August 10th starts the new year for us; the new school year, that is. My wife and I have been working in my new classroom to get it all ready for the kids and it is starting to shape up pretty well. I'm excited about this school year. It means I get to meet new people and it marks the start of the seasonal movement toward my favorite season, winter. I bought my hunting license and permits today. I'm legal to hunt everything that I want to include Brown Bear. I can't wait.
I just got back from Colonial Williamsburg's Teacher Institute. The folks at CWTI really know how to put on a show. We were going fourteen hours a day for seven days. It was hot and muggy the whole time, but the heat could slow my enthusiasm. You know, I thought I knew some stuff about the period between 1607 and 1783, but I was mistaken. I learned more about the day to day life of the people than I thought was possible. For everything I was taught there was a primary source to support the information. The whole CWTI program is run by primary sources, which gives us the feeling that what these folks are telling as close to the truth as possible. The only problem with that system is that the people who had no written language and were not important enough to make the news papers, have been written out of history all together. Such is the way of civilization. One of our speakers was the guy who plays Thomas Jefferson. He gave a speech the was wonderfully eloquent. As he talked about all of the reasons that the colonies had to revolt against the British Crown, it sounded eerily like our modern day arguments about what is going on in our government today. SCARY!!!
The experience made me want to get more involved in government. I don't think I want to run for any office, but being in contact with my elected officials might be a good idea. I don't feel that they have my best interest in mind and they don't know what's on my mind. They need to do my bidding just as the system was designed. "Of the people, by the people, and for the people."
Friday, August 7, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Lucky Me
Man, let me tell you how much my wife loves me. Not only did she go along with me buying a new snow machine last fall, but she let me buy a bigger one this spring. How lucky am I?! Thank you Pam.
Nice huh?... the snow go, I mean.
Now, I can drag a heavy sled full of moose or caribou with total confidence. I had it up on the long trap line last month. I was pulling my friend's sled and it was full of gear. I don't know what the sled weighed, but it was HEAVY! My baby pulled it right along without a struggle. This isn't a good picture to show it, but the passenger seat comes off and gives me about three-feet of cargo area behind the seat. That's very nice for all kinds of stuff. It's like having a 3/4 ton pickup truck. I love it.
Aside from all of the trapping, hunting, and exploring that I have been doing, I'm also doing a little teaching. Yes, it's true. I do actually work... sometimes. We just finished doing statewide testing. What a waste of time. Let me officially say that I HATE No Child Left Behind. I can't believe that the American people are going along with such a stupid program. My students were really good about dealing with all of the stupid rules and the boredom. I hated subjecting them to such a counterproductive activity. I hope the "man of change" changes our education policy.
We also had parent teacher conferences. It went well and most of my parents came. I only had one parent who was scolded for having a whiny, spoiled truant crybaby of a child. She wasn't happy with me, but TOUGH.
I guess I wasn't too rough on her, because I was offered a new contract by my boss. Looks like I'll be in Bethel for at least one more year. That suits me just fine.
The thing I like about Bethel is that most everyone who is willing to work is thriving. The silliness of the economy has had an impact here, but is doesn't seem to be as terrible as it is in the lower 48. Maybe because of all of the native subsidies.
We moved in to a new home. We are renting a very nice, spacious two bedroom apartment from some really nice people. We love our new place. There's plenty of room for our outdoor toys. It's pretty quiet here, with the exception of some very friendly neighborhood kids. They are our own students so we know them well and we like them. The place also comes with unlimited access to "The Man Shed." Having a place to skin critters, other than the kitchen, is a huge benefit. Having that place right at home is even better and having a resident expert to keep me from screwing up is perfect. I spent all of last winter using Rafe's "Man Shed" and his tools. I am forever grateful to have had access to his facility; but now I don't have to travel to use a heated space to do the work. PERFECT!
