Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska McKnight...Hope your POW hunt went well...

I think it boils down to the extry competition from road hunters. This tends to drive the deer out of visual from the roads.

The "subsistence" hunting philosophy doesn't suscribe to setting out afoot in the muskegs with XtraTuffs and a pack.

[now I'm really stirring the pot]

Between some roads getting closed and others getting slides or aldered in, any guy with boots and some motivation will be able to find as many bucks as he wants. I've seen well over 50 bucks bigger than a spike this season, not including those on the side of the road. And, I suck at hunting.

After I do my early-season alpine hunts, which usually involve 2 days of hard hiking (I don't like company, as my name implies) I sure do give this road hunting thing a good shot, usually while chugging a case of Bud and throwing cans out my window. Unfortunately for me, the road deer on POW mysteriously disappear after the first week or two that state regs take effect, so I rarely get to shoot one right off the road. Oh well. At least I have fun making the Troopers chase my drunken ass around!

Ride "shotgun" with Calvin!

Just be careful with his shifter.......

Nope, subsistence regs, as I've said before, have to do with rural residency, not crowd avoidance--give the res. a bit more time before additional non-res. hunters arrive in the area, and one more deer. That's all. Again, confuses me as to the issue some have with the regs. They really aren't THAT advantageous to sub. users vs. "sport" hunters. Wassa matta??

And, I wonder where you hunt. I absolutely shun most other hunters and I see them everywhere during late season. If not right in some spots, definitely on the road system. Welllll...except for a couple lesser-known spots, thank God. Of course, maybe you have some good "secret spots" that have truly remained secret...not too many of them exist anymore, in my opinion. Good on ya if you have a few.

Now if I had permission to hunt Native-owned lands that are in my backyard just a skiff ride away---wouldn't that be just a kick in the azz. Betcha I wouldn't see hardly anyone there. Of course, I don't have permission or legal right to be there, so I don't go there. But I bet some of those areas are crawling with nice big deer. And I bet there are very few hunters that make it in there, too. Wonder how you could get in there.....Makes one think.... Oh well. I'll stay ethical; I'm too chickenchit to break the law anyway.

Practice make perfect!!!

Iffn' you need extry guidance:



Yeeeee Haaaaawwww

Again, perhaps my comprehension skills are lacking today, but in the above quote of yours you state that it isn't about crowd avoidance, yet go on to say "give the res. a bit more time before addtional non-res. hunters arrive in the area...."

So which is it?

You'll continue to wonder where I hunt, that is why I don't see people in the woods. Do I pass them on the road, yep. Have I seen trucks parked in spots I hunt, yep. Doesn't take much to go another mile or 10 down the road and find another mountain or valley, with more muskegs and more deer. If you can't find a mountain on an Island as big as yours that doesn't have another hunter on it, your not opening your eyes wide enough.....


As for hunting native lands in ones back yard, if one did not have specific permission to hunt those lands, it would still be perfectly legal to hunt the intertidal zone adjacent to that land, so long as you did not shoot from the skiff that got you there.

And I continue to wonder--what is your specific issue with subsistence regulations? I just don't get it...

As far as being able to find solitary place, yep, I'm pretty good at that, overall. But I certainly have noticed more footprints in what used to be "local" spots. There's still a few though...

As for Native land/intertidal zones, I guess I'll stay away and avoid the conflict altogether; it's exciting to contemplate the possibilities but, as you've rightly said, there's so much room here, and plenty of places to go. I would think intertidal zones would be pretty crappy to hunt--maybe better late season as snow is pushing deer way down. Probably those water-barred roads on Native clearcuts would be prime territory...but, I don't like to tempt fate (chickenchit, like I said) so I'll probably never know. I wonder though, if one COULD get permission --might be worth it to be able to throw a dirtbike on the ol' skiff and try...maybe someday I'll give it a try if I just can't find a solitary mountain on the main road system anymore.

Where it up to me, everyone would have the same access and same season for hunting/fishing period.

Having said that, myself and those in my household that qualify will still participate in the Federal Subsistence fisheries and hunting opportunities. Some years I take my subsistence deer, some years I don't. Some years I set my skate, some years I don't.

I'm simply questioning your reasoning behind your obviously supportive position of the Subsistence regulations. I do not believe they were designed for protecting natural recourses, nor were they designed for providing hunting/fishing opportunities sans non-substistence qualified competition. Yet those are two points that you have made in show of your support.

I am enjoying your not so subtle sideline commentary though......grin.

I hope to make another trip down to POW next year. My son and I had a great time. The areas we hunted saw quite a bit of traffic. Next year we'll be looking at some different places. I'm thankful to have a chance to enjoy the experience that is POW. Everybody I met while there was friendly, helpful, and courteous. That given the fact that we were in my son's Samurai that still had Idaho plates on it.

Hmmm.... maybe thinking on it, they were happy we weren't from K-town. Bad Jim, bad joke.

Are there any Black Bears on POW?

mcknight,
Glad you guys had fun. One thing I think lots of folks that aren't familiar with a new hunting area do (even lots of folks that ARE familiar with an area for that matter) is drive right by a lot of great places.

