Westartedwalkingbackwhena cariboubullburstfrom
the rocks 10 yardsinfrontof Bobandranacrosstheopen
grass.The bullonlyhadoneantlerandwasactinggoofy.I took
somenicephotosbeforehe headeddownthenorthslopeand
out of sight,andthenwe headedbackto camp.
Thenextdaywe splitup.BobandMatthuntedpeaksfar-
therwest,whileI climbeda toweringpeakBobhadnamed
“Nasty.”It wasverysteepandclutteredwithlotsof noisyal-
ders,makingstalkingdifficult.I kepthuntingup thespineof
ja ggedrockpinnaclesanddownintosaddleswhileglassing
and lookingfora buckI couldstalkor ambush.
I finallyspotteda velvet-antleredbuckbeddedabovea big
boulder.Hisantlersweretallandwideandsportedthree-inch
eyeguards.He wasa beautiful,matureSitkabuck.
I hada breezeinmy face,so keepingoutof sightI quickly
and quietlyscurriedwithin50 yardsbeforeslippingoutof my
pack.I hunkeredlowas I easedoverthecrownof thehill.It
was perfectforstalking—rocksandmoss.I finallyreacheda
spotwhereI couldseetheboulder,so I creptcloserandraised
uptospotantlertips.I nockedanarrow,heldmy bowhori-
zontalso thebuckcouldn’tspotmy movement,quietlyplaced
myfeetso I’dhavesolidfooting,andwaited.I waswearingmy
Si tkadeerdecoyhat craftedby Bob’swife,Lisa.Whenthebuck
spottedmy hat he immediatelystoodandlookedrightat me.
That instantI drewandreleasedbutI’dhurriedmy shotand
the arrowflewharmlesslylow.
TosayI wasdisappointedforrushingmy shotis an under-
statement.I shookmy headin disgustas I climbedbackup the
cragsandstartedsouthdownthesteepslope.I stoppedto view
the splendorof theruggedmountains,white-cappedwaves,
Bob’s cabin, and miles of ocean. Yes, I was disappointed, but
I was also thankful. Thankful for friends like Bob. Thankful
for good health and for being in good enough shape to climb
these steep mountains. And, most importantly, I was thankful
for a wife who understands my passion for wild and exciting
bowhunting adventures.AUTHOR’S NOTES: On this hunt, I shot a 55-pound Hoyt Satori takedown recurve,
Gold Tip Traditional Classic XT arrows fletched with four white Gateway feathers
and tipped with Muzzy Phantom four-blade broadheads. Other equipment included
an ALPS OutdoorZ Traverse EPS pack, Kenetrek Mountain Extreme boots, SIG
SAUER 10x42 binoculars and rangefinder, and Browning clothing and raingear in
Mossy Oak Break-Up Country camo. We used Island Air (907/487-4596) to fly to
and from our hunt area.WILD ABOUT KODIAK!
I spotted this handsome buck from 300 yards and closed the gap to 12
yards. When the buck stood looking at me, I panicked, quickly drew my
Hoyt Satori recurve, and released without picking a spot, so my arrow
missed low.