After breakfast, the entire camp loaded up into 23’ motorized canoes and started the long boat ride to a far section of the lake. It took us 70 minutes to get there but once there, Bill and I looked at each other with a big Grinch-like grin. There were caribou all over the place, and they were mostly big bulls.
 |
This scene was exactly what we were hoping for - caribou were everywhere! |
 |
These two bulls were sparring in the morning sun.. |
We all picked a different section of the lake to hunt. Bill and I went to the far end of the lake, behind a long peninsula. We jumped out of the boat and walked to the back of a long swampy meadow, which was framed by thick spruce and tamarack trees. Several caribou were making their way down through the swamp but they were small, and certainly not what we were looking for.
 |
We saw mostly bulls, some were big and some were small. This bull was smaller than we were looking for. |
An hour later Bill noticed a bull moving along the skyline across from us. He was a spectacular bull, with great tops, bottoms and double shovels. He was a bit weak on width – but everything else was superb.
 |
This was the bull we were after - he was a trophy |
At 11:30 AM, the bull moved down the hillside, past the trees, and into open meadow of the swamp. Once there, he met up and fed alongside two smaller bulls. We cautiously moved to get the wind in our favor. Our first thought was that they would follow some previous caribou that had crossed through the swamp. So we set up, downwind, at a trail that exited the marsh and headed to the open country.
 |
The bull moved into the trees and was working over several small trees... |
We kept the caribou in sight at all times - hoping to intersect the big bull. He was still feeding in the meadow and showed no interest in leaving the swamp. We discussed more aggressive options, but all of them were risky. Waiting for the bull to move down our end was the best bet.
At 1:30 PM, the big bull, along with two small bulls, started to head in our direction. We caught glimpses of him through the trees and could hear him thrashing brush with his antlers. We were ready, but he would not come out. Several times we repositioned to intercept him, just to have him turn around and go back to the open meadow. At 2:30 PM, after spending over 3 hours on this bull, he moved into the middle of the meadow and bedded down.
 |
The bull bedded in the open at 2:30 in the afternoon - we decided to make things happen |
At this point, our options were clear. Bill could get as close as possible then wait him out – then hope for the best, or I could attempt to “nudge” the bull toward bill. There was a slight opening through the trees on our end that would be the most obvious route for the bull to take. Bill and I decided that this was our best shot.
I waited for Bill to get positioned in the trees, then I slowly moved upwind 300 yards before walking, in plain sight, across the open meadow.
 |
Bill positioned himself for the "nudge" |
 |
The nudge worked perfectly, the bull turned to face me one last time - before walking past Bill. The bull is only 30 yards from Bill - who is tucked into the evergreens behind him.. |
At first the bull did nothing. I could see him still bedded in the open as I stepped out into the meadow. This was good. I needed for him to wind me first. Then I needed for him to see me head to the opposite side of the meadow. Another hundred yards my wind hit the bull. He stood up, and looked in my direction. So far, so good! I moved steadily to the opposite treeline – the bull watchin my every step. Like magic, the bull slowly walked in Bill’s direction. From where I was standing, I could not see the shot – but I did see the bull sprinting through the trees after walking past Bill's clump of trees.
As I approached Bill, I could see his smile from a hundred yards away – and he gave me a thumb's-up. The setup worked like a charm. The bull moved past bill at 12 yards, and Bill made a great shot.
We climbed a ridge to get a vantage point. The blood trail was good, but it was faster to look for him this way. Bill spotted him dead beside a tree next to a small pond. As we approached the bull, there was no ground shrinkage – he was a spectacular bull! Bill was just thrilled – and I was too.
 |
Bill's first caribou, and his first PY-class animal. This great bull green-scored 344 Net P&Y. Bill was using a Bowtech Old Glory to take this trophy caribou. |
Watch the video of Bill's Caribou and Shot - 5.7mb - Windows Media
Our excursion turned out to be a good move for our camp. All the rifle hunters tagged out. That left 3 bowhunters (including myself) without a filled tag, and Bill with one tag to go. We were coming right back to this spot tomorrow morning. It was my turn to shoot.
