Post by: mtman on January 29, 2014, 07:55:53 PM
I cant seem to find any books specially on sitkas but I have started my research. I bought a plant book for SE Alaska and trying to figure out what they eat. I am thinking about booking a charter flight out to P.O.W. into one of there lakes and going alpine from there. I also have figured out how to get there by land and ferry. I just don't know which is the better option. I plan on going in mid Aug eather way I choose. I'm curious if any of you might have pointers or advice on the sitka hunt?
I read the book how to hunt coues deer and that helped me figure out were i should start on this hunt. I bought my AZ licences this year so i can apply and build points. I was thinking units 35 or 36 down south late muzzy hunts. Those hunts seem like there timing is closer to the rut. Since i don't know much about this hunt the added movement of the bucks will help cut the learning curve. This hunt differently sounds like the tougher of the two.
Anybody know of any other books I should read before my hunts? Or anything else that might help prepare me for my hunts would be much appreciated. Thanks
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on January 29, 2014, 08:01:32 PM
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,143315.0.html (http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,143315.0.html)
Post by: deaner on January 29, 2014, 08:02:12 PM
Post by: mtman on January 30, 2014, 03:05:43 PM
Post by: mtman on January 30, 2014, 03:11:34 PM
Post by: Chesapeake on February 21, 2014, 04:21:06 PM
PM me on here, or maybe we know of each other.... I live in Washougal and you look a little familiar...
I grew up on POW. My folks and Sister still live up there. I go up and hunt every few years. I could give you some pointers.
Post by: deaner on February 21, 2014, 04:37:21 PM
mtman,
PM me on here, or maybe we know of each other.... I live in Washougal and you look a little familiar...
I grew up on POW. My folks and Sister still live up there. I go up and hunt every few years. I could give you some pointers.
a guy i work with lives in petersburg, and he told me that sometime in the last year or two they changed some of the areas, and i believe POW is one of them, to requiring a guide for black bear if youre a non resident. this isnt all of alaska, just a few of the spots that were getting so hammered by out of state hunters that the locals threw a fit.
Post by: Chesapeake on February 22, 2014, 09:14:45 PM
Pow, unit 2a I believe went to draw for spring bear.
For deer, the subject at hand a non-res can hunt about August 15, till the end of season. There is some state land, fed land details, but that's the general deal.
You need a guide or first of kin type relative for brown bear, sheep, goat.....
Post by: mtman on February 23, 2014, 05:42:07 PM
Post by: PolarBear on February 23, 2014, 05:53:04 PM
Post by: redi on February 25, 2014, 08:45:57 AM
We saw 55 deer and 11 bucks in 5days of hunting in mid November. It is about 17 hours to drive.
Post by: CouesFanatic on February 25, 2014, 11:00:28 AM
Post by: Bean Counter on February 25, 2014, 11:22:28 AM
We hunted Coues in Arizona south of Wilcox in unit 31 or 32. Stay away from the border, too much trouble from illegals.
We saw 55 deer and 11 bucks in 5days of hunting in mid November. It is about 17 hours to drive.
Yes, please do stay away from the border. I much prefer having little competition for the 110" coues deer on public land :)
I live in AZ have hunted all the units mentioned here and am willing to trade info for anyone with good deer and pronghorn info in Wyoming. I know the 36 units really well and have taken a few deer there. I might even be able to show you some areas personally depending upon how good of WY info you can provide.
Post by: Bean Counter on February 25, 2014, 11:34:38 AM
Post by: mtman on February 26, 2014, 06:33:59 PM
Looking forward to hunting somewere I wont get wet.
Post by: Bean Counter on February 26, 2014, 07:10:58 PM
Still plenty of info to trade for those who can hook me up in Wyoming. :IBCOOL:
Post by: mtman on June 16, 2015, 07:29:47 PM
Post by: Bean Counter on June 16, 2015, 09:50:45 PM
Going to make the coues hunt this fall? leftover tags will be out soon and I manage to snag one every year :IBCOOL:
Post by: huntnnw on June 16, 2015, 09:55:21 PM
Post by: Chesapeake on June 16, 2015, 10:02:13 PM
The rest looks fine.
You can license up in Klawock at Blackbear, or one of the other outfits. If you get stuck in K-town then the Walmart sells licenses.
Post by: mtman on June 17, 2015, 08:29:32 PM
Post by: Broker on June 19, 2015, 10:36:49 AM
http://fishorhunt.com/Hunts.php (http://fishorhunt.com/Hunts.php)
My first trip up I drove, took the ferry etc like you have planned. 2nd trip I flew in to KTN, took float plane to Thorne Bay and was picked up by the owner. They set you up with a place to sleep, a 4 door truck and a fishing boat. The rest is up to you. I found it to be a good value for a DIY hunt.
It was a lot more fun the second visit than the first but both were well worth the time and effort.
The deer are thick on that island, you will have many opportunities to fill your tags.
Post by: JWEBB on June 19, 2015, 10:06:31 PM
Post by: andrew_in_idaho on June 20, 2015, 10:19:20 PM
I see you have everything sorted out already mtman but here's a link for others that may want to venture North for Sitka deer.
http://fishorhunt.com/Hunts.php (http://fishorhunt.com/Hunts.php)
My first trip up I drove, took the ferry etc like you have planned. 2nd trip I flew in to KTN, took float plane to Thorne Bay and was picked up by the owner. They set you up with a place to sleep, a 4 door truck and a fishing boat. The rest is up to you. I found it to be a good value for a DIY hunt.
