Without fail, every time Id answer, caribou hunting in Alaska.
When I would respond this way, Id picture it happening 20 or 30 years from now.
I knew it would be expensive, hard to plan, and seemingly just out of reach.
In fact, I had never even seen a caribou in real life!
To say that I didnt know what to expect was an understatement.
But, regardless, I was going for it.
I invited my friend Kayla on this trip, as we had always wanted to do a hunt together.
We departed on September 15th and had high hopes for finding caribou and tagging out.
We flew up to Alaska and rented a van to drive and sleep in.
The van would keep us safe from the grizzlies and protect us from the frigid Alaskan weather.
We saw caribou just on the first and last days of our hunt.
They were always moving fast, and away from us.
We tried our best to gain on them, chasing them up and over mountains for miles.
The closest we got was 700 yards on the last day, but with no shot opportunity.
We hiked 10 miles a day or more in tough terrain.
The mountains featured thousands of feet of elevation gain in the soft, squishy tundra.
The temps never went above 30 degrees and got down into the teens at night.
We had good gear to stay warm, and we never stopped moving or glassing for those elusive caribou.
We left with tags in our pockets, but we honestly had a great time.
We got to spend five days in the most beautiful, wild Alaskan backcountry.
I never go anywhere in the woods without mySpringfield Armory 1911 chambered in 10mm.
Ive been carrying this gun on my hip for a few years now and have complete confidence in it.
I was instantly greeted with a totally different climate; it felt like mid-winter up there!
Daily highs were just 15 degrees, and the roads and mountains were now covered in snow.
About halfway into my first day of hunting, I spotted four caribou miles and miles away.
I could tell that it was two cows and two calves out feeding in the snow.
I started hiking in the early dark on day two of my second Alaska trip.
This something was closer than expected and my initial reaction was it was a grizzly.
I quickly removed my binoculars from the harness and looked at this animal it was a caribou.
As I scanned over its antlers, I realized it was a GIANT bull.
I primarily archery hunt and Im decent at guessing ranges under 100 yards.
Looking at this bull, I knew that he was about 80 yards away.
So, I knew Id be able to put my crosshairs right on him for an accurate shot.
I heard the impact and watched the bull with my eyes.
I was blown away by my emotions.
I had just solo hunted and successfully killed a giant caribou in Alaska!
How could this be?
I truly worked so hard and overcame every obstacle.
I am proud of myself for not giving up and not making any excuses.
I got some pictures with my bull with the help of my camera, tripod and self-timer.
The entire process of breaking down the meat and hiking it out took about eight hours.
Hiking out an entire caribou by a 110-lb.
woman is no small feat, and it took me four trips.
The first trip was a front quarter and hindquarter.
The second trip was the last front quarter and hindquarter.
The last and fourth trip was the head, cape, camera and tripod.
I was able to get the meat into town and to a meat locker.
To my surprise, my hind quarter and front quarter loads weighed 85 lbs.
It really is incredible what you might accomplish with some determination and adrenaline.
Conclusion
This entire experience was so special for me.
I cant stress enough how important it is to have confidence in the sidearm that you carry.
Id be nothing in the woods without a solid piece of protection on my hip at all times.
Give yourself that peace of mind and confidence to go out and chase your dreams with no excuses.
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