OK...now that I got your attention....I am looking for old photos of Cubs or small aircraft that were outfitted with a rifle on it for hunting wolves in Alaska during the 50's and 60's until it was outlawed.......if you've lived in Alaska awhile...you'll know what I mean.....seen anything like that??
Strut mounted rifle for Alaskan wolf hunting....
- Thread starter mtnflyr
- Start date
Christina Young
Registered User
Andover-Aeroflex, 12N
mtnflyr said:
Don Sheldon's twin strut-mounted shotguns are on display in the schoolhouse museum in Talkeetna (I forgot the official name of the museum).....
scout88305
SPONSOR
Northern Minnesota
Here is a pic I took of Don Sheldons
Ursa Major
Registered User
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
mtnflyr said:
Don't know of too many rifles mounted on cubs for wolf hunting. Most setups for wolves, like Don Sheldon's were shotguns. Back in the 60's brown bears were shot on Kodiak with fixed M-1 rifles mounted on the top of the cockpit greenhouse. Outdoor Life magazine had a feature article(August '64) that had photos. Haven't seen any since. It was quite a controversy in the day - OL called it the "Kodiak Bear War".
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
That bear killing Cub (sounds just wrong doesn't it?) was flown mostly by an old friend of mine.
They mounted the rifle on top of the greenhouse, on a bipod type mount, and installed a sliding trap door in the skylight to facilitate changing magazines. I believe there was a picture or two in the magazine. The rifle was rigged aligned with the plane, but shot over top of the prop.
He said they had an electric gun trigger on the front stick, a homemade sight on the to cowl and the rear seat held a box full of loaded magazines.
The rumor was that till Jim Rearden, the author of the the OL article, got to poking around this deal, they had a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) mounted up there, but wound up with an M-1, since there were apparently "ownership issues" with the BAR. Both are 30-06 cal.
He never talked much about this deal, which was done at the behest of the cattle types on Kodiak, and with the knowledge and/or concurrance of F & G. I asked him once how many bears he figured he'd killed, and he reported a significant number verified dead by checking the next day. They'd check carcasses, hoping to catch another bear feeding on that one.
He had been a P-51 pilot in WWII, and spent the latter part of the war in Stalag Luft III. Interesting fellow, but very quiet.
Wouldn't have wanted to have been a bear around him, though.
MTV
They mounted the rifle on top of the greenhouse, on a bipod type mount, and installed a sliding trap door in the skylight to facilitate changing magazines. I believe there was a picture or two in the magazine. The rifle was rigged aligned with the plane, but shot over top of the prop.
He said they had an electric gun trigger on the front stick, a homemade sight on the to cowl and the rear seat held a box full of loaded magazines.
The rumor was that till Jim Rearden, the author of the the OL article, got to poking around this deal, they had a BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle) mounted up there, but wound up with an M-1, since there were apparently "ownership issues" with the BAR. Both are 30-06 cal.
He never talked much about this deal, which was done at the behest of the cattle types on Kodiak, and with the knowledge and/or concurrance of F & G. I asked him once how many bears he figured he'd killed, and he reported a significant number verified dead by checking the next day. They'd check carcasses, hoping to catch another bear feeding on that one.
He had been a P-51 pilot in WWII, and spent the latter part of the war in Stalag Luft III. Interesting fellow, but very quiet.
Wouldn't have wanted to have been a bear around him, though.
MTV
cabinflyer
Registered User
Lawrence Lake, Mn
mvivion said:
sounds like he did better against things that couldn't shoot back......
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
ag-pilot,
I grew up in eastern Montana. I know what a cattle rancher is, trust me.
The few guys on Kodiak who try to raise cows there are definitely not "ranchers" by my definition.
You can have a cow standing in grass as tall as the cow there, with a full rumen, near starving to death. And importing feed is kinda spendy.
Then you have to ship the cows to the nearest slaughterhouse-in Palmer, last I checked. That's a boat ride, followed by truck trip.
Kodiak is many things, but cattle country it's not.
Better off selling bear hunts...
MTV
I grew up in eastern Montana. I know what a cattle rancher is, trust me.
The few guys on Kodiak who try to raise cows there are definitely not "ranchers" by my definition.
You can have a cow standing in grass as tall as the cow there, with a full rumen, near starving to death. And importing feed is kinda spendy.
Then you have to ship the cows to the nearest slaughterhouse-in Palmer, last I checked. That's a boat ride, followed by truck trip.
Kodiak is many things, but cattle country it's not.
Better off selling bear hunts...
MTV
12Geezer2
Registered User
Eau Claire, WI
O.K. Mike --I know it's off subject but where in eastern Montana????? My folks both grew up in the Powder River country, Dad on Otter Creek and Mom on Bay Horse Creek. Also --Is Mr. Reardon still writing?? I've been struggling with a book of a friend who did lots of wolf hunting with Supercubs in Canada years back. He has some really good stories and I sure could use some professional help- spent too much time looking out the window in English class watching airplanes and motorcycles. You may know the wolf hunter , his son is a very respected cub fixer in your area. Geezer Dan
Cubus Maximus
Registered User
is the book about Francis?
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
TJ,
Yep, that's the guy. That guy wore an airplane. I've seen him do stuff with a Goose that was really impressive. I haven't heard if he's still with us, he'd be up there in years.
Jim Rearden (spelled with a den on the end) is still quite alive and resides in Homer, Alaska. Jim is a very personable guy, and very helpful, in my experience. I'd call information and see if he's in the book and give him a call. I don't have his phone number. I'm sure TJ knows him as well.
Area code is 907.
