Short Trip into the White Mountains.

[Sourdough]

  Got back last night at 10:30, from a short overnighter in the White Mountains.  Saw Moose, and lots of Caribou sign but no Caribou.  Saw a group of 23 Dall sheep (Ewes and lambs) going in Friday, then three big Rams.  Unable to calculate the size due to them running when we saw them, and they did not slow down thill they were over the top of the mountain.  Had a small bull walk through camp yesterday morning, we just sat there eating breakfast.  I looked at Norm, he looked at me, we both said "NA, Let him go".  We were enjoying the morning too much, the sun rising over the mountains, frost on the tents and grass, trees changing colors, cool crisp air, and the distant roar of a small stream near camp.  We did not build a fire so we would not spoil the scene.  Beautiful weather, after the sun came up it got hot.  We just started riding the 4-wheelers looking at new teritory.  As evening progressed we decided to come home as it was looking like rain.  Saw another group of Dall sheep on the way out.  32 in this group, then two Rams across the trail about 100 yards away.  Both were only half curl, we watched them for a while then the wind shifted and they winded us and were gone fast.  I spoted a medium sized (High 40s low 50s) Bull Moose on the hill side about 600 yards away, again I looked at Norm, he looked at me, and we both said "Na".   We got out just in time, the rain started just as we finished loading, and as we drove to the highway from the trailhead it rained hard.

My neighbor wanted fresh meat so he went out yesterday morning.  Borrowed my canoe and went about four miles from the house and put into Pile Driver slough.  His intent was to drift the slough, spend one night camping out then finishing the drift today.  10 minutes into the drift he rounded the first bend and there stood a 50 inch bull.  Easy twenty yard shot.   His son Eric had not even gotten back home from dropping him off, when Russ called him.  Russ needed help to dress it out and haul it back to the little park where he had started drifting.  Eric walked the bank to the location, just a few hundred yards from the parking lot.  Had to make two trips, too much meat for the Coleman Scanoe for one trip.  While they were dressing this one out a smaller bull walked out about 100 yards downstream from them.  They threw rocks at it to drive it off, afraid it might decide they should not be in his territory.

[Woodbutcher]

 I think of stories like this when I drive thru the city, it helps.  Woodbutcher

[corbanzo]

Got to go to the city (anchorage) this weekend... ugh..  Always spend money and remember why I hate traffic there.

Went caribou hunting in the clearwater mountains last weekend.  Buddy had a tier II caribou tag.  We got a nice bou on the first day, about seven miles in on the walk in only area.  Came over a hill and saw his shape about a mile and a half away, big bull.  We hiked down the road a ways, till we were about parallel with him in the valley.  We had a south wind when we started our stalk, so we kept going slightly north as we headed west across the valley to him.  He never saw us coming, there north wind was rustling the brush slightly, he couldnt smell or hear us coming.  He got a broadside shot, through the top of the shoulder and the spine, instant fall. 

Cleaned him up and packed him out.  On the way in we saw two cow moose, on the way out, we saw six.  One of which was right next to the trail, I decided to use my calls and a little rattling, and got within about 25 feet of the cow, it was pretty funny.  Acted like I was eating the shrubs around, cut my lip like an idiot.  She kept looking at me thinking, you act like a moose, but you dont look like one, and I know you arent, what the heck are you?

Here is where it gets fun.  The next day, the trooper stops by to check everything out, looks at tags and stuff, takes his info for the caribou, my info because I'm hunting moose.  Then he "informs" us of the new tier II regs in which we need to pack out with us the - meat bone in, heart, liver, hide, head, split antlers, kidneys, and a partridge in a pear tree.  So we told him if the bear hadn't got to it, we would go and get the stuff we forgot.  (Seriously, who packs out the head, or the kidneys?)  These new tier II regs have everybody mad.  Now instead of leaving the pile for the animals, they want you to pack it all out, so it gets thrown in the dumpster, and attracts animals to residential areas... stupid.  I mean, with these rules, the only things you can leave behind are the backbone, the stomach and intestines, and the lungs. 

The hide went to the tanner, antlers are drying, also found some good sheds on the hillsides I sanded down today, turned out pretty good. 

Even after all those cow moose, not one bull moose.  We saw some pretty fresh bear tracks, but no bears. 

Went and sat on a marsh yesterday morning, saw a little bull, I was hoping for a little spike, but saw the smallest paddles ever.  They were a set of double forks with a little tiny knob in the middle... so close to legal, yet so far.  Not worried about a trophy, just want some meat.

[corbanzo]

I forgot to add... when we got back sunday night, between three of us we polished off the back straps and tenderloins, why share?

Pan seared in butter and garlic.. .mmm