AndrewJ

You are eligible as a non resident. Better get your snow gear ready. Nonresident- one antlered bull- harvest ticket- Sep 1 to Sep 30 or Nonresident- one antlerless moose- harvest ticket- Dec 1 to Mar 15

Looks like you had a great time. It would be impossible to do a hunt like that without a local connection. Imagine trying to do that on your own…you couldn’t. Bush Alaska is an experience like nothing else. It’s one thing to fly in, do a hunt, and fly back out. It’s another to go with the locals, hear their stores, be inside their houses, travel in their boats, and butcher a moose back in their house. That unit you were in has a nonresident winter hunt from Dec to March. You can get any antlerless moose- bull, cow, calf- any size it doesn’t matter. Bulls will have shed their horns by then so they will technically be antlerless. You’d have to use your local connection and it would be a snowmachine hunt. You would have no problem keeping the meat cold. That type of hunt would be too cold for me!

How did things turn out?

I kept checking back every couple months to see if there was an update. After a while I figured things didn’t go as planned. It looks like that was quite an adventure with the weather. Was your hunt in October? Are you going to try it again one day?

Did anyone here have a bear hunt planned? There is also a statewide ban on non-essential intrastate travel, and the regional airlines are starting to reduce their operations. The largest carrier today just announced it was shutting everything down, except for the main hubs on a reduced schedule, and would no longer be delivering the mail. You know it’s getting crazy out there when the mail stops coming. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/webintra/wcnews/2020/releases/04-01-2020b.pdf For immediate release: April 1, 2020 (JUNEAU) — For the safety of Alaska’s communities, and especially individuals most vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus, Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game Doug Vincent-Lang has directed the Division of Wildlife Conservation to close all black and brown bear hunts statewide for both resident and nonresident hunters, effective now through May 31. This decision will be reevaluated as necessary. All subsistence bear hunts will remain open as a way for residents to have an opportunity to fill freezers and provide for families. The Department of Fish and Game will work with the Board of Game to identify future options for hunters who are planning to come to Alaska this spring, or for residents who have already made arrangements, but will be unable to hunt as planned. Expect to hear more from the department in the near future, and please be patient with the department as they identify ways to minimize the impacts of this decision. Alaska’s wild resources are of vital importance to many throughout the state, and we will make sure opportunities to safely, responsibly and sustainably harvest these resources continue.

Are you able to fly in airplanes and get around short distances? If so, you could still do it. You can hunt from a boat in Alaska, and shoot from the boat. The boat just has to be turned off, and have no movement/ momentum from the engine when you take a shot.

On Saturday I drove past Centennial Park. Whenever I go past there I pause in my mind to reflect on the passing of your brother. Never met him, but I did hear about the case and it sticks with you- the sad, senselessness of it all. A few days ago we got the first wave of snow covering the mountain tops. Everywhere you go the scenery is gorgeous, especially with the fall colors. The simple beauty draws you back in and you feel rejuvenated. I wonder if your brother had the same feelings when he looked up at the Chugach Mountains. If you ever want to come up I’ve got a place in Anchorage.

It’s going to be cold. It’s cold by mid September, but will ultimately depend on the terrain and elevation. Hopefully it doesn’t rain. How long are you guys in Anchorage? Or just passing through? Thought this might get you pumped up for your trip- saw him on the back side of the airport near Earthquake Park.

I don’t think there are any bears in Hawaii. Alaska is the 49th

Are you going to hub out of Fairbanks? What area are you hunting in?

I've only hunted the Interior, but I have heard Unit 6D- Prince William Sound- is a popular area for coastal black bear hunting. However, this is the only unit in the entire state where you cannot shoot a black bear from a boat. If you spot a bear you most go to shore before you shoot. If you are in any other unit you can shoot the bear from the boat as long as the motor is off and all boat movement attributed to the motor has ceased (i.e. the boat has to be naturally floating in the water when you pull the trigger). There were too many bears being harvested and the State put this restriction in place to help stabilize the population. The season for black bear in 6D is Sep 10 to June 10. As stated above, the cost of everything in Alaska is insane. Travel costs will not be reasonable. It's a big state, and it takes a lot of money to get to where you want to go. If you have a lot of luggage (especially if you get a bear) that will add to it, and lodging will also be expensive. Although you don't need a guide for black bear, some units have a unique nonresident guide requirement...if you are DIY you have to get a permit which are limited in numbers (maybe 30 or 40 per hunt), but if you go with a guide there are no restrictions on you getting the permit. Most of the southeast is like this...Unit 1 (near Juneau), Unit 2 (Prince of Whales Island), Unit 3 (Petersburg). For the other units there is no limit to the number of harvest tickets that can be issued to nonresidents. If you go on these coastal hunts, it is going to be crowded (by my standards). If I'm on a hunt I don't want to see another person. The Interior doesn't have as many opportunities for bear vs the coast, but you'll also have the whole place to yourself.

