Unit 23 reports

Joined
Nov 25, 2020
Messages
80
Location
Bozeman, MT
How about a review on the new Crispi boots...?
We both had the Highlands and agreed they were the gear MVP's for our trip. They were worth every penny in our opinions. We would use the river bed to travel so we were crossing water a dozen or more times a day and sometimes going hundreds of yards in the water- switching boots every time would have taken so much time and Wiggy's, which we also had, wouldn't have held up. They're expensive and have questionable styling but performed, so you quickly forget about the styling.
 

JonS

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
369
Location
Erie, CO
I flew out with good friends 9/18 and landed in Kotzebue without much of ado about anything! Golden Eagle flew us into a 360 degree view of caribou and the hunt was on! Can’t say enough good things about Heather and China and how they work! Great front to a solid business! We went 3 for 3 on nice bulls and couldn’t be happier with the whole process. We watched a herd of probably 500+ from camp night one and saw hundreds more just across the Noatak River heading over a mighty saddle! Evening of the first night had me watching a massive white double shovel 400 yds from camp.
He was not there the next morning and it was a gorgeous hike to find more. Saw some on a hill a mile away and the race was on. They were grazing and not on the move. 1 bull down! The rest ran off and we chased and caught them 300 yds from bull 1, 2 bulls down! Got one cleaned and was about to hike out and antlers were seen a few hundred yards away. Chase on!
670 yds from bull 1 and bull 3 is down! Lots of work getting them cut up and back to camp. Apparently three dead bulls attracts fuzzy britches. He ate the second caribou and we didn’t challenge him! Ice up was beginning as slush was forming across the Noatak.
Temps were in the 20’s until the last night as there was plenty of cloud cover. Then it cleared with the moon and northern lights luring me out of the tipi to pee! Quite possibly the best urination I’ve had!
Two musk ox fighting 150 yds from camp of day of take out and the trip was complete.
Wore muck boots everyday and swear by them! Never put on my kenetrek’s.
Hauled 3 quarters out in an old Dana Bomb pack and this guy was tired as they were all in one trip! Used a sled and pack to take out 4 quarters of the other. One buddy hauled antlers and ribs and other guarded meat at camp. Hope these pics do it justice! Great trip, great funE939EC36-1F46-41EC-B388-98C11586F1F7.jpegA55D3226-60B3-4BC3-B4C4-E1122E4906AF.jpeg0F74D6C2-E148-4421-B1ED-BEF1BBD64B28.jpeg92781ABD-BEEE-4B75-94CF-BF3F2C74134E.jpeg
 

Mt Al

WKR
Joined
Dec 16, 2017
Messages
1,214
Location
Montana
I flew out with good friends 9/18 and landed in Kotzebue without much of ado about anything! Golden Eagle flew us into a 360 degree view of caribou and the hunt was on! Can’t say enough good things about Heather and China and how they work! Great front to a solid business! We went 3 for 3 on nice bulls and couldn’t be happier with the whole process. We watched a herd of probably 500+ from camp night one and saw hundreds more just across the Noatak River heading over a mighty saddle! Evening of the first night had me watching a massive white double shovel 400 yds from camp.
He was not there the next morning and it was a gorgeous hike to find more. Saw some on a hill a mile away and the race was on. They were grazing and not on the move. 1 bull down! The rest ran off and we chased and caught them 300 yds from bull 1, 2 bulls down! Got one cleaned and was about to hike out and antlers were seen a few hundred yards away. Chase on!
670 yds from bull 1 and bull 3 is down! Lots of work getting them cut up and back to camp. Apparently three dead bulls attracts fuzzy britches. He ate the second caribou and we didn’t challenge him! Ice up was beginning as slush was forming across the Noatak.
Temps were in the 20’s until the last night as there was plenty of cloud cover. Then it cleared with the moon and northern lights luring me out of the tipi to pee! Quite possibly the best urination I’ve had!
Two musk ox fighting 150 yds from camp of day of take out and the trip was complete.
Wore muck boots everyday and swear by them! Never put on my kenetrek’s.
Hauled 3 quarters out in an old Dana Bomb pack and this guy was tired as they were all in one trip! Used a sled and pack to take out 4 quarters of the other.

Dana Bomb pack?!? Impossible: no meat shelf, no spendy carbon fiber frame and certainly not cammo. My old Bomb pack hauled many a antelope and deer...so I guess you're probably telling the truth.

Sounds like an awesome trip, thanks for sharing.
 

CGSwimmer25

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Messages
199
Location
Alaska
I flew out with good friends 9/18 and landed in Kotzebue without much of ado about anything! Golden Eagle flew us into a 360 degree view of caribou and the hunt was on! Can’t say enough good things about Heather and China and how they work! Great front to a solid business! We went 3 for 3 on nice bulls and couldn’t be happier with the whole process. We watched a herd of probably 500+ from camp night one and saw hundreds more just across the Noatak River heading over a mighty saddle! Evening of the first night had me watching a massive white double shovel 400 yds from camp.
He was not there the next morning and it was a gorgeous hike to find more. Saw some on a hill a mile away and the race was on. They were grazing and not on the move. 1 bull down! The rest ran off and we chased and caught them 300 yds from bull 1, 2 bulls down! Got one cleaned and was about to hike out and antlers were seen a few hundred yards away. Chase on!
670 yds from bull 1 and bull 3 is down! Lots of work getting them cut up and back to camp. Apparently three dead bulls attracts fuzzy britches. He ate the second caribou and we didn’t challenge him! Ice up was beginning as slush was forming across the Noatak.
Temps were in the 20’s until the last night as there was plenty of cloud cover. Then it cleared with the moon and northern lights luring me out of the tipi to pee! Quite possibly the best urination I’ve had!
Two musk ox fighting 150 yds from camp of day of take out and the trip was complete.
Wore muck boots everyday and swear by them! Never put on my kenetrek’s.
Hauled 3 quarters out in an old Dana Bomb pack and this guy was tired as they were all in one trip! Used a sled and pack to take out 4 quarters of the other. One buddy hauled antlers and ribs and other guarded meat at camp. Hope these pics do it justice! Great trip, great funView attachment 335037View attachment 335038View attachment 335040View attachment 335039

Isn’t there a 5 mile corridor of no caribou hunting on either side of the Noatak?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

JonS

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
369
Location
Erie, CO
Dana Bomb pack?!? Impossible: no meat shelf, no spendy carbon fiber frame and certainly not cammo. My old Bomb pack hauled many a antelope and deer...so I guess you're probably telling the truth.

Sounds like an awesome trip, thanks for sharing.
Yep, old Dana's still rock my world, heavy and tough as hell! Hauled 4 antelope recently as well! Awesome packs, astralplane, terraplane, big sky, bomb, bridger, no I don't have a problem :)
 

JonS

WKR
Joined
Oct 18, 2012
Messages
369
Location
Erie, CO
Isn’t there a 5 mile corridor of no caribou hunting on either side of the Noatak?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
No idea, would be good to know and a little bummed as that's where we were set down to hunt. I suspect we were legal, Trooper didn't seem to question location when we talked about fuzzy britches eating one.
 
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