Goin Crazy For Caribou!

I've been meaning to post up some information on Caribou Hunting...I'm happy I found this article for ya.  It was written back in 2001 but the information is just as valid today. 

I'm not sure if Gary Stefanovsky still holds clinics and speaks about hunting but my guess is that he does...If you're wanting to hear him speak, try searching on Google for him...Let me know if you find out anything.  Just send me an email: Michael@SimpleBowHunting.com .

-Michael

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Caribou crazy
by RON WILSON
 

Gary Stefanovsky has a thing for caribou: "To me, they're the most exotic animal that I can hunt," said the Bismarck bowhunter, who has stalked and ambushed these animals from Newfoundland to Alaska.

Caribou hunting is appealing because it's a grand adventure that's affordable, too. Plus, these animals live in untamed country that's pretty easy on the eyes. "What's also neat about caribou hunting, is that you get to see so many animals," Stefanovsky said. "It's not like going elk hunting, where you might only see one or two elk and maybe get a shot at one."

On Saturday, Stefanovsky, a veteran of four caribou hunts, will share some of his adventures and tips for planning a hunt. He will speak at the 32nd annual Bismarck Tribune Sport Show, held in the Bismarck Civic Center.

Stefanovsky's last caribou hunt took place in October in Alaska, where he arrowed his biggest caribou to date. The bull, he said, may be big enough to make the Pope and Young Record Book. "We must have seen 1,000 caribou a day for the first seven days of that hunt," he said. Not to mention a handful of grizzly bear sightings.

The bull Stefanovsky ended up taking was first spotted at about 300 yards.

Using a favorable wind and stand of alders as cover, he moved to within 20 to 30 yards of a small herd made up of maybe 20 cows and two bulls. "They can smell you, pick up your scent at 300 yards," he said. "They won't spook like a whitetail when they wind you, but they'll avoid you."

After getting into position, Stefanovsky decided that he'd take a cow if one offered him a good shot through a narrow window in the alders. "Then, all of a sudden, I saw these antlers coming towards me," he said. "The bull walked into what little opening that I had ä" His arrow found its mark and the caribou went only about 100 yards before piling up.

Five trips and a day later, Stefanovsky finally had the bull back in camp.

For the beginner wanting to go on a caribou hunting adventure, Stefanovsky said he can save them time and money from what he has learned. That, he said, will be part of his objective during his hourlong seminar at the Sport Show. "The hardest part is the time, the time involved in getting ready, talking to outfitters, talking to references ä ," he said.

The first thing the would-be caribou hunter must decide, however, is which caribou he or she wants to hunt, considering there are five species.

Stefanovsky recommends barren ground caribou in Alaska because, for one, it's cheaper. "You save money because you don't have to have a guide to hunt caribou in Alaska," he said. "That's not the case in some other places."

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Want to go? Gary Stefanovsky will host one seminar Saturday during the 32nd annual Bismarck Tribune Sport Show, held in the Bismarck Civic Center. At 2 p.m., the avid archer will provide tips for the beginner wanting to hunt caribou in Alaska, Northwest Territories or elsewhere. Stefanovsky also will provide the hunter with check lists on gear, clothing and so on, tips on hunting these animals, and when and where to go. "For example, I'm not going to Alaska during the bug season again because it's just not worth it," he said. 

 - Article courtesy of the "Outdoor Journal" a publication of the Bismarck Tribune.

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