Here are some pictures from the latest USA episode. Enjoy!
My new friend on the Bering Sea
Director of Photography Brent Meske “The Man”
Who took my hat and arrows?
“Tarping on the Bering Sea”
Archive for the ‘alaska hunting expedition’ Category
Nunivak Island Pictures
Posted: June 18, 2013 in alaska hunting expedition, antler hunting, archery hunting, arrows, Bering Sea, bow and arrows, Camera, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting with Camera, meat, moose, National Geographic, nature, public land, small game, Small game hunting, Survival, The next generation, traditional archery, Ultimate Survival Alaska, unguided hunting, wildlifeTags: Bering Sea, Longbow Hunting, Nunivak Hunting, Nunivak Island, Nunivak Island hunting, small game hunting
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Nunivak Island Hunting and Gathering: New Ultimate Survival Alaska Airs Tonight June 16th at 9PM ET
Posted: June 16, 2013 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, antler, archery hunting, arrows, bow and arrows, camping, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting with Camera, meat, National Geographic, public land, small game, Small game hunting, Survival, The next generation, traditional archery, Ultimate Survival Alaska, unguided hunting, wildlifeNunivak Island Hunting and Gathering: New Ultimate Survival Alaska Airs Tonight June 16th at 9PM ET
Well its safe to say that my longbow was used throughout tonights episode. The eight of us land on Nunivak Island in hopes of providing some much needed protein for our nutrition. Hunting on Nunivak Island has been part of their culture for thousands of years. Very cool place to visit and the people of Mekoryuk were extremely friendly and most helpful. Be sure to catch the new episode tonight for the how to on hunting with a longbow. Humans have been on a mission to put protein in the pot for thousands of years….What’s your mission?
Photo Courtesy of National Geographic
Thanks again to everyone in Mekoryuk, you made this leg of the adventure my personal favorite! Don’t forget to tune in tonight at June 16th at 9PM ET. For behind the scenes look at Ultimate Survival Alaska check out the twitter updates and facebook posts, find us on twitter @MissionAlaska, and @austinmanelick, #ultimatesurvivalalaska.
-Austin Manelick
A Lower 48er’s View of Alaska
Posted: June 11, 2013 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, artic slope, bears, big game hunting, camping, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, guns, hunting, Hunting Culture, Hunting with Camera, National Geographic, nature, public land, Rifles, Survival, The next generation, Ultimate Survival Alaska, unguided hunting, Videographer, wildlifeTags: carribou, mountain goat, sheep mountain, state of alaska
After graduating with Austin from Penn State, It was our mission to gain experience in the outdoors, test ourselves as young men, and do the trip of our dreams. We wanted to do a low budget, non-guided hunt, using different means of transportation; through-out the state of Alaska for the “Alaskan Big 5″, Caribou, Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, Moose, and Bear. The Mission Alaska Expedition was an amazing adventure, and one that Austin, Jordan Auggie, Sarah, Natalie, Bryan, and I will never forget.
As the lower “48′er” of the crew if was definitely a trip where I was out of my element. As I watch National Geographic’s ‘Ultimate Survival Alaska’, it brings me back to that expedition. The TV cameras make it look a lot easier than it is. They cannot adequately describe the tussocks, wetness, trench-rot, or blisters that come with successfully filming back-country travel. I wanted to share some thoughts on traveling the remote terrain as a real outsider, a non-Alaskan.
It was definitely like nothing I had encountered in the lower 48. It looks a lot like Kansas or North Dakota, but the wetness and endless tundra of the Alaskan arctic, make it like walking on a 3-5 foot wet sponge layer. Tussocks are hard plant root clumps that make the ground very unstable and a nightmare on your knees and ankles.
Endless amounts of “tussocks”.
I will never forget how foreign the environment felt. After leaving our pick-up truck, we might might as well been walking on another planet. We only had to go 5 miles, but it felt like 20!
A hard earned 5 miles out to the hunting area.
