While archery hunting along the Dalton Highway, AKA the Haul Road, I met a man from Fairbanks by the name of Dickie Byrd. Dickie is a true woodsman and has passed on some great moose hunting stories. We have stayed in touch and recently he sent me the following photo and message. It ties in nicely with my previous Haul Road entry.
Finger Mountain is located at a landmark on the highway called Finger Rock. It is guite prominent and, if my memory serves we correctly, it is just about an hour’s drive south of the Arctic Cirle. The photo is of a bull caribou that was standing right next to the highway and would have been very vulnerable to an archery hunter.
Unfortunately, these events are not common as the country is vast. However, it’s a nice photo. Thanks Dickie. Here’s a link to Dickie’s web site. http://travel.webshots.com/photo/1277001727065958343zbLfc
Bull Caribou
Caribou are noted for their larger herds of 10,000 to 20,000 animals. These numbers reflect the number of animals associated with one another. But they are usually widely scattered over an area. From ground level you will maybe see several thousand of them but the biggest number of them will be hidden from sight by hills, gully, and just plain old distance. Even from an airplane you might only see half of the herd.
During the summer months they spread out farther and you often only see a few hundred and they will be in small family groups with 100 yards or 5 miles separating them. In the summer you will also find a lot of individual animals scattered around here and there. But, when you see one, you can be sure that the rest of the herd is scattered about in the surrounding miles.
If you go wo WEBSHOTS search for Alaskabird.
Rich – It is called Finger Rock because the rock sticks up like a half crooked finger. For years I thought it was the oil field truckers driving the highway named it. But I have found out that is was named in the early flying days of Alaska. The finger points toward Fairbanks and the pilots used to find their way home.
Yes, it can easily take you an hour to get from the Arctic Circle to Finger Mountain, (the summit where Finger Rock is seen). Even longer if you stop at Fish Creek and catch a dinner of Grayling. And also spend some time photographing the beautiful Kanuti River Valley.
But Finger Mountain is 17 miles south of the Arctic Circle. In The MIlepost (a yearly very thick magazine describing all of the roads in Alaska) Finger Mountain is at 98.3 mile on the Dalton Highway and the Arctic Circle is 115.3 mile. The Dalton Highway begins 81 miles from Fairbanks.
Dickie
Thanks Dickie. I knew you’d have the correct scoop.