I am changing gears for having drawn moose and caribou tags on the Kenai Pennisula to flying west for a drop camp in front of the Mulchatna caribou herd.

I have read that the population of this herd has taken a pretty hefty decline, as all wild game does within cycles. However, is it still good or is it slim pickens? Probably go the first week in September.

Also, I know this is BIG country, but is this hunt a rodeo? I know guys who have been to Shefferville back east and they say it's a bloody factory.

quote:

Originally posted by yellowstone:
I am changing gears for having drawn moose and caribou tags on the Kenai Pennisula to flying west for a drop camp in front of the Mulchatna caribou herd.

I have read that the population of this herd has taken a pretty hefty decline, as all wild game does within cycles. However, is it still good or is it slim pickens? Probably go the first week in September.

Also, I know this is BIG country, but is this hunt a rodeo? I know guys who have been to Shefferville back east and they say it's a bloody factory.

Give these guys a call http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/

There is no Mulchatna Caribou herd to get dropped off in front of! Do not go on this hunt!
Yes there are a remnant of caribou around, but odds are good that in a week you would not see an animal, much less a trophy bull to chase.

If you are set on hunting in the Mulchatna area, hunt moose, the herd is doing quite well.

listen to scott - he lives there - we flew over the area a month ago and didn't see a bou

Good morning Gentlemen,
Thank you very much. That's all I needed to know.
Conversely, I have talked to quite a few people over the last two weeks and ths story on moose in 536 is apparently the same. The population is headed down due to predatation and habitat decline from lack of fire regeneration.

I think the caribou hunt up in the higher country would still be very good, but I haven't been able to find a ride in there, either by horseback or plane.

Just about ready to scratch the whole thing as an exercise in long distance planning.

Thanks again.

Mike,

One more vote against a hunt for the Mulchatna caribou. There gone! The herds in the Brooks range are still very good but it's probably too late to make a plan for '08.

Mark

quote:

Mike,

One more vote against a hunt for the Mulchatna caribou. There gone!

That's a fact!!!

What happened? I hunted there in '98 and saw thousands of caribou. We did a DIY and in 2 days we all filled out.

I was looking to do another bou hunt. Now where do i go?

Alot has happened trout.

Some years it seem they have migrated further west. sometimes it seems the big boys dont head south at all, and with there numbers really down it doesnt help much.

It was way to accessible and relatively cheap hunt to do. The same thing is happening up in chicken.

The last time we hunted the mulchatna was around 2000 and it was caribou as far as you could see. We had 7 down in the first 30 minutes of hunting and my flying service we used told my wife to get a bigger freezer cuz we still had 4 days of hunting left. now if you see a decent bull, you shoot it.

Overhunting, preditation and maybe a natural migration trend have made the mulchatna herd a very iffy propisition.

I'm no biologist, but I'd expect the herd to re bound in the next ten to twenty years as they have historically done. Ebb,.....flow. Ebb,......flow.

If I understand correctly, the herd was a smaller number than it is now in the 1970's.

quote:

Originally posted by yellowstone:
I am changing gears for having drawn moose and caribou tags on the Kenai Pennisula to flying west for a drop camp in front of the Mulchatna caribou herd.

This makes no sense. Why even apply? Wasting tags that somebody else would actually use if they were drawn.

quote:

Originally posted by Moose-Hunter:
This makes no sense. Why even apply? Wasting tags that somebody else would actually use if they were drawn.

In the spring of 04 LIFE forced me to Waste a Spring, Kodiak-Redlake-Olga Bay, Brown Bear tag. Shit Happens

Too bad, had a great DIY hunt there in 97 out of Illiamna and 3 of us took 3 caribou in the first day. Had a blast doing it and sorry it isnt what it was.....

quote:

Originally posted by tsturm:

quote:

Originally posted by Moose-Hunter:
This makes no sense. Why even apply? Wasting tags that somebody else would actually use if they were drawn.

In the spring of 04 LIFE forced me to Waste a Spring, Kodiak-Redlake-Olga Bay, Brown Bear tag. Shit Happens

I'm not sure what this has to do with the first post or mine?

