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Quote: Well put.  | ||
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I am going on a Caribou hunt in the end of August and September in the Brooks Range. I am going with a friend and a guy that has been there 10 times. The guy that has been there 10 times told us, we do not need to bring a pistol for back up. He said he has seen several bears but none have ever come close. My gut feeling is I should bring a handgun. I have 2 to choose from. I have a Super Redhawk in 454 Casull that has been cut down to 2 1/2 inches and a BFR 500MAG that has been cut down to 5 1/4 inches. I am leaning toward the BFR in 500MAG. What is all you guys feedback on all of this?  | |||
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A 2.5" 454 ought to be a Handfulllllllll  Bring your favorite rifle of 30 cal or better and have fun! | |||
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I've hunted Alaska twice once for moose and last year for caribou. We had separate tents so I told my partner that he should not play games outside my tent since I am not particulary brave and didn't mind putting a couple of ventilation holes thru the side. I was told by guide a "tent" gun was advisable on the Moose hunt, I brought my 629 and it gave me a level of comfort since I was woke up twice in the middle of the night by a beaver would rubbed up against the tent on the side I was laying on and by a critter unknown probably a fox. We did have a bear in our area for two days and it makes you stand up and pay attention to camp cleaniness, we never encounter the bear. Now inside a tent you have very little range of movement, you are zippered in the tent and zippered in the sleeping bag, now consider that you are in complete darkness and probably in a deep sleep and all of a sudden you hear all types of noise, think about what you are going to need to do to get into a position to possibly defend yourself considering the circumstances. pepper spray that is a good choice now you pretty much diminished whatever eye sight or breathing that you have, a rifle? if the tent is big enough and you got the nads to keep one in the chamber or like making additional noise by chambering to assist the bear in pinpointing your location, or a handy dandy little not quite powerful enough handgun......the dilema what should I do, whatever it is your life depends on it. Consider that a wounded bear is a heck of a lot more volatile than a curious one lookig at the menue you better have a plan but that what makes a hunt like that so intersting. | |||
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I think I will take the 500MAG. I know the 454 will do the job if needed, but I like the power of my BFR in 500MAG. I am going to load some 440 gr. cast performance bullets up for this hunt. The last thing I want to become is bear food. | |||
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The only time that I carry a handgun is when it is a inconvenice to carry a rifle. ie: fishing, around the camp area, in the tent, cooking, ect. (Unless I'm hunting with pistol only.) A good 30 Cal rifle will do anything a handgun will and more. Handguns become extra weight and aren't worth the hassle 9 times out of 10. Sticks and branches hanging up on your holster, checking if it's still there all the time, adjusting the holster everytime you sit down or move let alone trying to stalk a critter. Big handguns are fun no doubt...However, light weight hunts is one element to being sucessful. Ben | |||
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I have noticed, while moose hunting in September, that most Alaska hunters carry a sidearm. I carry a Freedom Arms 7-1/2" barrel .454 Casull, in a bandoleer holster/belt. The handgun stays with me in my tent during the night, when I go out to the "outhouse," when I ride my ATV to my hunting spot, or when walking through the brush towards a moose or other animal I have shot (rifle in my hands). A handgun for bear defense may not be the best weapon, but I feel much better with a handgun than a can of pepper spray in my hand. My handgun would be useful when I can't reach my rifle, during a charge if I have been toppled, or any other time (at close range) when for whatever reason I can't use the rifle. The bandoleer belt/holster I use is the "Bandito," shown at the link below. The belt must be ordered by size, and the holster and ammo holder are optional. I would prefer a synthetic material, but the Bandito is made of leather. However, it's very comfortable. http://www.pistolpackaging.com/ | |||
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I will have my 300 Win Mag as my primary weapon. The Handgun is going to be the camp gun. We are being dropped off for 10 days. Living in tents, there is not much between you and any intruders. Also a handgun is a lot easier to maneuver in a tent. | |||
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Redhawk, If I were you I'd leave the handgun home. If you really have to bring it just leave it in your tent. If you take it in the field I can promise you it will always be in your way. Gun belts and backpacks just do not go together. Also once you start packing meat that extra 3-4 pounds of steel will seem like 20 pounds. Unlike Ray I really don't know any resident hunters that carry a handgun on a routine basis. Regards, Mark | |||
