| Greetings fellow bowhunter,
In the past couple years or so I have been asked many questions
by
people who have seen our videos and have dreamed of going to Alaska
themselves. I wish my partner and I had asked more questions before
we
went. It would have prevented a lot of mistakes, but not all of them.
I
thought I would put together some of the most frequently asked topics
and suggestions but I warn you that this is only my opinion. You might
very well get some different opinions if you were to ask others with
far
more knowledge than myself.
Alaska is a wild place. Never underestimate the possible
hazards on a
hunting trip there. It is an unforgiving place and can turn a dream
trip
into an adventure, an ordeal, or even a tragedy. Planning might make
the
difference between having a great time or wishing you had never come.
I
remember my Boy Scout days as a child and one thing comes to mind before
all else: *Be Prepared*...and it still has great meaning today.
Gear..... The million dollar question. The gear you
will want to
bring will vary depending on many variables. The first that comes to
mind is the type of aircraft you will be flying in when they set you
down in the wilderness. In most of our trips we flew in small aircraft
such as Cesna 172 and 185. These are some of the small planes that
do a
lot of the work in Alaska. The problem is that they have a limited
amount of space and weight carrying capability and the amount of gear
you can bring will be severely limited. In our case we were limited
to
700 pounds total... including ourselves. After rounding off, the two
of
us weighed a little less than 400 pounds and that only leaves 300 pounds
for all of our gear.
Each of us fly with two pieces of gear that we check as
baggage and
our carry on. Between the two of us we bring two backpacks that are
packed as close to 70 pounds as possible, a hard suitcase that contains
all of our fragile equipment, and a waterproof duffel bag. The backpacks
work well for carrying most of our food and will come in handy for
packing out meat, should the need arise. The hard suitcase carries
our
pistols, spare takedown bow, ammo, aviation radio, and also works great
when the rains come to keep some of the gear dry. The waterproof duffel
bag works great to keep other gear dry such as sleeping bags, clothing,
etc.
If you are flying out to the *bush* in a Beaver
you are going in
style. The Beaver is a workhorse and can carry much more gear than
the
smaller planes and weight is not as much of a limiting factor. The
drawback to the Beaver is that it costs more per hour to fly and it
flies much slower, thereby increasing the cost of your flight to the
bush. Sometimes the Beaver is the best answer if there are more than
two
people hunting or there is just no way that you want to be limited
to
100-150 pounds of gear each.
The third option that you have for flying into the bush
is the *Super
Cub* airplane. If this is the option you chose, you are in for a
surprise. This small plane can land and take off on a dime but is so
small that there is only room for you, the pilot ( who sits directly
in
front of you ) and a small amount of gear ...and I mean small. Chances
are that there might be room for a couple small stuff sacks behind
you
and you might be sitting on top of some of your other gear. Chances
are
that they will drop you off with a small amount of gear and then have
to
make another trip for the rest. Mind you, that only one person beside
the pilot will fly in a Super Cub at a time. This means multiple trips
or multiple planes for you and your hunting partner. The nice thing
is
that these planes can drop you off on a small sand bar, gravel bar
along
the river, or any other small spot not accessible by larger planes.
Well, those are the three types of planes you will probably
have to
choose from on your Alaska hunt, the Beaver, the Cesna ( or other brand
name of comparable size ) , and the Super Cub. I recommend you find
out
what type you want to fly in, or what type is available to take you
into
where you have decided to hunt. Do your homework. Make phone calls
to
various flying services to find out which planes they offer and what
their limitations are. Once you have chosen your flying service and
type
of plane, then you can start calculating what gear you can take.
I will get into some specifics as far as gear later. Some
guys can
probably get by with less than others but remember there are some
minimums that you will need to take. Do not skimp, as it might come
back
to haunt you later. Remember, these are just suggestions but
they are
born of some experience and as much as I hate to say it....pain.
Ok, now that I have spent almost an entire page and not
even gotten
around to the subject at hand, gear, I guess I will start with some
of
the basics. You may find this first suggestion a bit different
but the
first thing I do is make sure I bring two sleeping bags. You might
not
hear this from anyone else and you might have to give up a luxury to
make room for the extra bag, but if you have ever spent two weeks in
a
tent at -20 degrees you might feel as I do. I almost always bring a
medium weight bag and a cold weather bag. That way if it is fairly
warm
you can use the medium weight bag and not roast and if it gets cold
you
can use your warm bag. Then there is the small chance that extreme
cold
might catch you as it did us. I would have given any of my other
gear
for an extra bag to put inside my warm bag. The only place that I would
not take the extra bag to is if you are hunting the Alaska Peninsula.
It
is surrounded by ocean which moderates the weather. So much for sleeping
bags.....next...
