Alaskan Hunting /Fishing Adventures and Commentary

The Moose Are Loose!

2010-03-19T11:41:00.000-07:00

This time of year always brings lots of Moose to my homestead on Bald Mountain. Antlers have been dropped and deep snow on the mountains forces most of them to lower elevations. Hungry wolves play a part in that lower migration as well.

They must feel safer here. They should as long as they leave my Lab alone, we'll get along fine. Living next to these wild creatures sure has been a pleasure over the years.

Spring is finally on the way as well as new antler growth.

Chignik Alaska Wolves Kill Teacher

2010-03-10T10:10:00.000-08:00

Its odd that just days ago I posted something about wolves. I now follow that post with this gruesome message about a young teacher visiting Alaska for the first time and being killed by wolves. Although it is an exception to the general rule, it is NOT uncharacteristic of Wolves to go out of their way to find food when times are tough. Late winter is tough for everyone and everything in Alaska.

When will people learn that wild animals are just that. These wolves were no doubt hungry. Late winter often makes all carnivores a little edgy and prone to take different approaches to their own sustenance. The attack occurred not far from my Brown bear hunting area, which usually have plenty of Caribou available. However, this time of year most of the Peninsula Caribou herd is found farther north up the Peninsula. This may have set the stage for this tragedy.

We are told this young schoolteacher arrived in Alaska last November and no doubt had visions of a wild and beautiful country but lacked the true understanding of that meaning. As I have said many times before, Lady Alaska has many ways in which to aide in your demise.

Chignik Lake is located just north of a small village named Perryville on the east side of the Peninsula. Although it has lots of Brown bear in the area, they are all fast asleep in their dens during mid-March. It is a bit unusual to have wolves stalking anyone at anytime-but they will when they are hungry and like us, have mouths to feed.

Although not often reported outside of Alaska, each year many dogs are killed by wolves during the late winter months. Some have been attacked right outside Anchorage with the dog on a leash and the owner in tow! Yes, it happens!

I do not now advocate going out an shooting all the wolves. I DO advocate that understanding wild Alaska is in everyone's best interest. I enjoy the lonesome howls of wolves late at night here and would not want that changed. It is a reminder they must have their numbers kept in check and not left to proliferate to such a degree that other species are ravaged.

Now, lets sit back and let the animal rights groups rethink their approach to wolves. I hope they start with condolences to the victims family.

One beautiful thing about Lady Alaska is understanding that HUMANS are NOT the top dog here!

Wolf Buffer Zone

2010-03-06T06:43:00.000-08:00

FAIRBANKS — The Alaska Board of Game on Friday removed a ban on wolf trapping outside the eastern boundaries of Denali National Park and Preserve.

The board voted 4-3 to eliminate the decade-old buffer zone, which covered about 150 square miles.

Newly appointed board member Al Barrette, of Fairbanks, advocated wolf trapping in the area. “It would be contrary to our subsistence law to continue the closed area,” Barrette said, according to a news release Friday night from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Board member Ted Spraker, of Soldotna, supported the buffer. Trappers will be blamed if wolf sightings within the park decline for any reason, he said.

“The trappers would get a black eye, whether or not trapping affected people’s viewing opportunity,” he said, according to the news release.

The board had received 10 proposals to either expand, reduce or eliminate the buffer zone. It took public testimony last week.

The board said Friday it won’t reconsider the buffer zone policy for six years. It adopted a similar six-year moratorium on buffer proposals when it expanded the zone in 2002.

The Fish and Game department said it did not make a recommendation to the board because none of the proposals were likely to affect the total wolf population in the area and the issue was an allocation matter for the board’s descretion.

The park service wanted to expand the buffer zone and submitted a proposal asking for such.

“We believe that the buffer will enhance or protect wolf viewing opportunities in the park, especially in light of the increased trapping efforts we’ve seen along the (Parks) highway,” Denali assistant superintendent Elwood Lynn said.

Each year, a few local trappers catch a handful of wolves — usually less than 10 — that cross park boundaries onto state land that is open to trapping.

The park service proposed adding 77 square miles to the Stampede Closed Area, one of two areas of state land adjacent to the park that are closed to wolf trapping. Currently, 122 square miles of state land around the park is closed to wolf trapping.

In the proposal, park service officials say data collected with GPS radio collars on three wolf packs during the past six years shows the boundary it proposed would protect the park’s two most vulnerable and viewed wolf packs.

“With more data we now can say they do go out there more than we thought,” park biologist Tom Meier said. “We have a lot better idea where they’re going.”

“Several known animals people were seeing along the road have been trapped in the last five or six years,” Meier said. “We’ve had a number of packs wink out up there to the northeast of the park.”

The park service also says the park’s wolf population is the lowest it’s been in more than 20 years. An estimate last spring pegged the park’s wolf population at about 70 wolves, which is down from more than 100 a few years ago.

Nancy Bale, president of the Denali Citizens Council, which also submitted a proposal to expand the buffer zone, presented the board with a 35-page petition containing more than 500 signatures from people supporting an expanded buffer zone, including more than 100 signatures from residents of the Denali Park area and almost 300 from Alaska.

“We’re Alaskans who want this to happen,” she said. “We’re not opposed to trapping but think this is a significant resource protection.”

The board, which is meeting at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel, is scheduled to adjourn Sunday.

In the Hand of the Hunter

2010-03-04T10:43:00.000-08:00

Over the years, I have seen a lot of Alaskan hunters realize their lifelong dream of taking a magnificent trophy from Alaska. It was always the guide's job to make sure the clients trophy was well cared for and properly prepared for the taxidermist. If you are planning to hunt Alaska on your own, YOU will need to know how to properly skin and cape your trophy for the taxidermist. If you do not already know how you best spend some time learning before your Alaskan hunt begins.

It is very important to follow proper hide preparation procedures in order to keep your mount in its best possible shape before bringing it to the Taxidermist. With proper care and knowledge, you will know what NOT to do when you're out in the field.

Choosing a Taxidermist is your first step in the planning process. I STRONGLY recommend you use an Alaskan taxidermist and have it shipped home. I can tell you a story about a client of mine who got a 10' Brown Bear and insisted his taxidermist buddy back home in Ohio mount it. THE MOUNT WAS HORRIBLE and ruined the man's entire adventure. Alaska has some of the best taxidermists in the world; they know their indigenous species!

The perfect trophy is not made in the taxidermist's studio, as you might think. The creation of a beautiful mount starts much earlier - from the moment, the animal has been shot. Careful field preparation can avoid many potential problems, and ensure your trophy is a lasting treasure.

"Remember that you're dealing with a biodegradable substance, and your flight out of the bush may be several days away yet. Here are some important tips.

Do not cut an animal's throat as it is difficult to repair and causes other messy situations that can be avoided. Removing the cape must be done with care. For instance, shoulder mounts must not be cut up the front, or an unsightly seam will remain. "Cut well back, behind the shoulders, as it is better to have too much skin than not enough.

Never do anything that may cause the hair on the animal to be damaged. Never drag the animal or tie a rope around its neck. For a full shoulder mount, you will want to avoid head, neck and shoulder shots.

It's best to commence skinning and salting as soon as possible - but not before, you've taken the animal's measurements. "This enables your taxidermist to make an accurate replica of your trophy. There are lots of videos and self help manuals around for learning where and how to measure. This post would become too long to explain every detail of this process-so study up before you head to Alaska!

Certain body parts require more care than others. For example, the thick lip area needs to be split, an operation, which must be done with care as the sensitive area tears easily. Nostrils are also to be handled with care; here, the cartilage must be removed so that salt can penetrate the skin more efficiently. Skinning or inverting the ears is a difficult and timely process, but you must know how to do it. Again, study how to do it.