Well Moose Hunter here is something of the rest of the story. Sorry if I got your tag. I understand since I have put in for moose in Montana for 34 years with no luck. The one and only time I try for Alaska I draw moose and caribou. Nevertheless,

Since Aug. 16th I have talked with a biologist and warden with the Kenai Refuge, three Pennisula horse packers familiar with southwest Funny River DM536 moose area, one outfitter in Kasilof, and one charter service in Soldotna.
Bill Bondiette is booked and has been since the first few days the permits were out. I am first on the list in case of cancellation. Mark Marrett is no longer permitted to pack on the KNWR. He also told me that in the past two years in the Funny River/Timberline Lake area hea has seen one cow and a couple of immature bulls. The refuge guys say that the population has gone downhill due to predation and aging habitat. Laine Landht, the outfitter, wants $12500 for a week's hunt. Not for me thanks. Alex Kine, horse packer, was or is supposed to call me back with a price quote and schehuling with other clients. I have talked with him and his wife or daughter twice. He was supposed to call or email by last Friday, Aug.8th. I have called again twice since then. It is about 12 miles into the moose district and maybe 15+ miles to the caribou. The Talon Air Service has yet to call back and tell me if they will drop us off in the refuge. There are only a few lakes where float planes are allowed and I am not yet certain if the landing sights coincide with where the caribou hang out. All this scheduling and lack communications aside, I would still go hunt if I could get a ride into the back country. EVERYONE I have talked to say that the moose hunting is poor, but I'd stil try it anyway.

Talon is the charter service that advertises drop camps to the west in the Illiamna/Lake Clark area. Price is reasonable and they advertise 100% success rate. Changing directions, literally, would give my hunting partner an opportunity to hunt as well, even though he was intending to go into the Kenai with me on an expensive camping trip just for the fun of it. My inquiries on AR bears out what I have read, and seen on TV about the decline of the Mulchatna herd. It is perhaps just as well that Talon hasn't called me back to set up one of their hunts, even though his wife said he would. That was this past Monday evening. Yes, I know he's out flying somewhere but they have two email addresses for me and three phone numbers. The same is true of the information I've left with Alex Kine the horse packer in Coopers Landing.

So.....whine.....whine.....whine. I'm not wasting tags. I have busy and diligently trying to put this hunt together. Why even apply, you say? Any big game hunter wants to come to Alaska for any number of hunts. Duh! If you've got any ideas about how to get people to answer phone calls and make commiments I'd love to hear about it. If there is a contact on the Kenai Pennisula I'm missing, then let me know. There have been three others not mentioned in the diatribe that are no longer in the business.

You're right about one thing. It makes no sense. I didn't expect these types of challenges. Hell, I'd even walk into the sumbich if somebody'd come and haul my butt out of there, presumable with 600 pounds of moose meat and maybe even a caribou.

quote:

Originally posted by robncolorado:
Too bad, had a great DIY hunt there in 97 out of Illiamna and 3 of us took 3 caribou in the first day. Had a blast doing it and sorry it isnt what it was.....

If the Pebble Mine goes in, Caribou hunting and most likely fishing will never be the same in anywhere near Lake Iliamna...

I hunted with the Pogany's at Osprey Lodge in 1999, saw a bunch of bulls and killed a decent one (about 380"). BUT, they were really running the hunters through there, bunches at a time.
Would like to go back, it was fine country.
Walt

quote:

Originally posted by medium:

If the Pebble Mine goes in, Caribou hunting and most likely fishing will never be the same in anywhere near Lake Iliamna...

That's what was also said about the TAPS a long time ago.

quote:

Originally posted by medium:

If the Pebble Mine goes in, Caribou hunting and most likely fishing will never be the same in anywhere near Lake Iliamna...[/QUOTE]

The sky is falling

That is the Biggest Bunch of Bull Shit I have heard in a long while.

Well, I'm not opposed to driving a D-9 Cat into DM-536. I'm out of ideas for contacts and I have made many calls.
I guess I'll just regroup for a different type of Alaska hunt next year.

quote:

Originally posted by yellowstone:
I guess I'll just regroup for a different type of Alaska hunt next year.