The second thing that I take that most people might
not suggest is a
radio. Not the usual radio but a special walkie-talkie that is just
for
aircraft frequencies. This radio has a dual function in that it can
put
you in contact with any aircraft flying overhead in case of any
emergency. It can also get word to your flying service in case you
need
to get a harvested animal out before it spoils or even request that
the
plane come and move you if you are not seeing anything. We use
to worry
a lot about the possibility that one of us might have a heart attack,
break a leg, be attacked by a bear, or limitless other emergencies
that
might arise and not be able to contact anyone. During our early hunts
we
carried an aircraft crash beacon, called an E.L.T. ( Emergency Landing
Transmitter) and that gave us a little peace of mind but it could only
be used in a life and death situation. With this aircraft radio you
can
be in touch with someone quite easily, as there are planes flying
overhead quite regularly, both bush planes and small commercial planes
flying between villages.
Now some of the basics. The first thing that I would recommend
is a
water filter ( we use the PUR hand pump.) We use to boil all our water
but that requires a lot more Coleman fuel and it takes a lot of time
to
boil it and then let it cool for drinking. We do not filter the water
we
use for cooking, as it will be boiled anyway. Just be careful to use
as
clean water as possible because it will plug up the filter real fast.
Put it in a container and let it settle overnight if it is at all murky
or muddy. Then pour it through a paper towel if possible, then through
the filter.
Pots and pans, bota bags or canteens, spare backup bow,
a good air
mattress or pad to sleep on, ( plus repair kit) are just some basics.
I
would recommend that you bring the following items and put them in
a
fanny pack to be carried with you any time you are away from camp.
Compass, bic lighters, survival blanket, and knife.
If you are in an area with brown bears I highly recommend
a 44 mag
pistol and a good bear spray. The bear spray can be a big problem in
that you cannot take them on a commercial plane....you will have to
try
to get one in the town where your flying service is. They will put
it in
the floats or somewhere where it cannot discharge in the plane. I would
not want to be flying in a plane where the pilot has his eyes full
of
tear gas and pepper spray.
I know there are differing opinions on the pistol and bear spray...but
I
do it and it's more peace of mind than having to launch an arrow at
a
charging Grizz....believe me.
Another must in bear country is a 12 gauge shotgun with
buckshot ( we
alternate buckshot, slug, etc.) The locals recommend just buckshot,
but
only for close range..and I mean close. The shotgun can easily be broken
down and be transported in the hard suitcase. The shotgun..... we always
leave in camp.
Good rain gear is a MUST....As you will find that most
areas in
Alaska are wet and rainy, especially the Alaska Peninsula area. A lot
of
your time will be spent trying to keep dry and this is no time to skimp
on rain gear. Good waterproof boots are necessary also. I prefer
the
Gortex boots like Rocky Cornstalkers or equivalent. I bring 2 pairs,
but
that is my preference. I don*t want to step in some water over the
tops
of the boots and have to have wet feet until the boots dry out, which
might be a long time. Hip boots are something that are usually needed
unless you know you will not need them. Sometimes the only time you
will
need them is to get out of the float plane, but much of Alaska
requires
them . I use the neoprene type ( 5 mil) because they are easy to pack
and are nice and warm in the cold water. Extra tarps come in
handy for
many things such as extra protection from driving rain, making a wind
block , and most of all, in case something might happen to the tent.
Remember though, don't overdo it. Bring plenty of nylon cord. You will
use it to secure your tent when the hurricane winds come ( and they
will), strapping meat on your backpack frame, clothes lines to dry your
clothes, etc.
Fishing poles and a few Mepps spinners are a must in most
places. I
have never been in Alaska where I could not just through a lure out
and
catch something. Maybe we have just been lucky but I'm not even a
fisherman and I have caught fish wherever I have gone. I use a 6 piece
takedown rod and a small Diawa reel....Nothing fancy.
Now I will get to some of the things we bring just in case
the
weather turns real cold. Felt pack boots are nice but they take
up a
lot of space and are heavy. My partner, Gary, always brings his but
I do
something a little different. In order to save some of my precious
weight allowance for some extra candy bars or that big summer sausage,
I
buy some cheap black rubber goulashes ( the buckle type) and then I
bring two sets of my felts from my felt pack boots. The goulashes keep
my feet dry even if walking in water and the felts provide warmth.
They
are light and the boots roll up real small when packing them in your
gear. The biggest drawback is that they do not provide the arch support
that the felt pack boots do.
I won't go into detail about thermal underwear and
socks...you can
figure that out for yourself, but lots of socks are a smart thing
because, as I have said, keeping dry can be one of your biggest
challenges. One of the old rules for Alaska is wool and lots of it.
Even though they say not to bring down...I still bring a down jacket.