Now it's time for salting, an essential step in preventing bacterial growth and semi-preserving the skin. This is best done swiftly, as skins dry quickly, making it difficult for the salt to penetrate. "Often, the whole skin becomes useless due to large areas of 'heat rendering,' when the skin dried too fast or dried in the sun so that the grease, which lies just below the surface of the skin, rises and congeals before the salt has drawn out enough moisture to prevent slippage. In addition, once this grease has congealed, tanning chemicals cannot penetrate the surface. If this affects large areas, the skin cannot be tanned. Smaller areas, on the other hand, become tough and cannot be stretched - important, because tanning shrinks the skin and a certain amount of stretch is therefore necessary to produce the wrinkles and lines, which give the trophy expression and make it, look lifelike.

Fleshing the skin to an appropriate thinness and salting the skin three to four times can avoid this problem. It's not just the method of salting that can affect the condition of a skin; the type of salt used is equally important, with most taxidermists recommending a good quality table salt, so add salt to your gear list! A moose cape will need about 10lbs. of salt.

A professional Taxidermist can make repairs on most anything, but some things are very difficult to fix and could have been avoided from the get go. Spend a little time getting to know how proper field care of your trophy can make all the difference in your Adventure!

The quality of your prize mount is in the hands of the hunter.

Killer Whales Make Poor Pets!

2010-02-26T09:11:00.000-08:00

In Alaska, they are a common and ever present sight in our Prince William Sound waters. I have rafted side by side these giant beasts and can say, I never trusted them. I rarely trust anything in nature that has teeth larger than my fist.

On many occasions they could have easily overpowered our raft, boat OR floatplane when in these waters. Why don't they? NO one knows for sure, they seem to be happiest when left along by humans and I believe if you do not agitate them, they won't agitate you.

I think we can chalk up another one for Disney. Free Willy and all that. Humans have an insatiable need to "humanize" every creature on the planet. I feel humans do this because they have detached themselves from the natural world.

When you see a killer whale with its dorsal fin limped over, it is not a happy camper. I have never seen this in the wild, but I have noticed they do that when in captivity. In captivity, they are not happy campers. Humans in captivity aren't either! We do have that in common, but that is about all.

These creatures, when in the water next to you, make for scary neighbors. Dominant males will reach over 40 feet and could easily trash your vessel if they desired to do so. I realize this and realize they are powerful predators that are best left alone and viewed in their natural habitat. They DO NOT belong in some artificial pond doing tricks for the spectators.

Hunting Alaska on Your Own

2010-02-22T23:23:00.000-08:00

This is a subject that needs some attention. I don't think I have ever read much about this subject. However, deciding on a cold camp or not, can make ALL the difference. Some have came a long way, spent a bundle to get here (not to mention the wife's offsetting costs) and are in the middle of a dream of a lifetime! Every decision you make will make this experience better or worse.

As a rule Alaska's wildlife is not to overly concerned about camp smoke. In fact, wildfires are commonplace in Alaska. At any given time during the summer in Alaska there is a fire burning somewhere around the State. Unless you have managed to get in a spot where there has recently been people hunting, you should not have to worry about that. Just be safe with your fire and don't overuse it.

Something that will send game in a different direction is excessive, loud human voices, wood splitting, anything that is totally out of place in the environment will cause alarm. Avoid that! Moreover, scaring game further away from your camp makes the meat and trophy packing back to camp much harder!

If you are still planning on a DIY hunt in Alaska, you are going to need to know something about hide and cape preparation while afield. Nothing ruins an Alaskan adventure like ruining your cape or trophies hide. Next post I'll go into that. YOU NEED TO KNOW THIS. This is one of the guides main tasks for clients. If you are hunting on your own, then you'll need to know how to prepare your trophy as well as the care of your meat.

Alaska Moose Hunting

2010-02-16T15:06:00.000-08:00

As your float-hunting trip begins, float for a while and get away from the drop-off point. Be SURE to get an eyeful of the surrounding country as you make your approach to the landing. It looks easy from the air! You are going to want to get to a high spot downriver and do some glassing.

BE SURE to always tie your raft up good!

While on the raft subject, I should point out your raft is your only way out. Always make its welfare your number one priority. DO NOT leave food scent in it. If you catch, fish be sure to rinse away all scent at some point before dark. I always completely unload the raft, turn it upside down, and have it near my tent. That's good advice.

Anytime you can get elevation in this country, which is easy most of the time-do so. You can set up a base camp near the river and hike up the side of the mountain behind you to glass. Generally, your camp will be in view of your mountainside perch. If you are in Moose country and did not sound like a marching band upon your arrival, you should see game from perches like these. Rarely does it fail.

Moose like willow brush, which normally grows along our riverbeds, so if you have lots of browse for moose and you see fresh sign, they are there, and you will spot them.

DO NOT SHOOT A MOOSE TOO FAR FROM CAMP. The number one mistake many non-residents make is shooting one of these beasts too far from camp/raft. It is a serious piece of work to field dress a moose and pack out the meat to your raft. The closer to the river you take your game, moose or caribou, the better! Ideally, you should concentrate your attention to areas downriver and not too far away from it.

At any point during your flight out, you could be checked by AK Dept. of Fish and Game, BE SURE to salvage all of the meat from the creature you harvested. It's the ethical thing to do and it's the LAW! Many get citations for this every year.

COLD CAMP OR NOT- Next post about your river float hunt.

Alaskans Don't Fish in the Dark!

2010-02-11T12:49:00.000-08:00

There are two good reasons for that. One, for most Alaskans it does not get dark in the summer when the Salmon runs arrive. Two, Brown Bear, Grizzly Bears and Black Bears DO fish in the dark! Well... in the dim hours anyway.
Learning to fish Alaska's waters was as different as the hunting was when I came here 30 years ago. Basic instincts for both were the same, but the COUNTRY was huge and on a scale I have never before seen. Few ponds and thousands of lakes are in Alaska, but the real fishing starts in the major streams and rivers with the arrival of the many different species of Salmon. This usually occurs between June and late August.

Add to that, the ever present BEARS and you have a whole new way to go about hunting and fishing here. It alters your senses, or at least it should! When fishing, paying attention to the signs and making it known that you are in the area is generally all that is necessary to keep you and the bears apart. WORSE thing you can do it be in stealth mode around salmon streams. This can result in surprising a sow with cubs-the resultant actions are horrible. DON'T surprise bears, they react badly.

Splashing fish are a real attractor when it comes to bears here. Whether they are schooled up and jumping or on the end of your line, you can count on bears being nearby if the fish are in.

Can you imagine bass fishing in your part of the country and having to be concerned where the bears are? In Alaska, count on all sorts of "new elements" being present. BUT, it sure does add to the excitement!

There are MANY river guide services available here. If the fish are in, most any of the guide services can put you in the middle of them without costing you an arm and a leg. Some are quite reasonable. Key is-STAY AWAY from the road system, with the few roads we have, locals generally fill up the good spots.

Fishing licenses for non-residents offer some flexibility. You can by a 3-day, week or annual license and when you purchase them you can select the dates they are validated and good for. NICE concession for our Lower 48 sportsmen!

Alaska is "Beautifully Deadly"!

2010-02-04T23:40:00.000-08:00

No, it's not the Bears, but it could be. No, it's not a rutting Bull Moose, but it could be. No, it's not the ice-cold waters, but it could be. No, it's not the weather, but it could be. In fact, it could be any of the above or a combination of all the above.

