Kodiak Sitka Success!

[TBossHSauce]

Sitting in the anchorage airport in route home from an amazing adventure chasing Sitka Blacktails in the clouds on Kodiak Island! A piece of me is ready to get my tattered and sore body back home but another part of me is wishing it was still on the mountain...

We had an awesome time and shot some fantastic trophies. Two bucks over 100” and two over 90”. Many sea ducks and coolers full of fish and memories galore!

If anyone is thinking of making the trip...look up Jeff Peterson with Kodiak Combos and tell him the boys from Texas sent ya!

You gotta go where the big ones are to pull the big ones out!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[daddie63]

Looks like a great time and adventure. Nice bucks too. That is one trip I keep telling myself I have to do. Hopefully when you get settled back home you'll have some time for a story recap. Congrats on your hunt.

 

[joelbiltz]

Congratulations on a great adventure. Two weeks and counting for me.

 

[Stid2677]

Old Harbor is a cool place and Mr Jeff runs a great operation. Looks like you even got a few good weather days, great bucks!!!

 

[Merc]

Sounds like a great trip! Glad to see some boys from Texas lay the hammer down.

Are you going to do a full write up? Would like to read more about how the trip went.

 

[realunlucky]

This is a hunt that's hopefully in my future soon. Congratulations looks like you guys killed some dandy bucks

Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk

 

[BRWNBR]

Jeff’s good people! Did you see many deer? Hearing different reports from different groups all over the island.

 

[TBossHSauce]

We saw plenty of deer. I would say we would average 15-30 a day with many bucks. We saw and left many on the mountain that were shooters and plenty of smaller bucks that would need a year or so. I would say the deer were plentiful on our side of the island.

 

[BRWNBR]

We’re you guys only allowed to shoot one? Or did some not make the photo?

 

[TBossHSauce]

I've been asked to expand on the adventure above so here goes:

I've been fortunate to have been raised in a hunting and outdoor family. I've always dreamed of exploring earth's remote places and am blessed to have friends and family who support my habit. This adventure started 18 months ago with a call to a good friend and hunting partner. I have learned that everyone's conceptualization of what is consider a trophy varies. Point in fact, my largest scoring "trophy" is a Steenbuck I took in South Africa. The monster is often overlooked by visitors in my trophy room and I often get the question..."why did you shoot that little thing?" even though he is top 25 all time in the SCI books.... Trophies are all in the eye of the beholder and only those who truly appreciate the hunt can understand the desire that comes with chasing God's creatures, big and small, to the depths of earth.

So it was with a little apprehension when I made the call to my good buddy and hunting partner to ask if he wanted to fly half way across the globe in pursuit of the diminutive deer that roam the bear infested hills called Kodiak. I was pleasantly surprised when he answered with a resounding yes. Eighteen months later a total of 6 of us would embark on our first Alaskan hunting adventure. I will attempt do give this trip justice but only those who have been there and done that will understand....

Preparation:

Prepare, prepare, and when you're tired, prepare some more.....Regardless of the type of environment you may be hunting in, preparation cannot be underestimated. As some would find out, preparation can make or break a hunt. Living in our part of Texas, nothing could prepare us for the terrain we would encounter in Kodiak. However, we made the most of our prep-time and had we not, we would have been in a world of hurt!

Leading up to the trip my buddy and I combined strict regiments of running, crossfit, weightlifting, and pack training. Strapping on 50 lbs of deer corn to our backs, we would walk the stair wells at my office to simulate climbing mountains and to get the feel of the weight on our shoulders. In the weeks leading up to the departure, we began walking 3+ miles around our neighborhood in our boots and packs much to the delight of the neighborhood mommy-walking-brigades. You get some weird stares in shorts, mountain boots, and a pack loaded down with deer corn....even in Texas...

Train, train, train....train in your gear as much as you can. Cardio and endurance was the make or break for us on the trip. I refused to let my body be the limiting factor in my successes and I am glad I put in the hours beforehand.

 

[TBossHSauce]

Departure:

Our group was scattered across Texas and we made the mistake of all booking our flights via different services. Aka, expedia, Travelocity, travel agent, American Express etc. Advice...if you are putting a group together, spend the extra money and save time, energy, and headaches. Our itineraries changed no less than 3 times EACH. Even though 4 of us would depart from the same airport, each of us ended up getting split up due to cancelations, airline changes, etc. It was a HEADACHE! Ultimately we all were able to change our flights to stay together, for the most part, and made it to our final destination. If we were to do it again (and hopefully we will) we would utilize one travel service and book together to prevent the mix and match flight changes. That way, if one itinerary changed, ALL would change and we would all stay together....

