My Quest Begins

Discussion in 'Hunting and Fishing' started by Rook52, Mar 9, 2017.

  1. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    Well I haven't posted in awhile but I've working my tail off trying to get in shape for this hunt. It is now three weeks away and I'm crawling out of my skin with excitement. I feel that I'm in decent enough shape to handle Alaska I hope. My gear is ready, I cut my case foam for all the goodies. Now it's the waiting game. I'm pretty sure I showed you guys all my gear except my pack, which I'll get up here next week.
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    The cleaver is making the journey with me. Also a 4 and CR 2.5.

    I have also been tuning a .270 load here is my reloading set up. [​IMG]
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  2. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    To carry all this gear I have a Sitka Flash 20 pack. It 2000 cu in and has an aluminum frame. It rides like a dream on my back. The frame bows out from your back to create a wind tunnel to keep your back cool. It's a taller, thinner pack but fully opens so you can get your gear on the bottom. The waist belt has a pocket on each side that's perfect for a range finder, cell phone, GPS, or a smaller camera.

    Now for the cons, they weren't deal breakers for me but I thought I'd let you guys know. First the gun/bow holder is terrible. The pics on Sitka website shows the rifle all nice and tight against the pack. Even fully loaded my rifle slipped down and started to flop around. I was able to get around this for $15. I bought KUIU's gun pocket and it fit right on my flash 20 pack. Next no water bottle pocket, I like to have one on the side. I really don't like water bladders which this pack has. Other than that I really like this for a hunting day pack.
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  3. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    And so it begins.....wheels up at 7am tomorrow.
     
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  4. Zeek

    Zeek Member

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    Good luck !!!
     
  5. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    Thanks
     
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  6. Andy the Aussie

    Andy the Aussie Administrator of the Century Staff Member

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    I hope you have a great trip mate !!!! we look forward to hearing all about it !
     
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  7. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    Thanks, pics and stories to follow. :D
     
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  8. timdgsr

    timdgsr Member

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    Good luck! Have fun
     
  9. Bcamos

    Bcamos Member

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    I can't believe I didn't know about this thread. Super excited to read the outcome. Good luck!
     
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  10. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    Well the trip was awesome but photobucket
    crapped out on me and I’m trying to figure out imgur. So hang tight gents I got so cool photos if I figure this out
     
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2017
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  11. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    [​IMG] Let’s see if this works
     
  12. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    You can upload them directly to the forum.
     
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  13. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    Ok I think I got it :). So like I said I had a great trip, the weather was rough and that island wants to hurt you in every way, but the beauty will take your breath away. I met some amazing people, made new friends, and even was lucky enough to harvest 2 deer and a fox.

    The hunting was hard and last year they lost 80% of breeder size bucks. Apparently they starved and froze out. On average we would see 6 winter kill skeletons a day, all bucks. Then one of the beach landings there was 30-40 skeletons all just laying there as they had before the died and again all bucks. It was sad to see but like I said this rock wants to kill everything that lives on it. We had to stay an extra day in Kodiak because the winds were blowing 50mph and the float planes could not fly. So we lost one day of hunting right out of the gate
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    Like I said the beauty makes up for it, once we landed we got settled in, shot our rifles, met with guided ate dinner and planned the next day. The first day we hiked up a island/mountain call Amook. It was about 2000’ in elevation and a 2 mile hike up it at a 60-75% incline. The thickest alders that I have ever seen. I was able harvest this nice 3x2 with an eye guard, so in Wisconsin he’s a 6 pointer. It was a 210 yard shot. Tough deer it took 2 shots in the shoulder to put him down.
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    He died in a thicket of cottonwoods and alders. My guide super Bob, told me to keep my gun loaded and stay up on the hill to look for bear coming from downwind. He said that he has never had bear coming running to a rifle shot, but the magpies and ravens are a dead give away to the bear. In which 6 raven have landed by us and about a dozen magpies.
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    If you look close you can see my guide skinning the deer while I’m on bear watch. I felt useless having him take care of the deer but he said he’d rather take care of the deer with piece of mind. My pack was awesome, a beach shot after the hike down with 50lbs of bear bait on my back :) This is a view from the top of Amook.
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    Not a plug for anyone but you guys that hunt,hike, or exercise hard I can’t say enough good things about wilderness athlete their products are great. After a hard hike I take a “Superman” which is the energy and focus with the rehydrate packet. Awesome stuff to replenish you.
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    So we hunted a few days in lower ground and really didn’t see much for deer. It seemed they wanted to be 2000’ to 3000’ feet up. I did come across this cool land marker in the middle of nowhere.
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    Picture of Bob and I glassing the valleys. The second picture is of alpine bear tracks in the permafrost. The bear have been using the same trails for thousands of years. Everything grows so slow they never fill in.
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    Back at the dock at camp there was a Finn whale skull on shore. That thing was huge. Take note of my @Expat edition crocs, you can get them on amazon.
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    The last day I was able to pull off the Kodiak Island version of a hat trick. I shot a second smaller buck, as I said slim pickings but a beautiful buck that I’m super happy with. I used the camp lore CR 2.5 on this buck. What an awesome knife.
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    When packing him down we get to the beach and I have to take a leak. I walk over to the edge and find a nice shed antler. That was my second treat that day. So I go over to my pack to drop off my shed and there is a gorgeous cross fox looking at me 50 yards away. I was able to get him as well rounding out my hat trick.
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    Cold ride home on the 18’ skiff but I’m a happy hunter.
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    The float plane could not get in on the last day due to high winds. What a treat trying to reschedule flights with no internet or phone. The only thing I had was the guides sat phone at a dollar a minute. I got cut off three times but the awesome people at Alaska airline figured it all out and did it for me. The float plane ride out was an adventure too.
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    This was a true adventure the trophy was not in the size of the animals but rather the size of the memory and friends made. It’s truly God’s country.
     
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2017
  14. Expat

    Expat Expat™ Knives Staff Member

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    A forum member that actually gets outside? We need to ban this guy.

    Awesome adventure!
     
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  15. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Awesome!!!!
     
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  16. SEMO

    SEMO Member

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    Beautiful. The only thing lacking is more pics!
    That is a hunting trip of a lifetime at my pay grade.
     
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  17. Jeff Randall

    Jeff Randall ESEE Knives / Randall's Adventure & Training Staff Member

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    Pretty damn cool. Great pics and even better adventure!
     
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  18. Hawkeye5

    Hawkeye5 Member

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    good hunting trip .Thanks for bringing us along.
     
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  19. Rook52

    Rook52 Member

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    Here ya go!
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    The view from the float plane on the way out. We got about an inch of snow that day.
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    My little buddy back at camp. I could get about 4 feet from him, but everything was dry and he was not a fan of crunchy leaves. I’m pretty sure I could have pet him if it was quite.
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    The main cabin entrance.
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    Our taxi’s, that skiff that’s way out on the slack line would barely be in the water at low tide but floating in 30’ of water at high tide.
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    Crystal clear water, this guy was about 40’ down.
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    Low land glassing spot, that river was brackish. Seal came in at high tide to look for silver salmon.
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    My main morning drop off.
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    This was at a hotel in Kodiak, it was a Boone and Crocket bear.
     
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  20. SEMO

    SEMO Member

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    Beautiful place. Thanks for posting the extra pics.
    My wife and I went to Alaska last year.
    If I was 25 again I would move there.
     

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