I killed a 5x4 bull and a cow with a pumice plains tag. Wife got 2 pt blacktail. I just got back from 5 days hunting with my dad on his muley tag. He passed a big 3x4 the first hour. We passed dozens of bucks but never found the giant we were looking for. We’re headed back for the last weekend. We’d like to go more since the rut was really getting going when we left but we both have to work through Friday.

Hopefully late buck is good for everyone!

Nothing on my Bainbridge early season archery, but then I NEVER see them in Sept. NOW however, I have a decent 3x4 walking around the apple orchard I hunt. Will he be there on 21 Nov. when the late season starts???? History says NO but hope springs eternal...

Looking forward to Thursday - Sunday and some hot bang flop action.

Nothing to report back at this juncture. I'm into ML season now and have until the 15th to seal the deal on the Masher. He zigged instead of zagged this past weekend - again. He's a crafty bassturd.

Warning, very few animals were harmed in the making of this post.

Sorry Parker, I was a little slow on taking the bait. Haven't been poking my head in here too often lately. Don't worry Stam, I still love you. Sorry to be a stranger, though I hear you like the stranger from time to time?!?

2018 was a rough one for me with regard to putting groceries in the freezer. I spent a lot of time in the field, more than that last year or two for sure, but I wound up with a lot less meat to show for it. Made some exceptionally memorable memories in some amazing places with top shelf people, which is the important part I guess. It would have been nice to have a little more to take home for the effort though. C'est la vie.

Here is a quick recap.

I went on my first mountain goat hunt at the tail end of "last" season or beginning of "this season." Goats are tough to kill, tough to eat, but badass animals that live in cool places. I like mountain hunting.

































My first fall hunt was for caribou. I planned a long weekend to hunt the opener and then planned on hunting each of the next two weekends. I passed up a decent bull at 7am on the opening morning that was standing within yards of where I killed my B&C bull a few years back. Big mistake. Weather blew us out of the high country and for the next three days we stared at an endless parade of cows and calves with not a bull to be found. ADFG shut the season down a few days after the opener as the recently and greatly reduced quota had been met. So I wound up hunting basically two days of what was supposed to be a 30 day opportunity. Major disappointment and failed plan.

























Checked out some new country for my sheep trip this year. Flew into the Talkeetna mountains and battled some burly weather for ten days. We hiked our dicks into the dirt and saw a bunch of animals. Passed on a ram that was probably legal on our first day of hunting. He was just too close for comfort and so I let him walk from 30 yards. The weather gods were against us as the clouds and rain seemed to show up just when we needed vis the most.
















































In September I dropped in my uncle and his family in Montana and chased elk with a bow and arrows. It was the most fun I've ever had on a hunt. I didn't fling any pointy things at elk but we got one for the team. I am hooked for life on hunting elk in the rut. On one magical day we were surrounded by fifteen different bulls and a pile of cows all going nuts. Awesome.

And finally I snuck in a little hunting on a family trip to Hawaii over the holidays. Hunting critters with breaking surf waves as the backdrop and grilling meat on the beach in flip flops and shorts is pretty cool. Might have to try that again sometime. Axis deer is some high quality grub. The cultural and interpersonal experience was more meaningful than the harvest. Lots of cool history in that place.

Dream in the spirit of Minho.





















Here is to a safe and successful 2019 season eh!

You took a fvcking Wolverine? That is badass! Congrats on the skunk bear and goat.

I suppose I should write up my season report sometime...

Bycatch

I have a huge amount of respect for Wolverines. Tough as they are, that one didn’t fare well against the .300wm. By most accounts they are the least often seen Alaskan wildlife, but I’ve happened across quite a few of them. We must have a few things in common.

Very cool! Definitely animal of a lifetime - Congrats Coley. When my family used to live up there, my pops had an opp to take one while sheep hunting, but he passed on the shot. He said he always regretted it and didn't regret it at the same time.

I assume you kept the pelt right? Any plans for mount or tanned hide on the wall?

I keep thinking that I go hunting to kill things to eat, which is a prime reason. Then, I see places like this and remember that there is so much more to it. Looks like you add good people to the mix, too.

Thanks for sharing.

Almost! The surf was pretty rough for most of the trip which kept us from getting out to the good fishing/hunting grounds. Surfing was a higher priority than fishing for most of the trip. I did have one Tako cornered for a bit that wound up getting away. I picked up a new Gatku pole spear that I like quite a bit but wasn't able to stick anything with it. Had some close calls with a few kumu and papio.

