Joyce and I filled our DC485 tags with a pair of cows taken on the Denali Highway in the controlled use area on foot.

Killing both at the same time cause a bit of work but the hunt was true Alaskan fun including pucker brush, constant rain, two 62 year old bodies, and some good fitting Barney's packs.

We got up the highway on the 17th and started climbing different areas on the 18th to scout a bit. On the 19th, one day before being legal for our tag another hunter (Subsistence opened the 10th) pushed a Cow in our direction that stopped broadside at 50 yards and stared at us in disbelief. At this point probably wondering why we didn't shoot her.

We took our Caribou at about 5,000 feet elevation judging from the topo. The truck was at 3,100 feet on a pull off of the Denali Highway in the Clearwater Creek CUA.

Took us old geezers 3 trips to pack out both Bou. The second trip on the day of the kill required us to come out in the dark with headlamps. No joy!!

Back up first thing the next morning for the remaining meat we left secured in a short Spruce with a rain cover.

Back in Anchorage now and the meat has faired well and is being processed into assorted freezer fair.

The area is beautiful.

Cheers
Jim



View from the camper door...



View from the side window...



Selfie at lower Alpine Lake...



Joyce working her way up....



Mist over the valley on a morning climb...



Taking a break...



Crow berries in fall colors...



Pano...



Pano 2 ...



One down...



Barney's Yukon Pack...



60 more and we got a parka...





Lots of berries everywhere...



Meat hanging under our covered deck before transport to the processor...

Thanks for sharing your good fortune with an interesting story complete with some nice pictures. Congratulations on a job well done.

Well done. Congrats.

Nice!
Cheers.
Steve

Good deal! Looks like people are having pretty good success this year.

How are the bugs? I'm headed up for the 40 Mile this weekend. Hoping the clouds and rain clear up a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by A7Dave:
Good deal! Looks like people are having pretty good success this year.

How are the bugs? I'm headed up for the 40 Mile this weekend. Hoping the clouds and rain clear up a bit.

No bugs at all. Good luck Dave.

Yes there was the typical number of hunters but much less on the Controlled Use side.

Cheers
Jim & Joyce

Great pictures and congrats on the hunt. Packin em out on one's back make you appreciate those tenderloins on the grill just a little more.

I just finished cutting and wrapping mine with my wife and my Mom's help. Now we're all toes up taking a break.

Congratulations again on your hunt.

quote:

Originally posted by mart:
Great pictures and congrats on the hunt. Packin em out on one's back make you appreciate those tenderloins on the grill just a little more.

I just finished cutting and wrapping mine with my wife and my Mom's help. Now we're all toes up taking a break.

Congratulations again on your hunt.

Jim,

I appreciate your effort hunting out of the biggest city in the state. Congrats! It was just so much easier out of Dillingham.

Mark

Congratulations.
But, one question: one barrel or two?
Cal

I've snow machined all over alpine lake there! Recognize Claude's backyard! Congrats on some great photos and adventure!

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
Congratulations.
But, one question: one barrel or two?
Cal

One barrel, two hunters.

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Jim,

I appreciate your effort hunting out of the biggest city in the state. Congrats! It was just so much easier out of Dillingham.

Mark

Mark,

I didn't hunt for the first few years after we moved to the big village of Anchorage.

Access to areas with few hunters WAS easier in Dillingham but I have to say that hiking into a CUA and packing the meat out on your back gives a certain reward that shooting an animal next to the river and skiff does not bring.

Kinda like when I was stupid enough to shoot two Caribou on the wetlands up Andrews Creek on the lower Nushagak. Only ever made that mistake once.

Cheers
Jim

Jim,

I remember Andrew's Creek well. Shot 4 caribou there over the years and your right you do not shoot them in the boggy shit which most of that country is.
Believe me I was not diminishing your hunt in the slightest. I'm not sure if we had stayed in Alaska but moved to a more urban area I would have even tried hunting in pick up range of Anchorage.

Mark

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Jim,

I remember Andrew's Creek well. Shot 4 caribou there over the years and your right you do not shoot them in the boggy shit which most of that country is.
Believe me I was not diminishing your hunt in the slightest. I'm not sure if we had stayed in Alaska but moved to a more urban area I would have even tried hunting in pick up range of Anchorage.

Mark

No worries Mark. I didn't take it as diminishing the hunt. No doubt there is less pressure from other hunters when taking a skiff out in Dillingham but the Nushagak during Moose certainly had water bound "road hunters" going up and down. One of the reasons I liked Angel Bay though the tides were a PIA.

If you're fit enough to walk in from the road system or a place like the Denali Highway you can still have a "wilderness" experience.

It's all what you make it and how much sweat you're willing to produce.

It was a fun hunt and the freezer is replenished.

Cheers
Jim

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
Jim,

I'm not sure if we had stayed in Alaska but moved to a more urban area I would have even tried hunting in pick up range of Anchorage.

Mark

Last year Joyce did a ghetto drive by on a Cow Moose in the valley at Point Mackenzie.

This was also a draw tag.

Cheers
Jim

Congratulations and thanks for sharing.

