Seems like we could use some activity here. Forgive me but I'm proud of a couple outings I made with my boys this fall. Thought I'd share. Forgive the length. I'll try to get the photos included when I revive my account on my hosted pics.
The first phots are of Ben (10) and my trip up the Nushagak River a couple weeks ago. We took off Friday afternoon with a decent but chilly weather forecast. We camped at our favorite spot about 3 mi upstream of Portage on the west channel. The hope was to find a really unlucky caribou and barring that, ducks, grouse, rabbits or whatever. Even had a bear tag. No caribou were seen as they have become VERY sparse in the area. Next morning I told Ben to check the trails right around camp while I heated water for oatmeal. In 3-4 steps he spotted the first spruce hen. He was a bit too excited and took 3 shots to get dialed in. He walked about 50 feet further and bumped another into a bush and dropped it with 1 shot. The rest of the day we motored up the west channel stopping at likely places to spot 'bou but found none. Then I took him to a spot where I've often seen grouse while moose hunting. We barely got up on the bluff and jumped one and Ben proceeded to dust the next few with one shot each including neck shooting one. He let me take one bird that I could see and he couldn't approach.
That night after dinner and back at camp, we decided to try for a rabbit we'd seen on a bluff across the river. We took a different route than the night before and jumped a spruce hen. In the process of trying to find it, we started hearing cow moose calling and then a bull moose thrashing trees and brush. It took a little convincing but I got Ben to abandon the bird and find the moose. We moved slowly and could hear moaning and snorting. When we got as close as we dared and near an open gully, I beat a tree and bushes with a big stick. Out popped two very big and eager cows and behind them a nice bull well over 50 inches. Where was he when the season was open? I couldn't get the bull to thrash the brush and as they were less than 50 yds away and ready to come over, I didn't do any more calling. In the process another moose snuck up behind us. Ben spotted its legs and started talking and getting very worried - the moose spooked without showing more. After a bit we showed ourselves to the 3 moose but they never spooked - light was falling fast and we were in dark clothing so they may not have recognized us. I got a kick out of it but I think Ben was too scared to enjoy it. Oh, note the bear fence around our tent. We discovered another pest it works on; foxes. One was hanging around camp most of the evening our first night. It may have been spoiled by the summer guides as well as being attracted to a lot of mice in the camp area. I would yell at it and it would only trot into the nearest bush. About 4 am a plane flew over and woke me. I was laying there waiting to go back to sleep when a I heard a sharp "snick" sound followed by the sounds of fast scampering little feet leaving the area. I suspect that fox sniffed the fence and got a rude surprise. Fine with me as he could mess up our food too.
By the time we left Sunday afternoon it was cloudy but glassy calm. Ben had shot 8 spruce hens, and I got 2.
Total gas used in the new Honda 40 was less than 15 gallons! That's for at least 85, possibly close to 100 miles of running, most while carrying an unneeded 20 gallons of spare gas, all our camp gear, 4 guns, ammo etc. in an old 18 foot Lund skiff.
The next Friday, I took out my younger son for a solo trip - first time it has just been us 2. We woke up to our first snow, wind and rain Saturday in a cabin on Lake Aleknagik. The mission was to get Emmett (7) his first spruce hen. He's not the determined hiker or hunter like his 10 yr old brother. So we were snowed / rained out for Sat. morning. Weather got nice mid day but everything was dripping and the birds stayed in hiding. We did a little fishing on the upper Agulowak -Emmett caught one rainbow about 12 inches and we bonked it for dinner. By then it was beautiful, sunny, but chilly. We found lots of huckleberries still unfrozen and ate a bunch as we hiked looking for birds.
Sunday morning we woke up to colder clear and calm. Lucked out and found 3 birds picking on the beach a few yards from the cabin. Emmett made one good shot and bagged his first spruce hen. The others flew deep into the woods. We found one in a birch tree but Emmett missed a hard shot with much of the bird hidden behind a thick branch. We jumped 2 more birds but they flew long and we lost them. Oh well we connected with one bird at least. We found fresh bear tracks in the snow so I was glad to be carrying the 12 ga. It appears the bear was feeding on a pile of dead salmon that have collected in a pocket of still water. He must smell extra nasty. Caught one other little 'bow in the lower Agulowak and had to head home. Sure was nice to have a warm cabin to snuggle into.
It was so nice Sunday afternoon that we didn't want to come home. I have new lower scope rings on the Chipmunk and it helps him shoot better but its so light he wobbles a lot. I have a left hand youth Savage .22 on order and we'll see how he does with it (he's left eyed). That Chipmunk rifle is a joy to carry though.