I'm interested to hear about the logistics. How hard was it to get to the hunt site? Did you use a transporter? 600 pound limit? And the place you camped, was it the guide's area or was it a public cabin? What did you do with the goat after you got it back to your base camp? I'd love to go to Kodiak, but the logistics are complex. It's easy enough to get to the main airport, but after that it gets expensive with private charter flights, weight restrictions, or boat charters. If you don't want to rough it a lodge is a good option, but very expensive.

This was the prop. It took a beating. I took two sleeping bags, one for sleeping and one for an extra blanket: Cabelas Outfitter XL -20 degree and a Coleman Legacy 0 degree Big and Tall bag. I asked some people about the bear fence, they just laughed. I have never seen a bear fence, at least not in the bush. Maybe if you were on a fly-in hunt with a camp you returned to every day you would use one. We had a dog that camped with us. If the bear comes close the dog will bark and wake us up, or the bear will eat the dog and wake us up. The dog is the sacrificial bear fence. For the wolves you can get 10 per year but I was cold, tired, and didn't feel like moving. My gun was on my lap but at that point I just wanted to go home and didn't want to skin something else. Plus they stink really bad. I don't know what it is, but they must pee on themselves or roll in dead stuff because they reek. It's a culture of subsistence and survival. When it's -60 F you need all of the nutrients and protein you can get. You store up and save everything you can get your hands on during the spring, summer, and fall to get through the winter. If you're going through all the trouble to save the moose lip and nose, you're going to save all the fat. The fat treated like gold and also tastes really good. You can cook it with your meat or stew, or render it down in a dutch oven and jar it. Usually by May everyone is out of moose meat anyway, so it doesn't really have a chance to go bad. I had a hard time eating chunks of fat at first (I was a child of the low fat/ no fat craze of the 90's), but now I eat as much of it as I can get. After downing the moose we were cutting off chunks of fat to eat raw. I've eaten strange foods I never would have dreamed of touching- muskrat tongue, brain, and eyes, beaver foot and tail, bear paw, salmon eyes, seal oil. You can pretty much eat everything. Perhaps the concept of game meat being "lean" is only after you cut out and throw away all the fat? It isn't lean up here. I'm not sure what is healthier for you- all fat or no fat, but in any case it's healthier than highly refined carbs and sugars.

