Interesting read. You have fully qualified hard case Alaskan guides giving valued opinions and those that choose to ignore them. On a guided hunt there will be a minimum of two rifles and I cannot fathom how that will not do the job?

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Originally posted by fairgame:
Interesting read. You have fully qualified hard case Alaskan guides giving valued opinions and those that choose to ignore them. On a guided hunt there will be a minimum of two rifles and I cannot fathom how that will not do the job?

Andrew, for the same reasons some will not listen the advices of experencied Phs ...

quote:

Originally posted by fairgame:
Interesting read. You have fully qualified hard case Alaskan guides giving valued opinions and those that choose to ignore them. On a guided hunt there will be a minimum of two rifles and I cannot fathom how that will not do the job?

The fact is all hunting in Alaska is not guided, only if for the animals that require a licensed guide.
I have hunted Alaska several times and all were fly-in drop off hunts that didn't require a guide.

In those hunts a group of four hunters were dropped on a lake or river with our camp needs, and our rifles, for things like caribou,
Moose and fishing gear for fishing near our camps. We spend a week or two and are picked up for return to town by float plane to fly back home on public airlines.
All our camp chores are divided between everyone, and many times one man will stay in camp if he has already scored on his animal, to have a meal ready when we get back to our camp. In this case we often have some skinning and meat cleaning near camp. That is the place where we all have a hand gun at all times. I see no bad choices in having a fire arm with you at all times while doing camp chores, or at a kill sight while gutting, and quartering an animal. In my opinion there is nothing wrong with having a powerful hand gun on you while doing these chores, or fishing. It seems to me it makes more since to be armed than to not be armed while working around camp, or while gutting and quartering because it is closer to you than your rifle fifteen feet away.
Others may do as they like, but in my opinion, that doesn't mean it has to be your way or the highway.

Phil is a very well known guide in Alaska and like most good guides he takes responsibility not only his rules, and his opinion of those who hunt alone to not have a hand gun if they want one.
In my case I have done a lot of hand gun hunting of large none dangerous game, and have never wounded an animal with a handgun and loose him. Still I do understand Phil's rules for his guided hunts for very large dangerous animals, but I see absolutely nothing wrong with having large handgun on a hunter being guided either. When I hunt Alaska, I have both a good rifle, and a handgun as well, and I believe that is my right! Others may do as it suits!

............................... MacD37
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