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Redhawk 1, I would agree with Mark. I'm dropped off in the Brooks for 8 weeks at a time and, although we see lots of bear, I've never felt the need for a handgun as backup. They are nice in and around camp but they're not worth the extra weight. Jmo. Hope you have a great trip; the Brooks Range is a very special place. Joe | |||
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Quote: That was my plan to use it as a camp gun and tent gun. Thanks for the feedback. | |||
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My opinion is that a sidearm is needed in all places. Like Clint Smith says, "A handgun is used to fight your way back to your rifle, which you never should have left behind to begin with". One never knows for sure when or where a fight might come or come from. 99% of your life you won't need it. When that 1% comes, you'll damn sure regret not having it if you went off with that "It'll never happen to me" attitude. | |||
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Quote: I have to agree with you on that one. I have a ccw and will feel naked without a handgun 24/7. | |||
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Redhawk: I have to agree with Mark Young on this point. Handguns may give you a psycological edge but they may also give you a false since of security. I personally think handguns are both dangerous and a nuisance. On a related thread I recently asked what type of handgun people recommended for bear protection here in Alaska and while I appreciated all the responses, none of the responses were from people who had to defend themselves during a bear attack...my question was in response to the terrible and unfortunate recent event where a highly experienced bear guide was seriously wounded in a bear attack at Pybus Bay, Admiralty Is. He was following up a bear wounded by one of his clients and had his gun (a .416) knocked away by the bear, after he had shot the bear with it at close range. The guide indicated through a friend of his here on AR that he would carry a side arm in the future, in the event that he lost his primary weapon. The question is: would a handgun do any good if the bear was on top of you? You will probably kill the bear, but not before he inflicts wounds on you, or kills you. When I hunt we usually have a shotgun loaded for bear as a camp gun and that gun stays in camp for that purpose (unless we are shooting ptarmigan). We also opperate on the buddy system which has two simple rules: (1) do not go wondering off anywhere without your partner and (2) never go anywhere without your rifle. Instead of carrying a handgun, stay with your (armed) partner. We follow the same rules when I am working in the field (stay with your buddy and stay armed). These two rules are harder to follow than you'd think. When you are up there in the Brooks Range and you find youself alone, even if you can see your partner 500 yards away, chances are a handgun or your partner will not be able to get you out of trouble once you get into it, at least not very fast. And bears are not the only thing that can hurt you. The landscape and water are very dangerous. A sprained ankle can lead to other related injuries rapidly or you could cut your self with your knive. Your handgun cannot help it when you injure yourself, but your partner might. What part of the Brooks are you hunting? It is beautiful up there. I took some of my brothers and a nephew (from the lower 48) to the upper Noatak to hunt caribou last September and it was great. You will have fun. | |||
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I hunt in the Interior, near Fairbanks. We don't use backpacks, except for small ones to carry extra gear or food. We use ATV's to move around from our campsites to the hunting spots. My ATV usually is located about 10 yards behind my shelter or blind. Since we don't have to walk very much, we carry .454's or .44's along the hunting rifles. Some of the guys hunting in this area are from Anchorage, and the rest from Fairbanks and vicinity, including Eielson and Fort Wainwright. Handguns have been used during maulings before. One case I remember happened approximately 7 years ago. There were two guys from Valdez hunting brown bears in the Copper Valley. The primary hunter was using a bow/arrows, and his backup had a Winchester shotgun (Defender, I think). The hunter shot a bear, then after awhile proceeded to follow the blood trail. The hunter was ahead of his backup when he came upon another bear with cubs. The bear charged and toppled him, then started chewing him pretty bad. His partner, panicked and ran, while the hunter managed to draw and fire his .44 Magnum on the bear's neck. The bear died pretty fast, and the hunter crawled from under the bear, patched himself the best way he could, and walked quite a few miles to safety. he lost quite a lot of blood through the ordeal, but lived to tell the story. I don''t know if his "backup" is