AK Blacktails -Fantasy Island

[Big Fin]

Another pic of Jim's buck. The buck was bedded at the base of that rock slide you see way up at the top. It rolled this far down the hill, coming to rest in this wet spot.



Ready to go get one.


Very happy hunters.


You can kill this buck, Jim. He's right down below this ledge. Choot 'em!


'Spose there's another big buck here? May as well pack two of them down off this face and get our money's worth.

 

[fowl_minded]

Nice buck can't wait to hear the story

 

[Big Fin]

We wrapped up the day with a couple hours of glassing while eating some Mountain House meals. Just did not seem like enough calories for what we had expended the last couple of days. And, over the years, I‘ve really lost much appetite for any of the flavors or meals.

Before hitting the tents, we did manage to glass up a really nice 4X4 right above camp on the highest spine. Jim suggested that buck would probably be a net B&C buck, even with velvet stripped, thanks to some amazing symmetry, good beam length, and really good mass. Even further up the cliff was one really ugly massive 4X2 that was heavily palmated out on his 2-point side. That ugly dude was a huge body size compared to the other bucks. Being a guy who leans toward ugly more so than score/size this big dude would be my target, with the big clean 4X4 as close second.

Night passed very quickly. No Sandhill Crane to keep me awake. The alarm sounded and I was out of the tent glassing in the early dawn light. No fog this morning, so a few bucks were present to the naked eye. Time to get out the spotters and plan the attack for today.

Right above camp were a various number of 3X2 and 3X3 bucks. High on the top rocks was the 4X2 that I had hoped would come lower. He was now rubbed with ribbons of velvet hanging from his bases. It was fun to watch from afar. As the velvet strips would hit the back of his neck, he would gallop and swing his head wildly. In between he would thrash the brush in hopes to remove the tangle decorations from his antlers.

I told Tyler that we should look around more before committing to the huge loop of this basin that would be needed to get close to that 4X2. Jim had warned me that there were two cliffed out areas that might need some ropes when coming down, thanks to some crazy fault lines we could not see from down here. With that knowledge, I wanted to be more patient. Either the big 4X2 would come to a more approachable location or the 4X4 would show up.

Jim was still in resting while Tyler and I were plotting strategy. He heard us talking and asked if we were seeing much. My reply, “Not enough to get out of a warm sleeping bag this early in the morning.”

After about a half hour, a buck stood up from a patch of thick alder/blueberry/junglebrush not too far up the face. I was looking at the buck and thought he was the 4X4 from the night before, but with low light and some brush obscuring him, I wasn’t sure. I asked Tyler if he thought it was the 4X4 who was a candidate. He put his spotter on the buck and gave one reply as he ran past my position to get his camera gear, “Get your gun!”

I ranged the buck from our glassing position. He was even lower on the mountain than I expected; 504 yards. Dang, this was beyond my expectation.

I ran to Jim’s tent and explained the good 4X4 was right above camp and low on the mountain; that Tyler and I were going to dart across the valley and see if we could scale high enough to get a decent shot. His only reply was a bit expletive-laden and to paraphrase, it was stern instructions for us to get going and not worry about him. With that, Tyler and I were trotting across the wet meadow.

As we neared the base of the moraine that spawned down the face, it became obvious that shooting angles were getting really steep. The closer we got to the cliff, the more the tall brush blocked any openings for a potential shot.

Part way up the beginning of the other slope I found a stunted Krumholtz Spruce that had a fork in it at just the right height if I thought I could make a shot from here. I put the Howa in that crotch and wedged a trekking pole in the other dead limbs so it would protrude right under the grip of the stock, giving me some elevation stabilization.

I glassed up and the buck was now obscured by brush. Not a chance for a shot here. The range was now cut to 310. This was getting doable, except for the fact that the angle was much steeper than I expected and the brush was thicker than I had hoped. Tyler and I discussed the options.

Fortunately, the buck moved to an opening and gave us one more option. Wait for him here. And wait we did.

The buck knew we were there. He had us pegged. He was dialed in on our every movement. Finally, he blinked and started down the trail a few more steps. The buck was now facing from my right to left, with some sparse twigs in front of him. The range finder reading was now 283 with a steep angle.

The buck took a couple more steps. Tyler questioned if the buck was now clear of brush. From my angle, it looked good. From my left and a bit behind, Tyler gave me the “I’m on him” command. I practiced my breathing from this tree rest that was as steady as any bench I had shot from. How I lucked out and found a shooting brace like this, high in the alpine of Alaska, seemed an extreme streak of good fortune.

This buck seemed happy to continue eyeing us from above. He seemed to be in no big hurry and have no concerns. I was able to get my breathing and heart rate to a point where the crosshairs were moving slowly, but did not stray from the vital zone. I told Tyler I was comfortable. He confirmed he was still on the buck.

I drew a deep breath and slowly let out, reaching that point of complete confidence, at which time the 2.5# trigger broke and the bullet was on his way. Tyler thought I hit high and right. In my mind, there was not a chance, barring some brush I had not seen.