Let's face it folks, Alaska is wild, remote country. More often than not, the remoteness gets you. There's no one out there. Just you, your hunting companion, and the wildness that is so necessary.

So, when you and your gear are dropped off, say goodbye to the world. It just left! Oh, did you notice the tracks in the photo?

Before I speak more about hunting here, I thought it would be best to stop and remind everyone about Alaska's remote and inherent dangers.

Alaska will test even the most seasoned professionals. I know my lessons will never be over. Every time I head to the bush wonder at the onset, what's she gonna throw at me this time? Before your Alaskan expedition begins you should mentally prepare yourself for the unexpected, the test!

Equipment and gear I recommend is for a reason. Wal-Mart rain gear will ruin your trip. A pair of binoculars you bought to watch the horse races, will let you down during the first cool night and warm day. Same goes for that scope you have that only fogged up once years ago! Point is, leave something to chance in wild, remote Alaska and she'll win the round- Guaranteed!

If you have a medical condition of any kind, be prepared for that. If a tooth has been bothering you, fix it before you get here. DON"T LEAVE ANYTHING TO CHANCE. This will be a hunt unlike any other in the World. You won't be able to "get back to the pickup" and head for help. Moreover, unless you have a satellite cell phone, you will not be able to contact anyone either. If you have trouble, best be ready to deal with it yourself. It could be several days before the plane shows up.

It will be humbling for many of you to put yourself in a spot like this.

It's good for you too!

It feels distantly primal, most Lower 48'ers have not experienced that. If most did, it would scare hell out of them. You will truly be alone out there, so continue reading my posts from time to time and I'll give out little snippets that might just save your arse!

Alaska's Real Threat to Sportsmen is ALL OF IT! The weather, rivers, ocean, tides, wildlife, lost, or cold , along with it's remoteness, will combine to set the stage for trouble if you are not well prepared.

I've been exposed to just about ALL of Alaska's perils over the past 30 years.

She is beautifully deadly and I am hopelessly addicted to her.

2010-02-03T00:07:00.000-08:00

Here are a few rivers for you to be thinking about. I have selected rivers that are on the "remote" side of Alaska. If you want an adventure, you need to flee any local area rivers. The Matanuska-Susitna Valley for example, is near Anchorage and has the largest concentration of Moose in the State, it also has more people! Do yourself a favor and get out in the Bush. It costs more but that's where the real Alaska begins.

Holitna River (Dillingham Region)
Holitna River (not the Hoholitna River) is 110 miles long located in Game Management Unit 19 and is about 230 miles due west of Anchorage. Might be cheaper to fly commercially to Aniak than use Aniak Air Service. HOWEVER, you would have to fly your raft and all your gear commercially as well. You are better off to load ALL your gear in Anchorage and fly directly to the river drop-off point. This is no time to lost "luggage" on a commercial flight. I can recommend several air taxis in Anchorage.

Alaska's Holitna River is one of the most remote southwest float trip options. Part of Alaska's second largest drainage, the Kuskokwim drainage, the Holitna supports all five species of Pacific salmon and is the best char fishing river I have ever fished. The char are plentiful and their size and appearance is impressive by any standard. The king fishing is excellent in areas as is the sockeye and chum fishing. The river also has grayling, northern pike, and even sheefish at times. One of the least used rivers I have ever floated, it is very likely that you will not see another person on this river system! It is also one of the easiest rivers I have ever floated and seems to have endless large gravel bars making for virtually unlimited camping opportunities. Wildlife on the Holitna River includes bears, wolves, moose, caribou, bald eagles, and beavers.

Forty-Mile River Country located in north central Alaska could be productive for you as well. Caribou, Moose and Bear are found in this region. There are three ways to float this area.

East Fork of the Dennison
This trip is from Fire Lake where you'd float the East Fork of the Dennison to the South Fork of the 40-Mile River until it comes to the bridge with the Taylor Highway where we could have your vehicle positioned for you to drive back to Tok. A super cub on floats is used to land at Fire Lake. Each hunter is permitted 50 lb. of gear and rifle or bow. A load of 700 lb. will be air dropped. This runs $1295.00 per person and an additional $100.00 to have your vehicle moved. Success has been exceptional on this river.

Middle Fork of the 40-Mile River
Using a Cessna 206 into Joseph gets you in walking distance of the river. Your payload would be a maximum of 750 lb. at a cost of $1195.00 per trip. You would float out the Middle Fork to the North Fork of the 40-Mile River, which would take you to the Taylor Highway where we could have your vehicle positioned for you to drive back to Tok. It would cost an additional $150.00 to have your vehicle moved. This river is considered one of the easier floats because the water levels don't drop like other rivers. There is a ½ mile portage point on this river at the Kink. Some parties will wait until they are past the Kink to begin hunting.

3-Finger Charlie

A bit more of challenge due to lower water levels by hunting season, this float goes into a strip called 3-Finger Charlie at the confluence of the river. Most parties will want to float a few days before they begin hunting, in other words, DO NOT HUNT for the first 10 miles. Water levels can drop fast so you really need to be aware to avoid having to drag your raft. Staying very light is one of the keys to successfully hunting this river. A section called the Rock Garden, just below the Galvin's Strip, can pose some problems. The NPS in Eagle likes to know all the parties who float the river and like to know when you are off the river and your success.

You are allowed a payload of 750 lb. for $1295.00 per trip. Some parties will choose to position a vehicle in Circle City so they can drive back to Fairbanks and then come to Tok to pick up their other vehicle. An additional trip from 3 Finger Charlie to Circle City to pick up the rest of the party runs an additional $1295.00 for a 750 lb. payload.

These are rivers to keep your eye on.

How to Select 1 River From 12,000! Part I

2010-01-26T18:57:00.000-08:00

More than 12,000 rivers, and thousands more streams and creeks don't have names in Alaska.
Alaska has about 9,728 officially named rivers, creeks, and streams.

Many of these rivers are not suitable for novice rafters. Many others are not suitable for finding both Caribou and Moose and even more of them do not offer suitable pick-up points or drop-off points, generally lakes at their headwaters.

There are also rivers with hunting restrictions of some sort associated with them. The list of rivers is growing shorter, however, you can still find the combinations you are looking for. As stated earlier, we have LOTS of rivers. Do your research now and be serious about your planning. This ain't no deer hunt!

There are 28 boroughs in Alaska. Each have many different rivers in them. I am going to discuss rivers in the Dillingham Region. This region is a pristine area of Alaska that will offer all NR hunters a first class Alaskan experience. It is remote, has beautiful mountains, fishing and healthy populations of Moose and Caribou. Black Bear also frequent this same range. Grizzly and Brown Bear are also present.

However, you will not be entitled to take a Grizzly/Brown Bear without a guide. If you are thinking - "I had to shoot" a grizzly/Brown Bear- DON'T. You will be subjected to a lengthy Fish and Game inquiry and after that is over, they will confiscate the Bear hide and skull. SO, avoid doing that. I'll write more about avoiding encounters with Grizzlies/Brown Bear in another post.

Two of my favorites for NR hunters are the Mulchatna River located in Game Management Unit 17B and Chilikadrotna River located in Game Management Unit 17B. Unfortunately, these two river drainages were closed to non-residents for both Moose and Caribou in 2009. This has been the case for two-three years now and that may change this fall. I'll keep you posted!

Chilikadrotna River is 55 miles long and located in Game Management Unit 17B. Its headwaters are in Twin Lakes, in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. Special restrictions are outlined in our Hunting Regulations for the initial 6-8 miles of this river.
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It has class I and III water. Nothing to serious to negotiate though. The natural scenery of Alaska and the sparkling water of this river is truly an Alaska adventure. Landing on a turquoise lake(Lower Twin Lakes)with towering mountains around you, you blowup your raft, load up and secure your gear, and you're off on an adventure of a lifetime. Some 55 miles later, you flow into the Mulchatna River.