still alive, though. Years ago a concrete worker from Anchorage, I think, fought a small brown bear with his knife and fists. He was badly mauled, but at the end the bear dropped dead by his feet. He had caused lethal damage to the bear's vertebrae with the knife, and when the bear charged one more time he hit it with his fist squarely on the side of the nose. He broke his wrist and other bones on his hand during the impact, but it seems that punch turned the bear's damaged neck, breaking it. He stumbled to shore, his arms like cut to ribbons, and cuts all over his body and face, but fortunately his son saw him. His son loaded him in his skiff and took him to a hospital. Pictures were taken of the dead bear, and one can see the dead bear flat on its chest with the front legs under its body. | |||
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Quote: The other question is if you don't have a handgun what will the Bear do to you? I think anything, including a sharp stick, is better than nothing at all. | |||
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Quote: Inyorurak Pass by Kivikfort Mountain and Koiyaktot.I am going by maps provided by the other hunter that has been there before. It is my first trip there. I am going with a good friend and another hunter that has gone to the same place 10 years in a row. My friend and I are going to do the buddy thing as discussed. But I have to disagree with you on one point. ****Handguns may give you a psychological edge but they may also give you a false since of security. I personally think handguns are both dangerous and a nuisance.******* If for any reason I am separated from my primary hunting weapon a handgun in 500MAG sure would help in a bad situation. It seems as the main reason people do not want a handgun is weight. I see a handgun as my chance of possibly getting out of a bad situation. There is 3 of use going and we will be limited to the amount of stuff we can carry in. We will be there 10 days and we have to pack everything in by plane. So luxury items are out. Only defiantly needed items are going. The other hunter that has been there 10 times gave us a list of items we need to bring to limit out pack in weight. After 10 hunts I think he has it down to a science.  | |||
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Mickey1: My point was simply to not be alone. I didn't say go unarmed. If you are in a fist fight with a pissed off brown bear and trying to kill it with a handgun, you have already screwed it up. You have already lost your primary weapon. If you are by yourself, it will be worse than if you have a partner to help kill the bastard. If both of you are unarmed, well, then, your both screwed. My point was to not get into a fist fight with a bear in the first place. I spend months every year in brown bear habitat and I see brown bears about 2 out of 3 trips into the bush. I work at not getting into trouble with bears, whether I'm hunting them or not. Some guy down on the Kenai killed a sow with cubs last year with a 9mm glock or something like that. He put himself into a bad situation. So if you cannot or will not operate your rifle properly, and take proper shots, and if you cannot or will not take simple measures to not surprise bears, then, after everthing else has gone to hell in a hand bag, by all means carry a handgun. I wish you all the best of luck. I personally carry a well used .378 Wby for bear protect and I consciencously work at not getting to fights with bears. Like all safety measures, it requires work and effort. Redhawk: You ask for advice and when you get it you get all defensive. You asked about bear safety and I talked about bear safety. It is always the guys who are not worried that gets into trouble. Clearly, you have your bushcraft down to a science. Anyway, it sounds like you are ready to come on up. Are you going to actually be hunting grizzly bears? It sounds like you want to get into a fight with one. If you work at it I'm sure you can. And I bet your 500 magablazer handgun will save you. And then you will have to deal with the State Troopers. My message to you was for you to be careful. If you find yourself needing a handgun to get yourself out of trouble, then you have made some poor choices leading up to that event. If something really bad goes wrong on your trip, and it may not be a bear, I bet you remember this thread. It was not very polite of you to give me those bogus Brooks Range place names either. But it shows your character. | |||
