Caribou Setup?

[IndianaBowman]

Let's hear about your caribou setup. What weight bow, arrow, and broadhead. Jeff Holchin and I will be heading up this fall and I'm debating on what I'll hunt with.

[Tater]

Any Whitetail setup will work fine for Caribou.

[steadman]

You didn't tell me about that one Terry! I think anything that you normally hunt with would work. I'll work on finding you that takedown longbow like we talked    Good luck that was a dream hunt at one time  

[jonsimoneau]

Yep. Caribou don't seem to be particularly tough. Before I went on my hunt Ryan Rothhaar told me as long as you hit them between the front legs and the back legs you'll be fine. He was right. I used a 53lb habu recurve and a Wensel woodsman on a carbon shaft with total arrow weight around 500 grains and I killed two bulls with no problems. Man I wish I were going with you. I love the tundra!

[Kevin Dill]

"I'm debating on what I'll hunt with"...

Should've done that before hooking up with Jeff!

Good luck Terry.

[modr]

Like Jon said not a tough animal, used a 48lb black widow, delta heads.

[IndianaBowman]

Yeah, DillBilly I hear what your saying! Holchin is very excitable and I am imagining some girl like screams when the grizzlies start sniffing around outside the tent. I will be tieing his shoelaces together every night before I go to sleep.

We'll be in the foothills of the Brooks Range and I'm anticipating there will be more longer range opportunities than shorter range. I'll be practicing out to 40 yards all summer and expect I'll only shoot to 30 maximum. I've killed a few 'bou and they do die pretty easy, but want a pretty flat shooting combo with some punch.

Here's what I'm thinking. I'll take my 75# 3-Piece Takedown TimberHawk and 60# backup limbs. I'm thinking a heavy 3 blade up front (160 gr)and then a stout carbon arrow that I can shoot from both limbs. I know trying to find an arrow broadhead combo to shoot in a 15# range is asking a lot.

Thoughts?

[Steve O]

Originally posted by IndianaBowman:
Thoughts?

Yes.  Buy an extra set of 60# limbs and leave those other monsters home!

[joe skipp]

1979 Northern Quebec...uesd a 57# Kittredge T/D, 550 grain Cedar arrows with 2 blade Zwickey Eskimos. Winds over an open tundra played tricks with the arrow flight and the open tundra made is tricky to judge distance on some of the critters.


 

[Kevin Dill]

Sure don't need that much bow weight to kill, but a definite plus when it comes to trajectory. I say shoot it if you can shoot it well. I've taken caribou with recurve and longbow...the requirement isn't a lot different than big deer at home. I know this isn't your first rodeo anyway, but a fun conversation regardless!

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Terry...don't forget the extra bottle of steroids for pulling that beast of a bow of yours. Can't wait for the follow up on this hunt!!

[LKH]

I've hunted the Brooks almost every year since '96 and you don't need a lot to kill caribou.  

I would consider going with as light an arrow as you can to increase your range.  While the first 6 I killed up there didn't have a combined range of 60 yards I've taken one at 30, one at 35 and finished a cripple for another guy at 36 yards.

A rangefinder is very useful since peeking over a little hump and shooting allows almost no chance to judge the range.  

Brooks caribou are quite small compared to other AK herds.  Figure just a bit bigger than a large muley.

[Rifle River Scout]

The only reason to step up in wt. would be that you my be looking a a bit longer shot than normal.
That said, I've hunted caribou numerous time and the longest kill shot was 22 yds.

[Dirtybird]

Good luck and like others can't wait to hear stories from this trip.

[dnovo]

I killed 2 in Quebec before things fell apart up there. Im shot a 56# longbow with 650gr ash arrows. One at about 18 yds and the 2nd at 25 yards in a fierce wind without a problem. Any good whitetail setup will do fine. I can only remember the days when 75# was possible.

[LKH]

As far as handling the 15# range difference, why not use two different broadhead weights?

[Orion]

Might want to consider a long thin broadhead like a Woodsman or a skinny 2-blade and also perhaps trim an eighth inch off the height of your feathers.  Both will improve arrow flight in the wind.

[Steve H.]

Ok, "T" we know you REALLY don't need to ask this question.  Me sez you are just excited to go to Alaska and hunt caribou and wanna talk about it!

[IndianaBowman]

Steve, ummm maybe you're right, I am way beyond excited to be returning to your great state. It's been a few years now.

However, I can always learn something from all you experienced bowhunters.

I did hear a recommendation for a very heavy broadhead for the 60# limbs and this is the second time I heard this. Bob Morrison mentioned it to a friend.  Will a heavy head compensate for a too heavily spined arrow? What's the physics of it?

[Steve O]

Terry, I've messed around a lot with different head weights for different bows with the same arrows...15# is a HUGE swing to get to work.  Probably would be best to take a half dozen shafts spined for your spare limbs with the same broadheads you are shooting out of your primary setup.