The buck lunged and was coming down hill in an erratic pattern. He caught his balance and stotted a few steps right into another opening, giving me a perfect broadside angle. I again held for a front shoulder and fired. The buck jolted, took two steps and started summersaulting down the slope, getting caught in the brush a few rolls down from his position. Jim had been watching from further behind and proclaimed both shots were true.

Wow, that had worked out far beyond what I deserved or that I could have ever dared dream. The buck was now about 500 feet up the slope, albeit a very steep slope. Jim caught up to us and some big congratulations were exchanged. We gathered our goods and started toward the buck, quickly realizing what a mess of brush we had to negotiate, uphill.

It took about a half hour to reach where we last saw the buck disappear. When we got there, the buck was tangled among some alders on a slope too steep to have any chance to take care of field dressing him. I jumped in the brush, disentangled his antlers from the brush, and took a few photos. When I let go of him, he continued his tumble down the slope, coming to rest in a small flatter area where the grade started to forgive.

Ten minutes later we had retraced our steps to where the buck now rested and would allow us the work at hand. With three experience guys running knives, the work did not take long. We were on our way back to camp, laughing at our amazing good fortune, while Jim explained to me the quality of the buck I had just taken.

Spirits were high. We were back in camp, shedding packs and talking about whether we would try to find Tyler a buck (I had bought a tag for him, in the case weather allowed a longer hunt). Jim broke out his sat phone and got the forecast that the weather window to get off this island was closing fast. We had little time for celebration. We needed to get camp taken down, on our backs, and start the laborious journey down the trail we came, only this time carrying 100# packs.

How I was able to build a bench rest from a scrubby little spruce tree.


What my shot angle looked like.


A pic from where the buck first got hung up in the brush right after the shot.


A good pic of where he stopped the second time.


A side view.

 

[jryoung]

I like ugly too, but that is one damn fine example of a sitka.

 

[idahobowhunter]

looking forward to the episode on tv!!

 

[big28hunter]

WOW what a couple of STUDS! Well earned trophies. Enjoy that wonderful venison. Heading back to Thorne Bay very soon. Try to beat the dinker I took on last years trip.

 

[dihardhunter]

Those other angles show he's even bigger than I first thought. Congratulations on a FINE hunt and can't wait to watch the show.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

Heck'uva buck, Randy! That first pic with you and the buck is awesome, frame worthy for sure.

 

[Spitz]

Such incredibly beautiful country and amazing trophies. Truly a hunt to remember. Congratulations to you all and thank you for opening my eyes to a hunt I must experience.

 

[Steve O]

I'll look forward to the next DVD. I've seen your buddy and his bucks many times researching Sitka and Black bear hunts out that way.

 

[jakesdad]

I'd like to know more about that muzzleloader!! Ive seen James' name listed several times in the Longhunter record books.Being a full time muzzleloader guy myself(albeit a inline)it takes a special kind of guy to hunt with a hawken style rifle fulltime,not even throwing in the factors of the anti' muzzleloader weather of SE Alaska!!

 

[----]

Gorgeous country and an amazing hunt, takes me back to the Shire.

 

[DWarcher]

Damn fine bucks guys...congrats!

 

[kansasdad]

Gorgeous country and an amazing hunt, takes me back to the Shire.

Good one Randy11!



Big Fin: Failure to show a closeup of Devils Club while showing such beautiful scenery and bucks might be construed as entrapment by some courts.

Thanks for the effort in sharing the adventure and the hunt.

 

[WFGinNM]

Congratulations, awesome Sitka. You just have to love the double forks.

--Bill

 

[Foxtrot1]

Great story and smoking deer. Couldn't think of anyone that deserves it more. Congrats

 

[SagebrushSlayer]

Awesome storytelling and hunt! Its great that you both shot such great Sitkas. Your hunts fuel the fire for us DIY'ers thats for sure! Conrats

 

[AKBlacktail]

The Hawken rifle is built from parts from Track of the Wolf's Jim Bridger Hawken. It is patterned after a c. 0.50 cal. 1850 Hawken Bridger sold in 1865. The original has a 1 1/8 x 33 1/8" barrel. Mine is 34 5/8". Mine was originally 0.54 cal., the minimum in Alaska for most big game animals. First built in 1993, I shot it out and had to re-bore it last year to 0.58 cal. I am shooting a 0.57 Hornady Premium Swaged roundball with 0.017" pillow ticking patch on top of 110 grains of FFg Goex black powder.

 

[BuzzH]

Neat story and some great bucks...big congrats to both of you!

 

[Dave N]

The Hawken rifle is built from parts from Track of the Wolf's Jim Bridger Hawken. It is patterned after a c. 0.50 cal. 1850 Hawken Bridger sold in 1865. The original has a 1 1/8 x 33 1/8" barrel. Mine is 34 5/8". Mine was originally 0.54 cal., the minimum in Alaska for most big game animals. First built in 1993, I shot it out and had to re-bore it last year to 0.58 cal. I am shooting a 0.57 Hornady Premium Swaged roundball with 0.017" pillow ticking patch on top of 110 grains of FFg Goex black powder.

Welcome to the forum! Hope to see plenty of posts from you as well as pictures of the awesome place you live! I've been to Alaska 3 times now and REALLY want to take a gun along SOON. Sightseeing and fishing just ain't cutting it for me!