Come out here for a moose or bear hunt. Both are excellent. I'm not involved in the business in any way but would be happy to help with advise, contacts, whatever.

Moose hunting opens tomorrow for residents but the hunting is at its best from September 7th until the close of the season on the 15th. Use these dates to plan.

Thanks for the encouragment Scott,
I'd like to stay in touch. It will be better for another year since my partner will be able to pull the trigger as well. He really doesn't mind not hunting if we got into the Kenai, but I do.
Vaya,
Mike

quote:

Originally posted by yellowstone:
Well, I'm not opposed to driving a D-9 Cat into DM-536. I'm out of ideas for contacts and I have made many calls.
I guess I'll just regroup for a different type of Alaska hunt next year.

Hopefully you're done applying for permits.

quote:

Originally posted by Moose-Hunter:

Hopefully you're done applying for permits.

Translation for mousehunter; I'm still as big a anonamous jackass as ever.

You serious?

Well Moose Hunter, I see you're still grinding that ax. Yes, I'm done applying for permits. I don't need them. As you well know, I can buy over the counter tags and hunt your beloved moose, caribou, black bear, birds, etc. in areas of my own choosing and planning.

Not that I can explain anything to your satisfaction, but since your last shot across my bow, and my reply on Aug.9th, I have talked with several more people to no avail. Unless you have intimate knowledge of SW Funny River DM 536 I don't think you'd have any better luck getting in or out of there on a moose hunt unless you can carry one on your back 9 or 10 miles back to Soldotna or even three miles down to Tustamena Lake. Or is it that you have a spot around Twin Lakes that holds a record book caribou. It is, as I'm sure you're aware, about the only legal and logical place to set down a float plane on the headwaters of Killey River.

So, yep, I've learned a lesson here and have moved on to Plan B. That will be caribou next year and moose in 2010 with a friend of mine out near Dillingham. I hope you don't live out there. I wouldn't want to shoot YOUR moose.

Permit areas are better left to children, old folks, retired military, active military, paraplegics, and apparently intolerant, unfriendly, arrogant individuals who just ain't happy if they've perceived to have been wronged out of THEIR tag.

I learned another lesson too. Fortunately, there are some friendly, helpful hunters on this forum that I thank for their input and some really good people on the Kenai Pennisula that wud'uv if they cud'uv.

Stop wasting your time Yellowstone. He's the same turd that opposed hunting license fee decreases for military personell.

Stay in contact regarding the Dillingham moose hunt. I'm certainly not an authority but I do manage to waffle around some.

That's twice now that you resorted to name-calling. Grow the fuck up.

I haven't lowered myself to vulgarity.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
I haven't lowered myself to vulgarity.

You're a worthless cock...

quote:

Originally posted by medium:


If the Pebble Mine goes in, Caribou hunting and most likely fishing will never be the same in anywhere near Lake Iliamna...

Hey Medium ,,, why don,t you come up with a way to provide quality employment to the thousands of people who the Pebble will.......

Or are you just some elitist pos who wants to keep the natives poor so they are a docile servant class ......

quote:

Originally posted by yellowstone:
Well Moose Hunter, I see you're still grinding that ax. Yes, I'm done applying for permits. I don't need them. As you well know, I can buy over the counter tags and hunt your beloved moose, caribou, black bear, birds, etc. in areas of my own choosing and planning.

Not that I can explain anything to your satisfaction, but since your last shot across my bow, and my reply on Aug.9th, I have talked with several more people to no avail. Unless you have intimate knowledge of SW Funny River DM 536 I don't think you'd have any better luck getting in or out of there on a moose hunt unless you can carry one on your back 9 or 10 miles back to Soldotna or even three miles down to Tustamena Lake. Or is it that you have a spot around Twin Lakes that holds a record book caribou. It is, as I'm sure you're aware, about the only legal and logical place to set down a float plane on the headwaters of Killey River.

So, yep, I've learned a lesson here and have moved on to Plan B. That will be caribou next year and moose in 2010 with a friend of mine out near Dillingham. I hope you don't live out there. I wouldn't want to shoot YOUR moose.

