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I don’t have pics to back it up but that hound will climb anything the worst is when he trees up widow makers I don’t know how many trees I’ve shimmy up to get him out also pulled him from a cave or two and many holes when a coon would den up under ground There is a third dog down in the hole of this picture View attachment 69914

I have no doubt! I know what a faithful and talented dog will do for it's master, and for their own pleasure. Dogs are amazing gifts and blessings from our God! (IMHO)
 
Yes, hunting fishing trapping is a large part of my life. And my beautiful wife n me enjoy feeding our family hormone steroid free meat. Halibut sooooo good. We barter halibut for rabbit n moose but I've been blessed to be able to go out on 3-4 day trips when younger but the memories are forever.
I've been blessed to be able to call in our sons first moose, 58" . And will hopefully help our daughter get her first moose this fall. Salmon are running now.
Best was doing this with my best friend 💘 . And having kids that now share our passion. Because they were exposed to the world of hunting fishing trapping. And now our grandkids.
We have all worked together for near 34 years as a family. One of the best moments of the hunt fish trap is processing it together. Making sausages n such on the kitchen table.
We now have a remote cabin. I've had many many dreams of sharing with my family while freighting building supplies for 3-4 years under the northern lights. Now my beautiful wife can howl from the front porch n wolves may howl back. And our daughter will not let me do the butchering anymore. She just put up 25 meat rabbits for us all n prefers i chill out n drink beers n such. Son shared 200 pounds of moose with us last fall as we weren't successful. We make up sausages n burger. A little tip, when you're making your burger we add in bacon bits as part of the 80-20 meat to pork suit to make bacon burgers, then add in a bunch of ground up jalapeño peppers.
Hey take one make one.
 
So Pa and Hubby are going down for a "Prehunt" this weekend. Their elk season is open, but they can't stay. They will be going back for a 10 day stay in a couple weeks. They are both excited as little kids - or Jim before Christmas 😊 They have quite the pile of stuff for just one night. Will be curious to see what they take to "rough it" for a week and a half.
 
One neighbor is a young man with a few acres just back of me... He and his uncle both have hounds and are welcome to hunt on my place. I heard his dogs tree one night last week down in the bottoms. They normally hunt after midnight. I like being able to sit on my porch and listen to his dogs... beats stomping through the brush. ;)
 
So how about a story about my most dangerous moose hunting trip. Just above about dying after my 4 wheeler cut loose n almost fell off a mountain. Probably should add that there were probably plenty of close calls I don't know about.
There were 3 of us and 2 canoes. Heck just tie them end to end like a train, we were geniuses. Especially since we were having record breaking flood waters. Took a lot of the curves out n the 3-5 beaver dams we normally have to cross were gone.
We got to my old honey hole in good shape. Nice little hill that the Iditarod trail crosses. I had camped in this spot numerous times so getting set up was easy. I grabbed my rifle n headed up the ridge behind camp. Feeling great about being in my little spot. I didn't get but a hundred yards n was blessed by a nice bull. Pretty easy hunt when it comes to moose. Another good story would be about the bull I got just another couple hundred yards away one year. Or about the largest brown bear I've ever seen . Oops, I can get a bit carried away when it's about hunting.
Anyhows we had 500 pounds of moose hanging by night fall.
We load up 2 coleman canoes. We have stuff piled a foot above the gunnels. And 2" of free board.
Way heavy man !
We get to within a quarter mile of our pick up spot. A large birch tree was swept down a landslide blocking our corner. We are not going to make this corner. And I've been around sweepers so I know what's coming. I hollered get to the bank n gave it everything. We just made it. Well to the bottom of a landslide into raging white water anyhows. I bail out to the port. Wrong side.
I'm dressed in my hip waders under my helly Hanson slickers, the water instantly filled my waders. I had somehow grabbed the rope on the bow n managed to pull myself up out of the tangle of limbs n debris around my feet. Enough for one quick look to see my tackle box, paddles everything not tied in floating down the river. Then back down.
I remember pulling myself back up somehow and over to the bank. My bil was in the rear holding the canoes with his feet and a willow branch hanging over the river. Screaming we're going to die. Me hollering don't let go.
With the 3 of holding the canoes, they sank. The water was so fast that it just overflowed n sank upright. We unloaded it underwater. Then used what pots n pans we had to start bailing water until we could get them flipped on to the bank. We were safe, kinda.
The water conditions being at record high along with our timing. We were about a mile from the Pacific ocean while the tide was going out. A 28' tide. Kinda like being in a toilet bowl.
We made it down to the pick up spot. I hitched a ride to a phone at the bar down the road n called home. We got my bil into our water bed to warm him up . He was getting hypothermia n could not stop shaking. Blue lips. Good ol water beds.
My neighbor went back with me the next day at low tide to retrieve the canoes. My buddies canoe was on the right side. The side you could get out on . Mine not so good. My paddles were floating around somewhere in the Pacific so I tried using a stick. Didn't work. I knew I wasn't going to make it so I bailed out on a sandbar in the middle of the creek. Middle of my thigh. My buddy threw me a rope to pull against the current and I made it out.
We did get the moose out n processed up the next day. Both canoes. And our lives. This one was close. But when I am sitting here remembering back I can still get shutters thinking about quite a few really close calls. Enjoying all Alaska has to offer up to me. And kinda can't help but feel like the most blessed man in the world
 
Friday is our opening day for Bow... I'll be pulling out my treestand and pack to prep them for the season..... Once the season starts my treestand lives in the bed of my truck (it fits under my bed cover).... I hope I have the freezer emptied a little more before it starts....
 
Since some of you bow hunt... A buddy (since navy days) makes bows and bow hunts. I talked to him last week and he was getting all his gear ready for the season. Remembered this photo... Don't ask me the woods he uses, don't remember.

full draw sm1.jpg
 
Since some of you bow hunt... A buddy (since navy days) makes bows and bow hunts. I talked to him last week and he was getting all his gear ready for the season. Remembered this photo... Don't ask me the woods he uses, don't remember.

View attachment 72353

Just a guess, but if bet he uses Osage Orange. Highly prized wood for bows and many other things.
 
Just a guess, but if bet he uses Osage Orange. Highly prized wood for bows and many other things.
I wouldn't have guessed that Osage orange would be good for that. It's really crooked and gnarly and it seasons super hard, which makes it great for fence posts. But then again, I know very little about wooden bows...
 
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