I had never seen a muskox in person, but I knew that I wanted to one day hunt those prehistoric-looking animals. With other hunts always on my schedule each year, I never put a muskox adventure at the top of my list or made planning one much of a priority. That was until a stroke of luck changed everything and forced me to begin planning a journey that I will remember for the rest of my life.
In December of 2018, a friend of mine suggested that I apply for a muskox tag for one of the Nunivak Island hunts in Alaska. I considered applying, but I ended up not doing so. It wasn’t until 2019 that I finally decided to put in for the draw for the very first time. I ended up applying for the summer hunt in lieu of the more traditional winter hunt that most people think of when they imagine a muskox hunt. I knew the odds of drawing the tag were a long shot at best, but I had been on the right side of long shot draw odds before and couldn’t help but imagine how cool it would be to actually draw.
A few months after I put in, I was on a business trip in Florida and happened to look at my email. It reminded me that the draw results would be available that very day. Not thinking I had much of a chance, I was stunned when I input my information and saw the word “Successful” next to my name and hunt number. That was when it began to sink in that I had some serious planning to do! I was starting from ground zero on all the details regarding how to hunt muskox, how to get to the island, where to stay, should I go guided or not, as well as a myriad of other questions. To say that I was quickly overwhelmed would be an understatement.
Little did I know just how much time I would have in order to pull this hunt off. You see, Covid-19 was just starting to have its impact on travel, and the hurdles I would have to overcome just to get to Nunivak Island were almost enough for me to call the hunt off. As a matter of fact, I heard that the hunt itself was almost called off due to the residents of Nunivak Island not wanting people from the outside possibly bringing the virus to the island.
After some quick research and knowing I would be on my own, I decided to hire the services of registered guide James Whitman. James and his uncle, Raymond Amos, have guided many successful hunters over the years, and their reviews stood out as people I could count on to help on this adventure. Knowing what I now know about travel around the island and how difficult it can be in summer without the assistance of snow and snow machines, I am very glad that I decided to go guided.
The state had moved the opening day up a month. Originally, the hunt had been scheduled for September 1st, but the new opening day of August 1st was right smack in the middle of the mosquito swarm on Nunivak Island. My plan was to land in Mekoryuk on July 31st. It is the village on the island where most of the 200 residents reside. Being a remote island in the Bering Sea with the ability to be isolated from Covid-19 meant that new rules were put in place before anyone from the outside would be allowed to hunt. Here is where the time I had to dedicate to this hunt increased ten-fold. For me to go to Alaska, I would have to furnish the results of a negative Covid test that was taken within 72 hours of departure to Alaska. Once I was in Alaska, I would fly to Bethel and be retested there and wait for my results. I was told the results could take a week or longer to get back. Not wanting to take a chance and miss my hunt, I rented an apartment in Bethel for 10 days where I could await my results. I went stir crazy waiting. I was actually tested three times in Bethel. Two times, the tests were lost, and my actual results almost didn’t come in time. In the end, I needed all 10 days to get approval to fly to Mekoryuk. The good news was that all the waiting and testing and more waiting were finally behind me and I was on my way to Nunivak to hunt muskox.
The flight from Bethel to Mekoryuk occurred on a spectacularly clear day, and the scenery outside my plane window was amazing. Upon landing, the few other passengers on the plane and I were greeted by the tribal police who took our temperatures. This was my last hurdle, and thankfully, I made the grade and was then picked up by Raymond and taken to meet up with James to plan the following day’s hunt. It had been almost two weeks since I left my home in Missouri.
Opening morning dawned with fog rolling in off the Bering Sea. We had a long day ahead of us and weren’t rushed against the short daylight hours that winter hunters have to deal with. Our plan was to load our gear securely into a small trailer we would tow behind an ATV, which would take us to a part of the island Raymond was certain would hold muskox. Thankfully, we packed our gear very secure because riding over the tundra trails was incredibly rough and anything not tied down wasn’t going to make the trip.
About five miles from town, we broke free from the fog and were greeted with blue sky and our first muskox. I was almost afraid that my hunt was going to end within the first two hours. This muskox was a giant bull that we spotted from a distance of 600 yards. It was a true specimen of what I had come to Nunivak for. However, this bull must have been hunted before and had no plans of migrating to Missouri anytime soon. I learned just how fast and far these animals can run as I watched him climb over a hill a mile away and never break stride. That wasn’t the start that I had expected, and I developed a new respect for the ability of these beasts to navigate their habitat and disappear into the sea of grass that makes up Nunivak Island.
Back down the trail we went with many more miles ahead of us before we were to reach where Raymond was taking me. However, about two miles down the trail, we spotted two bulls on a distant ridge and decided to close the distance to get a better look. I realized these animals weren’t necessarily what I saw on TV where they just stand their ground and let you get close to them. Raymond and I took care in making a stealthy stalk on these bulls. Once we closed the distance to 200 yards, it was clear that both bulls were mature and choosing one over the other wasn’t possible as either would do. Raymond made the call for me and instructed me to take the closer bull. One well-placed shot from my 7MM and a short tracking job through the tall grass resulted in finding my muskox expired on the bank of a clear salmon stream. We had a nice breeze, which helped keep the swarms of mosquitos at bay. It was a perfect place to break the bull down and a good setting for photos. It was more than I could have asked for.
We spent the rest of the day skinning the bull and getting the hide, horns, and meat back to camp. My first muskox dinner was prepared that night by our cook, Joseph Carawan, and I can honestly say that it was some of the finest meat I have ever been fortunate enough to eat. My adventure was coming to an end, and although the hunt was short, the memories and friendships I made will last a lifetime. Nunivak Island is a beautiful place, and the people who live there are some of the nicest I have ever met anywhere in the world. Making this hunt a priority and putting in the time to overcome the hurdles that 2020 caused was certainly the right decision.
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