Mulchatna River is 160 miles long and located in Game Management Unit 17B. The Mulchatna River is located in Southwest Alaska. Its headwaters are in Turquoise Lake, in Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. The 24 miles of the river within the park are designated as a National Wild and Scenic River and special hunting rules apply there as well. Aside from scattered cabins, the Mulchatna River is wild and undeveloped. Moose, Caribou, and Bear are found in this river system. Caribou herd sometimes do not show up till late fall in this area, not always though, and there are small bands of bulls that are usually well ahead of the herd during September..

All five species of Pacific Salmon spawn in the Mulchatna River. Major tributaries include the Koktuli and Stuyahok Rivers. The Mulchatna joins the Nushagak River just south of the village of Koliganek. The Nushagak then empties into Bristol Bay. If the season does open for NR's this fall, give yourself plenty of time on this river. This would be a long and adventurous trip.

More about Alaskan rivers that you CAN hunt in the next blog. There are some rivers you can fly into and float out to the highway system miles away. These can save you a big chunk of change!

Plan for Communications During your Hunt

2010-01-21T00:05:00.000-08:00

Now's the time to start getting into the details of your Alaskan hunt. In previous posts I have mention A DIY hunt here for Moose or Caribou would cost you around $3K-$4K. That's close but it could cost more if you take both species and then fly all the meat and antlers out. They just weight too much or take up too much room to pack it all out in 1 or even two flights. That starts to get expensive.

Knowing this now can save you the frustration of being here without enough money to accomplish what you set out to in Alaska. We will cover the subject of budget and other financial details in upcoming posts. First thing we need do is decide what big game trophy you want to give priority to.

Alaska's moose population is widespread. Caribou herds are also quite healthy in most of Alaska but their concentrations are more regional than the moose as caribou migrate back and forth across their migration routes. The two species do have a lot of overlapping territory though. Knowing these spots can help non-resident hunters improve their success rate and make for a great Alaskan hunting experience.

The classic Alaskan big game hunting experience, in my opinion, would be achieved more readily for those NR hunters who opt for a river float trip. I have given those reasons in previous posts and do not want to repeat myself here. (See previous posts for those details.)

How does one prepare for one of these float trips? Many States have rivers and rafting equipment one could rent and learn the basics of operating center oared rafts. Knowing how to operate a canoe is about the same level of difficulty-but easier. In a raft, your are the only one with the oars. Anything goes wrong; you can't blame the other guy as in a canoe. Most folks get the hang of raft oarsman ship pretty quick AND they are a very forgiving piece of transportation.

I dare say that most NR hunters would have more trouble judging where they are each day, how much farther to the pick-up point, and the hardest-recognizing your pick-up point when you get to it. We don't have signs on the rivers!

For example, your pilot will tell you he will pick up at the mouth of the Mulchatna River and French Creek. He will point it out on the map and all you have to do is keep up with where you are each day and realize "this must be "French Creek". Yes, it's tricky for sure. These days a hand-held GPS would give your position at the end of each day. Compare that to the coordinates on your topo and you have it! It was more adventurous in the old days!

There are two pieces of electronic gear you should have on your hunt. The GPS and Satellite telephone. Your regular cell phone will not work in the bush in most areas. There's just to many mountains in the way and too few Cell site towers. However, a Satellite phone is all together different. They work great and can save your life in the Bush. There are several places in Alaska to rent Satellite phones when you get here. JUST BE SURE to reserve yours well before September as local hunters gobble up the supply here pretty quick. The phone will also help coordinate your pick-up by the air-taxi operator. Many non-resident hunters have had a bad trip because they had to wait, and wait, and wait for their pilot to show up. Many times weather will keep them from getting to you and without that satellite phone, you would have no way of knowing it. They are real "nerve" comforting at times like that.

Your weather may be fine where you are, but that does not mean the pilot on the other side of the pass is enjoying the same weather. Prepare yourself for something like that NOW. Odds are, it will happen. Surprisingly these satellite phone costs have dropped considerable from where they used to be. Plan on spending $150. for 10 days and add $4. per minute of usage to that. Your loved ones will enjoy hearing that you are O.K. while in Alaska too.

Word of caution. The number one complaint about satellite phones is battery failure. Make sure you take extra batteries and keep them DRY and warm as possible. Your satellite phone vendor will supply you with a waterproof case for the phone. For more information about Alaska's Satellite phones log on to:

http://www.anchoragesatellitephones.com

Your gear list grew a little more!

In my next post, I will give you some river options to float, what game you can expect to see and the degree of difficulty the river offers.

Alaskan Brown Bear Hunting

2010-01-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game does a wonderful job of managing our Brown Bear populations. On the Alaska Peninsula for example, Brown Bear seasons are staggered on the odd and even years. On even numbered years Brown Bear hunting is open in the spring (May). On the odd years, it is opened in the fall (October). What this means is, it will be open the spring of 2010 on the Peninsula and not reopen until the fall of 2011. This gives our Brown Bear plenty of time to keep their population healthy. This is GOOD!

Alaska has over 98 percent of the United States population of brown bears, and more than 70 percent of the North American population, Biologists estimate there are about 30,000 of these big bruins in Alaska.

Bear populations in Alaska are healthy and productive. Densities vary depending on the quality of the environment. In areas of low productivity, such as on Alaska's North Slope, studies have revealed bear densities as low as one bear per 300 square mile. In areas abundant food, such as the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak, and Admiralty Island, densities as high as one bear per square mile have been found. In central Alaska, both north and south of the Alaska Range, bear densities tend to be intermediate, about one bear per 15-25 square miles. These figures do not mean that each bear has this much territory for its exclusive use. The area occupied by any individual bear overlaps those used by many other bears. Both Black/Brown and Grizzly bears.

If your are planning a Brown Bear hunt keep the above open seasons in mind and note where the largest populations are. Yes, Brown Bear hunts are expensive, up to $20,000. The guiding industry has been hammered by Insurance regulations and escalating costs like everything else. Prepare yourself for the reality.

The oldest brown bear in Alaska was a 39-year-old female, while the oldest male was 38. Many live to this ripe old age, for bears. Brown bears usually give birth to their cubs in the den during January and February. Let's hope all goes well for a continuing healthy population of bears. Lower 48 would have more bears too, if the population and urban sprawl had not decimated their habitat. It's not the hunting that has crippled the population-it's too many people!

If All Else Fails, Hide In the Barrel!

2010-01-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

Rooting large brown bear out of the Alaskan bush can be very dangerous. In my guiding days it was up to me to always back them up or worse go find the bruins after the client fired and it disappeared. My backup rifle is a .505 Gibbs. "Mr.Gibbs" as he is generally referred to, got his name from my friend and client Denny Crum, Hall of Fame Basketball coach from Louisville, Ky.

I recommend hunters who want Brown Bear use .300 Magnums.They are flat shooting and have the desired muzzle energy to take down these bruins usually with one shoot, but it sometimes takes more. Depending on bullet placement and distance. .338 Magnums are good too, but a lot of hunters who are not from here have trouble with judging distances. The .338 Magnums have heavier lead and will drop more over long distances. It's big country, and judging distances is part of our job, but clients need to know how to compensate when the time comes. The .300 Magnums are a little more forgiving if your shot is not quite perfect and has much less drop over distances.

