gone huntin

[Bullshop]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/bullshop/1d9968d6.jpg
If we are allowed another day me and Jr will be going for caribou tomarrow. We both have two permits for cow or bull. We shared the moose from last Sept. with some less fortunate than us so will need more meat to get through till next Sept. Course there is always bears. We eat a good bit of fish too.
Anyways how bouts a guess on what we are using? The paper patch boolits weigh 250gn and the grease groove's are 200gn. Loads are about 60gn AA#3100 for the 200gn and 50gn IMR 3031 for the 250gnPP.
Looks rather exotic dont it?
BIC/BS

[swheeler]

Bullshop; maybe a 35 Whelen Ackley Imp.? Good luck on the boo!

[High Desert Hunter]

I think I have seen this gun, but never got to shoot it. Believe it or not I am thinking of trading in my .300 Win mag for an '06 based cartridge of 30 caliber or bigger. I am not getting any wealthier, and feeding this magnum isn't getting any cheaper. Hope that you and Bullshop Jr score a double, caribou makes for some good eating. Maybe a black bear for variety. Sure hope this new year brings many blessings upon you and your family, God willing we will meet again my friend.

Dave Beeman

[Bullshop]

By golly swheeler you just made it too easy. Right you are. The 200gn is the RCBS and the 250 gn is a Rapine for the 348 win. Patched up boolits for the 348 win are perfect for the 35 cals. And 338's for the 348, and 270's for the 7mm, and 25's for the 6.5 and well you get the idea.
We will be bringing along a 22-243 loaded with 80gn Siearas at 3500 fps in case we see some sellable fur out doing what we are doing. That thing has some reach and cuts the wind drift of any factory loaded cartridge in half.
Any way well done right on the first try.
BIC/BS

[swheeler]

Bullshop; would that be of the Middlestead persuasion or another cat? Definately "ray gun" flat shootin, fine medicine for wolves, fox, and maybe a p-panther! Can you still take a free griz in 13D? 10 wolves per day? That's got to be pretty close to your back yard, kinda miss it! Take care on your hunt, best wishes.
Scooter

[Bullshop]

Scooter
We are in 20D about 40 miles from the line for 13 at Black Rappids. We are going in the Castner glacier area just north of Summit Lake. You can take one grizz per year in the whole area now even where I live. In the Tok managment area you can take two.
Yea the fur gun is a middlestead with a 27 1/2" 1/9" twist and it does get with the program. I built one before this one but made it too heavy with a 30" nbrsa heavy varmint taper. It was in 224 Clark but it took 10 gn more powder to get very little more velocity. That was on a Sako action but the Middlestead is on a short Rem with a heavy sporter taper.

AkBman
Hi Dave, hows things in the sun? Its been not too bad here ya know for here. We have had most of the fall portion of winter above zero. Had a rough start that was cold for a couple weeks around thanks giving but it mellowed. We are seeing the sun now but it has to come a long ways north to have any warm in it. I have to get out of the house (and away from the refridgerator) so I can work off some of my hybernation store.
Good to hear from you brother!
If you want something with plenty o punch but dont eat much look at the 358 Win, or did I just hear something about a new factory 338/08.
With my Whelen and 180gn bullets I can equal most 300 win mags at 3000 fps and with 250 gn I can equal most 338 win mags at a bit over 2600 fps.
This is with roughly 15 to 20gn less powder than the mags and alot less recoil to boot. Not too shabby brother! Let us know what you do.
Cold blooded brother,
BIC/BS

[stocker]

Bullshop:

I have several hundred Beartooth bullets that won't chamber in my 348. Paper patching for my 35 Whelen sounds like a good plan.

What paper are you using? Two wraps? Paper lubed or unlubed?

Hope you get your 'bous.

[JDL]

I have confidence you and Jr. will make meat with those business looking .35 thumpers! -JDL

[Bass Ackward]

Dan,

How much day light do you have to hunt this time of year where you are?

[pdgraham]

Wow!!!

I worked "outside" in Fairbanks the last two weeks of Dec in 1984.. I thought it was "life threatening".. of course I was used to Indiana weather..

