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Caribou hunting

cub_driver

Registered User
Big Lake AK
Has anyone been out hunting Caribou this fall? I have been looking at the Lake Clark cams and checking the weather reports, anyone been getting through the pass?

Cub_Driver
 
I came back home to Dillingham, from Sheep hunting in the Wrangels, last Sunday. Lake Clark Pass was clogged-up for a couple of days before I squirted through...I was luck to get home when I did!
Yesterday, we had 200' and the visibility varied between 1/4 mile and 3 miles during the day. Today, Saturday, the smoke has cleared some but you still gotta bore a hole through it sometimes, depending on where you're going.
There ain't many Caribou around. We have hunters coming in a few days and we're planning to look around some of the higher ridges. If I didn't live here, and was looking for a spot to hunt Bou, I'd go North, maybe around Kotz. We've been here long enough to see the rise & fall of our local herd. For now we're going to take the Caribou hunters we already have booked, but this is the last year...we're not booking any more Caribou hunters. Make no mistake about it, the Mulchatna herd is in bad shape.

Good Hunting..>Byron Lamb
 
Luke_theDrifter said:
Make no mistake about it, the Mulchatna herd is in bad shape.

Good Hunting..>Byron Lamb

That is really too bad. What is the reason for the herd's decline? Too many wolves?
 
Byron

Thanks for the input. I have been waiting for the smoke to clear I hope to try Lake Clark pass in the morning. I won't be flying as far west as you are. Out of a group of five only two plan to hunt caribou the rest of us will be doing some ptarmigan hunting and maybe a little trout fishing.

Cub_Driver
 
If you come up to Kotz stop by and tell Torch HI. He works in the FSS there. He will be there this week. He is good with the weather. Stop in and get the REAL forecast. :lol:
 
Hi Christina,

There is not one simple answer to your question about why our Caribou herd is currently on the decline.

Briefly, some of the factors include; Caribou herds by nature go through increases & decreases of herd size from time-to-time, the Mulchatna herd got REALLY big and ate most of the good feed in thier traditional living area-which pushed them to different area's, hunting pressure-specifically on mature bulls-as been at an all time high for the past 5 years, Wolf populations are at an all time high-meaning predation is taking a big toll, the herd encoutered some type of "hoof rot" desease a few years ago, the bull-to-cow ratio & calf recruitment rate is down, ..........these are some of the major contibuting factors. As I mentioned before there is not one simple answer, but a complex series of events that has lead to thier current decline statis.

On another note, one time I was doing a Caribou survey and took a picture from 1,000 agl, during late Spring-over thier calving grounds, and it was estimated that there were in excess of 120,000 Caribou in that one photo!

Good Flying...>Byron
 
Torch

Sorry I didnt get to Kotz would have been great to get a real weather report before I took off :( . I landed at my traditional hunting strip and set up camp the first night was wonderful we ended up with some ptarmigan and called it a day. The next morning it was raining and by 1:30 while we where ptarmigan hunting the wind switch 180 degrees. By the time got back to the plane the wind was howling it took five of use to turned the plane into the wind. I didnt get much sleep that night I spent over 11 hours in the plane tending to it until the wind eased up. The wind finaly eased up in the morning I was thankful for that my airspeed indicated 65 plus MPH several times through the night not a real big deal but the soil I was staked to is pretty soft. The next day winds maintaind around 40 mph and we all sat in camp. This morning it was still raining but the winds switched and let up. It may have turn out to be a good day but we where not able to stay any longer. Long story short we had the chance to really test out our hunting gear. Thank God for Goretex and polerfleece.

Byron, I have to agree on the Caribou not being in the same migration as ten years ago. Some people have told my the numbers are still up but the migration has changed to the north. Could this be one of the reasons for the absence of animals in the area?

Cub_Driver
 
Mike,

Heard some details from Rich... 11 hours in the plane, man....!!!!!

I used to hunt every October down between Becherof and Port Heiden. It would blow 50+ every afternoon & night. Used to hunker 79H down by digging big holes to run the Airstreaks into, and using burlap sacks filled with cinder-sand as deadmans. Pointed into the wind, with the wings tied, I would adjust trim so tail would fly all night. Really a good way to go, as when the gusts would come, the tail would fly and the wings level out. Probably have 100 hours on the airframe as "Flying TIme" without the engine running.

This left time to try to sleep in the tent with feet holding the tent fabric up because all of the poles were broke. Oh was that fun.... Or was it? Nice to reminise nowdays.
 
Scooter

I dug holes in the gravel as far as I could by hand I was only able to lower the plane 6" or so. It didn't do much good by morning light the plane was out of the holes and two feet over to the side (ha). I had pounded down three foot lengths of 1/2" rod when I left the tail fly it only bent and jacked the rods out of the gravel. I had three tie downs for each wing and one for the tail. I tied the stick back to keep the tail planted only then did my wing tie downs hold. I think you are right bags of gravel would have worked better with the tail flying then using stakes, I might have to think about that one.

The winds ripped the rain fly and boke a pole, on Buds tent. My tent held up ok but the driving rain was making its way through the rainfly of course why would I care I was spendnig the night in the plane(ha). The cooking tent and equipment was blown onver hells half acre but the good news is we retrieved the beer out of the creek before it washed them down the river :D

Our sick hunting partner is back home from Providance. He is back to smiling and joking like his normal self.

