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Author
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Topic: killed bull winkle
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TRnCO
FUTURE HALL OF FAMER
Member # 690
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posted September 13, 2019 06:49 AM
Well my best friend and I went to Alaska and did a float hunt. It was about what I expected from reading about others experiences on float hunts. It was a lot of work, a lot of rain, more work, some blisters, more work and some more rain thrown in for good measure. We were successful in that I killed a moose and my friend got a decent brown bear, BUT I probably won't sign up to do it again.
It had been a dry summer in Alaska but once we arrived the rains came. We never saw the sun for more than 2 hours total in 8 days. Was probably a good thing we got some rain as that brought the water level up enough that we didn't have to drag the boats through too much shallow water, which would've really been bad once we loaded bull winkle.
We saw a heli towing an airplane so apparently someone had a rough landing as the plane was missing some front landing gear.
We saw well over 20 brown bear. Also saw a few caribou, a few bald eagles, some river otter, lots of wolf tracks but no wolves, and one moose.
I shot my moose with my .300 win mag using the 190 gr. accubond LR. The shot was only about 120 yards, slight quarter away and the bull only went about 30 yards and was tipped over before I could get another round in him. I recovered my bullet in the off shoulder.
 IMG_0088 by Tim Richard, on Flickr
Sleeping quarters were nothing fancy.
 IMG_0098 by Tim Richard, on Flickr
I ended up with 684# of meat, including bone in the 4 quarters, from this beast.
 IMG_0093 by Tim Richard, on Flickr
Loaded and on the way out. Glad we didn't have to load/unload once we got the bull.
 IMG_0110 by Tim Richard, on Flickr
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Is it hunting season yet? I hate summer!
Posts: 996 | From: Elizabeth, CO | Registered: Aug 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted September 13, 2019 07:43 AM
Thank you for the post! Looks like you had a good time, in spite of the overcast conditions. When you see 20 bears and one moose, any moose is a good moose, and I think you did fine! Where did this take place? Would you recommend the outfitter again? Do you feel he did the best with what was available in the area? You got what you came for so can't complain. I've on;y tasted moose a couple times and by most, they say it's just about the tastiest game there is.
Thanks, again!
Good hunting. El Bee
PS, did you try howling those wolves? Did you have a tag? From my experience, they are very inquisitive.
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31449 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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TRnCO
FUTURE HALL OF FAMER
Member # 690
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posted September 13, 2019 08:20 AM
We hunted with Hidden Alaska outfitters and floated the Kichatna River, which starts at the southern end of Denali National park, or about 100 miles west/northwest of Willow AK.
The outfitter has been in business for a long time, which I guess is an indicator that he delivers. He does both float and dry land hunts. I'm not sure I'd recommend this hunt for a guy that has never floated, or one that has never been the ore man, before, as was my case. With in the first 5 minutes on the water I was unable to keep my boat away from a sweeper. Thankfully the sweeper wasn't anchored down real good and I was smart enough to keep my ore over the top of it and the boats weight and momentum moved the dead tree out of our way, instead of sweeping us out of the boat. BUT, after more experience down river, I was getting the hang of navigating the river better.
This is my second moose from AK., and I'm expecting this one to taste as good as the first as the first I would say was the best big game meat that I've ever had.
We actually tried calling for wolf and bear. Had one bear show up about 80 yards away while we were calling, but the fish at his feet seemed to be all he really cared about. The terrain really wasn't very caller friendly. Really the only open area, other than way up high in the tundra, was the river channel. We fought our way through the alders to go up high one day and that was enough of that. Alders aren't meant to walk through.
[ September 13, 2019, 08:20 AM: Message edited by: TRnCO ]
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Is it hunting season yet? I hate summer!
Posts: 996 | From: Elizabeth, CO | Registered: Aug 2005
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Kokopelli
SENIOR DISCOUNT & Dispenser of Sage Advice
Member # 633
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posted September 13, 2019 08:48 AM
Awesome !!!!
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And lo, the Light of the Trump shown upon the Darkness and the Darkness could not comprehend it.
Posts: 7576 | From: Under a wandering star | Registered: Apr 2005
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Paul Melching
Radical Operator Forum "You won't get past the front gate"
Member # 885
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posted September 14, 2019 04:24 AM
I cant imagine big game in Alaska every being a picnic ,as noted the weather can suck the terrain is always a bitch. I'm too old and disabled for that but you had an adventure you will never forget. That is a beautiful moose , Great Job TR ! My only trip to Alaska was to Sitka fishing came home with a bounty of king salmon and halibut and some yellow eye ! Do it again while you still can .