I know it sounds like life here is perfect, but there are some drawbacks too. There's no McDonald's or Burger King. {Bummer} Adult beverages have to be shipped in because sales here are forbidden. We can drink it here, but we can't buy it here. Another, more serious, limitation is the access to specialized medicine. Every time Pam needs to see a specialist, she has to go to Anchorage. That's about a $500, three-day trip. So far our insurance has been lousy about helping us pay for such visits. The worst part about being so remote is missing our family, our children and our grandchildren. Being with the babies hurts.
All in all, we are enjoying our life here. It was especially nice last month when Sabrina and Jon came to visit. Unfortunately, their vacation time and ours were at different times, but at least they had plenty of time to rest. Unfortunately also, was the fact that a week of pretty damn cold weather hit when they arrived and stayed longer than they did. We got to so a little sight seeing, but the cold put a serious damper on the party. They did, however, get to see a very rare "Triple Catch." Rafe caught 3 lynx in one set and Sabrina, Jon, and Pam got to see it. I took them out on my little trap line and I took Sabrina to a couple of villages for a look at real "country-life." If you think you live in the country, think again. Sabrina can tell you about country.
Unfortunately, we have to go back down-states this summer. We will move the rest of our stuff home so we will never have to leave paradise again. After having so much freedom to roam I can't see me living any place else. I guess we'll see what next year and the year after brings. Maybe I can get my son and his family to visit next. Having my brothers visit to do a little fishing would be really cool too. Hey, maybe my folks would be interested in a visit... maybe when it gets warm... maybe.
Nice huh?... the snow go, I mean.
Now, I can drag a heavy sled full of moose or caribou with total confidence. I had it up on the long trap line last month. I was pulling my friend's sled and it was full of gear. I don't know what the sled weighed, but it was HEAVY! My baby pulled it right along without a struggle. This isn't a good picture to show it, but the passenger seat comes off and gives me about three-feet of cargo area behind the seat. That's very nice for all kinds of stuff. It's like having a 3/4 ton pickup truck. I love it.
Aside from all of the trapping, hunting, and exploring that I have been doing, I'm also doing a little teaching. Yes, it's true. I do actually work... sometimes. We just finished doing statewide testing. What a waste of time. Let me officially say that I HATE No Child Left Behind. I can't believe that the American people are going along with such a stupid program. My students were really good about dealing with all of the stupid rules and the boredom. I hated subjecting them to such a counterproductive activity. I hope the "man of change" changes our education policy.
We also had parent teacher conferences. It went well and most of my parents came. I only had one parent who was scolded for having a whiny, spoiled truant crybaby of a child. She wasn't happy with me, but TOUGH.
I guess I wasn't too rough on her, because I was offered a new contract by my boss. Looks like I'll be in Bethel for at least one more year. That suits me just fine.
The thing I like about Bethel is that most everyone who is willing to work is thriving. The silliness of the economy has had an impact here, but is doesn't seem to be as terrible as it is in the lower 48. Maybe because of all of the native subsidies.
We moved in to a new home. We are renting a very nice, spacious two bedroom apartment from some really nice people. We love our new place. There's plenty of room for our outdoor toys. It's pretty quiet here, with the exception of some very friendly neighborhood kids. They are our own students so we know them well and we like them. The place also comes with unlimited access to "The Man Shed." Having a place to skin critters, other than the kitchen, is a huge benefit. Having that place right at home is even better and having a resident expert to keep me from screwing up is perfect. I spent all of last winter using Rafe's "Man Shed" and his tools. I am forever grateful to have had access to his facility; but now I don't have to travel to use a heated space to do the work. PERFECT!
I know it sounds like life here is perfect, but there are some drawbacks too. There's no McDonald's or Burger King. {Bummer} Adult beverages have to be shipped in because sales here are forbidden. We can drink it here, but we can't buy it here. Another, more serious, limitation is the access to specialized medicine. Every time Pam needs to see a specialist, she has to go to Anchorage. That's about a $500, three-day trip. So far our insurance has been lousy about helping us pay for such visits. The worst part about being so remote is missing our family, our children and our grandchildren. Being with the babies hurts.