As I have been watching ‘Ultimate Survivor Alaska’ on National Geographic, I have been captivated by the scenery of the show and the crew’s ability to capture those images in the remote wilds of Alaska. I have filmed in Alaska and can assure you that the Alaska terrain is the enemy of any electronic device. The wet and the cold can make it very difficult to keep the cameras rolling, SD cards filled, and batteries charged. My hat is off to the Nat Geo production crew for capturing the raw and wild beauty of Alaska.
Cameras dont like working in clouds.
While Alaska can afford some beautiful weather with amazing views, definitely be prepared for cold and wet weather anytime of the year. Do not cheap yourself on gear! While you can sometimes get away with it in the lower 48, bad gear will ruin your trip and can endanger your life in Alaska. Make sure to check the Gear and Apparel page to see Mission Alaska’s gear tips, reviews, and suggestions.
A foggy August Alaskan view.
Looking for sheep in ever-changing weather.
There are all sorts of terrain in Alaska and a trip suited for everyone. Not far outside of the metro areas of Anchorage or the Mat-su Valley are tons of foot accessible areas. You dont always need planes and helicopters in Alaska to experience a real adventure. A lot people come to Alaska and take to bush planes to get out to remote areas. This can leave those areas crowded and areas that are hard to hike to, but not as far out as the planes go, open to anyone who wants to work for it. I had a mission to further test myself and went on a solo black bear hunt. What a great challenge and feeling of accomplishment.
Solo black bear harvest
The Mission Alaska Expedition was for sure the hardest thing I have ever done and the trip taught me a lot about myself, life, and Alaska. I encourage more Americans in the lower 48 to go and experience the last american frontier. It is still very real and alive today. Read ‘John and Joe’s Philly to AK Adventure’. Just like Nat Geo’s ‘Ultimate Survivor Alaska’ shows, for those who want it, adventure lies waiting around every corner.
Whats Your Mission?
-Jon Dykes
Brookes Range – Gates of the Arctic – “The Arrigetch”
Posted: May 19, 2013 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, antler hunting, archery hunting, artic slope, bears, big game hunting, bow and arrows, Camera, camping, DIY hunting, extreme hunting, grizzly bear, guns, hunting, Hunting Culture, National Geographic, Ultimate Survival Alaska, UncategorizedBrookes Mountain Range – Gates of the Arctic – “The Arrigetch” – Bob Marshall
Need I say more? The names mentioned above are legendary, well-respected, and admired in the Alpinist world of exploration. The Gates of the Arctic are truly wild; nestled among some of the gnarliest mountains Alaska has to offer. To begin above the Arctic Circle and end in South West Alaska with nothing but the gear on your back is a daunting task. The challenge set forth by Nat Geo was to embark on this expedition in an “old-school” style, i.e. no fancy technology. This expedition was a throwback to the early days of Alaskan exploration; a journey that traces the pages of history and an ode to the past explorers who came to Alaska and explored the last frontier with minimal gear and technology.
Bob Marshall was an Alaskan explorer who came to the state after exploring a large portion of lower North America. Bob said it best, “I like it among these rugged mountains better than anywhere else in the world.” I relate to the past explorers who came to this state in search of the majestic beasts that roam this fabled land. Traditional archery hunters such as Doctor Arthur Young and Fred Bear will forever be my heroes. Their accomplishments inspired me to follow their footsteps and live and adventurous lifestyle. For the first leg of the expedition the “Elite 8,” which consisted of survivalists, outdoorsmen, climbers, skiers, dog mushers, and mountaineers, began the journey in the Brookes Range. The Nat Geo expedition was the third time I have made my way into the Brookes Range. All three experiences within this epic mountain range were very different, but equally unforgettable.
