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Topic Archives => Memorable Hunts => Topic started by: Ryan Rothhaar on August 21, 2007, 01:59:00 PM
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Been there and back....Great Trip! Scroll down for story and pics...
R
Hey guys, haven't been on here in a while...busy as busy gets...
Finally flying out friday for Ulukhaktok, NWT to chase muskox. This hunt has been two years in the planning. The bag is packed, the Snuffers are sharp and I've been sneaking up on the wife's Highland cattle for two weeks (she still won't let me bounce blunts off them, though!). I'll post some pics when I get back. Only a four day turnaround and then off to MT for a couple weeks of elk hunting (the vacation is all getting chewed up FAST this year).
Good luck on your hunts....THAT time of year is FINALLY arriving!
R
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Best of luck to ya Ryan! I'll be checking the edge on my Snuffers soon enough! Got a new place to hunt this year!
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Good Luck Ryan. Hope the weather is good for ya.
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good hunting, Ryan. :thumbsup:
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Good luck Ryan. We expect stories and lots of pictures when you get back.
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good luck ryan and let us hear from you when you get back
john
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Best of luck with your hunting and travels Ryan :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Already looking forward to hearing the stories and seeing the pix!
Take Care bud
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Be careful and good luck :goldtooth:
Yes,Its finally that time of year.
Tracy
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good luck
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Go get em Ryan!
Looking forward to the hero pics and stories :thumbsup:
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Good luck buddy, Give me a holler when you head to Montana and let me know where you wil be at. I am in Billings now. Joseph
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Good luck Ryan! :thumbsup:
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Keep your nose in the wind and your broadheads sharp! good luck
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Great Trip! The Land is amazing, muskox are very interesting critters, and the people are some of the friendliest I've ever met.
To begin at the beginning....
Travel is a major part of any hunt in the Far North. I flew from Indianapolis to Minneapolis, Edmonton and Yellowknife the first day. Overnight in Yellowknife and off to Ulukhaktok via Kugluktuk after a meeting with the outfitter. He told me he was putting me in a separate camp from the other two hunters (rifle hunters), which was good news as far as I was concerned. After arriving in Ulukhaktok and meeting my guide Ross Klenkenberg and his helper Donald Notaina we drove out to camp by quad, a cabin on the shore of the Arctic Ocean approx 15 miles from town.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/camp.jpg)
I had a talk with the guides after putting my recurve together about distances and hunting strategy. Ross felt confident we could get close if we could find animals in broken terrain (which did not turn out to be a problem). I made it clear I didn't want any chasing going on (illegal, but still quite common). They had never had experience with a traditional bowhunter before and couldn't keep away from my bow. We spent quite a bit of time shooting around camp and they had a ball. Very good natural shots too.
Hunting consisted of covering country on the machines and glassing from high spots. There is no shortage of muskoxen on Victoria Island and we spotted around 30 animals the first day. The country is OPEN, but rolling. There are no trees on the island (Ulukhaktok is approx 300 miles north of the Arctic Circle), but lots of drainages with green sedges that the muskoxen feed on. Animals in these drainages were very stalkable. If the muskox saw a quad, though, they got the heck out of Dodge...and they can really cover ground when they want to.
Muskox country....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/land2.jpg)
Fortunately the days are long up there this time of year, and later in the afternoon we located a herd of muskoxen in a drainage that looked to be a good opportunity to get close...
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.....and? :readit:
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And...? :saywhat:
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And...? :eek:
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We worked into the animals on foot and ended up in a dry creek with several cows and calves above us to the right and the herd bull in the creek bottom. A second bull tried to make a move towards the cow/calf group and the larger bull pushed him up a side drainage. While the bulls were talking politics Ross and I made a move and ended up 10 yards away from the bigger bull with a 3 foot high bank blocking us from him. I could see the top couple feet of his shoulder hump as he fed facing us head on for several minutes then he turned to intercept the second bull which was trying to work around behind to get to the cows. When the bigger bull turned broadside at 20 yards I shot him in the ribs. He ran up the bank and pushed up against a cow in a defensive position (the rest of the animals took off) and I put a second arrow in his chest for good measure. The bull went down shortly and we actually had to wait for Donald to bring a machine to scare off the cow that decided to protect the downed bull.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/bull.jpg)
Here we are with the bull...myself, Ross and Donald left to right.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/bullwithguides.jpg)
Ross was very excited about the stalk, he said that was the closest he ever was to a muskox.
After we skinned and butchered the bull and were taking a tea break this little Arctic fox (summer pelage) sneaked in to steal a meal...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/fox1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/fox2.jpg)
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After getting the bull back to camp we worked on the hide 'till dark -- boy the flesh really flew when Donald broke out the ulu. He told me he was turning 65 next year and has used an ulu for 64 years...