All in all, we are enjoying our life here. It was especially nice last month when Sabrina and Jon came to visit. Unfortunately, their vacation time and ours were at different times, but at least they had plenty of time to rest. Unfortunately also, was the fact that a week of pretty damn cold weather hit when they arrived and stayed longer than they did. We got to so a little sight seeing, but the cold put a serious damper on the party. They did, however, get to see a very rare "Triple Catch." Rafe caught 3 lynx in one set and Sabrina, Jon, and Pam got to see it. I took them out on my little trap line and I took Sabrina to a couple of villages for a look at real "country-life." If you think you live in the country, think again. Sabrina can tell you about country.
Unfortunately, we have to go back down-states this summer. We will move the rest of our stuff home so we will never have to leave paradise again. After having so much freedom to roam I can't see me living any place else. I guess we'll see what next year and the year after brings. Maybe I can get my son and his family to visit next. Having my brothers visit to do a little fishing would be really cool too. Hey, maybe my folks would be interested in a visit... maybe when it gets warm... maybe.
Monday, March 9, 2009
So Much to Say
First, let explain why there are no photos in this post. In January I was in Anchorage for training. While there, I stayed at the Hotel Captain Cook, a very nice place. My only complaint is that my camera was stolen from my room. I told the hotel detective about the camera and he refused to believe that anyone would take it. He was nice enough to look in the lost and found for it. Jerk.
The training was on how to make underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). I made a fully operational ROV that swims and does whatever I ask it to do. We started with a huge parts list of hardware store stuff and a box of Radio Shack parts. By the time we were finished, we were driving our little submarines in the UAF swimming pool. It was very cool. I hope to be able to teach this next year. My biggest obstacle is the lack of water in which to swim the ROVs. I'm working on solving that problem by next school year.
My daughter is coming here next week for her spring break. She could have gone to Florida and gotten skin cancer, but she chose to come to Alaska. I guess she wants to see some beautiful snow and breathe the cool, pure air; or maybe she wants to see her mom. Either way, I'm glad she's coming. What's more, she's bringing her significant other, Jon, with her. That is very cool.
Pam has had an interesting year in her new job. One of the duties of a teacher's aid is to be a substitute teacher as needed. Well, Pam has been a sub in the same classroom since before Thanksgiving. The teacher she covered for had a horrible string of bad luck and, hopefully, it's finally over, because Pam needs a break. The experience showed everyone around her that Pam is a natural in the classroom. Over and over she has heard "You should get your degree and be a teacher." Pam just smiles and shakes her head.
I hope to get another camera soon so you can see the stuff that we are seeing. Until then, you'll just have to use your imagination. If you choose to use your imagination, imagine about 40 pounds off of me, please.
The training was on how to make underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROV). I made a fully operational ROV that swims and does whatever I ask it to do. We started with a huge parts list of hardware store stuff and a box of Radio Shack parts. By the time we were finished, we were driving our little submarines in the UAF swimming pool. It was very cool. I hope to be able to teach this next year. My biggest obstacle is the lack of water in which to swim the ROVs. I'm working on solving that problem by next school year.
My daughter is coming here next week for her spring break. She could have gone to Florida and gotten skin cancer, but she chose to come to Alaska. I guess she wants to see some beautiful snow and breathe the cool, pure air; or maybe she wants to see her mom. Either way, I'm glad she's coming. What's more, she's bringing her significant other, Jon, with her. That is very cool.
Pam has had an interesting year in her new job. One of the duties of a teacher's aid is to be a substitute teacher as needed. Well, Pam has been a sub in the same classroom since before Thanksgiving. The teacher she covered for had a horrible string of bad luck and, hopefully, it's finally over, because Pam needs a break. The experience showed everyone around her that Pam is a natural in the classroom. Over and over she has heard "You should get your degree and be a teacher." Pam just smiles and shakes her head.
