Well it has been a busy off season and I am starting to get things geared up for this season. Thought I'd share a little..
Bear baiting this year was a little frustrating. Didn't see anything but brownies and seriously considering finding a new location. My buddy picked up one right at the end of June and I got mine at the beginning of July. I hate it when they dig everything out and just eat the marshmellows...

And then the big boys come around and do this to your barrel.... found it 50 yards in the bush.

But I got the culprit We ran the bait stations, my buddies is about a mile down river from mine. We checked his no hit, mine on the other hand was hit and still had half a barrel. I knew the joker would be back and my buddy being a team player said hey "I will just crash here in the boat." So there I was sitting in my tree stand listening to my buddy snore in the boat 50 yards away as I am thinking there is no way a bear is going to come in..... low and behold out walks a nice 6 footer.:) One shot between the eyes and plenty of burger in the freezer


I spent a week chasing moose during archery season, pretty much just scouting and seeing what was out there, plus a little fishing for silvers. Saw three legal bulls just couldn't get within range. Me and my buddy headed out the day before rifle season and set up camp. Opening day I saw a cow in the morning and that was it. That evening I went back out to a little knoll above a drainage and was sitting there enjoying the scenery when I heard a grunt, I thought it was my belly at first but abut 10 minutes later I heard a snort and knew there was a moose in the area. I walked down to a meadow didn't see anything and went back to the knoll. I knew I heard something so I figured I should at least grunt and see if one came my way. Sure enough 20 minutes later I heard the foot step of a moose walking in a slough headed my way. We quartered him out that night and packed him out in the morning. Nice and tender.


Now that the freezer is full I have been passing time chasing ducks and getting wings for trapping season. I actually got a banded bird this year. Kinda cool.

We didn't hit the Haul Road this year, but we are planning a hunt for deer in Oct. Looking forward to chasing beaver later this month.

Great story and pics..
Keep us updated, enjoy the hunting and fishing y'all have in the great state of AK.

Good Stuff!!!! keep it coming !!

what was it that went through the side of that red barrel?

That would have been the chain securing it to the tree.

that's a lot of brute force to rip the chain through the side of the barrel like that. Makes me think you had the right bait in the barrel for sure...

Looks like your having a good year.

Run over to aih. Get a flat bar of steel 2-3" wide and 1/4" thick.

Put that vertically in the barrel. Drill holes through it.
Put a full eye bolt in there... one of the cast or whatever complete circle ones. Not the open sided ones.

Run chain trough too and bottom eye bolts around the tree
No more pull throughs.

I ended up doing this during the predator control stuff and it worked.

The regular eye bolts they straighten like fish hooks.

Wish I knew you needed a barrel. I just took my mint condition barrel to the dump

Sounds like some fun times!
I made a necklace out of a band from a goose for a buddy a few years ago. I inlayed it wrapped around a small piece of fossilized ivory form him.
I heard of a polar bear ripping open the corner of a connex to get to some whale and seal samples when I was living in Utqaigavik(Barrow). Powerful beasts for sure.

Just got in from one of my favorite trips of the year with Recondo chasing beavers. It rained pretty good on us the last night out there but we still had a blast! Beautiful fall weather, pretty colors and plenty of beaver!
This is my basic set up for fall beaver. Been using those bershire stakes but I think next year I am going to go with extensions, bent and broke quite a few of them this trip.

I run all Duke #4's for footholds, love that trap for the beavers......

And I love seeing this, he wasn't going anywhere

But I normally catch them by the front foot.

This was a pic of camp and our last day haul.

And of course I had to get one with my mug shot in it

Had a good trip, got 17 total. Plenty of bait to start off the season!

And this is my favorite part of the trip, the big camp fires

And I forgot a pic of the basic set

Nice haul.

We where talking about you Boco last night around the campfire! Wishing you where here to help skin and board! You always do awesome put up's on the beaver!

If I was near I would for sure.
How far do you travel by boat,HFT, to get to your beaver trapping ground.

Looks like fun john !! But.........here's a piece of advice I'll pass along that i learned the hard way !!

In the fall, in beaver country......tie your boat off to something the beaver won't likely cut. Like a spruce or a piece of steel you carried with you.


I have even used both bow and stern lines on my boat after the hard learned lesson

I love how this state and its land are always "teaching lessons" to those of us that like to learn the hard way.

-TJ

White, I never thought about that! That would totally bite waking up to!!! Will keep that in mind next time!!!

Boco, we ran a small loop this year maybe 5 miles. Camp was a 10 minute run from the launch. We normally go a lot further but Recondo isn't trapping this year. I figured I only needed about 20 bev to get me started during the regular season. Next fall it is game on though. We have a solid plan for an area that has not been touched in years, that run will be about a 20 mile loop.

Looks like a fun trip our beaver season opens Tue. hope to get out and get a few way up the river from me

Reminds me of the time I couldn't find my paddle. I couldn't figure it out until I seen it half covered in mud on a beaver house. So don't leave paddles unattended either. We seen a beaver house while moose hunting a couple weeks ago that had orange plastic snow fence built in.