That was the extent of the trip I would like to try and go back out but there looks to be another low moving in so I think I am going to stay close to town and go duck hunting next week.

Cub_Driver
 
cub driver,


That sounds like a harrowing evening. Glad it wasn't me. I will be in the Alaska Range moose hunting the next few weeks. I pray for cold snowy weather and NO wind.
 
Torch

I hope you get your moose! Fall sure seems to be hitting us early hopefully the animals will go into rut before the season closes. Myself I think I am going to spend more time duck hunting then moose hunting this year. Only because they are easier to pack. You ever get down this way I will trade you some duck for moose meat :wink:

Cub_Driver
 
Mike,

Dang, I know your feeling well weathering out a night of hell. Got to convince yourself you are having fun after that one. I gave up hunting down on the Alaska Peninsula in the 90's since I always went in October, and seemed to have nights like yours way to often (like every trip). Glad all is OK!!!

Been slaying the Pike, caught a 42" one on the fly rod today among the other 20 or so.
 
SB

The Duck Bills look like a great system there was a old set pounded in the ground that has been there for over ten years. I have no Idea who or when they had been pounded into the ground. They have galvanized cable I would rathere see stainless steel do you know if the come with stainless or just galvanized cables?

Scooter

A 42" pike I guess you had to rub it. I have had little time to fish this past summer and most of the fish I caught went back to the lower fourty eight with summer visitors. It wont be long and we will have to start thinking about a winter flyin trip again. Lets try to pick some better weather this year.

Cub_Driver
 
SB,
Are these Duckbills removable/re-useable, or only for permanent install? I didn't see anything on the site. It would be great if you could just pull them up and throw them in the back of the plane, so that next time you need them they're there.
 
Once you drive them, they stay. That's the point. If you could pull them out, they wouldn't be much good. Doesn't matter, they don't cost much. If you happen to return to the same spot in a couple of years, they'll still be there.

SB
 
That is always the dilema :nutz: , park on the mtn and get blown off or park on the gravel bar and get flooded. Seems like sheep hunting leave the plane unattended and the pilot having nightmares the whole time.....
 
I carry a few of the small, I presume 1/2", duckbills in my tool kit. They are surprizingly effective. I'm pretty sure the ones I have are rigged with stainless cables, but I'll double-check. I've been using the same pair at my cabin tie-down for 10 years and they're still perfect.

Last year one of my tie-downs at Lake Hood broke at the swage. The airfield maintenance crew came right out and replaced it, with a duckbill.

SB
 
Anyone out there try the Claw? Cost almost 100.00. How would this compare. Easy pull up. Mark
 
Cub Driver,

I finally got around to driving some Duckbills this week. A few itty-bitty's to hold my wood walkway at the cabin so in case it floods again the walkway doesn't end up downstream..again. And tonight, some "88's" rated at 3000# each for the winter airplane jockeying. Alaska Wire Rope even lent me a hardened steel driving rod. Lent, as in free as long as it's returned. Very cool.

Anyway, you were correct that Duckbills are equipped with galvanized cables. I double checked my 10 year-old ones at the cabin and although they show discoloration, they appear in excellent shape. I presume rust is worse where the cables are exposed to air than it would be sub-surface. At least I hope so.

I learned that it would be better to have had a couple of beers AFTER using the sledge hammer. I owe my buddy a new handle. Oops.

SB
 
I did order some 68's with SS cables I keep in the underseat box......for emerg. use. They're rated at 1100# which I think should be enuf. Looks like the ticket.
 
68's

Those are the short ones right? with about a 16" cable?

I carried some for "emergency use" as well. For a while. When I needed them the most I didn't have a good driving rod. I needed to bury them in the bottom of a lake and needed about a 4 foot rod to do it. Once I did get them driven down, standing in the lake you couldn't reach the tie down loops on the wing. Had to use a long stick to get the rope up and through. What we need is some light weight, strong, collapsable driving rod with a clip for the rope. When you find one let me know.

I use the larger ones at my tiedown on lake spenard. They're submerged in the lake, don't rust and just bend over if I hit them with a float. I drive in a stake next to them, hook the rope on it and wait for the ice. Then I have my tie downs in the ice. Best thing is, when the ice melts in the spring I don't lose my tiedowns.
 
68's

Those are the short ones right? with about a 16" cable?

I carried some for "emergency use" as well. For a while. When I needed them the most I didn't have a good driving rod. I needed to bury them in the bottom of a lake and needed about a 4 foot rod to do it. Once I did get them driven down, standing in the lake you couldn't reach the tie down loops on the wing. Had to use a long stick to get the rope up and through. What we need is some light weight, strong, collapsable driving rod with a clip for the rope. When you find one let me know.

I use the larger ones at my tiedown on lake spenard. They're submerged in the lake, don't rust and just bend over if I hit them with a float. I drive in a stake next to them, hook the rope on it and wait for the ice. Then I have my tie downs in the ice. Best thing is, when the ice melts in the spring I don't lose my tiedowns.
 
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