[Bullshop]

Got up to -20F at home this morning. Was going to wait for a warmer day but we couldnt stand it so we went. It was colder in the mtns.
We stopped in a couple places and glassed and saw lots of tuktuk but way way back on the ridges. Finaly found some we could get to and get back.
Made the stalk and the kill on a large bull. PROBLEM!!!
Got him gutted and dragged down the mtn, easy. Drag across the river, hard!!! Made it to the road to meet game warden, no problem all legal,WRONG.
I made the mistake of not bringing my tag when I left the vehicle so I didnt have a validated tag, violation#1 $160.00
He was being real good about it and said I worked so hard for it he would let me keep the animal. BTW You have your hunting license with you right,OH YOU BEt. Ah sir this is an 05 license, violation#2 $250.00
I checked my tags before I left this morning and they are good until 3/06. I thought my license carried over as did the tags but that was wrong
The second violation required the confiscation of the animal.
I said even though its hard for me to feel good about this right now the Bible says that all things are for the good of those who believe, and in all things give thanks, so we did.
So I found out Tage the warden is a Christian too. I could see he felt real bad about having to do his job today. Must be a lot easier if you know you got a bad guy. So we ended up having a little fellowship and I left trying to make him feel better. Was nice to meet a new brother though.
Sorry all for the not so exciting story, but we will correct our mistakes and God willing try again. Learned a lesson I will not forget.
BIC/BS

[swheeler]

BS: you just about have to be a Philadelphia Lawyer to catch all the rules and regs anymore, they change ours yearly- I take nothing for granted anymore! God bless
Scooter

[High Desert Hunter]

Man, that would be a tough one, but as you say, the good Lord will not give us a mountain we can't climb. Still sorry to hear about the lost meat.
On the flip side, if anyone is looking for a 35 Whelen Improved (wish I had the money)
http://disc.server.com/discussion.cgi?disc=208184;article=172005;title=Fr ontier%20Sixshooter%20Message%20Board

Dave Beeman

[45 2.1]

Funny how everything is OK when the State gets there cut (money) and not OK when they don't.

[Bass Ackward]

Dan,

It is unfortunate and I am sorry that you got into this situation. But to take the carcus, only to have it end up going to waste, goes against the principles and spirit of game management. It's only about the money as Bob said.

What helped me to (remember) get around this problem was to incorporate lisencing and "changes" in the law into my sons training annually. I used to incorporate this in with safety training. This way, if I taught him, I had to know and be right first. :grin:

[Bullshop]

BA
Very good advice, thank you I will most certanly heed it.
Forgot to answer your question about day light. At the shortest point arround Christmas there is enough light to shoot at about 10:00AM and by about 3:00PM your about out of shooting light. We are about 150 miles south of the arctic circle so do not get total darkness, but in summer we can drive all night without head lights on. We can see the sun for just a matter of minutes due south as it passes between the mountain peaks.
We are gaining a few minutes per day now.
In winter we often have moon lit nights with the arora that with a good scope you can hunt most of the night. The problem is that when its that clear it usualy means cold. I have gone out at night at -50F to call fur but it takes lots of clothes and you cant sit more than a couple minutes.
Refridgeration is not a problem most of the year.
BIC/BS

[7br]

Kansas has a lifetime hunting and fishing license. I got mine about 15 years ago and it has since paid for itself. Several reasons to get one, never expires, if I move out of state, I can hunt as a resident, etc. Might be worth checking into. I really need to get my oldest son signed up. He has passed his hunter's ed and I can pay on it quarterly. If he moves out of state, he will be welcomed back for a quail hunt, etc.

[Bullshop]

Since we no have an investment in this I thought we should try to get a return on it. We got all legal matters straightened out and continued our quest.
Jr. and I started hiking early on the 13th in the area of Rainbow Mt. the beauty of which can not be put into words. Please forgive me but I forgot the camera but had intended to show what I am unable to describe.