It
stuffs into a small sack the size of your hand and weighs next to
nothing. Don't rely totally on down as it will give you no insulation
if
it gets wet. That's what is so great about wool. It still does a pretty
good job of insulating even if soaking wet. I always bring one pair
of
HEAVY wool pants and shirt. I always have to wear something underneath
it to keep from itching like I have poison ivy. Another
thing is a
good heavy knit type facemask. If you have seen our videos you know
that it comes in real handy on those cold mornings when you first get
up
or when the cold wind is freezing your face. As I have mentioned
before, an extra sleeping bag will take up space but might be a
lifesaver. Make sure that the pad you bring to sleep on is an insulated
one or that you have some kind of insulating pad ( like thinsolite
) to
put between you and your air mattress. You can have the warmest sleeping
bag in the world but the bag insulation under your body is compressed
and the insulating value is greatly reduced. You don't need even more
heat passing out into a cold air mattress or the cold ground.
Before I forget it.....A spare bow string is a must. I
always bring a
spare bow, but the Alaska bush has lots of sharp sticks and rocks that
are just waiting to jump out and cut that string. I don't get carried
away with arrows. Some guys I know have brought 2-3 dozen but I usually
bring 10-12. If I can't get something with that many arrows, I had
better give up hunting and just video. A couple arrows tipped with
Judo
heads are a must also. If you are hunting in tundra it will eat your
arrows so fast you will never know what happened. I have shot arrows
with field tips into the tundra and saw exactly where they hit....and
never found them. Rubber blunts are great too. Either can be used to
take grouse but be ready to lose an arrow if you shoot the grouse out
of
the tree. The arrow usually passes right through and goes forever.
It's
worth it though...as I don't know if there is any meat on this earth
that compares with grouse.
Food.....I'm not going to go into this subject in great
detail
because each person has their own preferences. We are cheap and we
don't
spend a lot of money on food. The freeze dried foods can be great or
terrible, depending on the specific meal you eat. It is also very
expensive but is a breeze to prepare. Just boil water and TA-DA you
are
ready to eat. It is also very light weight. If you are going to buy
the
freeze fried foods I suggest you find out which ones you like first.
Don't get to Alaska and go out walking all day and they come back to
camp half starved only to find out the meal you have fixed tastes like
sand. The route we go is cheap and does not weigh a lot. We bring most
of our meals in the form of macaroni, noodles and rice. You are not
carrying anything with water in it to make it heavy and it is easy
to
cook. Usually we buy things like Rice-a-Roni, take it out of the
cardboard box, and just tape the flavor packet to the bag of rice.
Same
for noodles, but we bring extra bags of noodles, as the flavor packets
are usually sufficient for more than the bag that comes in the box.
One can not live by rice alone so we do bring a few luxuries
like
maybe a can of Dinty Moore Beef Stew, tuna fish, candy
bars, caramels
( to put in your pocket and eat while hunting), or my favorite, a giant
stick of summer sausage. You can fill in the blanks. We have even been
known to bring 2 cans of Coke to celebrate a downed moose or caribou.
If
you are flying out in a Beaver, you can bring a lot more of you favorite
things. Don't forget a small plastic bottle of cooking oil for
tenderloins or fish. A small amount of flour to roll your meat in,
or
some Jake Mix will work well also. Salt and pepper...don't forget them.
You might want to plan out each meal and then put them
in large
zip-lock bags and mark them with a black marker..breakfast...lunch...supper
etc. This way you will know how many meals you have left and the zip-lock
bags keep it dry. We usually just have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
for lunch and sometimes we have those in the field because we stay out
all day hunting. You will have to figure out what is best for you.
Ok, I think that will do it for gear. The nice thing about
a computer
is that I can always come back and insert more if I forget something.
Next I will try to give a few tips on hunting. ( Like I am an expert...right).
Hunting.....depending on what type of terrain you are hunting
will
probably determine what type of hunting techniques you will use, even
though there can be different methods for the same kind of terrain.
If
you will be moose hunting the most common way is to find a high spot
and
glass for animals. One thing I forgot to add as far as gear is concerned
is a spotting scope. If you are going to be glassing this is a valuable
tool. An animal might look like a huge Boone and Crockett candidate
from far away, only to find out that once he is in your spotting scope
he isn't even a legal 50 inch bull moose. ( Us rookies from the lower
48
are awestruck when it comes to moose antlers...and caribou, for that
matter). If you are glassing an animal that might be miles away,
the
last thing you want to do is walk miles only to find he is not what
you
are looking for.
