Alaskan Elk Hunt

[TBinKodiak]

Just got back a couple hours ago from Afognak Island. hump

Picture taken around noon on Friday

Picture taken Heading through Kupreanof Straights a little after noon today

 

[Ovis]

Nice job TB! Were you hunting on native land? I don't really keep up with the elk hunts on Raspberry, Afognak, etc...was this a draw or over the counter?

 

[1_pointer]

Congrats! I've heard tell that the elk hung on Afognak is a pretty tough hunt!

 

[Moosie]

WHOOOOoooooooAH !!!!! Some AK elk carnaige. NICE

Kudos, Looks like you Afognaked the elk !!!!!

 

[Ovis]

Congrats! I've heard tell that the elk hung on Afognak is a pretty tough hunt!

Now that is news to me...I've never heard the elk on Afognak were "hung". Somebody has not had their coffee this a.m.

 

[TBinKodiak]

Well this hunt almost didn't happen because the boat had to leave Wed night to get ahead of a storm that was pushing 18 foot seas. I had a meeting Thurs morning as did my other buddy. We were able to get a charter flight out Thurs afternoon (after it had been postponed to Friday due to weather) so it was a rush to get to the plane while there was a break in the weather. We flew up through Raspberry straights and cut across the penninsula to Malina bay where the boat anchored up. We spotted the main herd of 100+ elk dead center and were a little concerned that they were too far from the ocean to access. Luck was on our side and as we were decending into Malina we spotted 5 bulls about 2 miles from the salt. The landing was a little exciting, but we made it to the boat.

Friday morning had us on the beach a little before first light and the brush wacking began. We spotted the bulls a little further in and worked our way up the mt towards them. They were feeding out in a little grass area surrounded on 3 sides by spruce and the fourth by alder. One of the guys and myself made our way out into the alder and I got lined up on the only bull visible (the 4x4) while the other two went around the spruce to see if they could spot the bedded bulls. We had agreed to only shoot if we had at least 2 bulls in sight. The 4x4 went up into the spruce and things got exciting as the other bulls busted the other guys. The 5x5 came out and I lined up on him and my buddy lined up on a big spike that came out next. We were shooting out of the alders about 200 yards uphill, the elk were moving across the grass medow but were somewhat covered by alder tops. We both fired and the herd took off. Things weren't looking good as there weren't any elk on the ground, but the bulls had went up valley then crossed over to the other side. We regrouped and just watched them.

They slowly made their way up over the top and once they were out of sight we busted @ss down through the alders and up that mt. When we crested they were below us about 150 yards. I was in the middle so that had me lined up on the busted horn bull. I drilled him in the spine and the guy on my left dumped the 4x4. One guy was shooting at the big bull and I think he hit it in the guts, but it was still moving out. I put one through its shoulder and another guy smacked it in the rear quater as it went over the rise. That 5x5 is about as big as they get, and it was kinda cool that it was a group effort bull. Here's the carnage.
Old busted horns

The big boy

The 4x4

We cut up the 5x5 and hauled that out hoping the bears wouldn't move in over night. We spotted one bear at about 500 yards coming out that ran towards us at the warning shot but then veered to the right at the next shot.
The next day we got up there and I fired one out across the valley, not seeing anything we moved down into the alders. Things got a little exciting when we got to where the 4x4 was "supposed" to be. We put another shot in the air and sure enough there was crashing over the hill from us. We lined up waiting for the charge, but the sow and 2 cubs popped out of the alders about 200 yards out heading away from us. At the same time the brush exploded below us about 150 yards away and a nice chocolate boar about 9' went tearing out the bottom and up the other side of the valley. This is what an elk looks like after a bear has cached it.

We figured the sow had drug off the carcass of the one we butchered and the boar had drug the other two down the hill about 100 yards from the kill site. Anyway he only tore out the guts and ruined a little neck and rib meat so the quarters and backstraps were fine and the other one hadn't been burried yet. Got them cut up and boned out.
Looking up valley from the kill site.

About a quater mile from the kill site after coming out of the valley, you can see the boat anchored out in the bay.

