Yukon…go time
- Thread starter RdRdrFan
- Start date
medvedyt
WKR
very clever to use an outfitter with his own planes (great family by the way) and hiccups can happen the result and the way they are fixed with a positive outcome is the only interesting part. the attitude is making the difference as well.
glad it worked for you and you enjoyed our great part of the world.
glad it worked for you and you enjoyed our great part of the world.
rookieforever33
WKR
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2024
- Messages
- 478
Sounds like quite the trip so far. Looking forward to hearing more.
Day 2 - We started the day with the same climb as the night before to get on top to ridge run and check out some of the same area and one or two others. Nada.
Our guide decided that they must be on the backside of everything we had been looking at. We bomb down to camp, pack it up and drop down to the bottom and back into the Argo for the wildest ride yet. Several hours later we make it through the brush and to the river. Once upriver we set up camp and crash out around 11:00 pm.
Our guide decided that they must be on the backside of everything we had been looking at. We bomb down to camp, pack it up and drop down to the bottom and back into the Argo for the wildest ride yet. Several hours later we make it through the brush and to the river. Once upriver we set up camp and crash out around 11:00 pm.
Day 3 - We woke up to a gorgeous day and wet everything due to the condensation and camping close to the river. Our guide decided that we should bust brush down the river and up and into an area with a couple of smaller drainages and bowls that we hadn’t seen.
At one point things got a little western. We had finished busting brush down by the river and cut up a drainage and climbed a small hill. We found a tree to sit down and take a quick break before we pushed up to the ridge tops. The guide decided to get some elevation and the wrangler stayed with my son and I. After just a few minutes the wrangler quietly said “Guys we have to go NOW! He’s waving at me and there are 3 bears close to us.” My son had just stood up to turn around and pee and whispered “Guys there is one right here!” It was an older cub (2 years old maybe) with his head down feeding at 20 yards. We grabbed our stuff and the wrangler and I both had guns at hand. We took off at a good clip to get some distance. We had put probably 100 yards between us before the momma smelled something and popped up on her back two. It was the same blonde sow that we had seen two days prior. The wrangler and I both stopped and got ready. She dropped down and came running. We yelled and she stopped after 20-25 yards. A very short bluff charge but plenty enough to get the adrenaline up into full mode. When she turned around went back to her two cubs the guns were lowered and we made time up the side of that mountain…..as good of time as I could make constantly looking over my shoulder. By the time we gained roughly half of the elevation that we needed to get up top, i realized how real adrenaline dump is. I was cooked. That was a hard push for me on the second half of that climb. I had no energy at all. But back to what you really care about. Sheep. There weren’t any. So we bombed back down to the river with the hopes that the bears hadn’t messed with the Argo or any of our stuff. Back at the Argo, our guide decided we would camp at that spot again and move on the next morning. Guide and packer decided around 9:00 pm to head out to take a look around but saw nothing. They were back by 11:00 pm. About 20 minutes after everyone zipped up tents we heard running. Not light running. Heavy running. Heavy breathing. The type of pace and breathing that comes from needing to create distance. A moose or caribou (I’m fairly certain it was a moose by how the ground shook) ran through our camp. I mean THROUGH OUR CAMP. It ran between our tent and the wrangler’s tent that was 20-30 yards away. Wait. Listen. Wait. Splashes in the river let us know that something was crossing. Limbs snapping and the sound of the brush let us know that it was something large. A low growl let us know what it was. Hand on the rifle in the tent and a quick prayer was about all we had going for us at that moment. I’m glad that I had swapped tents with the guide so that my son could sleep in the tent with me that night. After 20-30 minutes of silence we tried to sleep. It was a fitful night’s rest but thankfully was uneventful from that point forward.