The next day I asked the guys to take me out to get some pictures of live muskoxen. We covered some country and got some really nice pics.... I'll share a couple here..
We surprised this wooly old warrior on his own out in the open and he backed up to a rock and posed for photos...he's an Old Timer, but his right horn is broken half way up so he gets a lifetime pass from the sport hunters (and the Inuit only kill young oxen to eat)-- he's out to stud for life.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/oldbull.jpg)
A few miles later we found a group of animals in a drainage and stalked in close (real close actually, we backed out from 25 yards when the animals spotted us and the bull got aggressive). I didn't want a bull getting shot just for pictures, and Ross's rusty old .222 didn't look too impressive against a mad bull muskox anyhow!
Here's a nice family group pic (that is a DANDY bull, by the way):
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/group.jpg)
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So beautiful! The land, the bull, the fox...great pictures, what a hunt!
Killdeer :clapper:
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WOW thats a super nice looking bull Ryan!! Congradulations :thumbsup: Sounds and looks like ya had a super great hunt! Thanks for sharing it with us.
Brent
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We ate most of a backstrap in camp...the meat is tasty, similar but milder than moose, but tough as an old rubber tire. The balance of the meat is given to the elders in the community to be ground up for meat pies.
Like any other good hunt the details would take hours to talk about, but I've tried to give the highlights anyhow. The Inuit (they call themselves Eskimos) are friendly people and it is amazing how they can make a living in such a harsh land. If you take the time to talk with them and ask questions you can learn a lot and take home some great memories. Going out on the Land with the Inuit was a wonderful experience and the trip was more than worth the time and effort (and money) involved. The Far North is an austere land, but there is beauty if you look close enough--from the lichen on the rocks...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/rock.jpg)
to a sunset over the Arctic Ocean.....
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/RyanRothhaar/sunset.jpg)
I feel truly blessed to have been able to visit a part of the world that only a few people are lucky enough to experience.
Ryan
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Wow, Congrats on a wonderfull hunt. Thanks for the glimps into what had to be a real high point in your hunting. :clapper:
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Oh, yeah, almost forgot...shot him with a 65 lb Ancient Spirits Thunderhawk and big Snuffers (what else is there???) total arrow weight 680 grains. I was surprised how hard the bull was, I shot to the off ribs with the first arrow and to the off shoulder with the 2nd, but no exit. With my limited experience this animal was harder to shoot through than a bull moose, although smaller. Maybe its the hair.
R
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Great pic's and story, would love to do that trip someday...CONGRAT'S
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What a neat looking animal Ryan. Awesome pics, awesome animal, awesome hunt. :notworthy:
Congrats my young friend. Where are you off to and after next?
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Excellent Ryan! Next time I see you, I will be hounding you for info on that hunt; I am always intrigued by those Musk Ox, but don't really want to wear the caribou hide suit and suffer thru the cold. Looking forward to seeing that one in your "taxidermist's" shop.
Steve Osminski
p.s. Gary is out in the high country of NM chasing Muleys thru this weekend. Anxious for his report.
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Ryan, I have been thinking about calling you. I was just wondering how things were going and was a little worried since I had not seen you on here in awhile. I'm glad everything is cool, and it looks like you had an awesome hunt! A group of us just got back from Namibia also. Check it out in the Dark Continent Forum. By the way, that Muskox will look great on the wall!
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Great hunt and awesome pictures!
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Great country and great pics. What a wonderful experience your've had. Thanks for sharing
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BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!
Todd
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Ryan, Congrats on an awesome hunt. I have always thought muskox were an interesting animal.
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Cool mate, job well done. i was going to ask what Broadhead you were going to use... :wavey:
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Congratulations! Did you skin it for a full body mount? Joseph
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High five!
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Great hunt Ryan, what an experience that must have been, not just the hunt but sharing time with the Inuits in their native land......congrats.
David
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Nice job Ryan!! Doesn't look like it was very cold up there. I hope to see you this fall for some good whitetail action.
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Looks like a great hunt. Fantastic pictures. There must be a whole lot of fat on that hide!
CONGRATS
Geoff
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WOW!!! A real dream hunt. That's really some thing. Congrats!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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great job on the Photos and story and that is one cool animal. all the photos are great, but i really like the one with the fox with just one eye peeking over his dinner. cool shot. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Great job Ryan!
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Can't see any pictures, but CONGRATS!!!
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Count your blessings my friend,,, you're one lucky man!
Thank you for sharing!