day2
[Note: Quebec allows 2 caribou with either gun or bow]
The day started off calm enough. But the caribou and the fickle Hudson
Bay weather would add plenty of excitement before we hit the rack that
night.
After a pow wow with the other guides the previous night, Dionn knew
right where he wanted to point his big wood boat, and he wasted no time
heading out this morning. In fact, we left about a half an hour earlier
than usual. The extra gas can should have been hint enough that Dionn
was serious about finding some big bulls. With a light breeze at our backs,
we headed east and was again afforded the sight of hundreds, thousands,
of caribou on their yearly migration route in and through the area known
as Nunami (Inuit for inland).
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Boreal babes blue-eyed heart-throb...our guide, Dionn!
Part; mariner, African tracker, butcher, psychologist, aboriginal
caribou whisperer, and all around good guy, Dionn was a pleasure
to hunt with. Now if he'll just learn how to use that Wind Tracker!
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One hour, four sets of rapids, and hundreds of swimming caribou later,
we beached the boat on the downwind side of a finger peninsula. Heading
inland, we bumped a few cow and calves, a necessary casualty to get to
the ridge that Dionn expected to find the big bulls using. Sure enough
after negotiating various caribou clusters, we made it to the ridge top.
And none too soon, as a small herd of large bulls was coming down the
spine of the ridge, in our direction. With only a small spruce deadfall
for cover, I crouched down and waited, trying to get as "small"
as possible.
As the herd split and filtered down slop on either side of us, unbelievably
the two best bulls, one a Booner for sure, dropped for a siesta, not 30
yrds upwind on the top of the ridge. After 20 minutes they got up and
headed my way. I let the first bull pass, and as I readied for the Booner,
he took a trail that put him too low for a shot. I made a move and cow
called, but he stopped behind a spruce and there was no responsible shot
opportunity.
With caribou moving all around us, we worked our way back to the tip of
the peninsula most of the animals were now using as a jumping off point
to swim across the lake.
The number of caribou using this area began to increase. They were coming
from every direction to enter the water in front of us. Some were running
hard as if a wolf pack (quite possible) were chasing them. One herd nearly
run us over, busting through trees and running by close enough to touch,
and in some cases, close enough for us to back away. The pounding hooves,
clicking ankles, cows and bulls both grunting and snorting in a blur of
antlers and fur was like a time machine taking us back to the Pleistocene
epoch
.
Then I saw him. A very large bull with a beautiful cape and huge set of
antlers to boot. Suddenly I didn't care about record books, or any other
worldly distractions; I had watched this bull enter the fray, and all
the other bulls gave him ample space.
Nunami gives, takes away, and gives again.
As he trotted by at approximately 12 yds, I put an arrow right where I
was looking and it was all over shortly. The bull ran 50 yds, turned around
ran back, and went down 20 yds in front of my position in the above picture.
What an experience. This bull netted 340 P&Y.
Well, my second day at Nunami; I'm tagged out and it's time to become
a camera man for Dan.
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Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Past Live Hunts
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