Lovveeee the cow moose drive by!! My family has done three in the last
Two years. Only way to fill a freezer!

well done to you.

bravo.

I knew I recognized that hill top. I walked up behind the ACL on the 27th and shot a cow about in the same spot you did! Congrats.

quote:

Originally posted by Hughiam:
I knew I recognized that hill top. I walked up behind the ACL on the 27th and shot a cow about in the same spot you did! Congrats.

Forgot to mention, it was that pika that tipped me off. He lives in a big 4' split rock and I have nearly the same picture.

quote:

Originally posted by Hughiam:
I knew I recognized that hill top. I walked up behind the ACL on the 27th and shot a cow about in the same spot you did! Congrats.

We didn't shoot our Bou behind ACL. We did climb and scout the area before our 8/20 legal date though and most of the pictures posted were taken there.

We didn't take many pictures while actually hunting.

Cheers
Jim

BTW, we nicknamed that split rock the dino tooth. It's a nice landmark.

The multiple bounties of Alaska! Thanks for sharing your harvest. All I will be doing this fall is hunting vicariously as I await a consultation with my back surgeon, so I am very envious.

quote:

Originally posted by Bill/Oregon:
The multiple bounties of Alaska! Thanks for sharing your harvest. All I will be doing this fall is hunting vicariously as I await a consultation with my back surgeon, so I am very envious.

You're welcome Bill. Good luck with the back. Remember Joyce had a fusion of L-3 to L-5 with hardware thanks to the cancer eating away L4 2 1/2 years ago. She was right there for this whole hunt since it was just the two of us and she certainly packed out her share of the meat and gear.

I hope you have as good a result should you require the knife.

Cheers
Jim

Congrats you two! Awesome trip!

quote:

Originally posted by Skip Nantz:
Congrats you two! Awesome trip!

Thanks Skip. Anymore plans to head this way?

Cheers
J&J

While it looks like views of your hunt thread are growing in number faster than my thread of my hunt, I think it is because you post on your own tread so much. There is no way a hunter with an antiquated single barrel rifle would get more attention than a hunter with a classy double. Of course, I don't have a wonderful wife with me. Maybe that's why.
Just thinking out loud and a bit jealous. Maybe I need a bride.
Cal
PS. Allow me a guess: synthetic stock, fluted barrel, muzzle brake or ported, stainless, shooting a magnum with a shiny name, using a range finder, caribou bait over a blind, electronic caribou calls, night vision, barrel vibration reducer, scent blocking socks, clothes and chewing gun, shooting from a lead sled in the bush, wearing Boddington's underwear, guaranteed hunt with a pre measured rack to qualify for the "book or a high fence property off the Denali Highway. Be square with me, Frosty, or I won't let your wife shoot my 4-bore any more.

quote:

Originally posted by cal pappas:
While it looks like views of your hunt thread are growing in number faster than my thread of my hunt, I think it is because you post on your own tread so much. There is no way a hunter with an antiquated single barrel rifle would get more attention than a hunter with a classy double. Of course, I don't have a wonderful wife with me. Maybe that's why.
Just thinking out loud and a bit jealous. Maybe I need a bride.
Cal
PS. Allow me a guess: synthetic stock, fluted barrel, muzzle brake or ported, stainless, shooting a magnum with a shiny name, using a range finder, caribou bait over a blind, electronic caribou calls, night vision, barrel vibration reducer, scent blocking socks, clothes and chewing gun, shooting from a lead sled in the bush, wearing Boddington's underwear, guaranteed hunt with a pre measured rack to qualify for the "book or a high fence property off the Denali Highway. Be square with me, Frosty, or I won't let your wife shoot my 4-bore any more.

Cal,

I thought you quit drinking years ago. Perhaps your cider has fermented. Also I never thought you the jealous type. In all fairness I will answer your questions (and in so doing add another post count to the thread).

Synthetic stock - Yes

Fluted barrel - Yes

Muzzle brake or ported - Huh? What did you say? Used to have a .338 with a brake. Sold it to finance my hearing aides.

Stainless - Yes

Magnum with shiny name - 7mmRemMag

Range finder - Leica 1600

Caribou bait - Only Joyce

Over blind - No, but we both wear glasses.

Electronic Caribou Calls - Illegal in the 907, have someone read the regs to you.

Night vision - Only headlamps on the second trip packing out after dark

Barrel Vibration Reducer - Joyce is too embarrassed to answer that one.

Scent blocking socks - Could have used them after the pack out.

Clothes and chewing gun - Obviously your cider IS fermented.

Shooting from leadsled in the bush - I wanted to but Joyce refused to carry the lead shot for weight.

Boddington's underwear - I wanted to but when I tried to order they said you bought it all.

guaranteed hunt with a pre measured rack to qualify for the "book or a high fence property off the Denali Highway - Glad there wasn't any fences, I wouldn't have had the energy to climb over them.

Be square with me, Frosty, or I won't let your wife shoot my 4-bore any more. - That's really what this is about isn't it Cal? Just because she shoots it better than you you never got over that.

Cheers
Jim

You're the best.
Cal