I hope to get another camera soon so you can see the stuff that we are seeing. Until then, you'll just have to use your imagination. If you choose to use your imagination, imagine about 40 pounds off of me, please.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
My Kids (Well, not really mine)
I was asked to write a little something about the students I am teaching this year. To tell you the truth, the difference between this year's bunch and last year's bunch is tremendous. How I go about teaching this bunch is different too.
In regards to language, this year's class of 6th. Graders is hugely diverse. Some of the kids have language just like kids in the lower 48. They speak conventional English without much of any trace of an accent. Some kids speak regular English with a hint of the Alaskan accent that evolved from the Canadian, Russian, Scandinavian, and Alaska Native influences on speech. Then we have the kids who came in from the village. Their speech patterns are very much the same as the kids I had from last year. They use a language that is almost like a pigeon language. It uses the mechanics of language used by the Yupiit (Yup'ik people), with it's succinctness of words and it's lack of gender assignment, and an almost village-specific dialect that has been passed down from the time of the Russian colonization of Alaska. Surprisingly, these village kids adapt very quickly with their new environment. Most of my village kids are already using Town-Speak as their primary language. We still have a Yup'ik class too. All of the students here get 40 minutes a week of Yup'ik language education.
The cultural make up of my classroom is pretty diverse too. I have a student who is a Muslim that was born in Jordan; a Mexican from Texas; four white kids that represent the lower 48 states; and a whole bunch of mixed race and full-blooded Yup'ik Eskimos. In the village, most of the parents did not have jobs. They lived on various welfare systems and from subsistence hunting and fishing. This year, most of my parents are working people. Their occupations range from doctors, nurses, lawyers, and teachers to mechanics, telecommunications technicians, and store clerks. We also have a few that use the welfare system. Even though we have a wide socio-economic spread, there doesn't seem to be much class-generated conflict among the kids.
One of the things that my town students have in common with my village students is dysfunctional families. This is the most heartbreaking part of my job, dealing with deadbeat parents. I have kids coming to school in sweatshirts in -35 degree temperatures and howling wind conditions. The kids will say I have a coat, but I don't want to wear it. When I call the parents, they say that they will be sure to make their kids wear their coat to school. The problem is that they aren't out of bed when the kid is getting ready for school. The kid wakes him or herself, gets dressed and on the bus while the parents are in bed. This is not a wide-spread problem, but I really feel for the couple of kids who have to suffer this.
For the most part these kids are like kids everywhere. They want to enjoy life and be accepted by others. I really enjoy teaching these kids. I don't really like the teaching model that I'm forced to use, but oh well. The optimism and enthusiasm of youth makes up for the less pleasant parts of the job.
In regards to language, this year's class of 6th. Graders is hugely diverse. Some of the kids have language just like kids in the lower 48. They speak conventional English without much of any trace of an accent. Some kids speak regular English with a hint of the Alaskan accent that evolved from the Canadian, Russian, Scandinavian, and Alaska Native influences on speech. Then we have the kids who came in from the village. Their speech patterns are very much the same as the kids I had from last year. They use a language that is almost like a pigeon language. It uses the mechanics of language used by the Yupiit (Yup'ik people), with it's succinctness of words and it's lack of gender assignment, and an almost village-specific dialect that has been passed down from the time of the Russian colonization of Alaska. Surprisingly, these village kids adapt very quickly with their new environment. Most of my village kids are already using Town-Speak as their primary language. We still have a Yup'ik class too. All of the students here get 40 minutes a week of Yup'ik language education.
The cultural make up of my classroom is pretty diverse too. I have a student who is a Muslim that was born in Jordan; a Mexican from Texas; four white kids that represent the lower 48 states; and a whole bunch of mixed race and full-blooded Yup'ik Eskimos. In the village, most of the parents did not have jobs. They lived on various welfare systems and from subsistence hunting and fishing. This year, most of my parents are working people. Their occupations range from doctors, nurses, lawyers, and teachers to mechanics, telecommunications technicians, and store clerks. We also have a few that use the welfare system. Even though we have a wide socio-economic spread, there doesn't seem to be much class-generated conflict among the kids.