My first trip to the Brookes Range was several years ago. My brother August and I flew out to hunt dall sheep. The time spent in the north-eastern part of the Brookes was so incredible and also humbling. I cherish the moments my brother and I spent together in field chasing white ghosts with golden horns. We had a close call with a gnarly feature on one particular mountain top. The terrain taught us valuable lessons in survival…always bring rope with you…at some point you will need it. We ended up rappelling off 50-100 foot cliff faces until we ran out of rope. We were faced with a real moment of survival, we had to adapt or die. We ended up climbing down the last 1000 feet in reverse 4-wheel drive with automatic death to the right and instant death to the left. You can read all the survival guides in the world but unless you go outside and experience them first hand, it’s all for nothing.
The wilderness puts an individual’s ability to cope with their surroundings to the test. It was during hunting adventures like these that my brother and I learned to understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Our goal always being to turn our weaknesses into strengths. Together we learned new ways to solve simple problems. These experiences inspired my survival mantra; “team work makes the dream work.” I was much more prepared for my second and third trip to the Brookes Range.
On my second trip to the Brookes Range, my brother, John Dykes (college rugby buddy), and I set out on a quest called the “Mission Expedition”. This expedition took us from the Acrtic sea above the Brookes Range all the way to the Kenai Peninsula, and several locations in the interior. The mission of this expedition was an attempt to fill the freezer with beautiful, free ranging, no hormonal, wild game meat. Being an Alaskan resident we have the unique opportunity to hunt for the big five game animals that call Alaska home. Hunting these animals every year is a part of our Alaskan culture, not to mention the incredible taste and gratification recieved by filling your freezer on your own terms. This second trip would prove invaluable as I learned the terrain, topography, and easiest methods of travel in the Brookes Range the key being the waterways.
My past experiences in the Brookes Range taught me many valuable lessons to take with on the Ultimate Survival Alaska Expedition with National Geographic. I learned mainly that waterways are your friend, and to follow this path of least resistance. Using rafts to minimize the distance of our caribou pack out on a previous expedition, I understood the advantage of bringing along a pack raft. Bringing along a raft would at least provide us the ability to forge and cross rivers, if not to float the entire river to the landing zone. Being as this was a team mission, having a solo packraft would only let me float to the LZ and leave my partners behind. Understanding their need for river crossings help, I stuck with the mantra of “team work being dreamwork” and stayed with the group to help them forge rivers. That being said, I look forward to future adventures with my team members and would do this leg of the expedition all over again.
Check out the gear list below, with these essential items and a basic knowledge of how to use them an individual would be ready to survive just about anything.
Survival Guide Gear List:
-Magnesium Fire Starter
-Knife -full tang
- Fishing kit: Line with various hooks and spinners.
-Tarp 8×10
-Pack Raft
-Back pack or external pack frame
-Water Bottle or container
-Longbow, rifle, pistol, self defense weapon
-Sleeping bag -0 rating
-Bivy Sack
-Plenty of socks
-Food (coffee, oatmeal, rice, beans, whiskey, ramen noodles) what ever you can carry. If you can pack as much calorie dense food as possible.
Facts Courtesy of Wikipedia: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve
Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve is a U.S. National Park in Alaska. It is the northernmost national park in the U.S. (the entirety of the park lies north of the Arctic Circle) and the second largest at 13,238 miles (34,287 km²), about the same size as Switzerland. The park consists primarily of portions of the Brooks Range of mountains. It was first protected as a U.S. National Monument on December 1, 1978, before becoming a national park and preserve two years later in 1980 upon passage of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. A large part of the park is protected in the Gates of the Arctic Wilderness which covers 7,167,192 acres (2,900,460 ha).[3] The wilderness area adjoins the Noatak Wilderness Area and together they form the largest contiguous wilderness in the United States.
