and held his head and neck low to the ground in hopes that he would go unnoticed. I knew that mule deer will use this trick but I had no idea that caribou could be so cunning.

We started our plan from the beginning and were able to get Renee in position for a shot on three separate occasions. Each time the distance was close to 200 yards and the caribou would shift position just as Renee began to squeeze the trigger. In the end she never fired a shot but she came away with a much better understanding of stalking and shooting game. She repeated several times, "I had my shot, I should have taken it!" Haha, haven't we all been there?! Hearing that took me right back to my early hunts! How many times did I utter those words 30 years ago?

I'm pretty darn proud of her!

Renee on our trusty steed. Our machine turned 1,000 miles so I thought that we had better stop and take a photo.


Renee is always all smiles when we are out.

Congrats to your girl kid! The pics are fine. I do unnastan ‘bout them froze fones, however.

Thanks for sharing. I love seeing pictures of kids hunting and having parents that are willing to pass that on.

Thanks for sharing!

Just an outstanding post, thanks for sharing!

This. Keep 'em coming.

My two years (94/94) in Barrow (GPS only) and 8 in Kotzebue(2010-2018 - GPS, range finder, iphone, Canon SLR) taught me to keep my electronics inside my parka. Those iphones especially go dead in the cold quickly!

Your directions confused me. It was just a couple hundred yards going north from my residence in mid-town to hit the ocean shore. Mostly I went south east for my caribou hunting out of Barrow, tho east and south worked also.

You have a keeper-daughter there!

The only foxes I saw while in Barrow lived under the buildings out at NARL (now Illisagvik College) , so they must be at a higher point right now, tho lemmings were at a high when we were there also. My 100 lb Lab would catch and eat 8 lemmings before I would make him stop. 9 would make him puke.

I loved the nesting Snowy Owls everywhere near town. They should be getting back soon, if not already there.

Have you seen any bears yet? I only ever saw one live one, but didn't really work at it.

congrats to you and your daughter . keep it up . she will be a fine hunter .

Wow. Just wow

You guys are awesome!

Great read and pictures, thanks for sharing.

That was intentional, I don't want people over running my honey hole! Haha

Actually we always head East and hunt between Cake Eater Road and the Lagoon, usually down by the gas plant. That time we headed North towards Illisagvik and the Point.

And I agree, Renee is one in a million!

We haven't seen any polar bears but they were in town and specifically in out neighborhood(we live near the gas station) a lot this year before the ice formed. There was a female with half grown cubs that was getting way too familiar with the place, with one cub going into a home's entryway before being chased off. There were also several young males walking nonchalantly around town.

Outstanding! Wonderful story - thanks for sharing.

Awesome !!

Two thumbs up for you & your beautiful daughter.

Outstanding!

I believe this is my favorite hunt write-up of all time.

One day (or maybe even right now), Miss Renee will look back & realize she's the richest girl in all of AK, to have a Dad who'll do this with her. AND, that her Dad went out & found her an absolute unicorn of a rifle!

Classic, & classy - the entire story.

Weidmannsheil!

FC

One of the most refreshing and heartwarming posts I've ever seen on the fire. Please keep being the great dad you are, and post more hunts with your precious daughter.

Great read! You are a lucky man. Enjoy the time, she will be grown and gone before you know it.

I too thoroughly enjoyed your post. I was surprised though at your comment in which you said that you teach in the largest elementary school in Alaska. I would think that would be in Anchorage, not in Barrow.

When I was there in mid-90's, Ipalook Elementary had 800 plus students grades 1-6, but also including "pre-school" down to 3 years old.

Long, cold winters up there..... . and a real handy baby sitting service.

I don't disaproove, from an educational/socialization POV.

Anchorage has probably a couple dozen elementary schools. Logistics are different.

I see, thanks. I was just curious.