A gunsmith friend of mine along with myself, found a B-25 Bomber that still had it's 50 caliber machine gun barrel, that was headed for the scrap pile. We took that barrel, turned about 3/4 of an inch of steel off of it, mounted the barrel to a 1915 Enfield action, which has a three point locking bolt.

We fitted it on a nice stock and began testing rounds. Barnes had made my bullets for me. They were 600 grain lead bullets, with a monolith tip, which meant it would mushroom about halfway back and then stop mushrooming, thereby obtaining optimum width. I purchased brass from Bell Labs now out of California. They specialized in old African calibers. I had to buy .577 Nitro express casings and neck them down to my .505 Gibbs. RCBS made my reloading dies for me, and did a wonderful job. This whole business of "Big Gun" building had become quite the collaborative effort. Now came the fun part,TEST FIRING.

My first few tests used improved military rifle powders, the most up to date. I found this powder to be way too "hot" for the lead. I discussed this problem with the fellow guide community and Cecil Rhoades Dippenhour had the answer. Cecil owned Zingali Safaris out of Malawi Africa, they have mean lions there and the .505 Gibbs side by sides are still in use, if you are lucky enough to have one. Cecil told me to get the slowest burning powder I could find. I found Hodgson 8700, a very slow burning powder, that proved quite effective. After I chronographed a few shots, Mr. Gibbs produced 9,720 pounds of muzzle energy at 2700 ft. per second. Remember, that's pushing a 600 grain slug.

Dangerous Photograph at Home!

2010-01-06T23:11:00.000-08:00

I go through this every year. My home sits next to the Alaskan wilderness on Bald Mountain and there is a salmon stream below my house about a mile. Brown/Grizzly Bears come through here every year on there way to that river,the Little Susitna River. I never shoot at them around the homestead, I generally let them be and go about my business. This day they got a little too close.
Worse yet, the cubs were between me and the Sow, that's her in the background. She could have easily charged and she would not have stopped until one of us was chewed up! Had the cubs made ANY kind of whimper or fear related gesture, all hell would have broken loose. Fortunately they did not.

That's bears, you learn to live with them here.

Every year people get mauled and killed by our bears. This newspaper article is typical. Read on...

The Anchorage, Alaska newspaper headlines read "Bears Lovers Eaten".

     "Among the last words Timothy Treadwell uttered to his girlfriend before a Brown Bear killed and partially ate both of them were these:

      "Get out here. I'm getting killed.''

      "Words caught on a tape recording of the attack also reveal Treadwell's girlfriend, Amie Huguenard, shouting at him to play dead, then encouraging him to fight back.

      "Alaska State Troopers report that is what they heard on a videotape recovered Monday at the scene of a bear mauling in Katmai National Park and Preserve. The tape was in a camera found near the bear-buried remains of Treadwell, 46, and Huguenard, 37.

      "Troopers spokesman Greg Wilkinson said there are no pictures on the tape, leading troopers to believe the attack might have happened while the camera was stuffed in a duffle bag or during the dark of night. Treadwell had talked to an associate in Malibu, Calif., by satellite phone around noon Sunday. He mentioned no problems with any bears.

      "The remains of the Southern Californians who periodically came to Alaska to live intimately with the bears were found the next day. A large but scrawny old bear with bad teeth that a pilot had seen sitting on the brush and dirt pulled over the bodies was shot and killed by National Park Service rangers at the scene after it charged them..."

Brown Bear are nothing to mess with. They are not pets and they cannot be approached or trusted in the wild. Many Alaskans are mauled each year, many in Anchorage! The joggers are taking to the hillside mountains of Anchorage and the bears are there!

I have had to go in the brush after Brown Bear that have been hit by clients then disappear. It's not something I look forward to doing, but it does happen. What do I pack when I back up Brown Bear clients? Mr Gibbs. That's a .505 Gibbs! Denny Crum gave my rifle that nickname on his Brown Bear hunt years back. The name "Mr. Gibbs" has stuck ever since. Always told my clients if all else fails, we'll hide in the barrel!

Pepper spray? Forget it. Word is, the bears want a little salt spray to go with there meals too!

The Re-Distribution of Bill

2009-12-28T15:21:00.000-08:00

For many year's I have noticed that people in Alaska have a tendency to opt for being turned to ashes when they transition instead of the traditional Lower 48 method. Most REAL Alaskans are all non-conformists; it's not just me.

I was ask one time to spread the ashes of some poor wife's husband. She wanted him flown over the mountains he loved so, and then dump the urn containing his ashes. Who can say no to a grieving widow? So I obliged.

The flight was fine but a little mist of rain did begin as I got back in the mountains a bit. The widow had opted to stay behind and wait for the return of the urn. I'm glad she did.

Not many people do this sort of thing, so there are no practiced procedures. You just open the little side wing on the Super Cub and give the ashes a heave. Sounds easy till the 85 mph wind hits that urn! The cockpit got a good dusting of old Bill. In addition to the mess, I have no way to clean it up before I land- can't call housekeeping!

I got ashes in my clothes, mouth, eyes as well as my hair. Never felt so close to a fellow...never did it again either!

I dusted off the inside of the dash, side windows, shoulder straps, and my clothes on the way back to the landing strip. Sure enough, I could see her standing right where I had left her. I quickly decided to taxi over to the fuel depot and get ready for fuel, that would give me time to walk to her and do one last "lookover".

I walked the urn over to her, still knocking off dust I had missed along the way. She thanked me so much.

She said, "Bill would be happy now".

Happy, I bet he was laughing his ass off!

I am glad the good deed did not go sour. It surely would have if I had taxied the plane over to her. She would have surely passed out!

You see, that little mist of rain I spoke of in the mountains had collected some of the ashes and it caked up on the side and tail section of the plane. There's no way she would have missed seeing that!

I am sure some of that dust is still embedded in the fabric of that plane. What a nice send off, for ole Bill! Beats any funeral I've heard of.

Grim Reaper Took A Shot and Missed!

2009-12-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

Two summers have now passed since my long time friend Thomas H. Miller and I found ourselves aboard the Lady Elizabeth in the frigid waters of the North Pacific. I had not seen my friend for over 15 years and this was his first trip to Alaska, he arrived from Brandenburg, Kentucky, where we were high school classmates.Wow, did I impress him! Our boat sank...

You can read the whole story in my book - Chapter 3: "I Don't Want to Die Anymore". I am not going to re-write that story here as it would "bend" the publisher’s nose, but I can and will add to it.

Since then we've only spoken about that incident on two occasions. Once he asked me if I have ever had any nightmares about that day (we cheated death - in a BIG way). Fortunately, neither of us has had any nightmares. The other time he contacted me, he asked me how I would have managed to get us to shore, build a fire, and create shelter. Our lives were still in peril even if we did manage to make it to shore. Fortunately, we were picked up by the only boat for MILES around! Nonetheless, my friend still ponders and asks; “How would we have survived?”

Had that boat not picked us up when it did, my first course of action would have been to get back to the remains of the Lady Elizabeth - our sinking boat. As all three of us were piled in this small raft, we could still see about 5 feet of the bow of the Lady Elizabeth was still sticking straight up out of the water. The air that remained compressed in the nose of the boat was keeping it afloat. Getting to it would have bought us a little more time before it sank completely. Buying time sounds like a good thing to purchase at a time like this, don't you think? Once we reached the bow we could then quickly assess our odds, examine the current, and search for whatever was floating about that could help us in any way.

What would that be?

Rope floats, and it is useful. Coolers are flotation devices with food in them; we had 2 or 3 of them bobbing about. Any plastic or tarp that might be found could be used for shelter, and fuel barrels were also floating about - more flotation. We would have needed them if the current pushed us out in the Hinchenbrook Strait, not much of a chance making it out there though. The cold, wet night would get you long before the drowning.

