Made it back from a 5-day hunt out of my hometown. This basically entails 1 day getting there by boat and 1 day getting back; 3 full days of hunting and about a 1/2 day hunt the day you arrive.

The first rule is to take the WX Fcast with a grain of salt. I wouldn't have even packed up gear if I believed they would be correct. The weather can be so squirrely in Nov, you take it on an hourly basis almost.

Anyway, made the 1/2 hour run by boat to a protected salt lagoon. It's a tide show and you need to get there near high tide to enter. Fresh snow earlier in the week was a bonus. Got all the gear to the cabin and made a short excursion to check the sign in the lower meadows. Lots on nice tracks and a few rubs. Called in a doe off the hillside, but declined.

On first full-day hunt, the kid and I set off at first light ~ 7:00 a.m. The snow was setting up hard as the night was clear and cold with a full moon. We crossed the muskeg flats and heading up on the "bear ridge." Saw a doe at first shooting light at the base of the ridge. We were approaching the top of the 800 ft ridge when the sun started hitting the ridge. Absolutely gorgeous morning w/o much wind. I put the kid in the lead on the well worn deer/bear path. He saw a deer running off as we approached with about 100 vertical of the top. We stumbled onto a herd of 4-5 deer right at the top of the trail. Two does were staring at us. They started walking off, so I tooted on the call. Another deer approached. I could see it was a buck by the black skull cap. I motioned to the boy to reposition below me as I thought he would get a shot. I called again and the buck presented himself head-on. My boy drilled him thru the brisket with a 150 gr partition from his .308.

The deer appeared hit, but headed out of sight making some noise in the brush and crunchy snow. We waited a few and heading to the point where the buck was when he shot. We found a great blood trail, but did not see the animal. It appeared he was sidehilling after hit, so I decided not to persue right away. We waited 10 minutes. It turned out the buck was only 20-25 feet from us. We laughed when it was within eyesight of where we waited it out.

Here's a couple of pics of his first buck:





It was about 9:00 a.m., so we gutted him out and covered with hemlock branches to keep the birds from pecking away. Hunted some more at the top of the ridge. Tons of tracks. Saw one other buck that I didn't get a shot at. Quit at noon, dragged the buck to the base of the ridge, boned him out, and returned to cabin.

On day two, the boy and I headed out bright and early again. The night was even colder - probably in the low 20's. Went down to another location on the "bear ridge" about 1 mile south from the previous day. Made a steep ascent to the top right at sunrise. Again, tons of tracks in the heavy brush at top. Tried some calling, but no luck. Worked the top of the ridge into the wind, but the snow was very noisy. Dropped down into some meadows and started jumping deer along the edges. Called in a doe with a yearling. The doe made some very interesting vocalizations that I've never heard before.

We headed off after eating lunch in a sun-drenched meadow. I was in the lead and headed thru some timber along a drainage between two good sized meadows. As we entered the trees & brush, we both noticed a rather large bodied deer ahead of us on the other side of the drainage. I set up behind a small hemlock. The buck stopped - I don't think he even noticed us even though we were making quite a bit of noise. I drilled him thru the neck with a 250 gr partition from my .338 Winnie. He folded on the spot.

I didn't really see the horns, but the kid said he was "well hung." As we approached, I saw he was a nice one. I apologized for not giving him a chance. He was somewhat understanding. Here's my 3x3 in afternoon sun. Shot him the timber right behind me in the pic:



Again, we hung him up and boned him out. It was a 1/2 hour pack to the beach and 2 miles back to the cabin arriving just as it started getting dark at 4 pm

On the third day, we decided to make a run over to the boat to put some meat in the cooler and check on things there. At this point we had three bucks boned out in game bags. The third hunter had shot one also.

When we got to the salt lagoon, we discovered that things had iced over. Oh shit! I decided to try and "row" my 8' Avon to the boat. Well, it took 1/2 hour to cover 75 yards. Had to break ice with the wooden oars. $%#&!* I know the kid heard some new swear words!!!O



After rowing back to shore, I wasn't feeling too energetic. I asked the kid what he wanted to do. He wanted to go back in aways into one of our "honeyholes." 9:00 was a bit of a late start, but I agreed. We beat thru the brush, devil's club and blowdowns and saw 1 doe on the way in. The kid was a bit tired and dejected as we weren't seeing or jumping many deer. He didn't even want to lead trail. I said we would climb a small ridge and try some calling before heading back. Got to the top and positioned ourselves. I started calling and we immediately heard deer approached thru the hard, noisy snow. He indicated there were several deer. A doe and yearling passed within 25-30 yds and then winded us. We heard another deer. It was a buck! I told him to try and get a shot. I tooted on the called and he stopped and looked our way. Not a perfect shot - stanted straight away and looking back towards us. We were above him and the kid drilled him thru the spine.



On the way out I took a photo of these big bear tracks in the snow. We had seen them on the way in. I had a tag and had registered for the fall hunt in Unit 4. It you look closely you can see my size 10 ExtraTuff tracks in the snow to the left. I could fit them in the tracks!!! This is a bear I would have like to seen, even though I was packing my .338 and not my .375



Made it back at dark. Our other hunting partner had called in a button-buck behind the cabin and was hanging it as we returned at dark.

We decided to leave a day early as there was a heavy snow warning in effect for the last day and the winds were supposed to pick up. Made it back safe and sound to do it again another day.

MM

MM,

Great post, trip and results......congratulations to the young man w/2 fine bucks.

Joe

Looks like a great trip. Did you rent a FS cabin or is it yours? That was a nice groove in the ice you had to make, how did you get the boat out? And those deer look outstanding! congratulations to your son and yourself.

Sounds like a great time for you and your boy.

I laughed when I saw your pic of the boat. (there should be a rule somewhere that only those who have seen and had to deal with this same malady in person should be allowed to).

Curious: when you say 'calling' for deer, what do you mean?

Steve - we did use/rent a PU cabin, but not a Forest Circus one. Getting the boat out a bit tricky. One the last day we busted ice - this time with two guys (the guy in the bow with a wood axe to bust ice) - with the raft out to the boat. We pulled anchor - another chore. The tide were getting about a foot higher each day, so there was no ice around the shore. We put-putted with the auxillary motor (8 hp o/b) in very shallow water around the shore until we found open water, then fired up the big one (225 HP O/B) to get us home. No damage to the F/G hull that I could tell (and I did check upon return.)

KG - calling for blacktail is quite effective in Alaska year around for does and bears, and works for bucks during the rut. This is typically a fawn bleat. Does just come due to their maternal instinct. It they are "hot," the buck will be following. Sometime the buck will come just because he thinks there is a doe somewhere nearby. Some guys use a doe bleat, which is a bit lower pitched. This is more like a "come here big boy - I'm horny" type call. I am not very good at this call, but Lohman make the K'meer Deer call which imitates this sound. We heard a doe make this sound as a "come-back" call to our fawn bleat on this trip.

MM

Neat! Thanks for the edification.