One of the things that my town students have in common with my village students is dysfunctional families. This is the most heartbreaking part of my job, dealing with deadbeat parents. I have kids coming to school in sweatshirts in -35 degree temperatures and howling wind conditions. The kids will say I have a coat, but I don't want to wear it. When I call the parents, they say that they will be sure to make their kids wear their coat to school. The problem is that they aren't out of bed when the kid is getting ready for school. The kid wakes him or herself, gets dressed and on the bus while the parents are in bed. This is not a wide-spread problem, but I really feel for the couple of kids who have to suffer this.
For the most part these kids are like kids everywhere. They want to enjoy life and be accepted by others. I really enjoy teaching these kids. I don't really like the teaching model that I'm forced to use, but oh well. The optimism and enthusiasm of youth makes up for the less pleasant parts of the job.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Merry Christmas
On a cold and windy day, sometimes the sun isn't able to shine through all of the blowing snow. Christmas day 2008 was like that. The swirling winds blew the snow all around. Big snow drifts were made and then unmade within hours. Even the hardiest traveler is wise to stay holed-up in his cabin on a day like this one. Regardless of the weather, Christmas in Alaska is best.
The other day Rafe and I went out to check traps and it was a good day. The day was windy, but warm and the sun shone like summer. Fresh snow was everywhere and new critter tracks littered the ground. After the big blow that we had all of god's creatures were out enjoying the sunshine. For trappers, this is a bountiful time because our target animals behave predictably and we end up catching some. On this day we were very fortunate to have caught one of the more elusive fur bearers in the north, the lynx. These pictures let you see some of the lynx's beauty, but they don't let you see the size of the animal. These awesome creatures have really long legs and huge feet. Their pointed beards and tufted ears are cool to see, but their teeth and claws are the features that remind you of the beast in this beauty.
Just another cat? Not even close! If this tom had his way he'd run far from here, but since he can't he'd like to rip Rafe's lungs out. You should see the video I shot of this guy's speed and ferocity.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. I further hope you that each of you can appreciate what a gift life is and just how good our lives are. Some times folks start feeling bad because they miss loved ones at holiday time or they can't have life the way it used to be, but this is the perfect season to look forward. Enjoy life. If you don't enjoy the life you are living then change it. Be bold and be happy. Make good decisions so you don't end up like this lynx.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
First Fox
As you may know, I have plied may hand at fur harvesting, which is also known as trapping and/or snaring. This is something I have wanted to do all of my life, but have never made it work for me. I am finally connected with the right people to learn this craft and the right conditions exist in my life for this activity to be possible, so I'm going for it.
Rafe taught me the basics of fur bearer behavior and how to make snares. Then he gave me a grubstake to help me get started and helped me choose and construct my first set. His efforts paid off for me, because I snared my first fox yesterday.
Here is a picture:
She is not the most spectacular specimen, but she is my first. With luck and a little skill, there will be many more.
I have also been learning about moose. The Fish and Game guys hosted a public meeting that described the how successful the ban on hunting has been in strengthening the moose population. I believe what they said because I have been seeing a whole lot of moose tracks. However, as my daddy says, "You can't eat tracks." Well, it finally happened. I bumped into moose. Man, those things are huge. This cow and calf had me so excited that I was shaking and had that wiggly feeling in my stomach. It was cool. If an out-of-season cow and calf make me feel that way, I wonder how I'll react to a bull in my sights?
I promised to write more about my new job and especially my students, but that will come in a few days. Sorry.
Rafe taught me the basics of fur bearer behavior and how to make snares. Then he gave me a grubstake to help me get started and helped me choose and construct my first set. His efforts paid off for me, because I snared my first fox yesterday.
Here is a picture:
She is not the most spectacular specimen, but she is my first. With luck and a little skill, there will be many more.