We knew the weather was going to turn on us so we went out very heavy so we wouldn't have to come back (not to mention the bears would be back to clean up anything we left). I had 2 fronts and a rear quarter in my pack and it took two guys to lift it on my back (the others were carrying similar loads). I was about half way out when I felt a snap in my calf and went down. After a little stretching and 4 Ibuprophin we were able to tell that it wasn't my achiles tenden and probably a soft tissue tear so I was able to hobble the rest of the way out just grinnin and bearing the stabbing pain and the 130-140 pound pack. We had one bear let out a moan/growl down in the brush but never saw him and we made the beach at dark. It was a little over 2 miles to the kill site from the beach and 1,080 feet of elevation.
While hunting we saw a total of 100+ elk (the main herd moved into veiw on our pack out, but still another 2 miles in), total spotted 8 bears, and 2 deer. Saw another bear and about 7 deer on the boat ride in.
Just living the dream... hump

 

[Spitz]

Thanks for sharing. Sweet story and pics!

 

[jabber]

congrats, great story and pics.

 

[Ovis]

Just living the dream...

In the mornings when I am driving through the front gate of the AF base, the fat rent-a-cop there greets me with a smile and a "morn'n". I reply back "Hi, how are you today?" He in turn says "Living the dream, living the dream."

Your dreams are more on par with what I'm thinking...believing the rent a cop just doesn't have a vivid imagination.

 

[sreekers]

Great looking hunt, would be blast to go on!

 

[1_pointer]

Great story! Love the very Rosie look to those bulls!

Ovis- I had had coffee, but maybe just a bit too much...

 

[T Bone]

Nice work!

The body size on those things look like horses.

 

[SPOTTED OWL]

Wow!

Trevor,

Congrats on the elk. You are an animal! I have had the pleasure of packing roosevelt elk out of the rain forests of Western Washington. Whe you tip one over, the fun begins!

 

[wilecoyote76]

Man, that is some great looking country. Congrats on the hunt. It looks like fun but hard work all at the same time.

 

[IdahoBugler]

Congrats TB on a very tough hunt. You guys did damn good on a tough hunt.

 

[TBinKodiak]

Nice job TB! Were you hunting on native land? I don't really keep up with the elk hunts on Raspberry, Afognak, etc...was this a draw or over the counter?

I had drawn a Raspberry bull tag back in October but ended up in Anchorage for over half of my 11 day season. The last weekend we planned to run over in my friends 28 foot boat it was blowing and stacking up pretty bad so we canned the trip. This was a registration hunt, which is the left over harvest quota for Afognak after the draw hunts are over. It's mainly just the local crowd that have access to the larger vessels due to the weather (we were on a 58 foot crabber/ cod boat). We were hunting "joint venture" land, which is open to the public. Most of Afognak is native land but a bunch of it is joint venture with the state or something, don't ask me all I know is that its public access.

Congrats! I've heard tell that the elk hung on Afognak is a pretty tough hunt!

Well I supposed to a guy from Utah they would be well hung....

Trevor,

Congrats on the elk. You are an animal! I have had the pleasure of packing roosevelt elk out of the rain forests of Western Washington. Whe you tip one over, the fun begins!

I have a 6,000 cubic inch pack and had meat sticking about a foot out the top. Funny thing was that we had to cross a river at the beach to get to the skiff and I no more than got out of the river and one of my shoulder straps ripped off the pack d@mn near putting me on the ground again.
All I'll say about that pack out is that I was extremly glad when it was finally over.

 

[Hntnhrd]

NIce footwear. Those boots seem to be the official footwear of kodiak!!! Even the waitresses at Henry's were wearing them.

Ohhh by the way the pregnant waitress there said to say Hi!!!!!

Nice Bulls wish they came that quick here in MT.

 

[TBinKodiak]

NIce footwear. Those boots seem to be the official footwear of kodiak!!! Even the waitresses at Henry's were wearing them.

Ohhh by the way the pregnant waitress there said to say Hi!!!!!

Nice Bulls wish they came that quick here in MT.

A pregnant woman told you to tell me Hi??? Oh man I hope I don't have to move again....

The boots are called Extra Tuffs and are the footwear of the commercial fisherman. They don't look like it, but they are pretty comfortable and they stick well to a wet, slippery deck. I went out one morning to take a leak with my vibram soled Lowa's on and dang near went over the side because of the frost on the deck.
Friday night after a couple beers one of the guys was taking a leak off the starboard side and I was doing the same off the port. Well he says d@mn that water is cold... I said yeah and its deep too.... hump
Hey 1 pointer started it with the whole hung thing...

 

[JohnSWA]

TB, you are truely living the dream! Keep the stories and pics coming! By the way, me and the Mrs. will be porting in Whittier on June 25th. Would you happen to know any good charter folks for a good salmon/halibut trip for that time of year in the area? I know you're in Kodiak, but what's a lower 48'er to do?

Thanks!

 

[Oak]

Nice job on the elk. Great pictures, too!