I'll spare the first part of the trip and jump ahead for sake of time...

Arriving in Kodiak City we were met with cooler weather, a welcome reprieve from the humidity and heat we love and live everyday... The airport in Kodiak City was small and efficient. Hunters everywhere and no dirty looks from travelers judging our camo and scruffy appearances (a side note, beards were mandatory on this trip much to the displeasure of most of our wives). I've never seen so much Kuiu, Sitka, First Light etc gear in one place at one time in my life. Guns and bows galore and happy hunters-to-be. Conversations everywhere concerning bear hunts, goat hunts, deer, fishing, and typical hunter stories were a welcomed orchestra as we waited for our gear. Small, efficient, Alaskan...that is the best way I can describe the Kodiak airport. And the best part of all....all of our gear arrived with us....and we had a LOT of gear...

Kodiak airport terminal was small and efficient...we had finally arrived...well almost...

To get to Old Harbor, our final destination, we booked with Island Air and opted to fly on the Mail Flight. I had envisioned something out of the movie Romancing the Stone with chickens and goats roaming the cabin of the small aircraft and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of Island Air and their entire operation. The flight out of Kodiak City to Old Harbor was beautiful with gorgeous weather. We loaded down the plane and don't believe we could get any more gear on it. On our return flight we opted to book a charter flight to provide more room for meat, animals, and our bullshit we'd undoubtedly be bringing back with us.

Island Air operates directly across from the main terminal in Kodiak City. All of our luggage was weighed and fees assessed per person.

A little gear? A little over packed? Maybe...but not by much!

The weather flying to Old Harbor was gorgeous...Getting very excited by this point!!!

 

[TBossHSauce]

Alaska weather hath no fury like a woman scorned....

As they say, if you don't like the weather...wait a minute and it will change. And change it did. The forecast showed that bad weather was blowing in on Tuesday through Thursday of our trip. We would learn that long-range forecasts in Kodiak were worthless and the best guess was 12 hours out...at best... So with good weather the first afternoon we opted to drop our luggage and try our luck behind the village in Old Harbor. Like eager teenagers at prom, we donned our very best gear and attempted our best Jim Shockey impression and hit the hills. We were delighted that we found deer immediately and got our first taste of the terrain. Man did we underestimate the island. Those rolling hills and unassuming ascents proved steeper, deeper, and less rolling than we had anticipated.

In our haste to hit the mountain and amidst the excitement, I made a huge rookie mistake on day one. Maybe it was the adrenaline, lack of sleep, whiskey from the night before, but whatever the excuse I did not cinch my boots down tight like I knew to do... Those of you who know the pain can sympathize. This would be my first test in my boots...first TRUE test. I had walked the stairwells, walked the streets, worked the ranch, you name it, in these boots to break them in and in all practical purposes they were broken in... Well, first day, blisters on BOTH heels. I knew my mistake before it was too late. Lesson numero UNO....mountain boots are designed to be laced tight locking in your foot...so LACE THEM TIGHT! LOCK IN YOUR FOOT! Day one blisters = day 2,3,4,5,6 etc gritting it out and using every bandage, mole skin, tape etc. to survive. I can still feel the reminder a week later...holes in your feet and cowboy boots...not fun...

Even though my mishap was painful on day one, I had no other issues with my boots and would not have been able to go where we went without them. A good pair of boots is a MUST! Waterproof is a MUST! I am very happy I had invested in these boots and even though some will say they didn't fit me right or try this pair or try that pair...I can honestly say it wasn't the boots' fault...I own my idiocracy!

Such a rookie mistake...but good boots are a must on Kodiak!

 

[TBossHSauce]

Day one in the books...

If our first afternoon wet our whistles then the first full day of hunting quenched our thirst. We went far, we went deep, and we had success...well some of us anyway. The forecast for Monday was another blue-bird day. As stated earlier, the weather on Kodiak changes her mind faster than a woman changing dresses for date-night... We woke up on Monday to 3" plus of snow....Weather forecasts called for another beautiful day on Tuesday and bad weather on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday....more on that later...

First, a little about the operator we used for our trip. Jeff Peterson operates a big game transport service out of Old Harbor. The population of Old Harbor is approximately 200 people and is only accessible by boat or plane. The population is largely native and the Old Harbor Native Corporation owns and maintains Sitkalidak Island, a sprawling 77,000 hunting paradise loaded with game. Jeff and his wife Lianna own and operate a lodge that was exceptionally comfortable and the food was extraordinary. We did not go hungry...in fact, we probably gained weight despite the daily physical exertion. In my opinion, this was the ONLY way to enjoy Kodiak. Of course I have one-sided views as this is the ONLY way I have enjoyed Kodiak, nonetheless, having comfortable accommodations, home cooked meals, and a warm shower does not suck...