History Courtesy of Wikipedia:
Nomadic peoples have inhabited the Brooks Range for as many as 12,500 years, living mainly on caribou and other wildlife. The Mesa site at Iteriak Creek has yielded evidence of occupation between 11,500 and 10,300 years before the present. Later sites from around 6,000 years before present have yielded projectile points, stone knives and net sinkers. The Arctic small tool tradition (ASTt) of about 4,500 BP has also been documented.A late phase of the ASTt from between 2500 and 950 BP, the Ipuitak phase, has been documented in the park at the Bateman Site at Itkillik Lake.[10]
The earliest Inupiat people appeared about 1200 AD at the coast and spread to the Brooks Range, becoming the Nunamuit.[10] The Nunamiut people existed essentially unchanged until World War II brought outsiders into Alaska, which was at the time a strategic outpost of the United States. Some of the nomads began to settle in small communities in the mountains, particularly at Anaktuvuk Pass.[11] TheGwich’in people, a Northern Athabaskan group also lived in the area in the last 1000 years, moving south of the park in historic times.[10]
The Alaskan interior was not explored until the late 19th century, shortly before discovery of gold in the Klondike brought prospectors to Alaska. Some encampments of explorers and survey parties have been identified in the park. A few small mining operations were established in the early 20th century, never amounting to much.[10]
The park’s name dates to 1929, when wilderness activist Bob Marshall, exploring the North Fork of the Koyukuk River, encountered a pair of mountains (Frigid Crags and Boreal Mountain), one on each side of the river. He christened this portal the “Gates of the Arctic.” Marshall spent time in Wiseman during the early 1930s, publishing an account of the place in his 1933 book Arctic Village. In the 1940s writer and researcher Olaus Murie proposed that Alaskan lands be preserved.[12]
Proposals for a national park in the Brooks Range first emerged in the 1960s, and in 1968 a National Park Service survey team recommended the establishment of a 4,100,000-are (41,000 ha) park in the area.[11] That year, Secretary of the Interior Stewart Udall recommended to President Lyndon B. Johnson that Johnson use the Antiquities Act to proclaim a national monument in the Brooks Range and other Alaskan locations, but Johnson declined. By the 1970s the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) prompted serious examination of the disposition of lands held by the federal government. A series of bills were proposed to deal with the settlements required by ANCSA, but the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) was held up in Congress in the late 1970s. President Jimmy Carter used the Antiquities Act to proclaim the proposed parklands under ANILCA as national monuments, proclaiming Gates of the Arctic National Monument on December 1, 1978. In 1980 Congress passed ANILCA, establishing the monument lands as Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve on December 2, 1980.[12]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gates_of_the_Arctic_National_Park_and_Preserve
Find the Gates of the Arctic on facebook @
https://www.facebook.com/GatesOfTheArcticNPS
Vote for your fan favorite on Nat Geo’s Ultimate Survival Alaska
Posted: May 10, 2013 in alaska hunting expedition, arrows, bear charge, bow and arrows, Hunting with Camera, National Geographic, Small game hunting, Survival, The next generation, Ultimate Survival Alaska, Uncategorized, unguided hunting, VideographerTags: Austin Manelick, Hunter, hunting, National Geographic Channel, Ultimate Survival Alaska, van favorite
You know who Mission Alaska is going to vote for!
Check out the interactive map on National Geographic’s webpage for Ultimate Survival Alaska. Scroll to the bottom and make your vote heard for the number one fan favorite!
The premier is May 12th at 10pm EST, don’t forget to tell your mom happy mothers day!
You can find Mission Alaska as well as Austin Manelick on Facebook and Twitter @
@missionalaska
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mission-Alaska
or
https://www.facebook.com/david.austin
@austinmanelick
Here is the link to cast your vote.
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/ultimate-survival-alaska/interactives/interactive-map/
Ultimate Survival Alaska found on Field and Stream
Posted: May 10, 2013 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, artic slope, National Geographic, pack rafting, public land, salmon fishing, Survival, Ultimate Survival Alaska, Videographer, wildlifeFound this interesting article featuring Ultimate Survival Alaska in Field and Stream magazine. I have been a long time subscriber of the magazine and have always dreamed of making the pages of Field and Stream representing Alaska’s outdoorsmen. Found this interesting article on one of my favorite websites www.fieldandstream.com, it talks about our need to find food for survival. I will touch more on the expedition food menu later, for the moment, enjoy the article!