I have also been learning about moose. The Fish and Game guys hosted a public meeting that described the how successful the ban on hunting has been in strengthening the moose population. I believe what they said because I have been seeing a whole lot of moose tracks. However, as my daddy says, "You can't eat tracks." Well, it finally happened. I bumped into moose. Man, those things are huge. This cow and calf had me so excited that I was shaking and had that wiggly feeling in my stomach. It was cool. If an out-of-season cow and calf make me feel that way, I wonder how I'll react to a bull in my sights?
I promised to write more about my new job and especially my students, but that will come in a few days. Sorry.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Reason for Thanks
For five weeks I've been giving my students reasons to think about and express their thoughts about the Thanksgiving Holiday. I have offered the Plymouth Rock/Pilgrim's and Wompanoag's story to them in the form of an alien invasion, an opportunity for charity and in its traditional form. I even gave them the story in a homeland security threat scenario, but what I didn't do was ask them what makes them feel thankful. At the time, I hadn't thought much about feeling thankful.
Well, the feeling of thankfulness came over me this morning as I ate breakfast and reflected on the holiday weekend. What came to me first was how wonderful my wife is. While I've been off, bombing around the tundra with my buddy Rafe, she has been patient and supportive. In fact, I got blood all over the bathtub and she never made a fuss. But, she doesn't have many opportunities to get out and visit people so I know she must be getting bored. I hope we can change this last part soon. Thanks Pam.
The second reason for my feeling of thanks was the ingredients of my breakfast. It was mostly the usual stuff, coffee, eggs, toast, and caribou back-strap. Did I say CARIBOU BACK-STRAP!? Oh yeah, I did. How did I get caribou back-strap, you ask?
Yesterday, I got a phone call from Rafe. He said "How itchy are you to go caribou hunting?" As a man who has been itching to go caribou hunting since I was 10 years old, I told him that I was ready to go whenever the opportunity came. It seems that he got a phone call from a friend of his about the whereabouts of a nearby caribou herd. So within the hour the two of us and another fella, Dave, were on the trail.
After about an hour of very cold, windy riding we found the herd with no problem. I didn't know it then, but the easy part was over. Caribou hunting is nothing like deer hunting. Everything happens very fast on a caribou hunt. The caribou herd heard us coming long before we saw them so they were ready for us by the time we got there. We pursued the herd over some rough terrain for a little while and we took our best shots. I have often boasted, in the past, about never making a less than perfect shot on deer and never using more than one bullet to kill a whitetail. I will be not be bragging like that about this hunt, because I used three shots to get the job done. My first shot was ugly, but fatal with time. Because I could get close and finish my bull, that's what I did. I rode my snow machine close and shot twice more; no point in letting it suffer.
Yep, it's a bull. The bulls already shed their antlers. One of the things I never understood about caribou was its body size and I guess I still don't. When you see them they look to be small. When you grab hold of one and try to move it, it is big and heavy. It is a hard thing to describe.
Anyhow, Rafe, Dave and I all ended up with bulls. After this compulsory photograph to commemorate my first caribou, we loaded them into sleds and headed for a wind break. The temperature was about 5 degrees with a windchill cold enough to freeze hell over so getting out of the wind was important.
I learned many things on this hunt. Rafe taught me how to quarter a caribou without gutting it and how to cape a bull so the hide has some value. I also learned just how good the knife my brother Craig made for me way back when still is.
With my old knife, I butchered that whole caribou without ever having to touch up the blade. And after I got home I ran the knife over a whetstone a couple of times and finished processing the whole animal. I've carried that knife for about 30 years and the reason is obvious. It works. That is the third thing I feel grateful for.
Old and beat up, but still does the job.
Lastly, none of this would be possible if not for good people. I have to thank Rafe for taking me under his wing and teaching me about trapping, snaring, and hunting Alaska style. Thank you. I look forward to as many more lessons as I can get.
