I'm flying out tomorrow on my annual August deer hunt. See ya all in a week with hopefully some good photos.
The gear is finally packed and loaded in the truck. Now I'm just hoping this storm blows through on schedule and we're able to fly tomorrow afternoon! It's 0 ceiling, 0 visibility today. I've got Will linked into my satellite messaging system so he'll be the first to know when I've got a buck on the ground! I guess if he tries the teaser thread it won't do much good with me being the only one afield this early! :D
Rob, good luck! That is absolutely one of my dream hunts and I will no doubt be up there some day! I'm green with envy
Weather delayed... We had crap weather yesterday and that has the flight service backlogged today. We've been put off until tomorrow morning. Flying bush planes up here can be frustrating but it is what it is. Can't change the weather and if you've got a good pilot you don't push it.
Hate that I'm missing it this year Rob, just the whole scene of it. Meeting you, staying in Kodiak and fishing and all was nearly as fun as the hunting aspect of being up there last year....Notice I said nearly, you are a great guy and all, but killing 3 bucks in 10 days was a feeling I never even knew existed before that trip! haha Maybe I'll have the coinage to chase after some bou next year like I threatened for this year. Best of luck buddy.
All right guys here it is ala Will style: Day 1: We spent the first day not being able to fy due to a weather backlog with the flight service from the previous day's storm. Day 2: We got out Monday morning first thing in some pretty thick weather that most pilots might not have gone in. We made it safely but the last 10 miles were just 200' or less off the water for the crossing from Kodiak Island. I stepped out of the plane and promptly dropped my new camera in the water... hence the fuzzy pics to come. Day 3: 4 bucks were shot by the 3 rifle hunters in the group with Greg shooting a couple dandy bucks. I saw a couple smaller bucks but didn't have as much action as the rest of the group. Day 4: I spotted a buck early and put a stalk on him but any one of the gazillion does running around down there got in the way and he was gone by the time I got around her and to the spot. I spent the rest of the day hiking and glassing and passed a smaller buck to come back to the first one later in the evening. On my way back to camp I found him bedded not far from where he was in the morning and made the stalk to shoot him in his bed at a little less than 4 (yes 4) yards. The 125 grain Striker tipped Axis shaft pinned him to the ground; he never got up. I thought I had a dandy 3 point record book buck... until I lifted his head. I could only see the right side from where he was laying. Oh well, a great buck, a great stalk and an awesome day! (P&Y 74 6/8" gross; minimum = 75) Day 5: All the rifle hunters are recovered from packing all their deer and I'm off in search of another. Brian and Greg end up shooting 2 great bucks in the opposite direction of their first deer and make it back to camp just at dark. I had a stalk on two great trophy bucks but one of the 9 does with them came within 3 yards of me and spooked the group. The weather is staying gorgeous for us and I don't think we could be having a better time. My camera seems to be working better again too! Day 6: Greg's tagged out, Brian's got the other half of his deer from yesterday to go get and Steve is Hell bent and out at first light to fill another tag, which he did. I start the day undecided about which direction to go and end up sticking to plan A and going to glass the same drainages I've been hunting. I got on top and decided to have a ciesta in the sun. I wake up to a little spike/fork below me crossing the drainage. I decide to get up and follow where he's going. When I spot him again around the corner he's with a nice shooter that's bedded in a hole on the next drainage. I take as many bearings as I can to identify where he is and start the hike over there. I start second guessing my markers but eventually get my bearings and make a stalk to put me inside 15 yards of him and straight above but the angle is so steep I can't see his body. I crouch down and wait... and wait... and wait but he never stands for a shot. My legs fell asleep after the first 1/2 hour and got painful about at the 1 hour mark so I got up and moved down the hill to give him my wind. He smells me and bolts out of bed to stop and look back from 20 yards out. Too bad for him, the Axis was on it's way and drove the NAP Spitfire clean through his offhand leg after entering behind his last rib going down and through all the vitals. He made it 80 yards and piled up in the creek bottom. A nice little 3x4 (P&Y gross 88 7/8) My best archery blacktail to date. Day 7: The weather turned bad last night and we got on the sat. phone to arrange for an early pickup today. The BushHawks came and got us and we're safely at home caring for the deer and gear. All the pictures from the trip can be viewed in my photobucket here: http://s252.photobucket.com/albums/hh22/robswanson/Hunting/Kodiak 2010/?albumview=slideshow
Congratulations on your harvest. Thanks for sharing your pictures. Looks like "God's Country" up in there fer sure.