Carcassman, both hunting and fishing for me are vehicles for adventure with the added bonus of sometimes adding to the food supply. They are both great excuses to get out and enjoy wild places.

My buddy shot it. I don't kill stuff I am not going to eat unless it is trying to kill me.

Kind of an interesting story on the wolverine. The day after I shot my goat we headed back up into the same area to find another one for my buddy. When we got above treeline we stopped to glass for a bit and I picked out a wolverine cruising across an open face about 1000 yards away. We watched it for a while and kept hiking in search of goats. When we came around little rock wall to the spot where we cut up my goat the day before, a different wolverine was munching on the gut pile. My buddy wanted to take it home so he did. I spoke with another group of hunters after the trip that watched another wolverine chewing up the bones from the goat my buddy took later in the trip a few miles from the first. Seems like a robust wolverine population in this little area.

The hide is absolutely incredible. We had it tanned with the goat hides, which are true trophies as well. FYI. Wolverines smell terrible.

Does my heart good to see some grey in your whiskers.... and those legs! Next time warn us, pretty sure those are going to wind up on pornhub next.

Hunting elk in the rut is the most addicting hunting I've found, took me about 20 years to wiggle my way off of that hook, kids grew up on bow killed elk and that's just the way that nature intended, eat the heart while it's warm and put the rest in the freezer. I suspect that there's a Booner Bull in your future....just cause that's the way you do it, already looking forward to that photo essay... (hint: don't pass on cows if it's food you're looking for)

Still would love to kill a moose while I'm in shape enough to deal with it as that is one thing I've never done, Alaska in the fall is pretty hard to hate.

Strange can be....Strange.

A Booner BT is my #1 bucket list hooved animal. I / we got close this year dancing with "The Masher". He's awfully close to being a book buck and if he doesn't start digressing this year, he should be an even bigger stud next year. He went from a 5x5 two years ago, to we don't even know what this year (8x7 or 7x6). I don't think he'd made the book based on standard inches alone. He's gonna need those extra points to have a chance.

It'll be neat to see how his rack changes this off season. If at all and if he's still around, but I don't see why he wouldn't be. He's in prime shape, lives right there, nobody has ever laid eyes on him in person and we're the only ones who hunt around our area.

Past that, I reeeeeally want a good Yukon Moose, so I'm with you Stam. He doesn't need to be a Booner or reach that magical 60" mark. To me, any nice Moose would be my trophy of a lifetime. It's the $20K+ for the trip which holds me back. I'm one big business deal away from putting down a deposit. Hope 2019 is the year I can make that deal.

Coley is addicted to elk hunting.
LOL
Nice pics and a good season.

A tad inconvenient seeing as how the closest elk are about a thousand miles away.

Nick, a DIY moose trip here in AK is not unattainable, quite the opposite. You could piece together a float hunt in a sweet spot for $5-$6K RT from Seattle. It could be done for less off of the road system but your odds of killing something would go down.

Coley,

Don't non-Alaskans have to use a guide or hunt with a state resident? I'd love a DIY moose trip, but didn't think I could. Hence the high cost I threw out because I have looked into guides and its extremely expensive.

I'll make you a deal. You take Toff and I moose hunting in AK and I'll get you into big Colorado bulls.

Guides are required for NR to goats, sheep, and brown bears. NR can hunt moose without a guide, but in some places the antler restrictions vary based on whether or not you are a resident.

Thanks for the offer on Colorado. With family in Montana that is a pretty plug and play trip for me and where I will be chasing elk in the future as often as I am able. I'd be happy to collaborate on a moose trip at some point. I haven't moose hunted the last two years as I have had plenty of moose in the freezer from the last one, and I prefer to do more hunts for smaller animals throughout the year. Half a moose keeps us stocked on meat for two years pretty easily.

70" is the new 60"

Always enjoy CG pixels & prose.

When it comes to large ungulates, a man's got to know his limitations. That often includes freezer volume. *grin*

Have had the pleasure of seeing moose while chasing chrome "up north" and also while hunting elk in WY and MT. First glance at the cow in WY made me believe I was seeing someone's horse tied to a tree at the edge of a snowy meadow. We were both at the edge of treeline about 10k above sea level. Leica 10X solved the riddle. Also jumped one in the MT timber while tracking smokin' hot elk sign in the snow. Both surprised me for being in the high timber and their size. I've long solo hunted for bulls & bucks in remote areas but the idea of packing out a moose makes it a two-man endeavor. Even more so for the Yukon variety and available freezer volume. YMMV.

Coley,
Don't take the bait and get in Todd's candy van.........