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Quote: rjw, I do not get where you are coming from. I not one time got defensive. As for the area I am going to in the Brooks range, I have a small area map the guy we are going hunting with gave me and I put names off the map. The map has about 80 sq. miles on it, and it was meant to give me and my hunting buddy an idea of the area we are going to. We are about 5 miles from a river called the Nigu River. It is obvious to me you have a slight reading problem. I never once said I want to have an altercation with a bear. If I am in my tent sleeping at night, I thought a handgun would be a better choice over a rifle if a bear decided to come in for dinner. I think you need to reread my posts and not read into them so much. The part of my post that mentioned having things down to a science, was about the guy that is taking us having a list of needed items, such as tent, clothing and food. Believe me I appreciated all feedback and did not get defensive. But when you make unwarranted statements, it got under my skin.  For all of you that gave me feedback thank you very much. This is going to be my first hunt like this and I was just looking for your input. For what ever reason rjw thought I got defensive is beyond me, and to make his last statement based of may map location in unwarranted. I have never been to Alaska so I am going by my map. | |||
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Redhawk1 I carry a handgun at all times when in the field. [I have never hunted in Canada]. I have made 2 trips to Alaska, one for 15 days and one for 30 days. Several of the other hunters also brought handguns. Most of them were not used to carrying a sidearm and most of them brought a handgun that was too big and heavy for them to carry with any anount of comfort.I recommend the following: A 4" S&W 44 Magnum carried in a De Santis crossdraw holster. This holster has a radical rake and will not rub your leg when walking up steep mountains. It is not in the way of backpacks. By zipping up the bottom zipper on you coat a little bit the gun is still protected and you still have instant access. The 44 Mag with heavy cast bullets is powerful enough with out having wrist wrenching recoil, and if you carry speedloaders it is quick to reload. Much better to have the 44 with you than a BIG PISTOL back in the tent. When sleeping in bear country I always wear the 44 while sleeping. If a bear gets on you while you are in the tent you will never find your pistol. If you have it on you might stand a chance. I have had a Griz crush my tent [I was not in it], then he snuck up to with in 10/12 feet of my wife ,I was about 8 feet away from her. We were glassing for black bear. Later on that same trip we had 2 different bears come into camp while we were there. We had our rifles in hand, but the revolvers felt good to have if the bear charged and was able to knock one of us down. Sometimes no matter how careful you are, or how "clean" your camp is you cannot avoid the bear. Also the Speer 44 shotshells are very effective for small game like Grouse or Ptarmigin. Much better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it. IMHO Once you get used to carrying it you will not be bothered by it. Even my wife carrys a 4" 44 at all times when hunting. And if for some reason you rifle breaks you still have a way of protecting yourself, and if you are a good enough shot might be able to finish your hunt with the revolver. | |||
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N E 450 No2, thanks for the post. The only 44MAG I have is a Redhawk with a 7 1/2 inch barrel. That is why I chose the 5 1/4 inch 500MAG. I could take my Super Redhawk in 454 Casull, it has a 2 1/2 in barrel and I can load up some hard cast bullets for it and also some shot shells for Ptarmigan. Just a thought. I am not going to Alaska to hunt bear but Caribou. If we are dropped off and we get Caribou, we have to bring it back to camp and I know we have to keep it away from camp so not to attract any bears. So we have to wait for the plain to come and get the meat. Like I said this is my first hunt like this, I have hunted well over 25 years but this is a first drop off for me. I am glad I am going with a guy that has been there 10 times. He is very familiar with the area. | |||
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I have a good point, I had said already in an earlier response that I have hunted Alaska twice one time I brought my 629 the second time I didn't, one of the reasons I did not bring it on the second hunt was the first hunt the guide provided the camping equipment and I easily made the 100 pound limit in food and gear including rifle for a 2 week plus hunt. On the second hunt my parnter and I had to bring our own camping equipment that means tents stove 14 pounds of fuel, cooking utensils sleeping mat food and so on and make the 125 pound limit otherwise pay for another flight which would have been 4 hours at whatever the rate was and if I recall it was around 700 per hour. Trust me we had a tough time making that limit and had to leave alot behind since the guide scaled us and our equipment before boarding, eight pounds of handgun holster and ammo would have meant something believe it or not more important had to be left behind. A caribou hunt of 3 or 4 people would make a lot more comfortable hunt since so much equipment can be shared. On that caribou hunt we did not see any wolves or bears and my belief on that was several flying services where hunting the Mulchanta heard so there were hunters dropped every few miles and the presence of all the hunter actib\vity made the larger predators scarce, I base that on the fact that our carcases where never touched for as much as 7 days. On our moose hunt we did not even attempt to check the kill site because of the predator action, we had a wolverine on one moose in the time it took to go back to camp to get our butchering equipment. I am fairly certain that moose hunts should require a hand gun since moose habitat is the same for bear and any other teritorial predators. | |||
