October 27
Good Morning
We were lucky to encounter caribou on our return trip from Tuk. Caribou migrate en masse in the spring from their wintering grounds and migrate in small family groups in the fall. So they can be quite dispersed.
We first spotted a very young one on the road as we were heading south. We stopped and got a safety shot. That is a photograph that you take from a distance in case the animal decides to run away as you get closer.
As we approached we noticed three more caribou on the passenger side of the truck. Fortunately this was the side I was on. I took a few shots and then the caribou went up onto the road. This was not going well.
They stood on the road and then decided to go back onto the tundra beside me. I grabbed a few more shots. They were backlit by the sun so I asked my friend Brian to drive slowly by then to get better light.
As we approached them they began to run. Brian kept up with them and I was able to photograph them fore a few seconds running across the tundra. They quickly realized we were going in a straight line and they turned and went over a low ridge.
We stayed and watched them for a while. They eventually came back near the road and then wandered off again. As you look at the photographs , you may think tech are all males. However, caribou are the only member of the deer family where both genders grow antlers. Looking closely at my photos, the two with the larger antlers are male and the darker one appear to be female. They are all young as the older males antlers are much larger.
One of the males has just recently lost the velvet off his antlers and you can still see the blood stains from the vessels that feed then growth of the antlers.
Definitely a very memorable wildlife encounter.
Stay Well !
Click on photos to see full size
