Day 4
Our first Cow calls sounded out in the dim
light of morning, but went without reply on yet another graceful day in an
amazing part of the world.
Glassing upstream from a high point on the
river bank several kilometers from Spike camp, I could see a Caribou in what
looked to be a defensive stand before circling into the binoculars lens came a
large pitch black Wolf. We wasted no time and rushed to get into position and
stalk the Wolf. I had unfinished business with a black wolf from day one.
Business was never foreclosed as the Wolf
had crossed the river one too many times while trying to break the Caribou down
and eventually headed off into the mountains to lap up some sun shine, all
before I could close the gap. Maybe the Wolf left a little too quickly as the
Caribou looked to be on his very last legs, as they were were giving out from
under him. His bottom jaw quivered in the cold wind and he slunk lower and
lower to the freezing water where the wolf had bailed him into. Maybe this was
the wolfs plan all along and he would return later when the job had been done.
This was a real National Geographic moment and amazing to watch hunter and prey
in their game of life.
As we headed back up the river with the
wind in our favour, we crossed our tracks from the day before, but we hadnt
been the only creatures to walk onto our tracks. A Grizzly Bear had also walked
our tracks along with a wolf. We wondered who was following who? Awesome and a
little concerning at the same time, especially since the Grizzly covered much
of my size eleven boot prints.
Another day passed and the bulls of both
Moose and Caribou kept hidden from the binoculars, silent with our calls and
passed nowhere in front of our footsteps.