HOW do you survive?

Your basic survival instincts take over - those primal ones - those that are buried deep in all of us but lost to most. The FIRST thing you do when you hit shore is to get to work, and I do mean WORK! Gather any kind of wood, poles, limbs, rocks, boat debris, spruce bows and anything else that can help you during the cold night you now face head-on and exposed! This work I am talking about accomplishes two important things during a critical time like this. First, it warms your body and keeps you warm as you busy about. Second, it helps take your recently wrenched mind off of that trauma. By working you are telling every part of your body that you have survived round one.

As always, I had a lighter inside a ziploc bag in my back pocket. That simple act - one that I have ALWAYS practiced - would make life comfortable for all of us. As with all shoreline timber, all readily available wood was damp and wet; nothing anywhere was dry. This does not mean it will not burn; it simply takes longer to get it going. If you search long enough you will find something that is dry enough to use for starter; perhaps under a deadfall, an old bear den, or some driftwood that is located high on the bank from last month's highest tide will work. If it's light, it will burn. If it’s heavy, then it’s too wet. Just stay busy and keep looking because you'll need wood all night long and into the next day to survive. Oh, it's going to be a fine and pleasant misery.

But we WOULD live to see another day!

Knight Island was the island we sank nearby. Even though we were only 50 yards offshore it would have been a battle in those 4-5' seas to get our tiny raft, with ‘poor boy’ oars, to the shore. The wind was quite stiff AND our position had us floating and bobbing at the mercy of the incoming tide which was taking us away from the island. On top of all that I was not sure that all three of us could have paddled that raft fast enough to overcome the tide AND the wind. That little raft was FULL and drafting water quite a bit. All of these elements combined to say - NO way.

This is all hypothetical of course since we were rescued. No one knows how it might have turned out, but the above description would have most certainly put me into my ‘Giving it Hell & All I’ve Got” version! Heck, by the time I got done with this ‘outpost’ no one would have wanted to leave! I've been in similar situations in Alaska before and I have found there is nothing more satisfying than having the Grim Reaper take a shot at you - and miss!

In every coastal fishing community in Alaska you'll find a memorial to those lost at sea. Three more names came very close to being added to that list - very close indeed!

People confront their mortality in two different ways; there are not a lot of options during these moments of trial.

Either you face it, think, or fight – or you simply perish! You MUST gain strength in the face of adversity.

Any Alaskan will tell you that Alaska’s cold waters kills a lot of people here annually. You don’t see folks out in our ocean waters the way you do in the Lower 48-oh NO. Our tides will raise the water 30 feet daily in most areas and it’s constantly on the move one way or the other. No, you don’t want trouble with Alaska waters, they are just to cold to remain in very long (5 Minutes) and survive.

Finally, there was one word in this story that I did not use or in any way refer to.

Know what it is?

PANIC!

It has NO place in a story like this!

And in the wild places of Alaska (which is most of the state), panic will KILL you!!

Hunting Alaska For Less- Part 3

2009-12-07T22:29:00.000-08:00

Hunting Alaska is not like any other hunting you have done before. It's not like elk hunting in Montana or Colorado. Its nothing like that Canada hunt you went on. It's not like an African safari-IT'S HARDER!

No matter how you plan for your hunt, do not plan on eliminating the need for packing meat-and lots of it! Not to mention the care of that meat while still in the bush and waiting to be picked up. The elements and the bears make that a chore too. Oh, but it adds so much to your adventure! AGAIN, bring a buddy that has your same enthusiasm. One that can do the work of three men: I'm not talking about Larry, Moe and Curly either! I'm talking about a real friend, one who has the same enemies you have.

I wanted to set the tone for this last part of this series. It's going to be a hard hunt. That's the adventure and that's the challenge when hunting big game in Alaska. It's worth every effort. It's an Adventure!

Add to your gear list a good camera. Each of you should have one. Before you fly to the river trade cameras with each other, when the trip is over, trade back. That way, your camera will be filled with photos of you. Same for your buddy. Alaska is very photogenic, almost at every turn. Bring lots of memory cards/film.

You'll probably purchase your camp food locally. Whatever you purchase, make sure it comes in or can be repackaged in Ziploc bags back at the hotel room. Cans will follow you and you CANNOT leave them along the river-WE DON'T DO THAT HERE! Everything from your flour, sugar, coffee, tang, dried beans, potatoes, onions, garlic, and anything else you bring along, make sure it is emptied out of its bulky store container, put in ziploc bags and packed in a cardboard box for the trip. This method cuts down on bulk, weight and ultimately your trash while in the bush.

You're going to need waterproof bags for your gear. Two each should do the trick-make that work. Sleeping bag, clothes, hygiene items, all go in those two bags. Your backpack should remain emptied and bungeed to one of the bags. Stuffed backpacks don't get along well with small aircraft. They are not "pack friendly". Packing efficiently may save a flight at the end of your trip especially if there is meat and antlers to deal with.

Pack your rifle inside a soft case, then pack it inside a hard case. You can leave the hard case at the air taxi's place when you head to the bush. Hard gun cases pack horribly in small aircraft.

A word about the raft. They are very easy to maneuver as the oars are in the middle and they turn on a dime. Only one of you will be "driving". Unlike a canoe, this eliminates a lot of stress on friendships where one blames the other.

With a mile or two of river practice, you'll be a pro. There are a variety of rivers safe to raft and have good moose and bear populations in the areas they flow through. These rafts are workhorses! Your budget included the rental of a good raft. You and your buddy will have a comfortable ride too!

When you decide on the location of your river hunt get purchase your topo maps of the area at http://www.topozone.com/states/Alaska.asp and study them. Work your way through the country stopping and hiking to the high points in the area. You'll be glassing back across the river and the area you just hiked through. AVOID seeing anything too far back up the river :) Study those topos and remember the high points nearest the river on your topo.

I have included links to some Alaskan Air Taxi operators and the areas they do drop offs. Follow the link. http://outdoorsdirectory.com/directory/airtaxi.htm Many of them have websites and e-mail addys to help you minimize your search cost.

With a $3,500.-$4,000. budget you can hunt some of Alaska's big game and have a blast doing it. START SAVING for that trip of a lifetime!

You no doubt, still have questions about your hunt. There is no way to address all the issues you face if you want to hunt here. But I have given you some very good "bush wise" tips about Alaskan big game hunting.

If you and your partner are ready to hunt I can provide you with a information packet, everything you need to know, contact numbers as well as gear and food list. You may edit it as you wish, but nothing will be overlooked.

While you're out there, don't corner something meaner than you.

Hunting Alaskan Big Game for LESS-Part 2

2009-12-02T09:27:00.000-08:00

Budget Breakdown and Gear
We can assume as outdoorsmen you have some gear. Granted some of it will not work, but some of it will. We'll get to that in a minute. Let's see how our budget is doing.

R/T Airfare to Alaska…………………$ 750. ea
Air taxi cost ea…………………………$1400. ea.
Licenses/Tags…………………………..$ 555. ea.
Camp food………………………………..$ 100. ea
Alaska gear rental(raft)……………$ 375. ea.
Total so far..........................$3,180.00 each
Balance...............................$ 670.00 each

The following costs are variable-weather can delay you while in town.(Be financially prepared)
Hotel overnight stays 1-day before, 1-day after hunt
Meals while in town
Camp gear/additional* (Gear you may need and do not have)

When you get to Anchorage, get to camp as fast as you can. Hope there are no weather delays as this could keep you in a hotel waiting to fly out. Weather alone could wreck your budget. However, that's Alaskan reality. Let's talk about your gear.