I spent a couple months preparing for the September general season moose hunt. I was very lucky that my coworker was willing to take me along for the ride, and he took me deep into Indian country- although Indian country was defined away in Alaska under ANCSA, some areas are still deeply tied to the Natives, and the place where we were going outsiders are as rare as they are unwelcome. It was even outside his normal hunting area, but he wanted to see the country where his mother was born, and I was more than willing to go along on the trip. Success is generally high- with hunting nothing is certain, but out here I put it at almost 100%. I was expecting it to take 8 days, but we had prepared for 3 weeks if needed. The weather was really nasty- no sun and lots of rain. It was pouring down rain when we camped. I was wishing I brought a tent, but was told not to because of bears. We sleept with our rifles next to us. I got up at night to go to the bathroom and there was a bear at the edge of camp. It ran away, but I couldn't sleep for the rest of the night. The next day was cold and windy. No sun, lots of rain. Tons of wind and rain. The rain is coming in sideways and stinging the eyes, making it hard to see. We were soaked and had to call it quits for the day, build fire, and dry out. We cooked halibut for dinner and relaxed. We passed a group of Native hunters coming the other way. They had a few bulls and were heading home. We stopped and they cooked us heart and kidney in moose fat along the bank. Notice the willows sticking out from under the meat- it keeps the air flowing and helps to stop spoilage. They had to go really slow, any faster and they would swamp their boat in the river- Beautiful fall colors in a stretch with no rain- We stopped and visited with friends at their family's trapping cabin. The cabin is still in use, but the life of the trapper is coming to a slow end. Hardly anyone traps anymore, and none of the kids want to get into it because it's a lot of work for little money. It's crazy to think more people lived out here 100 years ago than today (today it's almost nobody). Farmed fur and PETA killed the fur trade in the bush. There are still a few people doing it, but you can't really make a living like you used to. Cow moose was feeding in the water. Saw two bulls nearby but they vanished in the brush. We slept in the boat that night. At around 2am we saw the most amazing display of Northern Lights I've ever seen- the whole sky was lit up, and you could see up and down the river. The lights were swirling in and out and were the closest I've ever seen them. They say the lights are the spirits of those who came before you, and I thought it was the spirits of the old trappers who used to live in this area looking down on us. All night long I could hear beavers working against the boat, swimming under it, trying to push it away. The night was cold and wet, and my boots were frozen to the floor in the morning. My scope was all frozen, and even if we saw a moose, I don't think I could have shot it. My hands were ice, and after the morning was over we decided to have a nice meal and relax for the rest of the day. As we were cooking lunch the rain started again. We were just about ready to eat when we heard the grunting of a bull nearby. I left the food to burn on the fire, and ran through the bushes to see if I could spot anything. I couldn't see the moose, but I could see his horns sticking out above the willows. He was heading right towards me, grunting every few steps. I got down on the ground and waited for him to come into view and shot him at 20 yards. As soon as you pull the trigger all the fun stops and the work begins. It took about 5 hours to skin him out and quarter him up. Moose quarters are obnoxiously large and heavy. If you have dreams of a once in a lifetime moose hunt, you also need to dream about that once in a lifetime pack out with multiple trips of 200 pounds on your back. Think of an elk, and then tripple it. In this area you have to leave the meat on the bone until you get to your site of processing, so it adds a lot of weight. The Natives leave the meat on the bone regardless, but you do hear of cases where nonresidents fly in, shoot a moose, and then can't pack it out because of all the weight and leave some of the meat to rot. Heading home during a short dry spell. On the way home we saw a giant bull- easily 60 inches, just standing on the bank. He didn't care at all we were there and just watched us go by. He was significantly larger than my moose, and I kept thinking good thing we didn't see this one first because that would be a pain to skin and pack out. Around the next corner from the moose I saw something strange on the bank- 6 black dogs?? I was trying to figure out what it was when it dawned on me- it was a pack of wolves!! I tried to get a picture but they ran into the brush. I wonder if they were hunting the big bull. Start of day 7. By this point my sleeping bag is 100% soaked. My rifle has also taking quite a beating. Rest of day 7 was cold and wet. No sun, just overcast. I was ready to come home and sleep in a warm, dry bed. We got home, unloaded the moose, and I went to bed and had the best sleep of my life. The next 4 days were spent processing the moose. It was more work than I ever imagined. Tons of fat on the moose- Making portions to store. Each portion needs a handful of fat- Ribs on the bone. They get really offended when I tell them we just cut out the meat and move on- Working on the head meat- Making dry meat over smoke- Burning the hair off the nose- Nose is ready to cut up- Getting ready to burn the hair off the lip- Nothing goes to waste. Every piece of the moose is harvested, including all the organs and other things you didn't think you could eat. A little meat is left on the leg bones, and each leg is cut into small bones for soup with meat on the outside and marrow on the inside. The jawbone is baked in the oven and will be cracked for the marrow. The meat from the head is cut into small pieces and mixed with the tongue, nose, lips, and the fat from behind the eyes. It is all mixed together for moose head stew. Next time I visit Arizona I'll bring some moose head with me. Gear review- the boat is rough on everything, and so is the rain. The guns get soaked, rust spots form, and everything gets covered in mud and sand. I had a hard time with it at first, but now I just let it go, it comes with the terrain. You don't buy the gear so it can sit at home and look pretty. Scope- They say this is open sight country, no place for scopes. The whole time I was fighting low light, fog, ice, water, and more fog on the scope lense. It was a challenge. I am going to see if I can mount the scope higher up and use the iron sights below the scope as a backup. Binos- haven't used any since coming up here. Need to get a cheap pair I can beat up in the boat and get covered in mud. I would never take a pair of Swaros out with me. Boots- I wore 1000g Danner Pronghorns. My feet froze every day in the boat. Next time I'll wear my serious Arctic boots. Gloves- All of them were pretty much worthless. My big mittens saved me (mittens are much warmer than gloves). Next time I will bring my beaver mittens. Head- the normal beanie / neck combo didn't work, luckily I brought my marten hat. It got really dirty, but kept my head warm and dry. You can't beat fur in the serious cold.