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rwj It is not possible to spend every waking hour with another person when in the bush. There are many times that, even when hunting together, you are seperated. I am not really a believer in carrying a pistol, they are heavy, awkward and most hunters I see with them are doing it because they think they look more macho. Also, I think, a bit of paranoia. They are just plain afraid of Bears. These are the guys that scare me more than Bears do. But there are times when I want one. When riding a 4 wheeler. In the tent. In Camp. When packing meat. When fishing. There is a time and place for a pistol. | |||
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Mickey1, I am not trying to be macho in anyway. I am not afraid of bears, but I do respect them and what they can do. I am trying to find out what I need while I am in Alaska for a 10 day drop-off hunt, living in a tent in bear country. My hunting buddy asked me if I was bringing my handgun for the tent and camp. He was concerned as I was, if we are fishing, cooking, sitting on the crapper  or what ever, should we have a handgun handy ? I guess I will do what I feel is right. And thanks for all your feedbacks. | |||
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RWJ I think he should give you the GPS location to Not. There is no reason for him to give as much as he has. RedHawk bring what you like I have carried anything from my 5.5in redhawk to a small 22 for popping grouse. I didn't feel bad with the .22 when I had my 338 along. But when I just had the .22 I would have felt better with my .44. I would be carefull about giving to many details about a freinds hunting area you might find someone else camping there. If hes goes back every year it is most likely a good spot don't be giving it away. There are guys out there who would jump in on you. Have a great hunt Ak is a great place to have fun in. | |||
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What you have to do is apply common sense, that is in all the hunting videos that I have seen I do not recall ever seeing a large bear or even a large predator dropped on the stop that is not to say it can't be done but look at the circumstance that these shots where taken. Large rifle, mainly because a poor shot with a large rifle is as good as a go0od shot with a lesser gun and I don't know of anyone who is not immune to an "off" shot. You pulled the trigger when everything is right that is clear shot, breathe control perfect target area and so on because if your whole hunt depends on that "one" shot why would you shoot unless everything is perfect. Now parallel that to a defense shooting with a hangun, first of all I haven't met a fellow who could run a 100 yards to get the pulse and breathe rate up then shoot at a pie plate at 25 or 30 yards and hit it or better yet a moving target knowing that a big rifle will not drop a large carnivore with one shot yet you expect a handgun with a small percentage of power and accuracy to do just that. Now as most people know when you shoot an animal in almost all circumstances it will run in the direction it is pointed, knowing that the shot will trigger a charge do you really want to trigger that response with a round that even in the best scenario will not drop it????? What I am saying is don't go to a gun fight with a knife but do protect yourself at all times and the handgun is needed to buy time to get out of dodge and get the big guns or when you have done a major brain fart and got caught with your pants down.... I hear people say they aren't afraid of bears....who are you kidding ever watch a bear fight when two 7 or 800 pounders are going at each other with claws and fangs...I wouldn't get in the ring with mike Tyson and he is only 220lb even tho he'll bite you no way do I want to mix with a bear who knows what it takes to survive and kill and then eat you...you better respect and fear those animals because if your in a remote part of Alaska there is a good chance that bear has never seen a man and a 150 pounder and only one or two of them really won't intimidate them they kill cubs as fast as they can catch them with body weight twice that amount. think about that.. | |||