A good tent with a full tent fly that has plenty of tie-down loops is crucial. Alaska weather will beat on you while you are here, go ahead and assume that. Get a comfortable tent. One you can move around in and bring collapsible cots. They go with me everywhere! Sleep good, eat good and hunt better.
Another piece of essential gear is your waders. I suggest they be ankle fit and not the "cheap" ones! You will do most of your hunting while wearing waders. Be sure to wear them and break them in BEFORE you arrive. Another mistake I have seen lots of hunters make.

The same goes for rain gear. Both pants and hooded rain gear are recommended and essential. Again, do not buy the cheap stuff; it won't make it through your trip! A good sleeping bag will be your ally at night. It does not need be a sub-arctic bag that is the size of a bushel basket when rolled up! Remember, your gear will eventually end up in the back of a small plane. Inexpensive sleeping bags with a fleece liner installed in them are as good as any sub-zero sleeping bag-the extra layer is the key!

You will need a GOOD backpack. One that has a hip belt as well as chest straps and a STRONG frame. When it comes to packing meat back to your raft, your backpack is another essential. It's another quality item you need to have with you.

Bring along two small tarps. They are invaluable! They cover gear in the raft, they cover your tent if you have a problem, they cover your meat, make good ground clothes and on and on-bring two! 1/4-inch sisal rope is another must. Hanging meat will require good rope on your trip.

Food for camp. There are many variations here. I can provide you with a variety of camp menus upon request. I firmly believe in taking good food to camp. No, add water meals. They just don't do the job meat and potatoes do while in the Bush. You might also want to make sure your buddy is a good cook!

We have $670. left in our budget. The above items can be purchased for less than this amount and still keep your budget in tack. Just be aware, those hotel stays before and after camp can wreck the budget-hope for timely weather! I suggest that some of these items be acquired well before your hunt, less impact the budget.

There are a few items that I have not discussed during part 2, I will address those in the final post of this series. I will also discuss the details of the hunt further and outline a typical day on the river for you. This will point out any items we have overlooked. AGAIN, do not bring gear that you do not need! Leave the gadgets at home-only the essentials need be brought along. Keep your clothing at a minimum too. This is one area that is usually overdone.

Information's pretty thin stuff, unless mixed with experience!

Hunt Alaskan Big Game for LESS! Part 1

2009-11-25T08:33:00.000-08:00

I've always felt bad for Lower 48 sport hunters who wanted to come to Alaska and hunt. When they made inquiries about costs, it shot most of them out of the saddle! THIS SHOULD NOT BE THE CASE! Our big game should not be relegated to the wealthy, especially non-resident aliens! Like everywhere else though, it's happened here too. Did you know that most resident Alaskans cannot afford to go on an Alaskan big game hunt!

I want to help Lower 48 hunters achieve their "trip of a lifetime" and you need not break the bank or your marriage to do it! FIRST THING you need to realize, that on a small budget you have limited big game species you can legally hunt as US citizens without the aide of a guide. They are Moose, Caribou, Black Bear and Sitka Blacktail Deer. All other big game species require a guide- based on my own experience that is costly! Note: Folks from outside the US(non-resident aliens) must have a guide for ALL big game. The State made concessions to fellow US sportsmen, use them!

So, if you want to go for the largest of the Moose species (Gigas), Caribou, Black Bear or Sitka Deer then I'll give you some tips that could make that hunt happen for you.

FIRST, Pick a buddy who wants to hunt Alaska as bad as you do. Planning a hunt here takes some time and preparation. Pick someone who'll hang in there with you and not get cold feet! Oh, don't pick someone who has a wife that wears the pants, they'll never make it. Also, make SURE that both of you are in good physical shape. I cannot STRESS that enough. This will be the hardest hunting you have ever done.

SECOND-The budget and what you decide to hunt for are closely tied together. Tags for non-residents vary by species. Moose-$400.00, Caribou-$325.00, Black Bear-$225.00 and Sitka Deer-$150.00. , plus the cost of your $80. Hunting license. Licenses do impact the budget, but they are necessary.For more info on non-resident tags go to http://www.admin.adfg.state.ak.us/license/prices.html#biggame

Alaska is divided into 26 game management units. Moose, Caribou and Black bear share habitat in many of them. If you want a Sitka Deer, Kodiak Island or Prince William Sound are good bets. To view map(s), boundary descriptions, and hunts available. Go to http://www.wc.adfg.state.ak.us/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.gmu
I recommend you and your hunting partner get different tags. One of you should purchase a Moose tag and the other one purchase a Caribou tag. Here's why. Moose and Caribou country do overlap in some of our units. Luck has always played a role in any hunt. With that in mind, let's say there are no Moose around but there are lots of Caribou and your hunt is nearing its end. The guy with the Moose tag CAN take a Caribou with it. Our regulations (as of this writing) allow a hunter to take any animal that has a tag price less than the one they purchased. Nice concession! One of you should have a Black Bear tag as well. In this country, once you have meat down, bears will show up. For more info about Alaska's Hunting Regulations log on to http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=regulations.main

Alaskan hunting opportunities are good. We have a lot of game here and we also have a lot of country. So getting to your game is going to be the most expensive part of your trip. There are ways to keep that cost down, I'll get to them shortly, but resign yourself now to the fact that, if you want to really experience an Alaskan Big Game Hunting Adventure-small airplanes and bush landings must be in the mix! Logistics in this country demand it.

Deciding where we hunt? That takes research to decide that. Truthfully, there is no way for you to know unless you have been here before. That's going to require some "local" advice. I'll discuss locations more in this blog Series.

Where you decide to hunt, impacts the budget. If you want the most bang for the buck, a float trip is the answer. Floating some of Alaska's rivers offers many benefits to a non-resident! There are several reasons why I recommend that. MOST IMPORTANTLY-Your motor is always running! The river will move you to different spots at NO ADDITIONAL COST. Have not seen anything? Move camp on downriver, stopping to read sign as you go. If you are merely dropped off at a lake somewhere. You are stuck there, game or no game. I can't tell you how many times that has happened. Some of these river trips will be over 100 miles, so you see lots of country at no additional cost to you. Your Mobile!

Another good reason to float hunt is the fact that game always follows the river or nearby. That means you don't have to pack your meat very far. ANOTHER reason for hunting with a friend. By law, you are required to salvage ALL the meat. A mature bull Moose could yield 600-700 lbs. of meat! Alaska's meat salvage regulations reflect the high value Alaskans place on game meat, ethical hunting and respectful treatment of game animals. YOU NEED to know this prior to your hunt here. See the regulations regarding meat salvage at: http://www.wildlife.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.meatcare

If your still not sold on the advantages of a float hunt, add to all the above-FISHING! Most rivers will have several varieties of game fish. That's Fresh food during your trip! Besides, a 7-day fishing license is only around $20. and it provides for more recreation while afield.

I recommended hunting with a buddy for several reasons. Keeping the bush plane costs split between two of you helps tremendously when it comes to holding your individual costs down. You do have a few options regarding which aircraft to charter when there are just two of you and gear. Renting different aircraft by the hour varies GREATLY. Smaller the plane, lower the cost. You'll want to rent a Beaver on floats to do the job. If you both get your animals be prepared to pay a little extra, it always happens as extra trips may be required.

ONE BIG way to keep those extra trips out of the picture is WATCH YOUR GEAR. Don't show up with tons of luggage-it will plague you your entire trip here. BARE MINIMUMS! Please watch what gear you bring. I have had clients show up with 5 large Cabalas bags, none of which fit well in a small plane. But, they weren't on a budget. WE ARE! I'll get that list to you in the NEXT BLOG.