SE Alaska, especially places where there are logging roads to access, folks seem to gravitate towards places that are "obvious". Next time you hunt down there try something different than what a lot of folks do. Pick a location you want to hunt on a map. Then stop at some random place before you get there, get out and hike 45 minutes into the woods. I'd be willing to bet you see more deer.........

As to the bears, I hear there aren't as many as in years past, but still plenty of hogs if you put in the time.......

Totally wrong .... the ADF&G is totally against the Fed on the POW Subsistence hunt. The State Law says season opens Aug 1st and it is against the Law to take a Doe in Unit #2. The State has not changed their Regs to match the Fed Regs and won't.

You do not know the history of the POW Deer situation.

The first proposal out of Hydaburg (about 10 or more years ago) was to allow only resdidents of Hydaburg, Klawock, and part of Craig to hunt Deer on POW Island at any time. All 'Logging Camp Towns' and other rural persons would not have been able to hunt at any time ... the scary thing about it is the Mother Board considered the Proposal.

If push comes to shove (crash in the Deer population) in the future that is what will happen .... it is already in writing and in the master POW hunting (Fed) plan.

That master plan also says that if the Deer heard is prolific (like the Brinkman study will prove) that restrictions on the restricted user groups will be lifted (have to by Law).

Muskegman
That road hunting magazine will sell like hotcakes here in Montana. It must be a new publication as I haven't seen it in the bookstores lately.
I hope it focuses on technique as much as it does on technical advancement. Some article I'd like to see:

1. Why the Short Magnums are less likely to get Dorito crumbs in the action while riding
2. Binoculars that negate the effects of hangovers
3. The accuracy issue: power windows versus manual crank
4. How to get gut shot animals off posted land quickly
5. Legal shooting hours: A farce you need to ignore
6 The art and science of flock shooting

If you have a subscription card you can mail me, I'd appreciate it- Royce, CO Lewis & Clark county jail

Thanking you in advance

Royce

Royce

Solo,
I went down there and took three Deer. Were they your bucks??? My Bucks??? Indian Bucks??? I don't know, I am getting confused.

I agree those KTN guys Should stay on there side, I hated having to pass maybe one other Truck in a day. Grin

By the way, Thanks for keeping up the rode system and feeding the deer for me. They taste wonderful.

Oh..... I left about a thousand bucks in your town. No thanks needed.

BTW, my son got the meat back from the processer on Friday. Cooked up some steaks and said they were the best venison he had ever eaten. That from a kid that was raised on Whitetails, Muleys, elk, moose, and antelope.

Heheh...Well, I like to have fun by nature. You can ask around--I'm actually kind of fun to hang out with!

to play devil's adv. one more time...

Why should everyone have the same season/same access when everyone doesn't live in nearly the same type of place? I believe that you can't regulate this place like every other place ("this" meaning--Anywhere, US). Regs have to be adapted to populations, not just of animals but of people. Without regular scrutiny and adaptation, laws and regulations grow just as obsolete as last year's computer technology.

On another note--just had a FANTASTIC 4 day hunt on some of the inner islands around here.
I can say that hunters with skiffs have probably been hitting the close islands pretty heavily. There was a ton of older sign (and belive you me, we HIKED several tough-ass miles over the past 4 days), but lots of human sign too and other evidence that deer had been taken.

In 4 days, we only saw 3 bucks, with 2 parties of 2 hunters going out each day, all day long, in some prime habitat, in some lovely hunting weather (rain rain rain). And you can sneer if you wish but my sore muscles can attest that we hunted hard and we know how to hunt/call, etc. We went to 4 different island/bay areas. So, you know, it's not quite as easy as "step into a muskeg, blow a call"--not always that simple, my friends!

Most deer were probably taken by skiff hunters in Craig/Klawock or off fishing boats. Signs of some huge boys in there, though. My friends drag the whole gutted deer to the beach...wow, I wasn't used to that. But, knowing what we had to crawl through to get into the skegs--having a pack full of meat on your back would thoroughly suck, that's for sure.

Actually the answer to that is very simple .... It's called the State of Alaska Constitution ..... It states that ALL ALASKANS are EQUAL in the harvest of Fish and Game.

It's the Fed Gov that says that AK has to have a priority system in place. And that priority system only applies during times of shortage / need. But the FED LAW did not define need. So all the hunters on POW had to say is "my needs are not being met" .....

The Brinkman Study will address 'need' of POW Island Residents.

Whether the Mother Board accepts his findings is another story ...

By the way ... the only Fish & Game (deer) violations that I have noticed in the paper this fall is by POW Island residents !!!!!

Solo,
With your line of thinking I should get to use bait on the Kenai while the Non-Res's can't. It would reduce the amount of Guide success since about 80% of them are Non-Res's anyway. I'm guessing you would think them rules would be fair.

Every summer I get to see the weekend influx of the Northern communities come down and stick all kinds of poor running, smoking, oil leaking boats in the river to go after the "Subsitence Fishery" . I can't say that the crowd doesn't annoy me but if I wanted my own river I guess I should buy one with my own money. Just because I live in the town that the river flows through does not make it mine.

If you think you got it bad you should try fishing in a river and have a guide from oregun tell you that he's got more priority in the hole than you because he is trying to run a business.

Amazing, someone with his hand out sees nothing wrong...