THANKS FIELD AND STREAM!
“Ultimate Survival Alaska” Explorers (Sponsored Post)
Uploaded on May 06, 2013
Ultimate Survival Alaska Explorers hunt and gather for calories The food possibilities in wild Alaska are plentiful if you know how to work for your meal.
The guys on the National Geographic Channel’s Ultimate Survival Alaska really do have to work for it—without fancy fishing poles or advanced gear. The extreme survivalists only have the tools in their packs and whatever they find in the wilderness.
“At some fundamental level, we’re not normal, well-adjusted, modern civilized human beings,” says Willi Prittie, one of the eight explorers. “We’re all throwbacks. Because modern life is not enough of a test for us.”
A 220-pound man needs approximately 2,400 calories every day just to perform basic functions like breathing and metabolizing food. Now imagine that same man is steering a handmade raft through Yukon River rapids and scaling mountain passes. His calorie intake must increase. With strenuous activity, a man needs 3,600 calories to maintain his weight and keep thriving.
The small sacks of beans and rice the explorers carry aren’t enough.
The 10-leg expedition in the brutal and dangerous Alaska terrain includes 200 miles down the Yukon River 50 miles in the Brooks Mountain Range at heights near 9,000 feet. This is no weekend hunting trip with the guys. This is finding the fuel to survive.
Alaska’s wild buffet includes:
Fish: Alaska is known for its salmon, as well as rainbow and steelhead trout, Northern pike, halibut and arctic grayling. On a particularly strenuous day, the Ultimate Survival explorers were overjoyed to land a half-pound of grayling with makeshift fishing poles. Another team constructs a dip net with a branch frame and discarded net.
Plants: Berries and edible plants are plentiful in Alaska. There are raspberries, strawberries, blueberries, and lingonberries north in the tundra.
Game meat: It takes a lot of energy to hunt big game like caribou and bear. The explorers are more likely to hunt rabbit, squirrel, birds and foxes.
When the explorers are desperate for calories, it’s hard to envy their rough outdoor experience. It can even lead them to harvest berries in bear scat and devour frogs.
“It’s amazing what will get you excited when you’re hungry,” admits one contestant.
There are moments of mercy like when native Alaskans invite them into a smokehouse to taste delicious cured salmon. But that’s the side of Alaska the show highlights—the beauty and humanity amid the extreme wild. Delicious wild bounty is just within an adventurer’s reach.
For more information check out:
Legendary Archer: Arthur Young World Champion Archer Takes on Alaskan Expedition. Video
Posted: November 9, 2012 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, archery hunting, arrows, bears, big game hunting, bow and arrows, caribou, grizzly bear, hunting, Hunting with Camera, meat, moose, public land, traditional archery, trout, Trout fishingThis is possibly the coolest youtube video I have ever viewed. This video shows world champion archer Arthur Young on an epic expedition across the state of Alaska subsisting with only a traditional longbow and arrow. He takes on dall sheep, moose, brown bear, small game, salmon, and basically everything in between. Arthur shoots a moose with his longbow, then uses its hide to build a canoe and float down the freezing Yukon River. He spends times hunting with the Alaskan Natives on the his way to hunt brown bears in Kodiak. This black and white video is awesome, watch legendary bowmen Art Young take on Alaska “old school” with only stick and string.
Image Courtesy of http://www.stickbow.com/stickbow/history/ArtYoung.html
Check these links out if your interested.
Hunter Safety is the First Step
Posted: November 8, 2012 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, hunting, Hunting with CameraThe first step to becoming a hunter is to sign up and complete your states standard hunter safety course. Chris Pearson and Bryan Peters have been interested in hunting for a few years now. Bryan Peters has joined me on several hunting trips acting as videographer and second set of eyes. Chris and Bryan decided that tonight they would complete the online portion of their hunter safety course. Hunting is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors while simultaneously filling your freezer for the upcoming winter months.
