Successful Afognak elk trip

Don't have time for pics right now but just got back from Afognak. It was a demanding trip. I can highly recommend the hunting there. I'm darned glad that I put in the time to get into better shape, the terrain demands it!

Did not get the magnificent herd bull but did get a bull. The reports are true, they animals are very plump, like healthy horses. The deer are fattened up like farm animals and very plentiful. The bears are pretty respectful but are very abundant, you have to be on your A game at all times as "bear aware" takes on a whole new meaning. "Holy Sh!+" seems to work much better when surprised at close quarters by a big sow with cubs on a trail with meat on your back! Saw the single largest boar of my my life while on the hunt, at true colossus, he looked like a darned bison. If he wasn't a 10'er 1200#er, I'm a monkey's uncle.

Tried the Cabelas Alaska Tundra boots, sprained the heck out of my ankles.

Kudos to Seahawk Air for being so accommodating. I highly recommend them. My hunt partners were amazing, I had a spectacular time, a hunt to remember forever.

You mean you didn't get et by a bear?? On Afognak of all places?? How did you stave them off long enough to kill an elk and make it out alive?? Inquiring minds want to know!!! lol

They're like giant raccoons. The kill site two days later, nothing left but a stinky, rototiller, grease stain (and I mean nothing)! They sure do have great noses.

Giant racoons with big teeth and a bad disposition. How many did you have to fight off before killing your elk?

We had "encounters" every day. Having four guys yelling together seems to dissuade them ok. When we weren't stalking, we talked loudly and yelled a lot. They got pretty darned close. The big boar stomped some and smacked his mouth, then took off. The sows with cubs were keen on protecting their cubs and shouldered them away ok. They all came to eat. They are deadly silent. Human ears can't hear them.

Sounds like I wouldn't sleep too good on Afognak unless I was in a cabin or high dollar lodge. Glad you made it out alive and looking forward to the pics.

I've always wanted to do that hunt. The one year I had the gun, the money, and the time, way back when, Friggin ADF&G went and changed the season on me.

They said, AND I QUOTE, "Too many teachers hitting the early part of the season..." I wasn't a teacher, but I did work for the school district, with similar schedule... Bastids.

I'm still not too old (tho my partner is - he's a year older and had triple bypass a few years back), but my wife thinks I oughta keep working afte retirement...which was (1) 4 years ago, (2) a month ago (to draw SS). Ah well, maybe next "retirement"..

I ain't afeered of bears....

She's retired twice already herself, so I don't have a leg to stand on! But I might need to recruit a couple 20-40 year old pards....

Congratulations on your hunt, your elk, and not getting et....

Sounds like fun, glad you were successful! I would love to do that hunt one of these days. Glad you were safe, too bad you couldn't bag that big hog!

I got a healthy respect for the bears while hunting deer on Kodiak a few years ago. I may or may not have had a close encounter. Pretty crazy with a deer on your back hiking down to the lake, you can hear the branches breaking, but can't see anything until he busts out of the brush at 7 yds, with no apparent intent on slowing down! That was a few days after flying in with Dean Andrews to recover Matt Sutton's ( http://www.malmstrom.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123125621 ) fanny pack and walking stick. It was pretty surreal being there, scraps of clothes hanging on the brush, blood stains, trampled grass, thinking about how that scenario played out. Needless to say, that left me on high alert.

Congrats on your hunt, I did that hunt in 1972. Spot on for the terrain,I picked out devils club thorns for two weeks.

Read about Afognak a long time ago... I doubt I'll ever get that far, but its on the list anyway....

Great story. Looking forward to some pics!

las, that's exactly what we had, two young super strong guys with us. Seriously, this hunt is just not feasible without having strength and youth on your side. Numbers help too. It would be borderline suicide to attempt it alone, dangerous with two, better with three and a good thing to have four. No one is ever left alone that way.

One of the larger juvenile cubs in the valley had ideas, it took his persistent mom to turn him before he got hurt. I believe that the cubs might be more dangerous because they're young and dumb!

Everything on the island is fat fat fat. It must have been a great summer for them. There were salmon a-plenty still.

I, and my back, still marvel at how thick and healthy the elk was. What a glorious beast.

Fellas, that herd bull is still out there. I hope the folks going in on the 8th can find him!

Congrats!

Afognak is a beautiful place. Looking forward to pics.

Congrats, sounds like a WILD place!!

Eric

No photos, this was just a dream...

Tried linking to pictures, won't work. Tired of trying.

Originally Posted by AKHuck

Tried linking to pictures, won't work. Tired of trying.

Do you have a Photobucket account?

I'll try once more, I changed the settings:

My fat elk:
[Linked Image]