[caribou]

I hope the repitition of my seasonal events hasnt got you all yawning by now, so here I am again....
Ox hunting.

We now have a general "Open" season, so we have to hunt Ox ASAP, to beat everyone and his dog to them....LOL!
Only 16 are being allowed to be harvested this year, up from the previous 10.
"However" it is open to any and all Alaskan residents, so we get out early, and hunted with the rising tide, using our big bopat for transpo. This happend about 1 mile from our camp, at the Kiwalik lagoon, and we had them in sight for about a week.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/th_CLIP0008.jpg (http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/?action=view&current=CLIP0008.flv)
Soooooooooo......before we shot, I very thourly didscussed shot placement with the boys.
Winter Ox have quite a bit of wool, which , in sighting on them, puts the neck bones about mid neck.
Being Summer, they havent quite the wool grown, but still have the long hairshanging, so the neck bones would appear to be "Higher" for sighting in on......well, we talked it over and decided that the Heart is still in the same area, and thats where we would place our shots.
Doug hit the heart and the Aorta on both his shots, and in 30 or so second, his was "Meat"
Doug had "First shot" as Jon and I had the last 2 taken home, so it was his "Turn" :D
He took the Ox that had all the Ladys in a group, and out of the 19 Ox attending, 5 were mature Bulls. The Big Bad Boy had the other 4 lingerting on the fringes, as they were just waiting for him to sleep or turn away :P
The "Fringe" Bulls, as we call them wernt far off, and as you see they came up from the river to see what was happening.
Too bad for them! :lol
After Dougs double shot, Jon (Who is and acts like hes 17) decided it was gonna be a neck/head shot as usual, with dim results.......
I shot 3rd, as I love watching the boys do a good job, and was rather happy with my results.
I made mine a heart shot as did Doug, and my results were a 10 second kill :roll:
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/th_CLIP0016-1.jpg (http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/?action=view&current=CLIP0016-1.flv)

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/th_CLIP0018.jpg (http://s53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/?action=view&current=CLIP0018.flv)
If only the kid would have listend.......the first shot hit low, and busted the bulls jaw, and he ran into the herd for safety, but with his mouth hanging wide open, gushing blood, he was most definitly "Marked"
2 more shots to the neck had little effect, but with some taunting from his brother, and me spoooking the herd away from the wounded Bull, Jon put one behind the horn, and you can hear the bullet whine from richoche'n off the other sides horn..... :roll: Dropped him right there, though. Not as neat as we like, but the results were desirable. MEAT!

Jon
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0024-1.jpg
Doug and our camera woman, Mom.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0034-1.jpg

Me (I'm the one with the Rifle....)
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0025-1.jpg

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0068.jpg
Butchering as a family, cept eldest daughter was feeling a plugged up head cold , and stayed in camp.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0038-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0041-2.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0042-4.jpg
Intestines braided , to be made into sausage casings later.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0064-1.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0065-1.jpg

Of course, I couldnt pass up the lonly ol' Caribou that wanderd by the next day, after morning coffee....
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0053-2.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0071-2.jpg
Fishing has been AWSOME! The Girls all work with mom, and greens, Geese, and cutting meats is getting to be a skill under all their belts :D
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0001-2.jpg

Smoked, dried, 1/2 dried...Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.......

This is one happy Agnes!
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g71/edwardhailstone/PICT0076-1.jpg
What more could a fellow want? Happy kids, an M-39 with lots 'o Czech silvertips and a woman who out fishe's her guy, beautifull, and loving the hunting so much, she wakes me early and gass's the boat.... :grin:

[BruceRDucer]

Nice photos & story. :)

[caribou]

Thanks, BruceRDucer....

Theres a good pic of what kina hole in a large Heart an FMJ can make, and there was little left of the Aorta where the 2nd shot (My eldest son, who shot first) passed through, so I trimmed it down and took home the "edible":D

[tokarev762]

Caribou, don't anyone tell you any different.

You are one lucky man to have a family like that.

p.s. Those M-N 39's rifles sure are sweet!

[xd45gaper]

dang i was just going to ask if that was a mosin in that picture lol.

you are a very very lucky man!!

[BruceRDucer]

Caribou:

I can see the heart shot. That is some very serious marksmanship, and any time you do that you can be very proud.

Altogether, you have had a unique experience. :)

[caribou]

Thanks!
The Heart shot was made by my oldest son who shot first, and since we do mostly neck shots,the Bull diddnt drop fast enough for him, Id guess,so he back'd up his shot with a quick second, and 5 seconds later it plopped over, just behind the edge of the group.Both shots were killers.
He tore up the aorta with one of them,and holed the Heart itsself.
I'm the heart shooting 3rd Bull, who ran 20 yards and fell over with but one shot. My shot ripped the heart in 3 and I tossd it.
My second oldest son tryed to shoot the neck bone with not so hot results, but a definit kill. Hope he learned something....
I teach my kids good shooting habits and buy them ammo by them case.
It pays to play!
Practise practise practise....