Any of you who have seen our moose hunting videos will
know that the
great success we have had in the taking of three huge Pope and Young
moose from the same spot will also notice that this particular spot
lends itself to a hunting technique much like whitetail hunting. The
lay
of the land and the river make it a perfect funnel....bottle neck...or
whatever you might call it. This, I suspect, is not the normal method
of
moose hunting. We just get it the natural funnel created by the river,
the high hills, and the lake, and we wait. We go out just at daybreak,
and make a cow call every half hour. We do this for 3 1/2 to 4 hours
in
the morning and the evening. After the morning hunt we go back to the
tent for breakfast and then head out for some high hill where we can
do
some glassing. It breaks up the day and it doesn't hurt to scout out
some new hunting area. Remember, the further you go from camp or from
water, the further you will have to pack out an animal if you are
successful. Sometimes you might see a trophy animal but will
have to just look, as it is too far to manage once it is down..
I guess that is enough about hunting techniques...as every place
is
different and anyone who has a sufficient amount of hours in the woods,
will have the basic knowledge to plan his own strategy when the moment
comes.
Mistakes...We have made plenty of them over the years...but hopefully
we
will make less each time we go. The first big mistake we made was when
we went on our float trip down the Moose John River. We went way too
fast. We passed up some real nice looking spots for moose ( willow
bars etc.)and we pulled in the rafts, made a few calls and we were
gone within a
half hour to an hour. What we really should have done was stay there
for
a day or two ( or three). Remember, if you are floating a river, once
you have passed a spot, you will never be able to go back there...it
is
lost. Personally, I would take topo maps of what ever area we are going
to and try to find a natural funnel or bottle neck so that it increases
the likelihood of moose passing through. The spot we hunt where the
hills come fairly close to the river, and a lake that further limits
the
area that they can easily walk. Remember, a big bull moose can walk
through the woods and brush, but they prefer to stay out of the thick
stuff if they can.
I think the second biggest mistake we made was in
the art of calling
moose. It really is easy to call moose with nothing but your mouth
when
they are in the rut and are searching for love. Jay Massey used
to use
the bull grunt most of the time but we have had great success with
a cow
call. The bull grunt is harder to get right and does not reach out
as
far, as it is not as loud. If you have the video where I shot my moose
at 11 yards you have a perfect example of a bull grunting to use to
learn from. Oh, let me get back to the mistakes we made..I am getting
off on a tangent. We would see a big bull moose cruising far away and
we
would let out with a cow call. The moose would immediately turn
in our
direction and come to find out where this love sick cow was. It was
here
that we goofed big time. Remember, bull moose are in no big hurry.
They
have all the time in the world and they will walk a little, then stop
to
look and listen. Our first reaction to the moose stopping was that
he
was losing interest. We would make another cow call right away, and
so
on, every time he stopped. BIG MISTAKE.. Their hearing is awesome,
far
beyond our ability to understand. They have those huge antlers....like
satellite dishes bouncing the sound waves off their antlers and into
their ears. They also can pinpoint the source of the sound with instant
accuracy. Don't give them a chance to get your exact position if you
can
help it. Let them come looking but don't give them an exact spot to
look. If they know where the sound came from they will not come all
the
way there but will stop short and just stand there. If they don't see
something where they know the sound came from, they know they have
been
tricked and will head for the next county.
Don't call too often. We do it about every half hour. As
loud as a
cow call is, the bull moose will most likely be able to hear it for
a
mile or two...or more. Remember, they are in no hurry and it might
take
them an hour to get to you. If you are in fairly open country and
calling every half hour or so, don't forget to look behind you. I once
had a bull come up from behind me as I was walking and calling. He
got
to within 25 yards of me because I was not checking the area I had
already been.
Well, I guess that is about all I can pull right
off the top of my
head. I have probably missed a lot, but then they would only be minor
things...and I don't want to bore you. If there is anything that you
might want to ask about, feel free to call....Email
me....write me....or
send carrier pigeon.....whatever. This is not meant to be a novel or
a *
How to Hunt Alaska* book but maybe it gives you an idea of how we do
it. Like I said before, we are far from experts but we have been
very
lucky and we have increased our chances by our years in the woods and
by
learning to think like the prey we seek.
Use all the knowledge you have acquired over the years,
then ask as
many people as you can. You will get many different answers and you
will
have to choose for yourselves which advise to follow and which to
ignore. Alaska is an experience in itself. Don't let the disappointment
of not harvesting an animal diminish the experience of the wilderness
and the challenge of the hunt. I cherish every trip to the *bush* and
am
thankful to the Creator of everything for letting me share His wonderful
creation. I am truly blessed.
If you might be interested in any of our videos they are
$10-$15 each
and I can send you info on them also...just email me..
Mike Misch
5159 Riley Thompson Rd.
Whitehall, MI 49461
(616) 766-3453
rmisch@remc4.k12.mi.us |