Hunting is our sport, its a lot of fun, and we suggest you try it.
Mountain Goat Kills Hiker
Posted: July 29, 2012 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, hunting, UncategorizedTags: Alaska, Alaska Mountain goats, Alaska wilderness, Alaska wilderness survival., camping, hiking, mountain goat, Mountain goats, wilderness survival
I found this article while researching Alaska Mountain Goat hunting. In my findings, I have learned never to mess around with a Mountain Goat. A mountain goat almost took my life in 2011 while I was hunting South Central Alaska. I almost completely severed a finger from rock shale while stalking the goats, however managed to connect with a beautiful goat. Check out my youtube video and compare the dangers of my Mountain Goat hunting video veersus this article.
Austin with tenderized mountain goat and injured finger
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sD4CObfmhtI
I was lucky enough to have my Thompson Center Muzzleloader with me in order to take care of my goat, the hiker in this article wasn’t as lucky.
Outdoor Life Writers
Robert Boardman, 63, was hiking with his wife and friend in Olympic National Park on Monday when he was attacked and killed by a mountain goat. The trio was hiking up a popular switchback trail and decided to stop for lunch when the goat approached them and started acting aggressively.
Boardman tried to scare the goat off, but instead of running away, it charged him goring him badly in the leg. More hikers came to try to help Boardman, but the goat stood over the man’s body and wouldn’t let any other hikers come to his aid.
An hour after the attack, rescuers finally arrived at the scene but Boardman died from his injuries. Park officials eventually shot and killed the goat.
Apparently, that specific goat had show aggressive tendencies in the past. “It has shown aggressive behavior, however, nothing led us to believe it was appropriate to take the next level of removal,” park spokeswoman Barb Maynes told the Associated press. “This is highly unusual. There’s no record of anything similar in this park. It’s a tragedy. We are taking it extremely seriously and doing our best to learn as much as we can.”
The goat is being examined by scientists to see if it had any diseases that could have caused it to act so aggressively.
Find more information on this article at:
http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2010/10/mountain-goat-kills-hiker
Mission Alaska: Spring Bear 2012 Second Leg
Posted: June 24, 2012 in alaska, alaska hunting expedition, bears, big game hunting, Uncategorized-Journey to Valdez
As any hunter does, after missing a shot on their quarry, I felt a sense of desperation come over me and the instinctual crave for another shot opportunity. This feeling would cloud my agenda over the next four days of this spring Alaska bear hunt. After missing a large black bear while hunting with Vince Pokryfki, I felt the need to redeem myself. The feeling of redemption would be the clarity needed to help me succeed on the next leg of my two week bear hunting journey . Only stopping at the home base of operations in Palmer Alaska to do a confidence shot (sight in) with my 350 Remington Magnum. An eight hour drive to Valdez, gave me plenty of time to meditate and concentrate on the days past events.
Fireside contemplation
Thinking deeply on developing a new game plan on how to harvest a black bear, I had one tactic in mind. Talking with the locals proved to be the most crucial piece of advice for the entire hunt. During the drive I called and contacted several locals and asked them if they had seen any bears in the Valdez area. The most popular reply I received was “the bears are everywhere down here.” The odds seemed to be in my favor and the phone conversations sparked my imagination; my thoughts became crawling with bears.
The drive to Valdez is full of breath taking views of mountains so big and vertical, they seemed to reach out and punch you in the face. An interesting place to hunt black bears for sure, the area looked to hold more mountain goats than black bears. Working off of previous knowledge and tips from the locals, I knew of two hunting locations near town that held big bears. These two areas provided great hunting, at a very steep price. The black bears littered the mountains, however getting up in a shooting position would not be a simple task.
