Bowsite.com

The bad weather had lifted and while I was hoping for some cool, bug free weather I was not going to get my wish. We dropped Neil, Bill and Frank off from Knud's boat at the far end of the mountain range. We then drove the skiff to the opposite end where we would start climbing. I gulped. It looked like I was climbing from sea level to sheep country.

The goal was to power our way to the top and then ridge-run from opposite ends meeting in the middle. But before we started climbing I got to meet Knud's dad and his two twin daughters who had been picking blueberries on the hillside. The simple joy on their faces was priceless and I was appreciative of their simple, happy life, a life without texting, x-box, and instagram.

My simple delight turned to horror as I looked straight up the steep slope. The good news was I was paired up with Gary Gapp who was an accomplished 71 year old bowhunter from North Fork Idaho. The fact that he was 71 was not lost on me when we were deciding who would hunt with whom. I am 48 and my exercise routine has been, shall we say, deficient this past year. Being paired up with Gary was a smart move - I could move slower and no doubt we'd be waiting for him to catch up.

Wrong. Knud heads up the mountain like an Ibex chased by a Siberian tiger. Gary is right there with him the entire time. The only time they would stop was to let my fat ass catch up to them. It was horrible. Only my good friend Dwight Schuh could make me feel like a bigger loser. Unlike Kyle, and the other fitness Nazis that post here on Bowsite, I get in shape only when I have to get in shape. I lost 30lbs for my goat hunt and ran every day. But this was no goat hunt, so I didn't do squat. Now I was embarrassed and paying the price for all those steak dinners and adult beverages.

Gary and Knud were wonderful. They would stop and let the youngest of this threesome catch up where I would cough up a lung right there on the side of that mountain. In all honesty, it was not that big of a mountain. I just tried really hard to keep up at the beginning and I burned myself out. My worst fear was to hold Gary back and I was concerned that he may see me as a drag on on his hunt. My only reason for being there was to help him, and I wasn't doing that by making them wait for me.

By the fourth rest stop I told them to continue to the top of the first bench where I would meet up with them. They headed up and I gave myself the time I needed to get my wind.

When I caught up with them they were glassing the mountain but had not seen anything yet. Three pairs of eyes are always better than two and by some miracle of fate I happened to notice something walk between the pass 600 yards above us. I pulled up my Minox binoculars and identified an absolute monster caribou walking through that pass. He was sky-lined for 4 seconds but before he vanished I was able to point him out to Knud and Gary. This bull was superb, better than I expected for Greenland. I immediately told Gary and Knud to go on ahead. Me slowing them down at this point was not an option, I would not allow that. They took off after that bou faster than Lance Armstrong racing up a hill to his next course of HGH. Gary was damn impressive.

I worked my way to the top and looked for my two companions. At first I didn't see them so I glassed the backside of the mountain looking for both a monster caribou, and my two friends. I found them, but no caribou. They got up here in record time but failed to find the big bull. Gary moved off to glass a different angle while Knud and I stayed put, glassing what was left of the vertical face. I can't explain it, but something caught my eye and once again pulled up my Minoc's in time to see a velvet covered rack feeding 250 yards above us. Like before, he was only visible when for a second or two.

Got him! I said to Knud as we motioned Gary back to us.

I agreed to keep watch from below and signal them since I had a good view. From that point on I watched as Gary and Knud scrambled up that hill. I could see them get into position and it was obvious they were on the bull. Three was a crowd, this was all Gary. I didn't dare get in the way or try to film the kill. Before long they were out of sight and stayed that way for over an hour.

The sound of commotion above me made me turn in time to see a massive caribou bull run down the hill then fall over dead. Gary did it! He executed a perfect stalk and then had the patience to wait out the bull who eventually gave him a tough shot for anyone but an experience bowunter. I was just thrilled for him. He did everything right.

The bull was impressive. We took lots of photos and did a lot of patting on the back. I told Gary that he was lucky that he was dragging my fat ass up that mountain. Had I been keeping up we would never have been in the right place to get that 4 second window to spot the bull. We both had a good laugh over that strange, but accurate factoid.

The other guys met up with us as Knud was busy caping and butchering Gary's bull. It was a happy moment for all six of us on that mountain. I had the honor of carrying Gary's cape and horns down to sea level. Going down was way easier than up - even with the load.

On the way down Neil and I spotted another good bull, not quite the caliber of Gary's but a mature shooter no doubt. He was not on to us yet so we motioned frantically for Frank and Bill who were unaware of the caribou feeding 500 yards to our west. The wind was wrong and by the time they got the message and stalked the bull he was long gone.

At the boat we loaded all meat and horns and headed back to camp. We celebrated once again over caribou steaks and hot chocolate. Unfortunately the Black Velvet was long gone.

It's Bill's turn tomorrow. Bad weather is forecast for our last full hunting day but unless we have zero visibility it will be a massive last minute push to get another trophy caribou. After today, I'd say his odds are pretty good.

Gear Used on this Bowhunt: Binoculars



I would just assume forget my bow than my Minox binoculars. A quality pair of optics is a must on adventures like this one in Greenland. My optics were a permanent fixture around my neck during this hunt and they were absolutely vital for the intense action we experienced today. You owe it to yourself to find a Minox dealer and see for yourself. Minox are German designed and manufactured by the finest lens makers in Europe and are by far the sharpest binoculars I own. More Information Here