Sheldon CharronI woke up on the third day of our hunt and climbed to the top of the highest point near camp to set up and spot before breakfast. Using my Leica binoculars, I could see quite a few herds moving to the south of camp. They were about 1.5-2 miles away. I set up my Swarovski 20-60x65 HD spotter and spent some time glassing to see if there were any bulls worth chasing after. I spotted one that appeared to have very heavy tops and decided to go after him. I went back to camp and collected my gear. My friend Al wanted to come along. He decided to take my muzzleloader since he had already nailed one good bull with his .300 ultramag (In Manitoba you can shoot two bulls). We moved pretty fast as the caribou were heading southeast and although they were grazing, they were making good time. We skirted around them and snuck through a strip of bush that separated us from the meadow of lichen and moss the herd was feeding on. When we got to the edge of the field, my friend got really excited as he saw what we came for. "Oh Man! That's just what I'm looking for. I want that one." He whispered. Since he had my muzzle loader, and we had a couple of days left. I wanted to get it on tape, and sometimes it's just more fun to watch! I said, "okay." and he set up for the shot. I pulled out the Leica LRF 1200 Scan and the bull was only 176 yards away quartering towards us and coming closer. I set up the video camera and told al to let him get closer. When he got to 125 yards, I put down the LRF 1200 and told Al to shoot. In a puff of smoke and a big ka-BOOM the bull was down.
While we were taking pictures, I noticed a band of caribou about 100 strong come over the hill to the south. They continued through a small bowl and then along the far side of a ridgeline. Some were in front of the ridge and others were behind it, but the racks from those behind were visible poking over the hill. They were about 1 mile away across a big marshy meadow. I took a look through my Leica binos and could see five racks in a row that looked bigger than the rest, but couldn't see the caribou they were attached to and couldn't really tell whether they were worth chasing. I pulled the Swarovski spotter out of my Kifaru pack and turned it up to about 40 power. "Take a look at this" I said to Al. "Wow", he said. "That's a good one."
It only took a second for me to decide I wanted the largest bull in that bunch. I picked up my rifle, left my pack and spotter behind and made a mad dash across the swamp. How I made it through without ending up lost in the bog I'll never know. How I survived the mile long sprint to the east side of that ridge without my heart popping I can't figure either. By the time I got there, I had already missed most of the herd and I couldn't see the one I wanted. I sat catching my breath, trying to hide between a lone 4 foot evergreen. The bulk of the caribou were between 200-300 yards southeast of me, but a few stragglers were crossing in front of me about 150 yards due south.
As I sat there, I noticed a bull emerge from a small band of stunted trees and shrubs. Then another, and another. Low and behold, the 5 bulls were hanging back about 250 yards to the west of me. They had picked me up, but were trying to decide whether to follow the herd or backtrack. The largest of the five decided to be the big man, and lead them by me. I carefully pulled down the legs of my Harris bi-pod and chambered a round. I pulled up my Leica binos and really studied his rack this time. If I tagged out, I'd have three days left to sit around camp. I figured I could always try for some ptarmigan and artic char.... The closer he got, the more I talked myself in to taking him. I took a final reading through my Leica rangefinder - 148 yards. Chip shot. I settled into my rifle and let him have it in the chest. At the shot, he bucked and ran towards the lake to the south. At first I wondered what happened as I expected him to drop in his tracks! No worries though. After about 40 yards he piled up in a big spray of water. The moss was pretty spongy and there were puddles all over the place. He must have slid a good ten yards before he stopped.
It was pretty exciting. Without good optics, Al and I probably would have missed the opportunity to tag out on these fine animals. There were so many to choose from, it would have been difficult to decide which ones to go after and we would have had to rely on luck. Instead, we were able to pick out one bull from hundreds, and form a plan to head it off and take it. It doesn't always work, but the odds are better with good glass, especially for caribou. Go to any caribou camp, and you'll see that the people with good glass tend to come home with larger racks. So, if you are spending a bunch of money on a hunt, don't forget to invest some of that money in good optics, and don't forget that the best prices are found at riflescopes.com.
Sheldon Charron.
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