Typical Alaskan view
After deciding via coin toss which of the two locations would be first, the hunt began from the parking lot. After only five minutes of glassing, we had already spotted four bears – one sow with two cubs and one promising boar. I proceeded to throw on my snow shoes and Barneys Pinnacle Pack frame and trekked a mile and a half to the base of the mountain. I kept my eye on the bear as I hiked up the 6000 foot nearly vertical mountain. Everything looked a lot different once I was on the steep mountain face hiking toward the last location of the boar. Re-locating the animal as you get closer to them is a crucial technique in hunting big game animals in Alaska. Finding the game is a small fraction of the battle, judging their size, closing the final distance for the shot, packing the animal out, and filling out your tag correctly are all parts of the journey.
As I proceeded to close the distance on the boar, I lost sight of him around 600 yards as he fed through an overgrown jungle of alder bushes. With a good vantage point on a protruding mountain shelf, I hunkered down on an alder stand waiting for the animal to show himself. I knew, if I gave him enough time, the bear would unknowingly walk right by me. He was completely unaware of my existence on the mountainside as I laid like a frozen predator in silence. Wearing “whites” (white jacket camouflage) to disguise myself on the snow shelf, the bear revealed himself around 300 hundreds yards. The only way to explain my vantage point was like Mark Whalberg in the movie Shooter. Yeah, the last scene in the movie up in the mountains (you know what I’m talking about), when Marky Mark Whalberg looks likes a chunk of snow. The bear walked directly towards my position. I waited like a patient spider on my web of snow. I had just enough time to judge the size and the sex of the bear.
Glassing in “Whites”
From two miles away I predicted the bear to be a large boar black bear approximately 5-6 ft squared. I noticed the bear was not behaving like a large boar at all, a large boar usually takes his time during travel. This bear was moving quickly, and before long this large bear from far away, was actually a very small bear when up close. Judging the size of bears is very difficult, knowing the behavior of the animals helps. Small bears generally move much faster than larger bears, bigger bears take their time with no rush. Also, ear size, leg length, belly drag, skull/nose size, are factors that play into judging a bears size.
Another great bear hunting vantage point
The bear walked within two hundreds yards of me before turning back up the mountain feeding back into the nasty tangles of alders. The bear was about two years old and about 4.5-5ft squared in size. This was not the type of bear I wanted to harvest, so he fed away from my position unknowingly that I had tapped cou on his head. It was awesome to watch the bear in his own element unaffected by human presence. Bears are the ultimate land predator and there is something to be said about viewing them in their natural element. Finding the four resident bears in the first hunting spot in Valdez, I decided this area only contained a small boar and a female with cubs. If a big boar lived in that area, I never found him and he lives on for the next outdoor enthusiast to enjoy. I decided to come down from my high vantage point and change locations to my second area in Valdez.
Sleeping straight up and down in the seat of a truck was an excellent alternative to sleeping on the 8ft of snow base in the Valdez area. Not to mention the frozen rain, now starting to pour as I neared the base of the mountain and the truck’s location. I arrived at the truck and made a Top Ramen package accompanied by a camel pack of water. An excellent meal and some much needed hydration was necessary for a great night’s sleep. I drove to my new location, which was just outside of Valdez, parked the truck and fell into a deep slumber. Waking up in the morning to more frozen rain, I knew it would be a great day of hunting. Already in position to glass for bears, I was confident I would find an early morning monster bear.
Breafast consisted on four gulps of water, and a peanut butter Oreo tortilla snack (a family hunting snack). After an hour or so of glassing with no bears in sight, we relocated. The mountains in Valdez are a site to behold. From sea level to 5000 feet, these mountains are nearly vertical. Avalanche danger would also be a preventative matter and precautionary step taken into account on any stalk or game plan. During the adventure, several “avies” avalanches made themselves known by a thunderous mega phone of power. Knowing the “avies” could sweep me into the white abyss, venturing above tree line would be the last resort to harvesting a bear. With a record snow fall in Alaska for the 2011-2012 winter, the snow was a critical factor in the spring 2012 hunt. Sticking to the roads would be one of the only options for this hunt.
