bridger
04-19-2009, 05:53 PM
“That’s the biggest caribou I have ever seen. I’ll never get a chance at a bigger one, you guys have to let me go after him,” the Top Hand lamented. The object of the Top Hand’s frustration was a big bull lying sound asleep on a snow patch high above timberline enjoying the August sunshine.
Jon Johnson, Jerry Secrist, the Top Hand and I were on the Rabbit Plateau two days horse back west of Muncho Lake. We were hunting stone sheep and had hopes of taking a caribou or two along the way as well. When planning the trip we had made a pact. We would hunt sheep first; leaving the caribou hunting to the last few days.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/gundahoo1.jpeg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13774&size=big&cat=500)
The Rabbit Plateau was a wonderful place to hunt back in those days. Sparsely treed; its rolling terrain made traveling with a pack string easy. No soft ground, no big rivers, or high passes to contend with. Its great sheep mountains producing some awesome rams from time to time, but the real drawing card was moose and caribou. I have no doubt that I saw more really good bull caribou on that trip that at any other time. On our second day on the trail two record book bull moose stood by idly gazing at our pack string as we crossed the pass from Lue Creek onto the Gundahoo.
“I will only shoot once,” the Top Hand promised as he continued his lobbying efforts. Trouble was right now we were lying on the rim of a dandy sheep basin where we had seen three rams just at dark the previous evening. We were glassing for them when the Top Hand spotted the bull on the snow patch.
Jon R is a sheep hunter first above all else and figured that finding a caribou would be easier than finding a ram. “Top Hand if you blaze away at that caribou it’s likely you’ll spook these rams and we may not find them again,” Jon R explained. The Top Hand wasn’t buying in, his focus had shifted to the caribou; all thoughts of a ram now on the back burner.
“I promise I won’t spook the rams, the Top Hand continued. “Look all I have to do is circle to the right, get in that small draw and make my way to that big rock up there. I will only be about 75 yds from the bull. I can’t miss! One shot and it’s all over” The bull was about a half mile away and the Top Hand’s logic sound so the three of us reluctantly agreed. Gathering up his rifle and pack he was off. We settled back; continuing to look for the rams while keeping a casual eye on the Top Hands progress.
Soon we could see the Top Hand on hands and knee’s approaching the rock. We turned our spotting scopes on the snow patch and waited in anticipation. “Suddenly the sound a rifle shot came rolling across the plateau. The bull aroused from his slumber raised his head and looked around. At the sound of the second shot the bull was on his feet. At the sound of the third shot he was on the move. The fourth shot put him into high gear heading to the safety of the far side of the basin. Stopped about a half mile away the bull was staring at the Top Hand who was now standing on the snow patch alternately scratching his head, looking at his gun, then looking at the caribou. “So much for the one shot caribou hunt,” Jerry said laconically as the Top Hand began walking in our direction.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/jon_and_top_hand_caribou1.jpeg
Caribou have a reputation of beauty and good table fare, but hey are also curious and somewhat at the bottom of the animal IQ scale. As the Top Hand walked further into the basin the bull incredibly began running towards him stopping about 100 yds away. Sensing the bull’s presence, The Top Hand turned and carefully fired a fifth shot. This resulted in another clean miss and with the bull running in circle around the Top Hand trying to catch his scent. The Top Hand was now down on one knee firing in random and rapid sequence determined to put an end the matter. It reminded me of a John Wayne wagon train under attack. After three circles and with all of The Top Hands shells expended the three of us were in stitches. All thoughts of rams gone from our minds for the time being. This was just too hilarious.
The Top Hand was now walking dejectedly back our way; dumb founded as to what had just taken place. The caribou was standing a short ways away also wondering just what had taken place!
“Don’t say a word,” the Top Hand said sitting down on a rock beside me, “I am not that bad a shot!”
“I know, but you are entertaining at times.” I said getting a little shot in.
“Top Hand that’s the first time I ever saw anybody shoot fifteen times at a caribou and not even get his attention,” Jon R. said with a grin. “Looked to me like the caribou was enjoying it.”
