Not that I ever need an excuse to take Renee hunting, but I have to admit that I needed a recharge after a few weeks of being on lockdown, teaching from home and listening to the endless political BS on this forum(honestly all of it has gotten to be a bit over the top).

So Renee and I took the snowmobile, hitched up the sled, grabbed the 30-06 and headed out looking for meat. The weather was beautiful, 17f and clear blue skies.

We covered quite a bit of ground without seeing anything. I had stopped to glass in a spot that offered nearly endless views for about 270 degrees of the compass. With the naked eye the tundra appeared to be completely bare.

I took out my 10x Leicas and stood in one spot and slowly turned to scan the tundra in all directions. I had covered 180 degrees without seeing a single thing, then suddenly there the were. Two caribou were feeding not too far off. I couldn’t understand how I had missed them until I lowered the Bono’s and realized that they were a long, long way off.

I fired up the snow machine and we headed in a direction that would allow us to get a bit closer to the path the caribou seemed to be following.

On we were able to drop into a depression I shut the machine down and we dismounted for the stalk. We got within 350 yards but a stiff wind had picked up and I wasn’t going to chance the shot

Finally we closed to about 250 yards and I settled in for a shot. I had to take a kneeling shot with the wind making it difficult to get settled. Sudden one of the caribou paused broadside and I jerked the trigger. The shot was clean miss and I watched as the caribou ran in a semicircle that left them only a bit further away.

In moving closer I found a spot where I was hidden from the wind and could settle in for the shot. As the crosshairs settled I quickly squeezed the trigger. Immediately the caribou took flight, with the one I had targeted moving a bit faster than the other. I knew my shot was rushed but everything had felt good. Just as the caribou disappeared behind a rise I saw it slow, suddenly change directions and fall.

We went back to the machine and on our way back towards the caribou we found the blood trail. I have never seen anything like it. To the entire 80 yards of the death run there was unbelievable volumes of blood sprayed onto the snow.

The caribou was a calf which are always good eating this time of year.


https://i.postimg.cc/nzwPt510/.....-8980-A6-FE85-.jpg


Renee being Renee she just had to run the blood trail. She is quite the kid...

If you looks closely you can see the blood in the snow all the way back to where Renee is running and it continues on past the left side of the photo. The bullet entered behind the shoulder, clipped the heart and exited behind the offside shoulder. Only a bit of rib meat was lost and a bit of the heart.








We shared the meat with an elderly couple and another elderly neighbor. It’s nice being able to share the meat with people who truly value it.

Today we had tacos for lunch. I diced the meat and browned it then added garlic, onions, El Pato salsa and a bit of rice and beans. I would have gotten a picture but we were too busy eating.

That is what is all about.

Enjoy yourself with your family, first and foremost!

Well done my friend.

Very well done, congrats to you & your daughter.

Good job jbrown ,
I sure miss my caribou meat ...I hunted them in northern Quebec.... then they closed the season . I hope some day I'll be able to hunt caribou again ..
Bob

Always nice to get out for a hunt!

Thanks for posting the story.

Nice story, thank you for sharing.

Now that is how its done!!

Great job and good for you and your daughter.

Congrats to you and your pard!!!