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Mickey1 and raamw: I absolutely agree with both of you 100%...and I want you and the others to know that I was not trying to be a jerk. Mickey1, me harping on the stick-with-your-partner thing is something that I believe in, but it doesn't work for everyone. I view it as a practicle matter: when I bring my family up here to hunt, I simply want to return them home in the same condition that they arrived in...I do everthing short of putting leash on them when we are out in the big open. I don't want to have to tell my mother (I'm 51 and she's 74) that I screwed it up and one of her sons/or grandsons fell in a hole and disappeared or that some furbearer hurt them. That is just me. I don't mind handguns and I have owned a dozen or so over the past 30 years and I have, on occassion, carried a handgun as defensive weapon. There are plenty of folks up here with lots of experience that do carry handguns....but there are plenty of folks that don't as well. It has been addressed elsewhere on this forum that one of the best (but certainly not the only) defensive weapons for bear is a short barreled 12 gauge pump/semiauto shotgun with a large magazine carried in the two-handed arms-ready position. And that is what they teach us when we take professional bear safety classes up here. They also teach how to avoid uncontrolled hostile encounters. p dog shooter: Give me a break on the secret-hunting-spot-theory. One of the things I do professionally is know Alaska place names, and when someone tells me something that I know to be incorrect and intentionally misleading, I feel insulted. If he didn't want to tell me, he could have said many other things other than a poorly disguised untruth. I love Alaska and I am excited for Redhawk1. I want to share in his excitment. That is what this forum is about. Just because we have different opinions on handguns doesn't mean we have to disagree about everything else. On his second response he indicated that they will be hunting near the Nigu River. That is more of an honest response. And it is truely a wild place. There is an excellent chance that, give the information that Redhawk1 has provided so far, that you or I could not find them if we wanted to (you would have to cough up several thousand dollars in air taxi fees and then you would have to ask their pilot to take you there). I have hunted just a few miles south and west of the Nigu River headwaters and it is an amazing place. It is truely barren ground, located between 50 and 100 miles north of the tree-line, it is in one the most remote and diffecult to get-to places in the State. Lots of caribou and Barren Ground gizzley bears and Dall sheep. There are supposed to be muskox in that area, but I have not seen them myself. I am sure that there are a bunch of secret moose spots that people have but I will give you a tip regarding hunting here in Alaska. Alaska has its own method of natural selection to keep the rif-raf out: it is diffecult to hunt here and it is expensive and that about sums it up. Gear is specialized and expensive and physically getting to the hunting grounds is expensive, and this is true even on the least expensive hunts. And that assumes you know where to go and what you are doing, which is assuming a lot. Most people, including many Alaskan residents, will not or cannot pay the bill to get to the Nigu, or places like it in the state. Millions of hunters know that the Alaskan Peninsula has some of the biggest brown bears in the world, but damn few actually hunt them. And, for the most part, the same goes for hunting anywhere in the Brooks Range. Redhawk1 should have a great time and shoot some excellent bull caribou. Just flying over the Brooks Range and planting your feet on wild soaking wet barren ground tundra is worth the price of admission. The wildlife is a bonus. | |||
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Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with separating while hunting but you should have a plan in the event something goes wrong. My partner has exceptionally long legs and I swear he can keep pace with them Bou, I unfortunately am inseam impaired. In the case of butchering and hauling meat is a definite time when you should be pared up since you can fall and hurt yourself and the chances for a encounter is increased I am a firm believer in use enough gun more specifically use the biggest gun you can handle and do the job, like I said I feel alot better with my rifle, the handgun just gives me a margin of safety to get to the rifle. Good luck and I am looking forward to hear about your hunt and to go up there myself in the near future. | |||
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Quote: rwj, I did not try to give you incorrect and intentionally misleading info. I wrote what I see on the map. There is a string of lakes we will be camping by. Like I said I have never been there, so the guy made us maps from his large Alaskan map. We also watched videos of a couple of Caribou. You can see the water splash up when they were running across the tundra. All I know is we are flying out of Bettles Field and going on the map where it says National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. I am very excited about this hunt. I have been hunting deer for more years than I care to count, and I just started getting into going on hunts out side of the States I lived in. I have gone wild boar hunting in Tennessee and that was a blast. I am an avid bow and handgun hunter. I also have hunted with a rifle a lot but I just love bow and handgun hunting. From what the guy that is taking my buddy and I hunting in Alaska said, I will fall in love with where we are going and I will want to go back. | |||