Oh wait, wait, wait, did I mention that Rafe got me pulled over by the cops? That's right, we were putting in his lynx line today when a State Trooper in a Piper Cub (bush plane) on skis landed on the snow near us. The trooper checked our licenses, chit-chatted with us for a little while, and then flew off to keep Alaska safe for all humanity. I never would have imagined that a State Trooper in an airplane would come out of the sky and pull me over while I was riding a snowmobile. How crazy is that? I wish I had brought my camera... maybe next time.
Well, that's all for now kids. Until next time, may you have many things in your life for which you feel thanks.
Well, the feeling of thankfulness came over me this morning as I ate breakfast and reflected on the holiday weekend. What came to me first was how wonderful my wife is. While I've been off, bombing around the tundra with my buddy Rafe, she has been patient and supportive. In fact, I got blood all over the bathtub and she never made a fuss. But, she doesn't have many opportunities to get out and visit people so I know she must be getting bored. I hope we can change this last part soon. Thanks Pam.
The second reason for my feeling of thanks was the ingredients of my breakfast. It was mostly the usual stuff, coffee, eggs, toast, and caribou back-strap. Did I say CARIBOU BACK-STRAP!? Oh yeah, I did. How did I get caribou back-strap, you ask?
Yesterday, I got a phone call from Rafe. He said "How itchy are you to go caribou hunting?" As a man who has been itching to go caribou hunting since I was 10 years old, I told him that I was ready to go whenever the opportunity came. It seems that he got a phone call from a friend of his about the whereabouts of a nearby caribou herd. So within the hour the two of us and another fella, Dave, were on the trail.
After about an hour of very cold, windy riding we found the herd with no problem. I didn't know it then, but the easy part was over. Caribou hunting is nothing like deer hunting. Everything happens very fast on a caribou hunt. The caribou herd heard us coming long before we saw them so they were ready for us by the time we got there. We pursued the herd over some rough terrain for a little while and we took our best shots. I have often boasted, in the past, about never making a less than perfect shot on deer and never using more than one bullet to kill a whitetail. I will be not be bragging like that about this hunt, because I used three shots to get the job done. My first shot was ugly, but fatal with time. Because I could get close and finish my bull, that's what I did. I rode my snow machine close and shot twice more; no point in letting it suffer.
Yep, it's a bull. The bulls already shed their antlers. One of the things I never understood about caribou was its body size and I guess I still don't. When you see them they look to be small. When you grab hold of one and try to move it, it is big and heavy. It is a hard thing to describe.
Anyhow, Rafe, Dave and I all ended up with bulls. After this compulsory photograph to commemorate my first caribou, we loaded them into sleds and headed for a wind break. The temperature was about 5 degrees with a windchill cold enough to freeze hell over so getting out of the wind was important.
I learned many things on this hunt. Rafe taught me how to quarter a caribou without gutting it and how to cape a bull so the hide has some value. I also learned just how good the knife my brother Craig made for me way back when still is.
With my old knife, I butchered that whole caribou without ever having to touch up the blade. And after I got home I ran the knife over a whetstone a couple of times and finished processing the whole animal. I've carried that knife for about 30 years and the reason is obvious. It works. That is the third thing I feel grateful for.
Old and beat up, but still does the job.
Lastly, none of this would be possible if not for good people. I have to thank Rafe for taking me under his wing and teaching me about trapping, snaring, and hunting Alaska style. Thank you. I look forward to as many more lessons as I can get.
Oh wait, wait, wait, did I mention that Rafe got me pulled over by the cops? That's right, we were putting in his lynx line today when a State Trooper in a Piper Cub (bush plane) on skis landed on the snow near us. The trooper checked our licenses, chit-chatted with us for a little while, and then flew off to keep Alaska safe for all humanity. I never would have imagined that a State Trooper in an airplane would come out of the sky and pull me over while I was riding a snowmobile. How crazy is that? I wish I had brought my camera... maybe next time.
Well, that's all for now kids. Until next time, may you have many things in your life for which you feel thanks.
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