That brings us to our most important topic of this whole blog. The BUDGET. You and your buddy should be able to pull this hunt off for around $3,850. each.(includes airfare to Alaska) We're shooting for that, as we go through your budget we may go over a bit, but that number is going to be close. It's not hard to meet expenses in Alaska; they are everywhere here!

On the bright side though, compare your budget to the cost of a Guided Moose hunt, $6-8,000.00, and you are well ahead of the game! You can do this!

NEXT BLOG... Part 2- Budget Breakdown, Gear and Preparation Lists.
Have questions in the meantime? Registered followers get priority responses!

Alaska's Brown Bears are HUGE!

2009-11-22T13:16:00.000-08:00

Alaska's Bears have been a big part of my life here in Alaska. Whenever I was on the road doing shows that was always the number one creature of interest here in Alaska. People fear them, and you best fear them. Timothy Treadwell should have!

Over the last 30 years we have had our unique encounters. The photo above is a nice Brown Bear taken by a client some years ago. As you can see from the photo, his "Cabelas pants" are full of Brown Bear!

I've seen these creature go straight up the sides of mountains, drag full grown moose and Caribou down, create avalanches in the spring just so they could get a few grub worms! This past summer they tried to dig up my septic take at the homestead and chew up $40K dollar airplanes.

When your on their terms in the bush, it's uneasy at best. When darkness begins to fall in Brown Bear country know two things, where your gun is and where your gun is. And in that order!

In Brown Bear camp ,packing the biggest gun is not always the best idea. Any time during the night someone heard a disturbance, I was always charged with the task of seeing what it was.

In upcoming blogs I'll write about some of the many Brown Bear hunts I have had the pleasure of experiencing. Many of these hunts are on video and soon to be on DVD. I'll keep you posted when releases are made available.

Alaskan Adventure's to be Released Spring 2010

2009-11-19T14:56:00.000-08:00

Spring of 2010 will bring about the release of Scotty's new book "Chance is the Providence of Adventurers". Negotiations are underway with Safari Press, a longtime publisher of Worldwide Hunting adventure stories which also has worldwide distribution. Order information will be made available next Spring. But it's never too early to request your copy! Click the comment link below.

So, you want to come to Alaska!

2009-11-18T14:57:00.000-08:00

Getting here is the cheapest part of your trip. Alaska is a huge place with little infrastructure around to keep your travel costs down. There are shortcuts though, the local way of doing things. That can mean saving you a lot of money or do more with the money you have!

If you must use a hotel while you are here, get out of the main drag. Even then, they are high. It's best to minimize hotel stays if at all possible. If your destination is the bush, get to it asap. Oh, there's a money meter there too, but your not adding "insult to injury" by staying in hotels too long before OR after your flight to camp. Not to mention meals and such during those times in town. Sure you have to eat, but when you're out of the city, you have more financial control over your options. Name of the game when visiting Alaska on a limited budget!

Either way you won't be able to see all of Alaska in one trip. That takes a lifetime to do!

Here's some of Alaska's statistics. Where do you fit in? There's lots of room!
1/5 the size of the Continental United States
OVER 80% of all US Fish and Wildlife Lands
OVER 65% of all US National Park and Preserve Lands
OVER 33% of all US Bureau of Land Management Lands
TWO largest National Forests in the US
88% Of Alaska is public land
NEARLY 12% of Alaska is owned by native corporations, which either do or can allow sport hunting and fishing to occur
LESS than .14% of Alaska is privately owned
FOURTEEN species of big game, twenty species of sport fish, over twenty species of marine mammals, over four hundred species of birds and nineteen species of fur bearers.
NEARLY surrounded by two oceans and two seas.
FIFTY thousand miles of saltwater shoreline and over eighteen hundred islands.
OVER three million lakes, three thousand rivers, five thousand glaciers and eighty active volcanoes.
Thirty-nine mountain ranges
Over 130 million acres of forest and 190 million acres of rolling tundra covered mountains, plains, hills, and arctic.

LIKE I SAID. It takes years to see Alaska.

Decide your priority first; accomplish those economically on your first trip. While here you will find things of interest that will dictate the next trips priorities.

If you are planning to visit Alaska, let me know your plans, join in, and I'll get you the shortcuts! I arrived here over 30 years ago with two backpacks, duffel bag and $50. In my pocket-on a cold January night too! I know the shortcuts and have a special appreciation for people with dreams and empty pockets!

Ever Seen A Brown Bear Path?

2009-11-17T15:32:00.000-08:00

Click on the Photo to the left. NOW YOU HAVE! Not many photos of these type paths. Bears normally make them along streams or in the tundra cutting across oxbow bends in the streams. That was the case in this photo taken near Brown Bear camp on the Alaskan Peninsula.

It represents Brown Bears that have put their feet in the same track, generation after generation. It's quite the sight! Most Alaskans have not seen them!

There is a Brown Bear trail that goes from the Bristol Bay side of the Peninsula to the Pacific side. It goes through thick alders and is very steep and dangerous. FEW Alaskans know where it is. I'll speak more about that trek in another post.

Alaskan Brown Bears leave and IMPRESSION like no other!

Alaska- Ain't No Place for Sissies

2009-11-10T12:30:00.000-08:00

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated. If I had to guess why, I would say the last one was a horse!
I've packed strings of horses in Alaska's bush country and it's a piece of work. Never a dull moment! I devoted a whole chapter in my book to my horse packing days-read it sometime.
Alaska's tough country and it takes tough men to make a living in this country. Oh, I'm not talking about those city boys in Anchorage and its suburbs. I'm talking about men that carve their existence out of the back country and live in rural Alaska. It's all together a different life. Men in Alaska are sort of like rhinos, short-sighted and hasty; if we cannot find a way, we will make a way.

Guiding clients in previous years taught me just how soft many of those Lower 48 hunters were. Few, if any, were prepared for the expedition at hand, upon their arrival. They were always amazed at the distances that could be viewed. Pollution in the Lower 48 and lack of real mountains never made such sights possible.

It takes stamina to hunt or work in the back country. Few are ready for what it takes. Hunting in this country vs. the Lower 48 is like the difference between a lightning bug and the lightning. It's just no place for sissies.

A close look at the culture in which boys are raised in the Lower 48 today reveals not only that they are no longer encouraged to become vigorous and responsible men, but also that practically every factor affecting their development is profoundly hostile to the ideals and practices of traditional manhood and the painstaking steps necessary to attain it. It's understandable when you look at the Courts for over 30 years. Woman have traditionally been given primary custody of the kids. Boys and Girls. What chance in hell does any woman have in "making a man out of a boy"? I'll try not to be sexist, Broads hate that. BUT, THAT DOES explain the type of "Men" that flourish in the Lower 48 today. I like to call them "FEMEN". They buy hair coloring, always trimmed up, wear funny bike hats, and know "Smilin Bob"! Americans are getting stronger though. Twenty years ago, it took two people to carry ten dollars' worth of groceries. Today, a five-year-old can do it!

Recently read an article comparing modern man to Neanderthal. Even the faster Olympic runner could not out run those guys. Many men in America today are soft, unable to provide even the basic needs for their families, should a worldwide crisis occur. You ready to split wood, haul water, shoot supper AND do it in 10 degree weather? You better toughen up Lower 48!!

One thing I noticed right away when I got to Alaska was its simple truths. This place is a carnivore! The unprepared, weak, fragile, stupid and ignorant are it's primary prey. Alaska- It ain't no place for sissies!