After a two mile drive, the dirt road changed abruptly. We were coming across potholes so big they could swallow an ATV. Driving slowly to dodge the potholes allowed me to “bare eye” the mountainside. “Is that a bush bear?” I said to Bridger the Videographer, thinking I was fooled by a dark colored piece of vegetation. Stopping to verify what appeared to be a bear, the binos clarified that this was no bush bear. In fact, this was the mature black bear that I was looking for. Pulling the truck safely off the gravel pit roadway and finding a good parking spot was the immediate next order of business. Coming to a halt and coordinating a filmed stalk with Bridger, the bear was 1000 yards and feeding on a hill side. A large cottonwood tree grove separated the bear and the fiddle head fern hill side between the gravel pit and truck. The long stalk would take us far from the road side and deep into the cottonwood jungle, the bear was unaware of the impending inevitable. Closing the distance using gigantic trees to shield my movements from the bear was the key to taking an ethical shot.
Bear crawling was the only option
Two hundred yards away, the crunchy snow gave the bear a direction to look at. The bear was now aware something was close, losing interest it went back to feeding. “If only I can get within 170 yards, I could take a shot,” I thought to myself. The crunch of the snow under our feet was too loud. Bear crawling to spread my weight out would be my only option. I slung my rifle over my back, a 30 yard bear crawl would prove its stealth like effectiveness. Using a move out of my Pennsylvania hunting career for whitetails, I popped up from behind the cottonwood and posted the rifle on the tree mass. Jacking a round into the 350’s chamber, the crosshairs found center mass on the bear in the blink of an eye. I aimed low on the chest of the bear to account for the extreme angle and to prevent shooting over the bear. I took a deep breath in and exhaled a thunderous breath from the rifle. The shot rang across the mountainside. The bear was struck by the final blow and fell 30 yards into a tangle of alders.
Waiting 45 minutes with no movement from the bear, I took a mental note of the bear’s final resting place. A short hike up an avalanche shoot to the bear’s location was exciting to say the least. Turning the power down on the scope to approach the bear proved unnecessary, however I was ready. The beautiful mature black bear had a jet black healthy coat. I was proud. Validating game tags, salvaging all of the meat from the bear, skinning the bears hide and skull were some of the final steps. Packing all the meat, hide, and skull back out to the truck wasn’t too difficult. Before long we were rambling down the road with grins from ear to ear. “Ring Ring”… My cell phone just getting into cell reception had five missed calls and five voicemail messages. Jason Semler called my phone and had a very important message. He said “I am in Valdez at the boat launch, you up to go hunting?” I called him back and said “I already tagged out and cannot hunt any more bears in Valdez this year. However Bridger has a bear tag, would you mind taking him out”? All of us being Colony High School graduates at some time or another, Jason didn’t mind going out and splitting the costs for this evening buddy hunt. He replied “right on, get down here to the boat ramp, we will fuel up and head out”.
Beautiful Valdez Black Bear
Driving to the boat launch, Bridger had his black bear tags and hunting license already purchased. Having a premonition that Bridger would get his first shot opportunity at a big game animal, I told Bridger to get his tags at Sportsmens Warehouse before we left. Bridger having his black bear tags and his hunting license in his pocket would be hunting big game for the very first time. We met with Jason Semler at his boat, jumped in and motored off towards the majestic Prince William Sound.
STAY TUNED FOR PART 3 Of THIS BEAR HUNTING ADVENTURE.
Snippet Preview of next article.
Driving 8 hours back home to Palmer Alaska would go by fast. Bridger and I both grinning ear to ear with success, the drive was filled with laughter and stories. The next steps would be processing both the bear’s meat into delectable packages of edible goodness, and “officially sealing” the bears with Wildlife officials. All was completed successfully and everyone who took part in the adventure could not have been happier.
Stay tuned for the 2012 Alaska fishing season!!
Gear List
-Photon 10X40 Russian made Binoculars
-Barneys Pinnacle Pack
-Hidden Antler Jersey
-350 Remington Mag.
-Mendhl Boots
-Mamut Champ Pants
-MSR Snow Shoes