It was a lot more fun the second visit than the first but both were well worth the time and effort.
The deer are thick on that island, you will have many opportunities to fill your tags.
I was looking at doing this in a couple of years, would taking a ferry from Ketchikan be a cheaper option? Seems like a float plane would cost a few extra bucks and I'm a cheapskate.
Post by: mtman on June 21, 2015, 01:46:27 PM
Post by: andrew_in_idaho on June 21, 2015, 07:45:43 PM
I looked into doing it the float plane way. It was almost twice as much. It was more expensive from the start and then you start adding in getting things home and that is not as cheap either. Also I don't think the meat would last stuck on a lake for a whole week in Aug.
What I was referring to is fly commercial to ketchikan hop a ferry over to POW and book with one of the outfits that rents cabin, truck, and boat for usually around $1000, seems from what I figured out a guy could do the trip for about $2500 including round trip air from boise(seattle is cheaper I'm sure), license and 2 tags, lodging/truck/boat(I was looking at thorne bay lodge), ferry and incidental spending($500 which would be a lot)
Post by: Chesapeake on July 13, 2015, 03:58:05 PM
Your in for a heck of a hunt this year. Just got back fr4om POW last week. Was deer everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Fawn dropping, bucks in velvet, couldn't drive anywhere for more than a mile without seeing a few. Bodies looked small though. Horn growth looked good. They are having what they call a drought, but stuff is still plenty green. Still some snow on the taller hills.
Post by: mtman on July 14, 2015, 04:05:04 PM
I had to push the hunt back two weeks. I found out you cant start hunting federal land until the 15th. They don't make it clear on when you can start hunting in the regs.You have to call all around to get the right answer.
Post by: Chesapeake on July 14, 2015, 04:29:51 PM
That's what i have been hearing from others up there as well. Ive called the forest service and Game department and they are saying it is insane how many deer they have. Ive been waiting years for this hunt. I figured try and do it when they have a bunch of mild winters back to back. Sounds like its going to work out GOD willing.
I had to push the hunt back two weeks. I found out you cant start hunting federal land until the 15th. They don't make it clear on when you can start hunting in the regs.You have to call all around to get the right answer.
Dang, I apologize, I didn't pay attention to your Aug. 1 date. I thought I had told you some time back you cant play till Aug. 16, but maybe that was someone else. :sry:
Federal subsistence season is July 24 - Dec. 31 for "qualified subsistence users" on Federal lands.
State hunting season in Aug. 1 - Dec. 31 on State and Federal lands if the federal lands aren't closed to your user group.
Federal lands are closed for all but "qualified subsistence users" Aug. 1 - Aug.15.
So non-res and non-small town Island folks get to hunt Tongass Aug, 16 to Dec, 31.
That means if your there August 16 you'll be there for the "opening weekend" for the Ketchikan folks. They will flood over on the ferry to hunt and flood back on the ferry with truck beds full of deer when headed home.
Federal subsistence regulations:
http://www.doi.gov/subsistence/regulation/wildlife/upload/Unit-2-Prince-of-Wales-Island-405-KB.pdf
Post by: mtman on July 14, 2015, 06:08:38 PM
Post by: Chesapeake on July 17, 2015, 02:00:06 PM
Locals use bug dope and or pray for rain or a good breeze.
Post by: vandeman17 on July 17, 2015, 02:04:50 PM
Does anybody have any experience with bug suits or head nets. I'm sure the bugs are going to be extra bad this year. I would like to get something before I head up.
Thermacell. I love mine
Post by: mtman on August 29, 2015, 08:38:18 AM
I didn't realize how much scouting I was going to have to do before I could strap my backpack on. We started out by driving to locations I had marked as good spots to hunt with lots of alpine. The hard part was seeing the alpine. There was fog the first 4 days of the hunt that blocked the view of the tops of the mountains. Also a lot of the forest roads had trees next to the road blocked the view as well.
On the 5th day we were on P.O.W. the weather broke. We finally got a good view of the tops of the mountains. I spotted a 2 point from a logging we were hiking up. I busted up to the alpine and shot my first sitka. That was the easy part. Then on the way down I found those cliffs everybody was talking about. A lot of up and down to get that deer off the mountain but worth it.
The next day vision was still good so we went up again to camp. As we were going up we spotted another 2 point we were able to get to him before dark and David0 shot him. We boned him out and packed him back to camp in the dark. The next morning David packed his buck down while I hunted for my 2nd deer. It was the first real fun day it is awesome seeing all the tops of those mountains from the alpine. The deer were all over that morning. I shot the biggest buck I seen the whole trip a velvet 2 point. I was happy to fill both my tags as the weather closed back up latter that day.
Thanks to everybody that helped with info.
Post by: Bean Counter on August 29, 2015, 09:04:41 AM
Post by: UBA on August 29, 2015, 12:27:19 PM
Post by: Ridgerunner on August 29, 2015, 01:00:52 PM
Post by: JWEBB on August 29, 2015, 08:19:48 PM
Post by: david0 on August 29, 2015, 08:38:29 PM
Post by: JWEBB on August 29, 2015, 09:51:14 PM
Post by: deerhuntr4885 on August 29, 2015, 10:28:20 PM
Thanks for posting, I'm starting to research the same hunt now.
Count me in!
Post by: david0 on August 30, 2015, 03:50:04 PM
Post by: david0 on August 30, 2015, 03:55:37 PM
Post by: Chesapeake on August 31, 2015, 05:11:45 PM
Looks like you had a fun hunt.