Although he was in for some friendly jibes for a few days the Top Hand is an outstanding rifle shot and I suspected something wrong with his gun or scope. Later back at camp I took the Top Hands’ rifle and began a check of the various things that could be wrong. A close examination of the Redfield scope bases revealed that the windage screw had crystallized allowing the scope to change position at will. No way would the gun shoot accurately. The Top Hand and I had the same scope mounting system and as I had no shells for my rifle it was an easy fix to change the mounts from my gun to his. I had no shells because when I packed my gear instead of picking up fifty freshly reloaded 25/06 rounds I had mistakenly grabbed a box of fifty primed cases. So much for my hunting.
We left camp early the next morning heading for another sheep basin. We were in new country and would need to spend a couple of days getting the lay of the land. We were having a brief discussion as to what to do when the Top Hand looked up the mountain he had been on the day before. To our amazement there was the same bull asleep on the same snow patch. Talk about funny? No doubt in the Top Hands mind! He was going back to the snow patch and settled the score! Jerry wanted to go check out another basin to the East. Jon R and I would explore a sheepy looking mountain up river.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/jon_and_big_carbou.jpeg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13771&size=big&cat=500)
An hour later the faint sound of a shot told the story of The Top Hands successful rendezvous with the bull of the previous day. Heading back to camp later in the afternoon we heard several shots coming from the basin where Jerry was hunting.. Heading in that direction we found Jerry had taken a good bull caribou high up on an open hillside. We joined him and after tending to the bull headed back to camp. Passing a small creek opening I looked up a saw a really big bull caribou standing sound asleep in a small cut. I tied up my horse and took off up the hill. Jon stayed down on the creek bottom. He would be in a position to shoot if I spooked the bull. I had about another 100 yds to get to a spot above the bull when the wind shifted carrying my scent directly to the bull. Watching through his binoculars Jon told me later that the bull took off immediately; heading down hill. Fortunately for us he crossed the creek about 200 yds below Jon. One quick shot and Jon punched his tag, ending our hunt.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/rabbit_plateua_packstring.jpeg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13775&size=big&cat=500)
Although we never found any big rams this trip, it had been a great time. The country was full of moose, caribou, and grizzly bears and there was hardly a time when you couldn’t throw up your glasses and find game. It was quite a place back then.
Jon Johnson, Jerry Secrist, the Top Hand and I were on the Rabbit Plateau two days horse back west of Muncho Lake. We were hunting stone sheep and had hopes of taking a caribou or two along the way as well. When planning the trip we had made a pact. We would hunt sheep first; leaving the caribou hunting to the last few days.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/gundahoo1.jpeg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13774&size=big&cat=500)
The Rabbit Plateau was a wonderful place to hunt back in those days. Sparsely treed; its rolling terrain made traveling with a pack string easy. No soft ground, no big rivers, or high passes to contend with. Its great sheep mountains producing some awesome rams from time to time, but the real drawing card was moose and caribou. I have no doubt that I saw more really good bull caribou on that trip that at any other time. On our second day on the trail two record book bull moose stood by idly gazing at our pack string as we crossed the pass from Lue Creek onto the Gundahoo.
“I will only shoot once,” the Top Hand promised as he continued his lobbying efforts. Trouble was right now we were lying on the rim of a dandy sheep basin where we had seen three rams just at dark the previous evening. We were glassing for them when the Top Hand spotted the bull on the snow patch.
Jon R is a sheep hunter first above all else and figured that finding a caribou would be easier than finding a ram. “Top Hand if you blaze away at that caribou it’s likely you’ll spook these rams and we may not find them again,” Jon R explained. The Top Hand wasn’t buying in, his focus had shifted to the caribou; all thoughts of a ram now on the back burner.
“I promise I won’t spook the rams, the Top Hand continued. “Look all I have to do is circle to the right, get in that small draw and make my way to that big rock up there. I will only be about 75 yds from the bull. I can’t miss! One shot and it’s all over” The bull was about a half mile away and the Top Hand’s logic sound so the three of us reluctantly agreed. Gathering up his rifle and pack he was off. We settled back; continuing to look for the rams while keeping a casual eye on the Top Hands progress.
