I will be in Interior AK for a good part of September, Aug 30 - Sept 16. I have already planned 5 trips back your way next year, Thank God for frequent flier miles!

I am getting excited about the deer hunt, Ironically when I saw your post I was on the phone with my friend in Kodiak. His brother has 3 boats and we will probably be going out with him.

Doug

Muskegman,

That is the son of the one I want to shoot . Great deer, he looks huge compared to most Kodiak blacktails I have seen. I am in Fairbanks right now getting ready to hunt moose and bear for the next couple weeks and I think I am almost more excited about hunting Kodiak in December!

Doug

good rain gear, g.p.s., survival/first aid kit, good optics to glass from up high bushes are thick, spotting scope, fleece, .30 or larger gun, etc.

dwhunter: Have you been before? You will love it. Year before last a partner and I spent 10 + days aboard a 45' boat hunting elk and deer out of Paramanof Bay on Afognak and deer on Uganik Island on the north side of Kodiak...this was in late September. My guess is you will see lots of deer no matter where you go (I do), but you will be hunting during bucks only season, and my experience is that the bucks are really in tough places this early in the season...they will be up high or in the alders that makes Kodiak famous for being tough. I am not sure where you are going..Kodiak is big, as you know...but I know you will have fun. It will probably be a climbing hunt...so be prepared to climb. And as stated above...bring your Helly Hansens. Of course there are the bears .

Cold Zero, thanks for the equip list

rwj,

This will be my first trip to the island, I have tried for 20 years to make it work out but something always happened to foul it up, money, plans etc. My friend has hunted Kodiak many times so he is well versed in the needs etc. He thought the deer would be near the beaches in December so hunting would not be to tough , I know how that goes. We are going to plan on a 6-7 day hunt as this will also allow me time to look around the place a bit as well as deer hunt.

I have learned after all of my trips to Alaska to ship things in advance to keep from paying the ridiculous fees the airlines charge and also because you never know what you will need as it could turn to 10 degrees from 50 in an hours time. Yesterday I shipped out appx: 75lbs of gear UPS to Fairbanks for the hunt coming up at the end of the month, short sleeves to arctic gear, rubber boots to hip waders and I shipped them all in a big cooler to allow me to bring meat home on my flight and ship everything else back in boxes.

Doug

Muskegman,

We are going in December. I spent a week a hunting in the rain last year in September in Interior Alaska and many days down here. Rain does not bother me all that much (still beats the office)I just wear the proper clothing and go at it.

Doug

Doug: I misunderstood...you are right that the deer will be down low in December. I thought you were going next month. Anyway, the weather will be much worse in December. That will make it more fun. I have wanted to hunt around Larsen Bay in late Nov or Dec but have not gotten around to it yet. You will have to post lots of photos. It sounds like fun.

Doug, I hate to rain on your parade, but you will get rained on. You like rain, right? In 25 years of hunting blacktails in Alaska (S.E. mind you, not Kodiak) I have taken the least amount of bucks in September. I normally hunt in August for alpine bucks and again in October at the beginning of the rut. You do like rain, right? September hunts for bucks can be difficult. They will be shedding their velvet off by the end of the month. All the foliage turns brown and the leaves (alders, blueberrys, etc.) do not normally fall all the way off until mid-October. Finding brown deer in a field of brown foliage can be challenging - just remember those white patches on the throat.

Bring a STAINLESS gun. Bring two sets of hunting clothes, including boots. binos, in the pouring rain, you've got to be kidding. You do like rain, right

Yo, remember an 8 or 9 wt fly rod so you can fish cohos when it rains. Get ready for some rain.