Jim also wrote a book called "Alaska's Wolf Man-The 1915-1955 Wilderness Adventures of Frank Glaser" See Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b...ield-keywords=frank+glaser,+alaska's+wolf+man
Glaser did some amazing stuff. If you are at all familiar with Alaska, consider walking from Valdez to Fairbanks in April before there was a road there. That's how he arrived in the Interior.
Geezer, I went to high school in Medicine Lake. Spent some time down in the Breaks south of Malta, in the Centennial Valley in SW MT and went to the U of M in Missoula.
MTV
Yep, that's the guy. That guy wore an airplane. I've seen him do stuff with a Goose that was really impressive. I haven't heard if he's still with us, he'd be up there in years.
Jim Rearden (spelled with a den on the end) is still quite alive and resides in Homer, Alaska. Jim is a very personable guy, and very helpful, in my experience. I'd call information and see if he's in the book and give him a call. I don't have his phone number. I'm sure TJ knows him as well.
Area code is 907.
Jim also wrote a book called "Alaska's Wolf Man-The 1915-1955 Wilderness Adventures of Frank Glaser" See Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b...ield-keywords=frank+glaser,+alaska's+wolf+man
Glaser did some amazing stuff. If you are at all familiar with Alaska, consider walking from Valdez to Fairbanks in April before there was a road there. That's how he arrived in the Interior.
Geezer, I went to high school in Medicine Lake. Spent some time down in the Breaks south of Malta, in the Centennial Valley in SW MT and went to the U of M in Missoula.
MTV
mvivion
SPONSOR
Bozeman,MT
AgPilot,
Nope, I attended the U of M because they had a WILD life program, which the Cow College down in BZN didn't at the time. Oh, and U of M was, at that time, referred to by MSU pukes as the "Dance Acadamy", I'll have you know.
My wife and I were in Bozeman a while back, and I almost died of hilarity. Wife asked me what the hey I thought was so funny about downtown Bozeman, that I was drawing a crowd. My response: "They have BOUTIQUES and ESPRESSO BARS in downtown Bozeman now."
Who'da thunk??
MTV
Nope, I attended the U of M because they had a WILD life program, which the Cow College down in BZN didn't at the time. Oh, and U of M was, at that time, referred to by MSU pukes as the "Dance Acadamy", I'll have you know.
My wife and I were in Bozeman a while back, and I almost died of hilarity. Wife asked me what the hey I thought was so funny about downtown Bozeman, that I was drawing a crowd. My response: "They have BOUTIQUES and ESPRESSO BARS in downtown Bozeman now."
Who'da thunk??
MTV
Steve Pierce
BENEFACTOR
Graham, TX
That was a great book. Glasser was one tough SOB.mvivion said:
aalexander
Registered User
Anchorage
mvivion said:
So, why is that? Grass on Kodiak not as nutritious?
12Geezer2
Registered User
Eau Claire, WI
Thanks for the reply MTV. I have read the book Alaska's Wolf Man. Amazing story! In fact the man I'm trying to write about gave me a copy as he said Mr Rearden wrote like he wants his story told. No, Cubus Maximus the book isn't about Francis; perhaps the next one should be. I'd like to meet him. Steve E. thanks for the interest; maybe I need someone to keep the pressure on to get it done. :lol: Some of these old timers have lived some experiences that are amazing adventures and present day laws would never allow them again. Need to get them recorded before they are lost. Fortunately I have a fair amount of photos to go along with it---a picture is worth a thousand words, right????? 
Geezer Dan
Geezer Dan
aalexander
Registered User
Anchorage
mvivion said:
Interesting. Thanks. I wouldn't have have guessed that.
auto 5
12 drivr, Your right the A-5 was the best until buffered shot came along, When you shoot a shotgun out of a cub going 60 or so all that buffer comes back down the barrel and into the action and your face. Auto 5s will only shoot for a little while before they are all gummed up with the stuff. Benelli super 90 has been the "new ultimate" for 10 years or better.
Dave
12 drivr, Your right the A-5 was the best until buffered shot came along, When you shoot a shotgun out of a cub going 60 or so all that buffer comes back down the barrel and into the action and your face. Auto 5s will only shoot for a little while before they are all gummed up with the stuff. Benelli super 90 has been the "new ultimate" for 10 years or better.
Dave
redrooster
Registered User
western Washington
With that rig, I'll bet nobody ever cut him off in the pattern!
55-PA18A
SPONSOR
Dillingham, Alaska
It's been more years than I care to think about, but I also saw Sheldon's shotguns at the Talkeetna museum. As I recall, they were Browning A-5s (or maybe Remington Model 11s?) mounted in tandem on a pipe and spring arrangement to deal with the recoil. I do remember they didn't have the wood stocks on, so not sure if the shotguns in the photos are the same ones. They did have magazine extensions like the photo shows.
The shotgun's were fired with a solenoid fastened behind the trigger guard of each shotgun. A hole was drilled through the back of the trigger guard, with another through the trigger. The shaft from the solenoid was threaded on the end. The shaft passed through the hole in the rear of the trigger guard and then was attached to the trigger with a nut on each the front and back of the trigger. Activating the solenoid would pull back on the trigger.
I didn't see what sort of switch arrangement he might have used, but that wouldn't be too difficult to rig. Probably a simple matter to rig a selector switch, and maybe a push button on the stick.
Those must have been the days.
Jim
The shotgun's were fired with a solenoid fastened behind the trigger guard of each shotgun. A hole was drilled through the back of the trigger guard, with another through the trigger. The shaft from the solenoid was threaded on the end. The shaft passed through the hole in the rear of the trigger guard and then was attached to the trigger with a nut on each the front and back of the trigger. Activating the solenoid would pull back on the trigger.
I didn't see what sort of switch arrangement he might have used, but that wouldn't be too difficult to rig. Probably a simple matter to rig a selector switch, and maybe a push button on the stick.
Those must have been the days.
Jim