Permit areas are better left to children, old folks, retired military, active military, paraplegics, and apparently intolerant, unfriendly, arrogant individuals who just ain't happy if they've perceived to have been wronged out of THEIR tag.

I learned another lesson too. Fortunately, there are some friendly, helpful hunters on this forum that I thank for their input and some really good people on the Kenai Pennisula that wud'uv if they cud'uv.

I hope you choke on those tags for posting that bullshit. Classless is too good a name for you.

Hmmmm.
You're right. It wasn't meant to be disparaging, but it sure came out that way. My apologies to you and anyone else that my " blow it out my ass" remark may have stabbed. I haven't choked on the tags, but I am eating a sizable portion of crow, feathers and all.

quote:

Originally posted by gumboot458:

quote:

Originally posted by medium:


If the Pebble Mine goes in, Caribou hunting and most likely fishing will never be the same in anywhere near Lake Iliamna...

Hey Medium ,,, why don,t you come up with a way to provide quality employment to the thousands of people who the Pebble will.......

Or are you just some elitist pos who wants to keep the natives poor so they are a docile servant class ......

Gumboot, I'm not against mining or really even against the mine itself. (Some of my best friends are Alaska Natives, so the obvious answer is no to me being an elitest POS. Some of those native friends even work for the mine). For one, I live on Lake Iliamna which I would say may give me a better understanding of the issue than those who don't. I'm not happy with the road that will be built to carry the copper to the saltwater. It will be running some hundred yards from where I currently live and it will have to cross more than 200 streams and tributaries to get to saltwater. There will be a nice large mining truck running on it every 10-15 minutes for over 50 years. Many of those streams that the road will cross are my current fly-fishing grounds and many of those valleys it will shortcut are where the moose comedown into the area. Those streams are also the ones that many lodges in the area bring their clients to (including the one I moonlight for). I'm not saying that it's going to destroy all of the streams but no one can tell me that they will all be the same after they have a road that big built over them, bridges or not.

I think that you or anyone else might have something to say about anything (be it a mine or road or a super Kmart) that was being put in your back yard, literally, and will affect the things that I think most of us on this forum love (hunting and fishing). And for me and many people I know, the hunting and fishing won't be the same because of that road.

Y'know, I probably shouldn't have even made that comment for the very reason that I came off like a tree hugger. I'm not against mining or anyone making money or having good jobs..do you at least see where I'm coming from? I don't want to get into a debate with anyone on pro-con of mining. I just wish the road was going somewhere else...that's all.

Sorry, I probably should have posted this in the political forum...

Kind of got into this one late in the game. However late is better than never.

Mulchatna herd contrary to the statements from the Alaska Fish and Game has eaten itself out of food. You couple that with dropping bag limit as a certain element says there aren't enough caribou within walking distance.

Here is some important information so one can have an insight into another area of Alaska that will soon be having a problem. Game is big money in Alaska and money has become everything. Kodiak is where I live and some of the following is very true. We have the biggest Brown Bear population ever and its growing and bad things are happening. Five to SIx weeks ago a resident in town shot a bear was it was eating through the cat door on his back porch. The same morning 4A.M. I am hunting a dumpster raiding 9 footer near an apartment complex a half mile away. Fish and game speak of the bear being taken on the back porch in the newspaper and throw in that the bear population is down on the road system. Bullshit! SHortly after that we have a bear hit and killed by a truck! That's a first! Then we have another one killed On the Buskin river near the airport. ANother First. That was last weekend. Then after the one is killed on the buskin, the boys are out shooting another bear 200 yards from where I live near ST Mary's school with rubber bullets. Common sense here fellas. The other portions of the island itself has vast populations of BIG Bear and low tag count. My remote Property has more than a dozen bear feeding on salmon from the stream running through it. A mile away there is even a larger population of bear feeding. Populations of big bear chase what small bear away from choice salmon streams. With all areas supporting good to fantastic numbers of large bear it keeps the imature bears moving and they end up in dumpsters in town or feeding on peoples livestock in a community 10 miles from town. Two weeks ago a friend came down for a goat hunt near Old Harbor. He was vasilating about what weapon to bring. His concern was brown bear. Having hunted goat for thirty years here I told him it did not make any difference as September all the bear will be in the streams and since he would be landing 1500-2000 feet up and probably would not see a bear. Wrong! Ten days and ten different bear! One was stalking a goat that he was stalking and ended forcing him back off the mountain with aggressive behavior. No deer were seen in those ten days and few goat. There are decision being made up here in ALaska that are not in the best interest of all ALaskans! There is a area on the south end of our great island that has so many big old bears, both sows and boars that I suspect has a very sever cub mortality and they still give very few tags for the area. Just like the park area that the world enjoys watching and hearing about on T.V. All of those big boys will be dieing off due to old age in the next ten years. Then what? How many years is it going to take for a rebound?
Not sure how many animals those outside of Kodiak have seen starving to death. I have seen many and its a very terrible thing to see.

