Kodiak Island Sitka Deer

[jrebel]

Hope you have a great trip.  Please report back with pics.  I have been looking at a similar trip for years and just haven't pulled the trigger.  Maybe your update will assist me with making the final decision.   

[CNELK]

Nice buck Sitka_Blacktail that's what I'm looking for! From what the biologist told us we should hit the rut the whole time we are there.

[X-Force]

Sounds like your set for an awesome adventure.
Keep us posted.
Good luck

[CNELK]

To those who have hunted deer on the island before during the rut would you suggest using a grunt call and rattling? Or do they not respond to it? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[sirmissalot]

Tagging, this is something I've wanted to do for years

[kodiak 907]

Spot and Stalk is gonna be your best bet during the rut.  The bucks move around a lot looking for does and pushing does.  The bucks will respond to a bleet call if you want to get them into bow range.  IMO the best bleet call on the island is a piece of beach grass.  We would use a blade of grass as the reed of the call between our thumbs.  It will make a higher pitched bleet which sounds exactly a sitka doe in estrus.

Also, be careful when calling, if you use a bleet call the bears will respond to it.  If you are going to do any calling at all, get a good vantage point like a little knob with SHORT grass or alders and watch all directions.  The bears will always respond to a call from the down wind side.

[kodiak 907]

I have never had much luck rattling on the island.

[lokidog]

Tag

[CNELK]

Thank you for your input! I was on the fence on either or not if I was going to purchase calls. I am for sure going to try to cover as much ground as possible in the window of time we have each day. The boat will only drop us off and pick us up during day light. Thank you

[kodiak 907]

Try to do some glassing on each drop off.  A lot of times you can sopt deer on the hills from the boat and then go after them.

[Sitka_Blacktail]

Yup, bleats work good during the rut. And spot and stalk is my favorite way to hunt Sitka's followed closely by still hunting. I use hand carved yellow cedar calls carved by Alex Panalago.  They also work on Columbian Blacktails and Whitetails.

Here's a buddy's Afognak 4x5 buck plus eyeguards, taken a few years ago using one of Alex's calls which you can see hanging from his neck. Here's an e-mail address for ordering Alex's calls judie-alex@comcast.net and here's a thread talking about different calls Alaskan hunters like to use.  http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/showthread.php/105632-deer-call

[elkoholic1]

nice bucks!!   

[redi]

Nice buck.

[Skyvalhunter]

Have a great time!! I was fortunate enough to get a nice 3X4 after I shot my bear up there. I am ready to go back. I own a couple of Alex's cedar call's but have yet to call in a blacktail with one. Take lots of pictures.

[jbeaumont21]

Tag. Bucket list!