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Redhawk1: Heck, we can get past the minor rough spots can't we? You bet. You will love it up there. Getting up there is half the fun. You can get there out of Kotzebue, but that is logistically more diffecult. Bettles, as you state, is the other basic platform from which to launch your trip. We use Brooks Range Aviation and they are great. There is also Bettles Air (they have a lodge there in Bettles as well). I imagine you will be using one of those two outfits. I also imagine that you will either fly to Bettles from Fairbanks or you will drive to Greyling Lake on the Dalton and they will pick you up there. I prefer the driving method (I can load the caribou from the float plane to my truck and drive home). It is always very exciting. The tundra up there is very wet, or at least a lot of it is. The ground can move like jello...you will know it when you hit one of those patches! I don't know if you will be on a lake with fish or not, but you might find out. Fishing is a good way to pass the time after you have filled your tags and it may give you something to eat. The caribou are absolutely beautiful. Are you going to use a bow or a rifle? Bow hunting caribou is tough. Or at least it can be. You will probably see some spactacular racks. This past September five of us shot 7 bulls, five real good ones (boy, did that take the pressure off me after dragging my brothers up here!), but we saw many more that were bigger that we let walk on by (shame on me!). I am sure the friend you are going with will give you good advice. With me, I shoot the first caribou within rifle range on the first morning..you can never tell when all the caribou will dry up and go away. I tell my family and friends to not get too picky, lest they go home with nothing. Which can happen (not often though). Alright, I've rambled enough. You will love it up here and your friend is right: you will want to come back and stay. You will have to keep us informed of your hunt and provide pictures. I will see if I can put some photos of our hunt last year from that area on this thread. | |||
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Redhawk1: Let's see if I can patch a web page here that has photos of last years hunt: www.thejobsons.org/hunting-images/index.htm We hunted pigs in Tenn also some years back and it was great. I think it was near Jackson, in the north central part of the state. We hunted with dogs chasing the pigs. Very loud and exciting. | |||
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When it comes to bear defense I can't figure the need for such short barrels on handguns. My 12 inch Taurus 44 mag slide barrel down into my backpack with the grips right by my right ear. It is never in the way and i can sit or go prone and still draw in a flash. The extra accuracy, power and control are much appreaciated. | |||
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Quote: rwj, I am going to use a rifle in 300 Win Mag. We are flying out of Fairbanks to Bettles and flying out of Brooks Range Aviation. We have it all booked. We had to start out bookings from Brooks Range Aviation and work our way back. I would have liked to take a Caribou with a bow, but there is no real cover where we are going. But I sure like the increase in odds of getting a Caribou with a rifle. Also the lake we will be camping by has Grayling and that will be fun also. He also showed use video of him catching Grayling. We will be there from August 27th to September 10th. I will post how it went when we get back. | |||
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Red: I too have hunted the the Brooks although not the area you're going to. Unlike some here on the board, none of the guys I hunt with take a handgun. Heck, we don't even take one when we go to Afognak Island for elk. If you keep a clean camp and pay attention to your surroundings, you should have no bear problems. Don't store your food and meat near camp and of course don't leave scraps around. I too used to take a handgun on my trips and have found them to be more of a hassle than they are worth. Depending on our hunting situation, we may not even hunt with a round in the chamber. When on Afognak, we do keep a round in the chamber and in fact carry the rifle in our hands. When in the Brooks (such as for sheep) we seldom have a round in the chamber and often times even carry the rifle tied across the back of our packboards. The rifle is attached so that it can be rapidly accessed if necessary. We've never had any problems. In camp, the rule is no rounds in the chamber but with the magazine loaded. At night, the rifle is, of course, easily within our reach. I really think you've been overly influenced by the stories you've read or heard about. This isn't an attempt to minimize the need for caution however. Briefly, these are my thoughts on the use or need for a handgun with the points made about them being bulky and continually in the way being correct. You do as you wish however, perhaps you'll change your mind once you have to backpack caribou meat for a goodly distance . Bear in Fairbanks | |||