There is an area near willow Alaska where guides are complaining about the huge griz population knocking down the moose and sheep population. Have drastic measures been taken to remove the bear? No, because the guides wish by some magical solution or wave of a wand the problem to correct itself as they make their money off of bears! Yes, something was put into place to encourage us residents to go into this area and take some of the bear.

No I have not desire to get into a argument, I have just posted what I see from years of living here. Just like the pebble mine issue. To the gentleman who may have a road running through his property. I too would be unhappy and even angry. However I would not publish that the hunting and fishing would never be the same again! That is an absolute untruth! Yes we could see that your privacy would be effected. But its just like the millions of dollars spent on false advertisement I had to watch on television about the pebble mine. I have looked and looked and looked and can not find one time where a mine caused the loss of a fishery. I do know of a bunch of streams that silted in and ended a salmon fishery though. Finally, another piece of garbage that special interest groups have spent millions of dollars of false advertising on, ANWAR! Gosh guys, every time I have been up there, its only a few hunters for a couple months out of the year that walk on a small portion of the land. Caribou, muskox and griz populations are very good and they could can less about that shiny snake running through their home range. Have there been issues with leaks or oil spills. Yes there has. Idiots shooting holes in the pipe have caused us to have to walk five miles away to shoot an animal now. Has there been leaks, Damn betcha, big business (BP) wasn't forced to to do upgrades and replace worn items. In other words,money and big money is allowed to do what they want. Pipeline just like our hunting vehicles must have maintenance to continue to run correctly and efficiently.

Silence is a bad thing! When we see something that isn't right its time to stop turning our heads and being politically correct. Apathy has destroyed many a civilization since the beginning of time. One can not close ones eyes any more and hope its going to get better. After this latest blunder/ oops, bailout, there are a lot of people out there just wating to take your money to fix someone else's problem.

Neal

quote:

Originally posted by hammertyme:

Mulchatna herd contrary to the statements from the Alaska Fish and Game has eaten itself out of food.

Neal

I appreciate your wish to not argue, but I don't believe the above quote is correct.

The region the Mulchatna herd uses is in fine shape environmentally speaking. There is no lack of habitat for any native species here. Moose, caribou, bear, and everybody else have all the food they want to eat.

The herds decline is not linked to starvation.

Scott is absolutely right and I stand corrected.

5 bou a day 365 days a year is what I was told attribute to the decimation of the herd. No limit on transporters for years! They saw it coming and did nothing about it. AT least that is what my guide friend and another member of Lake Clark air attributes the massive loss too. Getting old here and mixing this information with the snow geese making their summer habitat look like a lunar landscape. Very sorry for the mis-information and thank you Scott for bringing it to my attention.

Neal

Neal,

As a rule I generally get my facts mixed up so I know where you're coming from.

Best Regards!

hammertyme - you have some very good and valid points. My original comment was probably over dramatic as I was basically speaking for the area of the NE side of the lake. When the road goes through (not "IF") the hunting and fishing in this specific area will not be the same. My apologies for over generalizing.

Lake Clark Air are good people and I think that over hunting is a problem. I think that what remaining caribou are there are getting hammered by the wolves and bears. I know that both moose and caribou calf survival rates are low because of it.

I hope that the mine brings what it is advertising with "no net loss" to the environment.