USA: Family Caribou Hunt

huntinlabs

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Many of you have seen my post about the 40 mile caribou hunt last winter. Well this year my wife said to me she wanted to do the fall hunt and get her a caribou that she can mount. So the wheels start turning. I only had a few weeks to prepare for the hunt and figure out a safe spot to camp for my family. I threw out some invites for swapping some hunts with some members. Then another invite to @Ridgewalker couldnt make it happen do to prior commitments. So I ask a buddy of mine that hunted the winter hunt with me but didnt end up with a caribou. If he wanted to go and he was up for it. So now I have my wife my 2 kids a 7 year old daughter (or will be 7 tomorrow) and my 5 year old son. My friend and his 10 year old son. The plan is I will head out before him to try to find a spot for camp and find some caribou for opening day the following day. So both of them are after bulls that they will put in the wall and I am after a young meat bull.

After about 4 hours of riding around in the 4 wheeler and side by side we finally find a good place to set up camp. I help get my tent up and leave my wife and kids to run back to the truck to meet my buddy todd. We met up and rode back to camp to cook some food since it was about 6pm. After we eat we decide to go glass this herd of caribou I seen from a distance earlier in the day. We had about 300 on the slope above us but we wanted to see what all was out there.

We drive down the trail and spot a new herd. As we are glassing we see 4 nice bulls with 2 definite shooters. So a game plan is made. We knew they wouldnt stay in the valley they were in but figured and hoped they would be in the same general area. We slowly back out and go back to camp and relax. The way the day was looking we would still have enough light to go out at midnight and try to get on them.

We all decide to take a nap and wake up at 1130 to see if we can go out. Well it was to dark sonqe decide to get up at 5 am.

Sunday morning is opening day and we are up and out of the tents at 5 am. We get the coffee made come up with a game plan and head down the road. We get to the valley and the caribou are no where to be found. We figured they headed up to the top of the ridge for the night and prepare for the ascend.

We coach our kids because we know it is about to be brutal. They all say they are up for so up we go, and boy did we go up. 3 miles later and 2500 foot of elevation we are almost to the top.

After our last break we make sure everyone understands now is the time to be quiet. We figure we will make it to the top sit for a while and see if we cant glass the herd if they arent up there. Well not 10 yards from the top a young bull runs up and looks down at us. I fire and he takes off trotting but I know it's a dead caribou.

We finally break the top and when we look left we see the herd. We all drop and call on our hands and knees about 100 yards and slowly stand up. My wife looks out and says there is the one I seen yesterday I want him. Todd sees a nice bull stand up to the left and the 3 count begins. On 3 they both fire I see my wifes hunch up and slowly start to walk off so she keeps firing. He finally goes down! So within 5 minutes of the first shot we have 3 caribou bulls dead. 2 nice ones that are not only the first for caribou but the first for an Alaskan big game for my wife and Todd. What a great trip and wonderful memories

It's all high fives and then the work begins. I forgot to take pictures of my bull and I left his horns up there to cut down on weight.

Here are some pictures if I come across more I will post them.

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Well done on your successful hunt! I am as excited as you are with your wife's first Alaskan big game - please extend my sincere congratulations to her.
You now have some more great family photographs for the wall.
 
A perfect Sunday! Great job!
Cheers,
Cody
 
What a great family outing! Memories to last a lifetime.
 
I just love these family hunts! After hearing what a tough climb it was and then having to pack all that meat back down the mountain, it’s probably a good thing this old man couldn’t make it there!
Congratulations to your lady for her first AK trophy! It’s a dandy!(y)
You just never know, I might just show up on your doorstep begging for some caribou meat some day!:whistle:
Keep those kids playing in the outdoors! You’re bringing them up well!;)
 
Awesome family hunt!! Congrats on some nice bulls!!!
 
Wow what a great hunt. Congrats to all. Sorry I couldn't make but still in Oz;)
 
A great hunt with family and friends that will provide memories for years to come. Then there is that added benefit of having meat in the family freezer. Apart from that just think in a few more years all four of you will be hunting. Then the fun will really begin. I envy you in that respect.
 
I just love these family hunts! After hearing what a tough climb it was and then having to pack all that meat back down the mountain, it’s probably a good thing this old man couldn’t make it there!
Congratulations to your lady for her first AK trophy! It’s a dandy!(y)
You just never know, I might just show up on your doorstep begging for some caribou meat some day!:whistle:
Keep those kids playing in the outdoors! You’re bringing them up well!;)

As far as the packing out went we only had to pack it halfway down before some miners saved us. They have us permission to cross their claim so we could get a side by side to them.

As far as showing up. You are always welcome just make sure something is in season when you do so we can go hunt something.
 
Mate, that is just such a wonderful memory you made with your kids! I’m very happy for you!

Thank you.. I am sure there are alot of grown men that would have quit on that hike up. But the kids held their energy and excitement the whole way. When we got to the top and immediately shot caribiu with no resting I told them this will is probably one of the hardest things in life they will have to do and they already accomplished it. I am hoping the memory will be burned in their head for a lifetime
 
The young one looks well recovered. Nice to see him fully involved in the family adventure.

Congratulations on all your successes.
 
Well done, great story!
 
What a great adventure for the kids. They look like they had a great time. Nice camp. Looks like a great time was had by all. Lots of good eating there.
Bruce
 
awesome story, awesome pics, and awesome family.

Best I could do is trade a Mississippi Trophy Squirrel Hunt for a caribou hunt.
lol. there's a thread floating around somewhere on here about those.
 
That was a fine write up, with great fotos...........this old grampa never tires of seeing cuties out on a hunt........also nice to see the Remington 742 (or 4) still bringing home venison...........well done to all......................FWB
 
awesome story, awesome pics, and awesome family.

Best I could do is trade a Mississippi Trophy Squirrel Hunt for a caribou hunt.
lol. there's a thread floating around somewhere on here about those.

I have seen that post floating around. Do yo think you could get me on one of those rare black squirels lol
 

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