|
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 77
Campfire Greenhorn
|
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 77 |
163
No problem! I've only used Kirk as an air taxi, not a guide. Although, I can't forsee his hospitality being any less than what he gave me...in fact, it will probably be more.
Only advice I can offer is to have a positive additude. If your leaving Sat, it is already too late to start preparing physically if you already haven't started. However, there is still enough time to strengthen yourself mentally.
Tell the guys what you want before going afield. (I.E. Any ram as opposed to a 40" ram, only a 70" moose, a 60"r is unacceptable to you, etc etc) And then let him and his guides lead the way. Could mean the difference between you going home successful or empty handed.
Last but no least, have fun...enjoy yourself, and once again, take plenty of pics of the trip and any trophies you take.
Are you flying into Fairbanks and driving to Nabesna, or from Anchorage?
Jim
PS...Where at in VA do you live?
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249 |
Thanks for the advice. I plan to enjoy it all I can. I try for any reasonable trophy. So I'm hoping for the best. I live in the Northern Va. area near Manassas. SF
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249 |
Just got back from Alaska. 2 good friends and I went and hunted near Nabesna with Kirk Ellis. Country is wild, rugged and spectacular. I took a beautiful full curl wide flared ram on day 1 after a 12 hour stalk! I also took 50 plus inch bull moose on day 4. Unfortunatly one of my hunting buddies who went along developed some serious health problems and we had to leave after just 5 days to bring him home. I just didn't have time to hang around and look for bears. My other buddy tagged a heavy 36in ram just before we left to return home. Kirk Ellis and his family are wonderful folks and really try hard to please their hunters and put them on game. I would highly recommend them to anyone serious about an Alaskan hunt. You won't find better bush pilots anywhere! If I could offer any advice it would be to get in top shape because the sheep hunting just ain't easy. It was tough as hell!!! Much harder than I envisioned. My sheep hunt lasted 20 hours from the time I left my spike camp to the time I returned with the meat and horns! I feel very fortunated to have tagged a nice ram and moose in only 5 days of hunting. I'm already planning a return trip. Sam
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 6,087
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 6,087 |
163,
I have your pictures, want me to post a few ?
Tony
|
|
|
|
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 6,087
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 6,087 |
Ok, Here are pictures of 163bc's Dall Sheep and Moose he just took in Alaska : (good thing his kids take after his wife !!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) Tony.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,085 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,085 Likes: 1 |
Amen on that last line <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
And congrats on two awesome trophies!!
I can't wait to read all of the details..
mike
God, Family, and Country. NRA Endowment Member
|
|
|
|
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,787
Campfire Regular
|
Campfire Regular
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 1,787 |
We just got back from hunting the northeastern end of the Wrangells, near the border. 4 of us went in. Together, we saw around 150 ewes and lambs, 6 rams, 2 of which were legal. We took one. He was a full curl, just a tad more than 14" bases, 36" around the curl (lamb tips included). Aged at 9.5 years.
We had quite a bit of company, in an area that supposedly no guides were working in. We saw two different guiding outfits and lots of spotter planes every day that the weather allowed flying.
We spiked out from our base camp, and between the 4 of us, probably covered 60 square miles between the 4 of us. We saw about 10 other hunting groups in that same area and tried to stay out of everyone's way. Just a little too crowded for my taste, though I do love hunting in the Wrangells.
An honest man's pillow, is his peace of mind... JM
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249 |
Tony, Thanks for the picture work. Might add that both animals were 1 shot kills with Rem 700 ss in 300 RUM and 180 grain Nosler Partition handloads. Gun, calibur, and load was perfect for this type of hunt. Sheep was 275 yds., moose 284 yds. with rangefinder. Flattened them both on the spot. My guide said it was one of the most impressive 1 shot kills he had seen on hundreds of moose kills. Tony, I'm going to keep working on you to go back with me in 05. Let's get it done. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />SF
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,085 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,085 Likes: 1 |
Whewhoo another good Partition story <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
Mike
God, Family, and Country. NRA Endowment Member
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249 |
Mike, The best part of this 180 grain Partition story: 1400 lb. moose, 1 shot at 280 yds. Entry right behind front shoulder, smashed ribs size of a golf ball going in, turned the lungs to jello, blew a baseball sized hole thru the top of the heart, smashed thru the off side ribs and was barely hanging on under the skin if the far shoulder where I recovered it. It peeled back to the partition as it was designed to (and always does) and it weighed 95 grains. Best bullet performance I've ever seen on an animal that size. Nosler is the best there is. Sam <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,085 Likes: 1
Campfire Ranger
|
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 18,085 Likes: 1 |
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />Gotta love that!!
I've never recovered any of my bullets(small GA deer) I'm going to use the .243 w/100gr Partitions & .357 Mag w/ 180gr Partitions this year cause I've never personally killed a deer with either. I've seen a ton of deer whacked with the .243 but I've not done it yet.
Mike
God, Family, and Country. NRA Endowment Member
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,645
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,645 |
Just wanted to say congrats on those fine animals!
Brian
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249 |
BW, Thank you. Mike, I have used Partitions almost exclusivly for the last 15 years. I'm not sure how many animals I've taken with them but it's probally pushing 75 to 100. (We have very liberal deer limits in Va.) I have recovered 5 partitions in that time and I have them all. In each case the recovered bullets jacket peeled back to the partition and retained about 50% of it's original weight. Exactly what it was designed to do. Each recovered bullet was under the hide on the off side of the animal taken. Each looks just like a magazine advertizement with perfect mushroom. Most of the time mine too blow right thru deer which is fine with me. Calibur size entry wound, 2X calibur exit wound, (big time blood trail if needed). I guess you can tell I am a beliver in Nosler Partitions. They simply perform flawlessly. I have also been able to get exceptional accuracy with handloads. I have played around with other bullets and hunted with a few thru the years and taken some game with them. There are some other very good bullets out there. Some are probally just as good as partitions but I don't believe any are better. For big game especially critters larger than a whitetail I'm shooting partitions !! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
|
|
|
|
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,921
Campfire Outfitter
|
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 9,921 |
163bc,
Congrats on the nice animals! Hope your friend is doing well.
|
|
|
|
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249
Campfire Tracker
|
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 4,249 |
Bearstalker, Thank you I appreciate your concern. SF
|
|
|
|
589 members (222Sako, 1beaver_shooter, 1_deuce, 10Glocks, 163bc, 12344mag, 69 invisible),
2,144
guests, and
1,108
robots. |
Key:
Admin,
Global Mod,
Mod
|
|
Forums81
Topics1,194,565
Posts18,531,767
Members74,039
|
Most Online11,491 Jul 7th, 2023
|
|
|
|