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At one point things got a little western. We had finished busting brush down by the river and cut up a drainage and climbed a small hill. We found a tree to sit down and take a quick break before we pushed up to the ridge tops. The guide decided to get some elevation and the wrangler stayed with my son and I. After just a few minutes the wrangler quietly said “Guys we have to go NOW! He’s waving at me and there are 3 bears close to us.” My son had just stood up to turn around and pee and whispered “Guys there is one right here!” It was an older cub (2 years old maybe) with his head down feeding at 20 yards. We grabbed our stuff and the wrangler and I both had guns at hand. We took off at a good clip to get some distance. We had put probably 100 yards between us before the momma smelled something and popped up on her back two. It was the same blonde sow that we had seen two days prior. The wrangler and I both stopped and got ready. She dropped down and came running. We yelled and she stopped after 20-25 yards. A very short bluff charge but plenty enough to get the adrenaline up into full mode. When she turned around went back to her two cubs the guns were lowered and we made time up the side of that mountain…..as good of time as I could make constantly looking over my shoulder. By the time we gained roughly half of the elevation that we needed to get up top, i realized how real adrenaline dump is. I was cooked. That was a hard push for me on the second half of that climb. I had no energy at all. But back to what you really care about. Sheep. There weren’t any. So we bombed back down to the river with the hopes that the bears hadn’t messed with the Argo or any of our stuff. Back at the Argo, our guide decided we would camp at that spot again and move on the next morning. Guide and packer decided around 9:00 pm to head out to take a look around but saw nothing. They were back by 11:00 pm. About 20 minutes after everyone zipped up tents we heard running. Not light running. Heavy running. Heavy breathing. The type of pace and breathing that comes from needing to create distance. A moose or caribou (I’m fairly certain it was a moose by how the ground shook) ran through our camp. I mean THROUGH OUR CAMP. It ran between our tent and the wrangler’s tent that was 20-30 yards away. Wait. Listen. Wait. Splashes in the river let us know that something was crossing. Limbs snapping and the sound of the brush let us know that it was something large. A low growl let us know what it was. Hand on the rifle in the tent and a quick prayer was about all we had going for us at that moment. I’m glad that I had swapped tents with the guide so that my son could sleep in the tent with me that night. After 20-30 minutes of silence we tried to sleep. It was a fitful night’s rest but thankfully was uneventful from that point forward.
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Day 4 - We awoke to another beautiful, crisp Yukon morning. A quick look around camp confirmed that we indeed had visitors around. Got a food drop. Saw another grizzly. Hiked. Hiked some more. Nada. Still no sheep seen. Guide went one way while the wrangler, my son and myself went another. The guide had a close encounter with a grizzly boar and had to fire a warning shot. I was about tired of looking over my shoulder THAT much. Grizzlies are a part of the game. I get that. But that particular area seemed to be infested.
Frustration was starting to set in as it felt like we were chasing ghosts. The outfitter had told me when he flew us in and dropped us off not to get frustrated if we didn’t see anything for 2-3 days. I was doing my best to take his advice. After discussions via Inreach between the outfitter and the guide the decision was made to head back to the landing strip and stay the night there. The Argo ride was long (over 3 hours) and much of it was impossibly thick and rough. My son did get to drive the Argo for a bit once we hit a clear area and he loved that. I felt like my back had been beaten with a lead pipe when I finally got out. Nevertheless, we made it to the landing strip late and after a quick Mountain House, our heads hit the pillow well after midnight.
Frustration was starting to set in as it felt like we were chasing ghosts. The outfitter had told me when he flew us in and dropped us off not to get frustrated if we didn’t see anything for 2-3 days. I was doing my best to take his advice. After discussions via Inreach between the outfitter and the guide the decision was made to head back to the landing strip and stay the night there. The Argo ride was long (over 3 hours) and much of it was impossibly thick and rough. My son did get to drive the Argo for a bit once we hit a clear area and he loved that. I felt like my back had been beaten with a lead pipe when I finally got out. Nevertheless, we made it to the landing strip late and after a quick Mountain House, our heads hit the pillow well after midnight.
Day 5 - We were supposed to be up early to climb on the planes that would take us, two at a time, to our new hunt area. We all overslept after the long night. It didn’t matter. We had light rain at the airstrip but somewhere between us and the main camp there was weather enough that we weren’t going anywhere for the time being. At least we had a nice cabin here that they store the Argo in. By late morning the boys (guide, wrangler and my son) got bored and decided to go clear some “problem trees” at one end of the air strip. Really, I think they just wanted and excuse to go play in the Argo some more. For those of you who haven’t had the pleasure, an Argo is a spectacular piece of machinery and can take you virtually anywhere. They also have zero suspension or anything to soften the blow of any bumps. You feel EVERY rock, bump, tree, hummock…..anything it goes over, you feel it. My back had had enough of bouncing in the Argo for now. No sheep. No caribou. The only game animals seen thus far….grizzlies.
We finally caught a break in the weather so the planes came. I flew out second and landed in base camp around 5:00 pm. Dinner was served and the amazing camp cook filled us up with lasagna, salad and two kinds of cake. I don’t mind Mountain House type meals but man, that home cooked meal of “real” food was welcomed by my stomach. We were leaving out the next morning early so we were in actual beds for a night. They told us to repack for a backpack hunt but horses would be involved. As it turned out, very involved.
We finally caught a break in the weather so the planes came. I flew out second and landed in base camp around 5:00 pm. Dinner was served and the amazing camp cook filled us up with lasagna, salad and two kinds of cake. I don’t mind Mountain House type meals but man, that home cooked meal of “real” food was welcomed by my stomach. We were leaving out the next morning early so we were in actual beds for a night. They told us to repack for a backpack hunt but horses would be involved. As it turned out, very involved.
Tjdeerslayer37
Lil-Rokslider
this is killer, thanks for taking us along!
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