It was cold about -20 and very crisp and with the airborn snow that is always present comming from the wind swept peaks and the rising sun pearcing the snow cristals there was an intensly bright rainbow hanging over us, thus the name Rainbow Mt.
Our first encounter was two still steaming caribou carcases on which the still present wolves had just finished breakfast. A big gray pearing over a ridge at some panicking caribou was too far out of range for us to be of help to them.
After about three hours of climbing we finaly made it to the wind swept ridges where walking was much easier. Wolf tracks matted the ridges and the whole area was alive with ravens and eagles squabling over the left overs from the wolves.
Looking out over the high tundra with the AK. pipe line in the distance we could see scattered small bands of caribou probably numbering over 100 in total.
Using the teraine we stalked a small group and got into position for a shot. I laid down prown resting on my pack and squeased the trigger of my 375 JRS when the cross haires settled just right, CLICK, WHAT, bad primer. Recock re aim re squeze, CLICK, bad cartridge.
New cartridge and same thing click and click. Then I remembered I had on the spur of the moment deceided to use this rifle that have not been winterised. By this time the group was moving on so we let them go.
We were by then running out of light so turned back in the direction of our PU to try for another small group that we had circled arround and were now between us and the PU.
As we got to the end of the ridge we were on we found they were directly below us so we positioned for a shot. I wanted to give Jr. the shot but by this time he was freezing up pretty bad so he declined the shot.
It was a bit of a trick to get into a shooting position on such a steep down hill slope. We pushed up a pile of snow in front of us then put my pack on it and I lying side hill was able to take a sollid rest over it. This time I used the 35 Whelen Jr had been carrying.
The shot was true as aimed and the lead cow dropped instantly and never moved. I guessed the range at about 250 and they were walking into the wind so I aimed at the high half of the base of the neck to allow for a bit of drift and drop. The shot hit right where aimed and broke the neck for an instant kill.
By the time we got her dressed out and ourselves re packed it was getting dark but I had to at least get her moved a distance from the kill sight. I dragged her 2/3 of the way to the PU and by then the days efforts were taking toll on me and I could not go any further carrying pack gear rifle and dragging caribou
We were close enough the the next day would take not much more than an hour to finish, so we streached her out so to freeze in a position that would be easy to drag.
Yesterday we went to finish the job and had no problems getting her back to the PU. It took about 1 hour 10 minutes. When we got to the carcase there were about 50 cariboe there we walked up to within 200 yards of.
I asked Jr if he wanted to take one but bless his heart he declined seeing as how he was concerned that I already had plenty of work ahead, and seeing my struggle dragging the day before.
All went well and when we were loaded and leaving we spotted some raven activity down river so we stopped to check it out. What we could see was anouther 7 carcases within a 50 yard area that the wolves had killed that morning. A couple had been fed on but the rest just looked like they were killed in the frenzy but otherwise not eaten.
For those that say wolves only take the sick and week I can testify that is simply not true. They will often ravage through a herd wounding many animals, then follow that herd easily from the scent of blood. As the wounded animals weeken they become easy pray. It is a killing process and anyone watching in the short term may get the idea they are killing the week and injured.
Sorry for being so long winded but we packed so much life into the last couple days there is no short way to tell it.
When this one is all put up we plan to,God willing go back to try and fill Jr's tags. With legal issues out of the way and off my mind hopefully I will remember the camera and be able to offer a real treat to all reading this thread.
God bless
BIC/BS

[MGySgt]

Bull Shop - I have seen the frozen Tundra, not AK, but Iceland. I thought you did an excellent job of describing it. I could see it in my minds eye!

Drew

Danged - Still can't spell!

[Buckshot]

.................Here's one ya might like:

http://www.fototime.com/7EC0BDD1F8B7152/standard.jpg

On the right is a 375-06 Ackley Improved, 300gr Sierra. On the lft is a 8x57 with the Lyman 323471 at 205grs.

...............Buckshot

[NVcurmudgeon]

Bullshop, literacy trumps a camera every time! It was almost like being there, thank you.

[Bullshop]

I must thank you gentlemen but believe me when I say my words can not do justice to the raw harsh beauty of the country.
It is my back yard and I see it often, but each time I do I am awed to the point of tears to be so privelaged to be in a place that feels like it must be a glimps of heaven. I cant help but to take the time to thank God each time I am so privelaged. For me it is truely a feeling of being close to God.
BIC/BS

[pdgraham]

All I can say is Wow!

[PatMarlin]

I must thank you gentlemen but believe me when I say my words can not do justice to the raw harsh beauty of the country.
It is my back yard and I see it often, but each time I do I am awed to the point of tears to be so privelaged to be in a place that feels like it must be a glimps of heaven. I cant help but to take the time to thank God each time I am so privelaged. For me it is truely a feeling of being close to God.
BIC/BS


I know that feeling....!

Hey- there's over 500 people read this thread here. Let's all send Dan .50 for his writin' such a good story and pay his warden bill.

I know that had to hurt, with money being tight Dan.. ;-)