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Quote: rwj, I noticed in your photos you all wore hip waders. Do you recommend hip waders? I know from wearing my hip waders they are not the most comfortable things to wear. On my hog hunt we used dogs also, It was up and down large hills and lots of running to get to the bayed hog. I got mine with a Ruger Redhawk in 44MAG. It was a blast. | |||
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I agree w/ Bear in Fairbanks. Any magnum handgun with enough poop to take on a bear with is gonna be a heavy critter to tote around the mountains. I wouldn't want the extra weight. Besides .... If an emergency did arise, the average guy would stand a lot better chance of scoring a hit with his long gun. Just be smart and keep your rifle handy. | |||
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I carry my glock 10mm with me everywhere I hunt. The only time its a little hard is when its on and carring a bear or moose in a pack frame | |||
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Redhawk1: First I owe you an apology. The first thing I did this morning when I got to work was look up Inyorurak Pass, Koiyaktot Mountain, and Kivliktort Mountain (you did mispell the last name), but I should not have gone off the deep end when I couldn't find Kivliktort Mountain with the information I have here at home. My apologies. Back to business. I always take my hip waders where ever I go (well, short of down town Anchorage), but up there for the most part I do not think you will need them for regular daily outtings. You will want to have rubber and absolutely waterproof knee-high boots though. Hip waders are extremely useful when loading and unloading the float plane because you will be standing in the lake. In Bettles you will load and unload at a floating dock. But out where your going, hip waders are useful when fooling around the edge of any lakes. For daily foot wear we found out that a LaCrosse Alpha Burly neoprene-rubber boots worked extremely well. They are waterproof, very comfortable, will keep your feet warm, and they are easy to get on and off, all essential features. And they are suitable for most of the water that you will encounter..there is about 6 to 8 inches of standing water every where. I have several pair of rubber boots (knee-high and hip) but while they are all waterproof they are not all comfortable, warm or easy to get on and off. Some will give you foot blisters. The Alpha Burly's won't. I recommend them highly. I would not recommend bringing any leather, clothe, or Gore-Tex boots unless you intend to wear them just in camp and not get them wet. Wet Gore-Tex boots will freeze and stay that way (my nephew's did, but he had a pair hip waders as backup). It was about 25 degrees during the day for the last 5 of the 7 days we were out there. Anything that gets wet could freeze and stay that way. The guy you are going with will have a good idea of local conditions. There are plenty of areas that have more or less dry tundra, but from what I've seen up there it is very wet. Lots of caribou, but very wet. We were there at basically the same time you are planning on...you will probably see some snow. These types of expeditions require as much mental discipline as physical and technical ability. You will know it when you are there. When the wind is blowing at night and it is raining or snowing outside, and rain and snow makes a terrible racket against the tent, and you are wondering if the tent will hold up, and you are wondering what would happen if the tent did blow away, and you know that you are a long ways from anywhere, you and your hunting partners will look at each other and know you are having one hell of a good time. It's all very exciting. Your .300 is an excellent rifle to take out there. And I am sure you will have a great time. As it turned out on the pig hunt we went on, I shot my pig under a limestone ledge the dogs cornered him in and I shot him in the neck with a .30-30 but didn't kill him...the dogs were going nuts and the pig was screaming...the guy we were hunting with gave me an old Ruger .30 caliber revolver and told me to shoot the pig between the eyes (he didn't think I could do it), and I shot that poor pig right between the eyes at about 20 yards. His skull is sitting on my mantle right now. That was some years ago. Keep us informed on your hunt and take lots of photos. You will have a great time. Robert Jobson | |||
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rwj, no problem. I am sure I will have a great time. I will also make sure I bring my hip waders. Thanks for the feedback. | |||
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I spent 4 years in Alaska and when I left I never wanted to see another pair of hip boots in my life. I found that unless I was hunting sheep they were almost always needed and to tell you the truth there are a lot of streams in sheep country that ltwt hip boots make easier. Just like an AmericaExpress card I always had a pair of hip boots and my binoculars with me where ever I went....and a day pack and my 350 RemMag. | |||
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The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Alaska Hunting Forum Re: Is a back up handgun needed in Alaska?
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