Circa 1940 Sheep & Goat combo

[Yellowknife]

Just got this picture in digital format, and couldn't resist posting it.



That's my great grandfather hunting in the Chugach Range of Alaska around 1940. Something they did a lot of during the territorial days of Alaska. I believe they mostly targeted goat, but a few sheep were taken, and apparently this trip they go lucky and doubled.

Rifle is surplus 1898 Krag that had the issue stock cut down to a more or less sporter style. It's still in the family, and I've actually shot it, although the bore is in rough shape anymore. The Krag was replaced in 1955 with a Winchester 70 Featherweight in the brand new .308 win chambering. That gun also saw a lot of action, and currently resides in my safe.

They look like they are having a good time.

Yk

 

[Yellowknife]

The pack is a Trapper Nelson. The best there was at the time. It's possible that I may even have the same pack that was in the picture, and it was still in active duty on my trapline until the late 90's.

A much later picture of the pack with the same Chugach Mt's in the background.

 

[Stid2677]

Love seeing the old photos and having them to be of your family makes it even better. AWESOME!! Thanks for sharing and may that old rifle see many more trips into the hills.

Steve

 

[Becca]

Simply awesome YK! Love seeing the old photos and stories of the old days hunting AK! Man those trapper packs look uncomfortable...

 

[realunlucky]

Awesome picture yk. I shot my first deer with a krag still brings a smile to my face when I see it in safe

 

[Yellowknife]

Love seeing the old photos and having them to be of your family makes it even better. AWESOME!! Thanks for sharing and may that old rifle see many more trips into the hills.

Steve

The Krag is permanently retired, but I've taken both moose and caribou with the M-70. I still shoot it, and it's still very accurate. I may take it into the mountains again, but think I should likely replace the original Kollmorgan scope before I do. It's never failed, but the seals can't be in that good of shape anymore.

Yk

 

[Huntr]

Amazing pics! Thanks for sharing.

 

[todd kelly]

Very cool pics, I have my grandfathers trapper nelson pack as well. I plan on using it with a mount one day. The one thing I don't get is how did they manage to use it without load lifters

 

[Wrongside]

Neat old pics! Thnx for sharing them!

A 'Vintage Hunting Photos' thread in General Discusion could be a lot of fun...

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

If they saw the gear we are using these days they would laugh.

Awesome pics YK!

 

[robby denning]

loved the pic!

 

[pacific-23]

Awesome photo! The old timers with the wool blankets, tin pants etc were badasses for sure.

 

[Yellowknife]

If they saw the gear we are using these days they would laugh.

I dunno. You will note that there isn't a stitch of cotton on those guys. They understood what worked out there. There were homesteaders just coming out of the Depression, but Filson, Pendelton, and Woolrich are what they are wearing, and those were the premium outdoor brands of the time. I think they would likely understand modern clothing innovations.

And while it's true they would probably laugh at some of the weird endless online gear debates, but they bought the best they could and I don't think they were afraid to try something they thought might be a better piece of kit. In 1955 the .308 win mounted with a 4x scope that replaced the Krag was pretty much the latest and greatest thing on the market. The Trapper Nelson pack is another example. Those were a fairly new pack concept at the time the picture was taken, but were obviously quickly adopted by my ancestors for mountain hunting.

Yk

 

[bowuntr]

Very cool... especially that it's family. Ed F

 

[Craig Van Arsdale]

I dunno. You will note that there isn't a stitch of cotton on those guys. They understood what worked out there. There were homesteaders just coming out of the Depression, but Filson, Pendelton, and Woolrich are what they are wearing, and those were the premium outdoor brands of the time. I think they would likely understand modern clothing innovations.

And while it's true they would probably laugh at some of the weird endless online gear debates, but they bought the best they could and I don't think they were afraid to try something they thought might be a better piece of kit. In 1955 the .308 win mounted with a 4x scope that replaced the Krag was pretty much the latest and greatest thing on the market. The Trapper Nelson pack is another example. Those were a fairly new pack concept at the time the picture was taken, but were obviously quickly adopted by my ancestors for mountain hunting.

Yk

O I know what you mean. I'm just always impressed by the old timers that did what we are doing with far less than what we have available.

 

[Yellowknife]

O I know what you mean. I'm just always impressed by the old timers that did what we are doing with far less than what we have available.

Very true. It took a higher level of fieldcraft that I have to mountain hunt (in November no less!) back then. It's doubly impressive because I know there wasn't any trails and very very few roads in the area at the time. Not only did them manage to survive, they apparently did very well at it. Their version of ultralight packing was just taking very very little in the first place. Somewhere we have a picture of one of their camps, and it was basically spruce boughs under a simple canvas tarp. Light, simple, and effective... but takes skill to make it work.

Yk

 

[Alaskan89]

Very cool pics! They were some tough guys, hunting the Chugach in November!! I really enjoy reading about the old days hunting in Alaska and is why I live here now.

 

[Brock A]

A 'Vintage Hunting Photos' thread in General Discusion could be a lot of fun...

Great idea!

Awesome pics YK.

 

[Nick Muche]

Now that is cool!

 

[digger]

The best post I've seen in quite a while...Thanks