My Hunting Stories
I have always loved caribou hunting. Those magnificent trophy bulls are some of the most regal looking antlered animals I have ever seen, each having their own unique set of antlers. Before I started guiding I had already honed my skills on judging trophy caribou, a must for a hunting guide.
As Sagen opened the flap on the tent he said, “Rog, I’ve spotted five caribou on the bench across the creek and they’re coming our way! They look like bulls but with the low light I can’t tell how big they are. I don’t know if we have enough light but we should try.” I replied, “Get Rachel, I’ll turn off the stove and grab my stuff!”
This is my last story of the year and I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year.
Being the youngest in the family has its advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage when it comes to hunting in our family is the oldest usually gets the first opportunity to harvest each of the different species. Nathan knew his turn would come and took it in stride, always happy for his siblings. He was the last one to take a black bear, next to last for caribou but now it was his turn for moose.
First things first. In my last post I made a serious mistake. I stated that Eric Sjodin packed both moose after my two lazy packers gave up. Actually, Jeff Hamburg packed the first moose and Eric packed his client’s moose. Jeff had packed for AAA the two previous years and was now guiding his first client for us. The story has been corrected. Sorry Jeff and thanks again for always going the extra mile.
I truly love caribou hunting and have made some wonderful memories hunting with my friends. The caribou hunts in this article took place on the wild Alaska Peninsula. These are just a few highlights of those adventures.
Everyone has a story about September 11, 2001, the day that changed America forever. They know where they were, what they were doing, etc. I thought I would share my story as a guide.
As our 54th wedding anniversary approaches I’m reminded of the anniversary that Karen and I spent in the gorgeous Wrangell Mountains. We were high school sweethearts so we have been together a long time. In our younger years, I could never convince her to join me on a hunt. We had no relatives in Alaska so she never felt comfortable leaving our daughters. She has always been reluctant to fly in small planes for basically the same reason. In addition she has always had a full time job and vacation time was limited. Hunting wasn’t her first choice for a family vacation. However, after our daughters were grown and on their own, I finally convinced her to go on a hunt with me. She was only interested in hunting sheep and caribou. So for her first hunt, we decided to go on a caribou hunt. I personally love caribou hunting as it is a lot of fun.
Check out my special memories.
