This Part 2 in a series on Elk Hunting in Alaska. Part 1 provided info on the history of elk in Alaska.

Part 2 is The Adventure…

I’ve been a member of Rokslide since its early days and have developed a great network of like-minded individuals and was recently added to the Pro Staff. It’s a great place to bat around ideas, learn, and contribute. Through this experience I met a fellow Rokslider, Billy. We communicated off and on over time and through our conversations he revealed he had a 2014 Bull Elk Tag for Raspberry Island.

Billy’s normal hunting partner was unable to accompany him and he was looking for a few guys to help him pack meat. According to AK F&G, “Bull elk on Afognak Island are estimated to weigh up to 1,300 lbs (591 kg). Cow elk are similar in appearance to bulls, but they are smaller and lack antlers. A 1,300-lb (590-kg) elk will dress out at about 800 lbs (363 kg). Of this amount, about 450 lbs (204 kg) is usable meat.” Combine this with the brushy steep terrain and it was clear a Raspberry pursuit was not a one man show.

Billy, an experienced Alaskan hunter, is in his early 60s and was hoping to find a few young backs to help him in his quest. In the end it was just him and I. Our plan was to drive from Anchorage to Homer, catch a ferry to Kodiak, and then a Beaver on floats to Raspberry.

Determined to do what it took to get a bull we departed Anchorage on a Thursday evening. Lucky for us it turned into a downright blizzard that made driving an intense experience. We arrived in Homer to find that the ferry was laid up as the wind made unloading / loading at Homer unsafe. The schedule was pushed and were due to hit Kodiak several hours AFTER our scheduled flight. The ferry got under way late in the evening and I promptly hit the rack with a plan in mind. Late arrival in Kodiak, grab a hotel, then depart a day later than originally planned.

However, Billy had waited 14 years to draw this tag and he came up with a new plan. I was awoken from a deep sleep to a frantic effort as we disembarked from the ferry a port earlier than Kodiak. Billy had a friend on the ferry who would drive his truck off in Kodiak and leave it at the float plane HQ. We hurriedly grabbed our gear and piled it on the deck at the newly built dock at Port Lions. Some helpful locals and the Village Safety Officer loaded up our gear and took us to the float plane harbor. A few moments later the Beaver arrived, our gear was loaded, and off we went. Back on schedule! Or so we thought…..

Onion Bay, Raspberry Island. Alaska

The Beaver took off and began the journey to Onion Bay. It was an impressive visual flight with stupendous Alaskan views. After 20-30 minutes the plane touched down, we floated to the shore and offloaded our gear. At this point Billy realized he had left the Sat Phone in his truck. We worked out an alternative plan with the pilot. I had a Spot Messenger so I would hit the help button and it was a signal for my wife to call him and tell him to come get us or at least check on us. It was a great plan, but my wife knew nothing of it. The success of the plan depended on the pilot calling my wife to let her know what the plan was.

Our gear was offloaded, a plan was in place, and although a Sat Phone was preferred we were ready to go. The Beaver departed and we lugged our gear up the bank and back into a bank of trees. A few moments later Billy looks at me with a sick look and states that we do not have a shelter /tent. We fell back on our plan and I hit the help button on the Spot. Unfortunately the pilot had forgotten to call my wife. We repeated that process several times over the next few days and came to the realization the pilot had not followed through on his end. Needless to say the folks at home were confused as to what my pre-programmed message meant and were unsure as to what to do.

Luckily we had two tarps that we planned to use as needed and these became our shelter.

Tarp Shelter

Billy started cutting firewood and I created an A-Frame shelter. Night one was OK, we had some rain and minor winds but all was well. The tarps leaked so we knew our shelter was far from weather proof. Night two was an entirely different experience. 60-70mph winds and a continual downpour rocked us pretty good. Branches were torn off trees and it was a restless night as they smacked the tarp and the rain and snow pounded down. We were fortunate to have brought bivy bags and these kept our sleeping bags from being completely soaked.

After wasting two days figuring out a shelter system (firewood and tarps) we decided to go hunting. As we climbed the ridge behind camp we noticed a puff of smoke across the bay. We rushed over to find two tired hunters who had just returned to camp after successfully bagging a nice bull elk. Lucky for us these two brothers were active duty Coast Guard and they were prepared! They were happy to loan us their sat phone and while Billy called the air taxi I got to visit a bit. It’s a small world and they grew up in the same area as my wife.

Kifaru Tipi

Kifaru Tipi

That afternoon the air taxi arrived, apologized for the communication breakdown, and delivered us our shelter and sat phone. We called home and straightened out the confusion. We spent the rest of the day getting camp back in order. By this time we had lost more days than we planned. After climbing a bit and getting a better lay of the land we came to realize the task we had before us. We basically had one day left to score an elk as we knew it would take us several days to pack the beast out.

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Glassing on Raspberry

Unfortunately the elk were not close enough to make this happen and we spent the next few days climbing ridges, fighting brush, and glassing. We learned a few things about the island and are better prepared as to how be successful.

It was a learning experience and I came to appreciate the value of proper communication at all levels. This was the first time Billy and I had hunted together and while we got along just fine our planning and preparedness was not as in sync as if we were long time hunting partners. Minor things that long time hunting buddies would have caught slipped through the cracks.

Billy in the Brush

Billy in the Brush

In the future all my hunts will include a detailed agenda, detailed check list, contact list, and an action plan for both the hunters and those who are back home watching the Spot. I was very detailed in this aspect early in my Alaska hunting adventures, however as time progressed and my hunting buddy and I got into a routine, everyone knew what to do and how to respond. Throw a new hunting buddy, a new location, and add the logistical twists and confusion won out.

I feel bad that Billy was unable to fill his elk tag, but I had a grand adventure and gained a friend.

Please Read on to the “Gear” in Part 3: http://remotepursuits.com/hunting-roosevelt-elk-in-alaska-part-3-the-gear/

 

Walking Cold Ridges, Raspberry Island

Walking Cold Ridges, Raspberry Island

Old Growth Forest on Raspberry Island

Drivers Bay, Raspberry Island, Alaska