Congratulations on a an epic hunt !
p.s. leonard moose is delicious
had it a few times !
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Those who value security over liberty soon will have neither !
Posts: 4188 | From: The forest ! north of the dez. | Registered: Jul 2006
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Paul Melching
Radical Operator Forum "You won't get past the front gate"
Member # 885
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posted September 14, 2019 04:27 AM
Don't they call those tents Bear Burritos ? LOL
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Those who value security over liberty soon will have neither !
Posts: 4188 | From: The forest ! north of the dez. | Registered: Jul 2006
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TRnCO
FUTURE HALL OF FAMER
Member # 690
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posted September 14, 2019 05:40 AM
yeah, speaking of the tents, my wife asked me if we were concerned at all about bear, and I told her that since there were two of us in a tent, my chances were 50/50 of not being the one getting munched.
Honestly, the rule was no food in the sleep tents and from what we saw, the bears ran at the hint of human odor, so really wasn't too worried about it.
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Is it hunting season yet? I hate summer!
Posts: 996 | From: Elizabeth, CO | Registered: Aug 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted September 14, 2019 09:14 AM
So, this brings up a never settled argument. Do you sleep, (these are brown bears, right?) with a pump shotgun, w/slugs or your bare minimum, 44Mag.? or both? And, did you invest in bear spray?
Yeah, I know, they ran the other way, but maybe one didn't get the memo?
I have a Redhawk that has never earned it's keep. But, I would take the time to create some potent handloads. I read an article recently that said don't rely on handloads because you can make a mistake. Yeah, right! And factory ammo never makes mistakes. I'd sooner trust my life to my own handloads than pay $5 each for special bear loads.
And, I have seen factory 38special with the primer upside down, so I suppose ....nah, that's too obvious to miss when loading, but what about a squib load? Again, I trust my care in loading. The problem is, I really don't shoot that many factory loads, except 45ACP so I have no idea if they ever or seldom misfire? I know mine don't. If I could find that article, it might have been in that Ammo site, but the guy made it sound like people that handload are careless and in my case, that is such a stupid suggestion I can't take it seriously.
Bottom line, I would have six hot and reliable handloads in the fartsack with me and would have a fighting chance if a bruin woke me up in the middle of a wet dream.
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31449 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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TRnCO
FUTURE HALL OF FAMER
Member # 690
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posted September 14, 2019 05:39 PM
Our guide slept with his glock 40, but the rest of us didn't keep any protection near. Our guide also carried a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 with him every where we went.
Interestingly enough the last outfitter that we hunted with 15 years ago requested that we bring factory ammo only, but this time no mention of recommended ammo.
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Is it hunting season yet? I hate summer!
Posts: 996 | From: Elizabeth, CO | Registered: Aug 2005
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Leonard
HMFIC
Member # 2
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posted September 15, 2019 06:43 AM
That "factory only" ammo would be very hard to justify! I can't see how he could justify it? It has to be a personal half baked prejudicial opinion. You know, I have several rifles that have never seen a factory cartridge, ever. We are talking over 50 years handloading for rifle and handgun and I have never had a missfire. Yes, I shoot factory stuff in 45ACP and lately 9mm, because I never owned one before, and I use factory ammo in 32ACP and 25ACP for obvious reasons, like don't even shoot enough to justify the cost of the dies. I'm sold on handloaded ammunition. Don't let anybody talk you out of it with a personal opinion based on the fact that they don't reload and have only half baked opinion to back it up. If a man takes the time to create his custom ammunition for use in a specific gun, and if he is of average intelligence, which is not a very high bar, then there is no reason to exclude handloads whatsoever. That's my opinion based on over 50 years of practice!
Good hunting. El Bee
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EL BEE Knows It All and Done It All.
Don't piss me off!
Posts: 31449 | From: Upland, CA | Registered: Jan 2003
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Semp
GOLD STAR MEMBER
Member # 3074
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posted September 17, 2019 12:27 PM
Congrats on the moose. I did an Alaskan moose hunt several years ago. I went with a friend of mine who lives in Fairbanks. We saw a few but never found one that was legal for the GMU we were in. Great country and it was a great experience. I remember hearing the wolves howling up and down the river late in the evenings which probably had something to do with the shortage of moose.
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Always remember: That court appointed psychiatrist is not your friend.
Posts: 406 | From: Kentucky | Registered: Aug 2008
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