560 | A New Hunter Goes to Alaska for Caribou (A Listener Story)

The Hunt Backcountry Podcast

by Exo Mtn Gear

Sports, Health & Fitness, Sports:wilderness, Wilderness

4.9 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2026

⏱️ 89 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, we catch up with Nick as he recounts his transformative caribou hunt in Alaska. We discuss his preparation, including physical training and mentorship, and the mental challenges faced in the Alaskan tundra. Nick shares the excitement of spotting caribou bulls and the emotions surrounding his successful first shot. We also explore the instinctive process of harvesting the animal and the camaraderie built throughout the adventure, highlighting the deeper meanings of hunting and connection with nature. Nick's Before-the-Hunt Episode: https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/531 The Hunt Backcountry Podcast is brought to you by Exo Mtn Gear: https://exomtngear.com/ Email Sign-up: https://exomtngear.com/newsletter Contact Us: podcast@exomtngear.com Leave A Message: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast CHAPTERS... 1:29 — Catching Up with Nick1:47 — Pre-Hunt Preparations5:20 — Alaska Drop Camp Overview7:33 — Arrival in Alaska11:55 — Traveling to the Hunting Grounds18:27 — First Impressions of the Tundra21:10 — Setting Up Camp22:28 — Navigating the Tundra29:24 — The First Few Days31:48 — Learning to Identify Caribou37:38 — Mental Toughness in the Hunt39:26 — Passing the Time in the Tent39:38 — Weather Changes43:30 — The First Bull Sighting51:18 — The Moment of Truth53:30 — Post-Shot Reflections1:02:53 — Breaking Down the Caribou1:12:01 — The Joy of Packing Out1:16:27 — Final Days and Packing Up1:20:59 — Logistics of Returning Home1:27:15 — Reflection and Conclusion

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to the Huntback Country podcast.
0:16.9	This is episode number 560.
0:20.3	And our guest, Nick, is one of you guys, a listener of the show.
0:25.5	He joined us back in episode 531, which was before he was heading to Alaska for a caribou hunt.
0:35.5	It was not only Nick's first trip to Alaska, Nick is actually a newer hunter,
0:41.2	and we talked a bit about that in the previous episode, including some of his experiences
0:46.7	learning from friends, as well as attending some El Cunning boot camps and getting in-person
0:52.2	training as a hunter and shooter. So today we are catching up
0:56.9	after the fact and hearing the story of how this Alaska trip went for him and what it was like
1:02.6	for Nick to harvest this caribou and really solidify his experience as a new big game hunter.
1:10.5	It's a great episode with some good takeaways and a great story that goes with it.
1:15.4	I hope you enjoy it.
1:16.9	Before we do dive into that conversation, as always, if you guys have anything for us,
1:21.9	whether that's questions, comments, or feedback, just send an email to podcast at exomountagear.com.
1:28.1	It would be good to hear from you.
1:29.8	And if you are enjoying the show, take a second right now and leave a rating or review in your
1:35.1	podcast app if you can.
1:37.3	And come on right back and we'll dive into this conversation with Nick.
1:47.5	Well, Nick, I always like to start here with these, when we do a separate before and
1:52.7	after episode of like what happened between us recording our podcast and you actually going on this trip.
2:03.4	So before we dive into like, hey, you're going to Alaska.
2:06.9	Was there anything notable?
	...

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