Have you noticed on the tv shows that 90% of the caribou that are shot with a bow are terrible shots? Most of the time, it is a liver or gut shot.. At least it looks like it too me?
And the caribou goes right down, or so it seems..

Are caribou that big of babies??

Lots of caribou taken, particularly the Quebec-Labrador caribou taken in the migration, are done on running shots. Not a lot of guys practice that and they end up with shafts in guts. The caribou do go down nice and fast. I haven't taken a Quebec-Labrador so I can't say if they are just big babies or not. The one thing I can say is that they aren't as big an animal as many people think they are. The ones you see on the migration hunts are just leaving the summer feeding grounds and are as fat as they ever get. Once you strip the hide, antlers, and fat off them, they aren't all that heavy. Around 250 pounds boned out on a big bull.
If it were a moose or an elk that took that took an arrow to the guts it would go a long way. I know the mountain caribou I chase around aren't big bodied, and they don't carry a hole well at all!!

I watched a show the other day.It was pretty cool to see the massive herds.Unless I win the lottery I can't afford to do it...I'll have to keep my eye out for that episode...

I would go down prett quick if I was shot in the guts (prolly start crying for mi madre too lol) Are you calling me a baby?

Idk i'll have to check it out.

Sorry, just stealing a quote from Will Primos about "big babies" from Big Bulls 11..

It is not just one show, alot of shows and videos I see when they bow hunt Caribou. Like the Drury video Big Game 6, I think it is, all of the shots taken with a bow where not good shots, and the bulls went right down... So it seems.. Monday morning there was a show on the Outdoor Channel, I believe it was Buckmasters and they where hunting Caribou. And the same thing happened...

Just wierd..

They are usually moving and sometimes the weather, wind and rain play a part in it. Not much cover to hide behind either on some hunts.

I hunt caribou every year and we need to remember that they are different from whitetail deer. Whitetails are creatures that are masters of hide and seek, they live in and around lots of cover and use it to their best benefit. While Caribou are creatures of open ground for the most part, no place to hide placing trust in speed in being able to out distance danger. And unlike Whitetail deer who are very cautious around people Caribou on the other hand are not cautious around people in fact a Caribou may only see a person once in a whole year and it is possable that they may not even see a human in a years time. So the fear factor is not as present in Caribou as in Whitetail deer. Plus a gut shot in any animal is bad as it can get. It tends to make them very sick and is extremly painful, so it stands to reason that a gut shot Caribou that is sick,and in pain will lay down and not try and run. I really don't think that Caribou are baby's I think its a matter of no place to hide.
just my personal thoughts.

sounds like good logic to me. a deer normally doesn't go that far when it is gut shot, just with no or very little blood it is hard to find them in the woods. if it was open country it would be a totally different story, you could see them lay down to.

Kevin

I watched that same hunt Barry. I remember i rented a video from the only rental place in town that carries hunting vids. But anyway, he ran up to close to the caribou, the caribou ran a little ways and turned back to look at him. In the meantime the guy released an arrow and hit him in the back quarter, it dropped instantly and bled out in a matter of seconds. He must have got lucky and hit an artery. All I could think was how lucky....if that were me he would've ran for miles and would've been a week long endeavor. But no, the whole time the guide is going...GREAT SHOT....i just kept laughing and shaking my head. You'd think if you were going on a caribou hunt you would find a way to practice a moving shot wouldn't you???