Almost had one tonight
07-04-2003, 12:58 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 1,665
Almost had one tonight
It was nice getting out hunting again. I think I was starting to go through withdrawls. 
I saw some caribou about a mile off towards the river, so I started a hike in on them. While I was heading in towards them, I had to cross a creek about 3/4 of the way out. While I was wading accross the creek, I noticed antlers down in the gully of the creek about 200 yards off, so I decided to go after that bull because the others were in the wide open. I had a perfect stalk going in on him, and managed to get within 30 yards, but my rubber hip waiders were making just a touch too much noise and he got curious and came up to the edge of the creek to see what it was. I held tight, and he came in closer, but held up around 25 yards staring me down, and I was caught in the wide open. I had an arrow nocked and my release on the string loop, just hoping he would get careless, turn sideways and start munching on the grass. Nope, he backed off and kept about a 45-50 yard gap between us. I managed to work my way slowly in again on him, using the cut banks of the creek for cover, and the mud was quiet walking, but I never could get into an area where I could take 15 or so yards of the distance away.
Ah well, guess I still keep my tag for another night. I saw tons of caribou tonight, probably upwards of 2000, and did get a couple other stalks in, but the long walks into the legal areas take up a lot of time. At least I should start losing some of this gut that has developed over the winter!
I saw some caribou about a mile off towards the river, so I started a hike in on them. While I was heading in towards them, I had to cross a creek about 3/4 of the way out. While I was wading accross the creek, I noticed antlers down in the gully of the creek about 200 yards off, so I decided to go after that bull because the others were in the wide open. I had a perfect stalk going in on him, and managed to get within 30 yards, but my rubber hip waiders were making just a touch too much noise and he got curious and came up to the edge of the creek to see what it was. I held tight, and he came in closer, but held up around 25 yards staring me down, and I was caught in the wide open. I had an arrow nocked and my release on the string loop, just hoping he would get careless, turn sideways and start munching on the grass. Nope, he backed off and kept about a 45-50 yard gap between us. I managed to work my way slowly in again on him, using the cut banks of the creek for cover, and the mud was quiet walking, but I never could get into an area where I could take 15 or so yards of the distance away.
Ah well, guess I still keep my tag for another night. I saw tons of caribou tonight, probably upwards of 2000, and did get a couple other stalks in, but the long walks into the legal areas take up a lot of time. At least I should start losing some of this gut that has developed over the winter!
07-04-2003, 01:03 AM
#2
Join Date: Jun 2003
Posts: 11
RE: Almost had one tonight
Hey, Thanks for the story!
My wife and I are probably going to be moving up to Alaska in about a year from now. We are both teachers and have some connections up there but are looking right now at the Anchorage area (meaning within 100 miles of the place). How do you like Fairbanks? Any other areas that we might want to consider?
I' m looking forward to hunting Caribou when we go up there.
Jason
My wife and I are probably going to be moving up to Alaska in about a year from now. We are both teachers and have some connections up there but are looking right now at the Anchorage area (meaning within 100 miles of the place). How do you like Fairbanks? Any other areas that we might want to consider?
I' m looking forward to hunting Caribou when we go up there.
Jason
07-04-2003, 01:13 AM
#3
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Harford Co Maryland USA
Posts: 4,966
RE: Almost had one tonight
ABM--I was impressed by some of the racks you got to with-in spittin' distance of in the video you sent. When you get your next monster, post a pic for us.
We' ll all be eating caribou and moost roasts at the get-together tomorrow courtesy of your generosity! [8D]
We' ll all be eating caribou and moost roasts at the get-together tomorrow courtesy of your generosity! [8D]
07-04-2003, 01:36 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Fairbanks, Alaska
Posts: 1,665
RE: Almost had one tonight
medium, if you don' t mind some remote living, you could work for bigger bucks as teachers out in the villages. My mother in law is about to quit her position in Kotzebue as a teacher, and start working in Wasilla or Anchorage in the next year or two. If your wife and you can stand the remoteness, you might want to look into a village. You will meet some great people, and nearly all of them hunt, and know where the animals are at.
Fairbanks is a nice sized town, about 80,000 people and plenty of small, outlying communities. There are two major high schools, then a catholic high school in town, and probably 4 or 5 jr. high schools.
Anchorage is sizeably bigger, and that is probably where I will end up in a few years after moving back from Las Vegas. If you want to be in a big city, Anchorage is the place for you. Wasilla and Palmer are good sized towns as well, and I know a lot of people very happy living there.
It all depends on what you want as far as living conditions, accesibility to things and what kind of work environment you want to be in. Whereever you end up though, there' s going to be hunting opportunities right there.
Dave, I hope you guys enjoy the roasts. If I knew that many people were coming, I would of given you guys a few more! I got pretty close to some nice bulls tonight, but in the closed areas, not in legal grounds. Hopefully I' ll connect here pretty soon. I got some close up pictures of a couple of bulls tonight.
Have fun tomorrow! Say hi to the guys for me.
Fairbanks is a nice sized town, about 80,000 people and plenty of small, outlying communities. There are two major high schools, then a catholic high school in town, and probably 4 or 5 jr. high schools.
Anchorage is sizeably bigger, and that is probably where I will end up in a few years after moving back from Las Vegas. If you want to be in a big city, Anchorage is the place for you. Wasilla and Palmer are good sized towns as well, and I know a lot of people very happy living there.
It all depends on what you want as far as living conditions, accesibility to things and what kind of work environment you want to be in. Whereever you end up though, there' s going to be hunting opportunities right there.
Dave, I hope you guys enjoy the roasts. If I knew that many people were coming, I would of given you guys a few more! I got pretty close to some nice bulls tonight, but in the closed areas, not in legal grounds. Hopefully I' ll connect here pretty soon. I got some close up pictures of a couple of bulls tonight.
Have fun tomorrow! Say hi to the guys for me.
07-04-2003, 08:22 AM
#6
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: western N.Y.
Posts: 196
RE: Almost had one tonight
Artic bowmen, that was a great story, I am very jealous, not really, I would love to be up there with you stalking the bank' s of the creek' s sound' s like alot
of fun, untill bow open' s here I guess I' ll just have to stalk the bank' s for rainbows,
please keep me posted,,
not really, I would love to be up there with you stalking the bank' s of the creek' s sound' s like alotof fun, untill bow open' s here I guess I' ll just have to stalk the bank' s for rainbows,
please keep me posted,,
