Couple Caribou

[Zhurh]

I figure you all like wildlife picts, here's a couple bou. We had our first bunch of this years migration come through yesterday, 1500 or so but they kept a movin. Sometimes they stay around a few weeks, sometimes they just head eastward towards Canada; you never can predict it. Usually, the migration is spread out north & south about 75 miles wide & 50 miles deep, the caribou travel in groups from a dozen to thousands, but usually follow well established traditional routes; you kill them in the same places year after year. Our 40 mile herd is 70K but was 425K in 1920's, back then the migration would shut down river boat traffic on the Yukon when they crossed; hard to imagine. The increased population of wolves (which take 20-30 times what man harvests) and global warming (no joke) the caribou moss which the caribou eat is sensitive to increased temperatures and has died off in most areas; just not enough food to support 400 thousand caribou nowadays.

Our subsistence season starts Aug 10, use to be back in July soon as the bou showed up, man were those the days. So I have a few weeks to take pictures which is just as cool as shooting them; will post more picts if you all want to see them kinda thing.

Yesterday, only a few stragglers were still there by evening when I got up on summit, young bulls and a few cows & calves. Usually, by beginning of August, we have a bunch of bou all over our summit and that's when I see those monster bulls you never see on the huntin shows on tv.

I guess most of you don't have wolves & grizz around. They really key in on the caribou, follow the herds, we try to shoot as many as we can but never ending battle. Every couple years, the state funds some predator control and we have a few Ak hunting clubs that also fund wolf bounties for trappers. Whenever you see 4-5 hundred wolves knocked off, you see the bou calf survival jump up and end up with total herd growth of 10-20 thousand, really dramatic. The only people who don't see the results are the "I wanna kiss the wolves" folks who throw injunctions in the courts to stop the culling of wolves which is quite obnoxious for the local folks who see the balance of nature first hand; what a bunch of idiots.

Can't wait till I'm taking picts of hundreds or thousands up there on our summit, then bringing home all that fresh meat too.

[hunter29180]

Just Beautifull!! keep them comming!

[hstout1143]

Sure, I'd like to see more pictures.

[woolleyworm]

Great shots! Got me thinking about a hearty bowl of stew after seeing those fine specimens. My sis has lived all over AK and her bou stew is to die for. She and her family finally settled down in Haines.

[Redd]

That's awesome, making it to Alaska and hunting caribou or moose is on my bucket list.

[BlackEagle]

Three bou with one shot!!! What a marksman!!

Yes please for more pics. These just whet the appetite.

[Zhurh]

I'm going to ride back in on summit with 4 wheeler nx week, give a little time for the nx batch to move in, get some more picts; hopefully all kinds of big bulls. Three weeks away until I can start cuttin & wrappin, so I don't get too excited yet. Soon as we start shootin, be up there practically everyday. Heres another pict until then.

[45nut]

You had me at......bou

You know we live to see your beautiful pics so feel free to post more for all of us who may never make it there.

[nx95240]

sweet pic. when can i come up??..lol

[redwing carson]

Our "meat" hunt for elk will start in 3 weeks in this region. Fall is comming to the High Country.

[Zhurh]

If I knew what to buy and the computer store wasn't 600 miles away, I'd go pick up whatever I needed, it took me 10 hours to upload 2 picts to my photobucket on my slow dial up. Anyway, here's a couple more from yesterday and will post more on monday. Caribou are unpredictable, never know when they will show up or take off, saw about 75 yesterday up on the summit. Not many bulls yesterday and no big ones. I haven't seen too many calves until yesterday, reason the dang wolves. The Indians believe it's important to let the first part of the caribou migration alone, let them set up the trail for the rest of the thousands of caribou to follow; and they do; we will start cutting up meat on Aug 10th.

[Zane71464]

AEWSOME pics Zhurh! Keep them coming, like seeing them.

[hstout1143]

Great pictures, can't wait to see more. How does it work with your meat hunts? What kind of limits do you have? Do you have a tag for each one?

[BlackEagle]

Zhurh, wonderful pictures.

10 hours to upload 2 pictures? Terribly long time. Your pictures are excellent quality and must be very large files, but that quality is largely wasted on the web. If you used some photoeditig software you could reduce the size of the files and make the uploads quicker. Some photo editing software usually comes with digital cameras, and there should be an option to optimise photos for the internet.

If you don't have that, let us know. I have something that I use that I could mail to you; others may also.

I know it takes a lot of effort to send the pictures, but we appreciate them. Thanks.

[Zhurh]

Blk Eagle, What software do I order for an apple? Most times, I can go down to the school and upload high speed at wifey's classroom, but everything's shut down for summer. I got to get something for nx month when huntin starts. It is taking me 5 hours to upload each picts, no joke; or I would post more.

This is 40 mile herd, and they keep coming for another couple months, then start back from Canada mid winter. We get subsistence permits, only allowed one per each family member, but we also have porcupine herd that comes close to us, but rough 30 mile snowmachine ride up watersheds, allowed 5/day, but nobody needs that much caribou. We can usually hunt the 40 mile herd all winter until march; easy to get to. The wolves & grizz really hammer our bou, why so few calves. Wolves got one I saw otherday, so I spend some time up there with 6.8 watching for wolves until season starts on the 10th August. If one stays up there late to midnight & 4 am, they'll see wolves, don't get dark here in Alaska. People from outside can hunt same bou for a few days August 29, 30th, 31st, ect. License is $85, bou tag is $325, and wolf tag for non res is $50, moose tag is $400; locals pay $40 for everthing. F&G wants like 400 bou killed and we get a few thousand people from Anch & Fairbanks, lots of military people stationed here and that's cool, soon as they get 400, F&G closes season and then reopens for local subsistence hunters the following week. Season for outsiders usually is open for 3-4 5 days, everybody gets their caribou I think. They always shoot more than F&G wants shot. There's a 5 day moose season right before 29th, and then again 8th sept until 18th and for us on till 25 sept. By then bulls running crazy everywhere. I've seen people from outside drive up with atvs in covered trailer, then set up cots in trailer and hunt from pull along side road, out trails that go back 20-30 miles.

August & September, I run myself ragged, spending time up on summit everyday, why I like living here so much I guess. Anyway, young one along side the road.

[Zhurh]

Last of them until I run back up on summit, give it a few days until some more show up.

[jack404]

http://www.irfanview.com/

it has some very simple tools

i'll show you ( doing auction stuff here)

[jack404]

OK download and install ( Its 100% free no ad's and not huge if you select english only ( dont get all the add on's)

open it up then select you pic ..

then you get the Image tool bar and select resize like in the pic

then i suggest you choose the 1024 as this is the average screen fit for web and it'll make the file avg less than 1/4 Mb so should up load in 3 minutes each pic at real slow dial up 2 with average dial up

then save .. you can crop it like i did with the last one and enlarge if too small , its all easy and free

pic's below to show you the steps and the result from a 60 MB photo

final result is 222Kb

[BlackEagle]

Jack, you're a champ. Thanks for getting that info. Hope Zhurh gets it OK.

[jack404]

no worries

[H-D]

Awesome ! How do they taste ? How hard and dense are the antlers ?

[Zhurh]

Thanks Jack, will download right now.

[Zane71464]

More awesome pics, very nice!

[BETH]

Jack what is that in the frame?