Soon we could see the Top Hand on hands and knee’s approaching the rock. We turned our spotting scopes on the snow patch and waited in anticipation. “Suddenly the sound a rifle shot came rolling across the plateau. The bull aroused from his slumber raised his head and looked around. At the sound of the second shot the bull was on his feet. At the sound of the third shot he was on the move. The fourth shot put him into high gear heading to the safety of the far side of the basin. Stopped about a half mile away the bull was staring at the Top Hand who was now standing on the snow patch alternately scratching his head, looking at his gun, then looking at the caribou. “So much for the one shot caribou hunt,” Jerry said laconically as the Top Hand began walking in our direction.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/jon_and_top_hand_caribou1.jpeg
Caribou have a reputation of beauty and good table fare, but hey are also curious and somewhat at the bottom of the animal IQ scale. As the Top Hand walked further into the basin the bull incredibly began running towards him stopping about 100 yds away. Sensing the bull’s presence, The Top Hand turned and carefully fired a fifth shot. This resulted in another clean miss and with the bull running in circle around the Top Hand trying to catch his scent. The Top Hand was now down on one knee firing in random and rapid sequence determined to put an end the matter. It reminded me of a John Wayne wagon train under attack. After three circles and with all of The Top Hands shells expended the three of us were in stitches. All thoughts of rams gone from our minds for the time being. This was just too hilarious.
The Top Hand was now walking dejectedly back our way; dumb founded as to what had just taken place. The caribou was standing a short ways away also wondering just what had taken place!
“Don’t say a word,” the Top Hand said sitting down on a rock beside me, “I am not that bad a shot!”
“I know, but you are entertaining at times.” I said getting a little shot in.
“Top Hand that’s the first time I ever saw anybody shoot fifteen times at a caribou and not even get his attention,” Jon R. said with a grin. “Looked to me like the caribou was enjoying it.”
Although he was in for some friendly jibes for a few days the Top Hand is an outstanding rifle shot and I suspected something wrong with his gun or scope. Later back at camp I took the Top Hands’ rifle and began a check of the various things that could be wrong. A close examination of the Redfield scope bases revealed that the windage screw had crystallized allowing the scope to change position at will. No way would the gun shoot accurately. The Top Hand and I had the same scope mounting system and as I had no shells for my rifle it was an easy fix to change the mounts from my gun to his. I had no shells because when I packed my gear instead of picking up fifty freshly reloaded 25/06 rounds I had mistakenly grabbed a box of fifty primed cases. So much for my hunting.
We left camp early the next morning heading for another sheep basin. We were in new country and would need to spend a couple of days getting the lay of the land. We were having a brief discussion as to what to do when the Top Hand looked up the mountain he had been on the day before. To our amazement there was the same bull asleep on the same snow patch. Talk about funny? No doubt in the Top Hands mind! He was going back to the snow patch and settled the score! Jerry wanted to go check out another basin to the East. Jon R and I would explore a sheepy looking mountain up river.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/jon_and_big_carbou.jpeg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13771&size=big&cat=500)
An hour later the faint sound of a shot told the story of The Top Hands successful rendezvous with the bull of the previous day. Heading back to camp later in the afternoon we heard several shots coming from the basin where Jerry was hunting.. Heading in that direction we found Jerry had taken a good bull caribou high up on an open hillside. We joined him and after tending to the bull headed back to camp. Passing a small creek opening I looked up a saw a really big bull caribou standing sound asleep in a small cut. I tied up my horse and took off up the hill. Jon stayed down on the creek bottom. He would be in a position to shoot if I spooked the bull. I had about another 100 yds to get to a spot above the bull when the wind shifted carrying my scent directly to the bull. Watching through his binoculars Jon told me later that the bull took off immediately; heading down hill. Fortunately for us he crossed the creek about 200 yds below Jon. One quick shot and Jon punched his tag, ending our hunt.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/rabbit_plateua_packstring.jpeg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=13775&size=big&cat=500)
Although we never found any big rams this trip, it had been a great time. The country was full of moose, caribou, and grizzly bears and there was hardly a time when you couldn’t throw up your glasses and find game. It was quite a place back then.