I went to visit a friend on Admiralty Island, and set it up so I would arrive just before deer season opened. I flew out of the Interior in the afternoon and made it to Juneau by nightfall. It was really foggy and pouring down rain. I wish I could have seen more of the capital, but I didn’t have time for sightseeing. I checked into my hotel near the airport ($200 a night!) and went to Fred Meyer to stock up on hunting supplies. I was told to bring one thing only- lots of Bud Light. The next morning I went to the airport to fly out to Angoon on a seaplane. It was pouring down rain, and still foggy. We took off, and about half an hour into the flight we turned around because the pilot couldn’t see. I was disappointed, but a few weeks ago a plane that was flying to Hoonah crashed into the side of a mountain due to fog, so the pilots were being extra cautious. We waited around for a couple hours, then tried it again, except we flew down the other side of the island over Chatham Strait. Same thing- we got halfway there and turned around and came back. I spend the rest of the day wishing I took the ferry instead of a plane. At the end of the day we gave it one more try, and it looked like we would turn around, but we kept going and finally touched down on the water. On opening day we got the boat ready and went out to look for deer. It was raining, so we wore our slick suits. I was amazed at all of the sea life. We saw a couple whales in the distance, and some huge sea lions on the buoys. The salmon were jumping everywhere. I pulled out a rod with a pink lure and cast it out a few feet, and with very little effort I caught my first salmon on a rod and reel. The salmon are much smaller than the fish we pull out of the Yukon, and they look very different in the ocean. I wanted to go look for deer, but the fishing was too good and we spent the rest of the day fishing for salmon and halibut. The next day we smoked all the fish. It was a lot of work getting everything in place. I met a really amazing Tlingit family, and I ate everything they put on the table. It was a treat I will never forget. First we had pickled salmon- when you have one bite you can’t stop eating it. The salmon is cut in small strips and salted overnight. Then it is put in a jar with vinegar, onions, lemon, and pickling spice. At low tide they went out and pulled an octopus from the rocks. It was really slimy and hard to even pick up without slipping from your hands. The octopus was boiled for a couple hours, then the outer layer of skin was peeled off. We cut it up and put it in a pickled soy sauce. The suction cups were the best. We also ate fried halibut dipped in seal oil. Seal oil has a unique taste (kind of like fish). Then we had dried salmon strips mixed with cream cheese and garlic. The area is really rich in food, and they say if you go hungry here it’s your own fault. The family had a deer in their smokehouse, and we cooked up rib stew for a dinner. I have never had better smoked meat. The meat fell off the bone and was really tender, and the smoke flavor went into all of the vegetables. When I went to the dump I got to see Trash Bear. Trash Bear hides in the rubbish, hoping you don’t see him. He is really sneaky, and he comes out when you least expect him, rushing forward to steal garbage and haul it off. When a bear becomes a trash bear, it never goes back to how it was before. It will only search for trash, and if it doesn’t get enough to eat, it will start to raid the town and will eventually need to be eradicated. There are actually multiple bears at the dump, but the locals refer to them all as the singular Trash Bear. It's hard to tell, but these are actually brown bears. The next couple days were really windy, and we weren’t able to go out in the boat. The waves were too dangerous. When the weather was bad I tried land hunting. It was really tough, and everyone looked at me like I was crazy for even wanting to try. The forest is dark and thick with fallen trees, shrubs, and all sorts of vegetation that make it difficult to even walk or see. I was also told Admiralty Island has the highest concentration of brown bears per square mile than anywhere else in the world. If you find a trail out in the woods it is a bear trail. You have to be very cautious, as every noise you hear could be a bear in the bushes. There is also this giant, overgrown stinging nettle plant you have to work hard to avoid. The places in the forest that opened up were swamps, and they were difficult to walk through. There were berries everywhere that were really good to eat. When I got back at night I was filthy and exhausted from crawling through all kinds of bushes and had a greater appreciation for why everyone goes hunting by boat. Sea hunting is far superior to land hunting. You don’t get caught in vegetation and don’t have to worry about bears. We passed through a boat graveyard that serves as a reminder for what happens when you go out in rough water. The tides down here are really powerful and impact which way you go. When the tide is rising, the water surges inland through all the small channels and islands and is fast and powerful. It feels like being on a swift river with a strong current, you would never know it is ocean water until you see dolphins and seals in places you least expect them. We passed through some narrow channels of rocks (it’s one way with the tide), and you have to wait for the tide to start going back out before you can come back. We saw thousands of salmon, and even in shallow spots we saw huge schools swinning around. The salmon would hang out at the top of the water with their fins out and looked like little sharks. We hunted for hours and saw perfect deer habitat, but never saw a single deer. Right before deer season opened you would see deer all day long, and as soon as the shooting starts all the deer vanish into the forests. This is a hard time to hunt, and I hear it is better in the winter when the snow pushes the deer down to the beaches. I flew out on the seaplane with two coolers full of fish and some smoked deer meat that was given to me. The deer hunt turned into a fishing trip, and even though I never saw a deer, I had a great time exploring another part of the state and experiencing the food. I’ll try and go back next year. Right before I left I walked along the beach which was the site of a historic engagement with the US Navy. In the 1880's the Natives had a dispute with a trading company, and the trading company called on the Navy for support. It was right before winter, and the Navy came in and destroyed all of the Natives' canoes, destroyed the food storages, shelled Angoon and burnt it to the ground, and about 2/3 of the villagers perished in the winter from starvation. Outside of the Civil War, it is considered one of the few times the Navy has fired on American territory in anger. If you love year round fishing, sea food, berries, mild winters, and the beauty of the Pacific, then this is the perfect place to live. However, you won't have the big game hunting opportunities that come with living in the Interior.