March 2, 2011
We are having Culture Week March 14 – 18, 2011 at Lewis Angapak Memorial School. I wanted to get some reindeer so the elders could show us how to butcher them, skin them, cook them, etc. and then serve them as part of a feast. I was told I could get them for around $200 each. When I called to order five the price was $700 each, well above my budget. It looked like we would be relying on ice fishing and bird hunting if we were going to have any type of feast associated with Culture Week. On February 26, 2011 I received a report that there were caribou about ten miles from Eek, AK. Eek is about 40 mile from us, an easy snow-machine ride across the frozen tundra, lakes, and rivers. I spoke with some folks from the village and my maintenance man, Mark, and his brother, Gabe, agreed to show me the way. I need a guide because there are no road signs, no mileage markers, no rest stops, no nothing except snow and ice. It is a good idea not to get lost at sub freezing temperatures, closer to zero than freezing. We made plans to go on March 2, 2011 and hope the caribou had not move into higher ground.
The day of the hunt arrived. I had packed my rifle, a Springfield 30:06 given to me by my father, water, snacks, and tarps. I put on my cold weather Carhartt, long johns, wool sweater, head/face mask (2), cap, goggles, gloves, mittens, and my seal skin hat. I decided to wear my parka also; I do not want to be cold. I started to get hot while loading the sled so I had to strip down. After I got loaded I got redressed and almost panicked because it was so claustrophobic. I had to take the face mask, goggles, and hood off before we started to move because I felt like I could not breath. Once we were moving I was fine except I started to get hot. The snow-machine I was driving had a windshield and it protected me very well. I took the face mask and mittens off as we went along. I was comfortable then. Let the ride begin.
This was the third time I had been on a snow-machine and the first time for any long distance. We started out across the tundra and then onto the river. I knew the tundra would be bumpy but I thought I would get some relief on the river. No, no relief, the river is affected by the tide so it had buckles, bows and cracks. The snow forms drifts on it so you can be traveling along at 35 mph and all of the sudden hit a three-foot bone jarring drop or a rise that launched you. You know that commercial; “Mom got air.” well I got air several times. I would equate the ride to taking a Honda Gold Wing, with poor shocks, and riding over unimproved dirt roads at 30 – 45 mph. I was just hoping I could hang on. It took about 1.5 hours to get over to Eek and I admit it, my arms and hands were so exhausted I was not sure I could hold on any longer. Now the search for caribou started.
We rode about ten miles southwest of Eek and spotted two caribou, we decided to pass up on them since there were not enough for all of us, the bag limit is two each. We went on and as we crested the next little rise there was a herd of around ten caribou. They were close, but not close enough for a good shot so we moved up on them. We followed them for a while and then flanked them with the three of us spread out as we came over another rise. They were within shooting range walking away from us. I did not even get off my snow-machine, I hit the kill switch, pulled up my rifle and squeezed of a round, Mark and Gabe said I could have the first shot, and I missed. The herd split, some started coming back towards us while the other continued away from us. My second shot was on the mark and a nice sized caribou went down. I heard Gabe fire and saw a caribou fall, I scoped in on another large running caribou and hit the sweet spot, and I had by bag limit. Gabe caught another one and Mark dropped one. Five caribou for three hunters, it was a good hunt.
I field dressed mine so we can use them during culture week while Mark and Gabe butchered theirs. I reloaded the sled and prepared to move out. As we headed back we kept an eye out for more caribou since Mark still had an open tag. We did not spot any before we hit the river and then it was off to the races.
I guess they figured I was experienced enough now that they kicked it up to 40 – 45 mph. I felt like I was flying across the snow and ice. The skis would get caught in a rut and I would jerk to the right or left, I would hit a big patch of ice and start sliding left or right, I knew if I leaned into the slide wrong I would flip (I did flip on my first snow-machine ride) and I did not want to hit the ice at 40 mph. I was holding on for dear life. My knees were like hinges with my butt bouncing off the seat and then slamming back down. I knew I was going to be sore tomorrow, and I was not wrong.
We got back to Tunt around 2:30 and we hung my caribous in the garage and I went home. I was worn out. I was very happy with the day, and please that I provided two caribous for the Culture Week feast.
The Photo below is graphic - scroll down for a photo of me and my cows
