"Caribou" songs from my Mosin Nagant.....

[caribou]

We parked at the village gravle pit unable to take a 4 wheeler across the snow encrusted creek, having spotted a few Caribou a few miles distan, we jumped from ice to ice and threw our stuffs across to get at em.....as they were meandering with the wind and a collison course with us if we got across the creek and up that hillside.



So heres a picture finding me and neighbor Joe walking about 2-1/2 miles up the mountain behind our village, and then we turned Left real sudden like, into the wind, another mile and we walked up on bedding caribou, the only 4 in sight, one standing , 3 down....Sweet.



I got mine where he lay, Joe got his as it stood for a broadside






Then , in more of a B-line, but still intersecting the Selawik/Noorvik stake trail,for easyier walking, we head'd back down....yaaaa, all down hill from there.....about a 2 1/2 mile walk back to the ride, but quite well worth it. Should have brought a walking stick for the pack back!! nothing worse than wrenching when you lift a load out there, or try to stop yourself from falling....Tundra is baaaaaad. lucky the hides are useless and the meats skinny, great drying weather right now too...no flys yet 24 hours light, breezy but not windy....summers here, the ice went a few days ago, that was a great hunt as well.



Joes pack busted its straps as he butcher'd down, and his pack swung its weight around.

I let Mine get stiff and balanced it by cutting off the neck. I put the neck meat in my possibles bag with the Heart and Tounge to counterbalance my rifle, and the 90 or so lbs of meats was quite easy to carry cleanly.


Once at the house the oldest daughter cleaned it while mom sharpend knifes.





It was all over in short order, sliced diced and put away.

 

[Cob]

Congrats... Hope the caribou tongue was good. How much does an average caribou weigh? Is he picking up the whole animal on his shoulders? I've never seen a caribou in the wild, and thought they were bigger, maybe it's a young one?

 

[ultradoc]

congrats. looks like you will be eating good!

 

[caribou]

Yep a immature 2 year old bull I picked to shoot for his light weight, 'cause it was a long way down to the ride
Carrying him that way on my shoulders was alot easier thatn the hard top pack that turned to tortureous packing for my pard......so I gave him an extra pack when he dropped me off at home.

Heart, Tounge and Briskit meat/bones was quite awsome, my favorite soup.

 

[Cosmoline]

I was talking to Star this morning. I won't show her this thread!

But I wouldn't mind a freezer of that meat.

 

[armoredman]

Yummy.

 

[Wheeler44]

After 28 years of livin' amongst the chechakos, I leave to move back home tomorrow. I thank you caribou, for givin' me a small taste of Alaska these last few years. In fact you might have contributed to my decision to return home. I won't be anywhere near as far north as you or even as far north as Cosmoline. But I'm goin' home to my Alaska and I'm almost in tears, I'm so happy. Have a great summer you guys.

W44

 

[caribou]

Awsome, Wheeler, I hope your escape from the 49 is safe, fast and fun

if you do find yerself so far north, drop me a line, never know

 

[Wheeler44]

Will do caribou....As soon as the homestead is cleared and the cabin is built and the garden is in and the livestock pens are made and..and.. and....

But you never know, I've always wanted to get up your way...and when I do I'll look you up.