Ralph and Fred Space Alaskan hunts in 1959 and 196

This was shot 60+ years ago with a 16 mm camera. Some of it is blurry especially in the beginning. The amount of game they saw back in those days is mind boggleing. Were very few hunting shot movies in this time (this was before video was even a thing). Dad narrated it when it was edited after they got home to NJ. Point Barrow info about the natives is interesting..

1961

Thanks Eric !

There is a good book about Cleo McMahan. Papa was a Bush Pilot. Written by his daughter. Cleo passed in 2005. Two of his sons, Chuck & Harley, are extremely talented pilots in their own right.

Eric -

For me, watching that film was a real pleasure. I was a good friend of Cleo McMahan's, and more-so, friends with Chuck and Harley, Cleo and Daphne's two boys. Looks like a great series of hunts.
You might be interested to know, Harley dropped me off in the Alphabet Hills just west of their place for a moose hunt. This was about 1984. I killed a big moose and packed it back to the small lake I was camped on. I was out the next day looking for a caribou, and Cleo landed on that little lake, loaded (by himself) that entire moose, and hauled it out for me.

Very cool footage. Thoroughly enjoyed it. Everyone , worth the time to watch it.


Also , Eric is right , very little home movie type hunting footage like this exists. 16mm color film of that time was very spendy to own a camera , color film and processing was steep too.


Thanks for posting

There is an old video that might still be available on VHS. Called This is my Alaska. It too is all home video of hunts and fishing trips . By LeRoy Shebal. It includes lots of footage taken in the 50's & 60's and shows Cleo McMahan and others shooting wolves from Super Cubs in the Barrow area. Real old timey stuff.

Thanks again Eric. Really enjoyed it!

Bud Konkel's wife also wrote a book. My Dad had a copy and I read it a few years ago then gave it back to him. Have not been able to locate it in Dad's cache of books. Cleo told my dad after he shot the grizzly that if he knew he was shooting a 270 he would have given him a bigger gun to use. It actually was a 270 Weatherby. Cleo came down here one time and visited with us, Had to be 40 plus years ago.

What a terrific blast from the past. And another neat AK-NJ connection for me.. Thanks for posting.

Bud Conkle's son Colin lives in North Pole, near Fairbanks. I just spoke with him at a gun show in October. He is a terrific C-185 pilot; I've flown with him quite a bit when he worked for Wright's Air Service on the East Ramp at Fbx International.

Pete

Really enjoyed the video. Thanks for posting!

Thanks for sharing that

Terrific Eric.
Glaciers receding way back then??

Osky

What a film! Thank you for sharing it!

I caught that. Great video from the great land.

[quote=Osky]Terrific Eric.
Glaciers receding way back then??

Amazing, ain’t it?

Very cool video Eric, worth the time to watch. I have a few of my grandfathers videos, from the same era, of his canoe trip down the Yukon River.

Wow, I watched this while having my coffee, what a treat. Thank you eric for sharing. Your family had some great adventures.

I found it interesting that they had to give the meat to the School kids. Could they trim off a steak or a roast for supper i wonder?