Jeff owns and runs a 34 foot Ocean Roamer aptly named the Fishy Fishy. Daily we would load up on the Fishy Fishy and Jeff would take us to the areas most notably that held deer depending on weather conditions and based on his vast knowledge of the country. Leaving the Fishy Fishy on a zodiac we would be dropped off and embark.

Accommodations were first class, comfortable, warm, and dry....oh and the food....more than we could eat and phenomenal!!!

The Fishy Fishy was our home afloat. It was our base camp and our lifeline.

 

[TBossHSauce]

Day 1 continued...

Monday we hit the mountain with a vengeance...we went FAR and everyone saw bucks. People have asked me, "it looks like ya'll were high up" While not all of our bucks were shot at altitude, the biggest deer were found the highest up and in the most difficult terrain. Again, train train train....we went deep....balls deep... The weather was clear and crisp and COLD. The snow proved a welcomed addition as it made climbing easier, spotting deer easier, and made for some beautiful backdrops. That first day we covered some serious ground. Although I didn't have a GPS on me it Jeff estimated that my hunting partner and I covered more than 8 miles that first day. We came out on a beach somewhere down the island and the decent was no joke. We learned another valuable lesson...try your damnedest to return to the drop-off zone... We went so far we lost radio communication with the Fishy Fishy and the absolute possibility of spending the night on the mountain was not sitting well with us. Fortunately we finally made it out later to learn that no one had ever traveled and covered the distance we covered that first day. Either we were idiots or badasses remains to be seen (probably the former not the latter) but either way all of us in our group earned Jeff's respect and solidified the fact that we were here to bust our asses.

The first day myself and my hunting partner made another mistake...we found two shooters and decided to make a move to kill both of them (hence why we covered so much ground) Mistake number two...we should have put one in the dirt where we were instead of getting greedy as they were well within range of our Gunwerks rifles. However, we opted to chase them and get closer and never ranged them....needless to say we never found those bucks again. Never look past an opportunity when it presents itself! We did bust a good buck out of a draw and I chambered a round on him just as he went over the mountain. Day one in the books, no deer for either of us. Looking back on it, i'm not sure we could have drug one of those critters out of there that day as the descent was true hell. Others however were more successful.

Zodiac drop-off. Note the ascent from the beach. This is typical Kodiak terrain... This particular ascent was hand-over-hand climbing. Again...good boots needed!!!

First Buck Down and an unwanted guest... Dragging this buck back to the beach the guys were accompanied by a very zealous bear. The young bear (still a munch your face bear!) wouldn't leave well enough alone despite two warning shots by the hunters. Fortunately for all, the bear kept its distance, albeit too close for comfort and all survived unscathed. The bear followed the hunters all the way to the beach and after being picked up by the zodiac, sat and watched its free meal slip away...

Bear on the beach....hard to see but it is the brown dot on the shoreline

Second Buck Down! A 90"+ beauty!!!

Bowhunter and fellow Rokslider TBarron connects...at 90 yards!!! This buck had mass to spare! Over 101" and with a Bow on top of the mountain!

Three bucks down on the first day!

 

[TBossHSauce]

Day 2...

Day two weather was more of the same. Clear, cold, snow on the mountain, with no precipitation in the forecast. The weather folks got this one right...well not for the snowstorm on the top of the mountain we were on...

Learning from the mistakes from the day before we set up on the drop-off beach with our spotting scopes and surveyed the mountain above. Deer were moving everywhere and we spotted a few small bucks beginning to chase some does. We made a plan and crested a peak at about noon. We made our normal lunch-time check-in radio call to Jeff and began glassing the bowl below us. Immediately we picked up deer moving below us and on the adjacent mountain face. With them was a very mature 5x3. We watched him for some time and watched him bed down below us. Contemplating the pack out and the location he was in, I decided I would take this buck. The deer were oblivious to our location and there was zero wind. Our vantage point gave a very sturdy shooting position. I ranged the deer at 410 yards and my Leica binoculars gave me the appropriate adjustments for my rifle. I squeezed off the shot with my buddy Travis watching through the spotter. It was a tough shot as the deer was lying down and quartering away. Travis could see the bullet slam into the deer's shoulder and I was relieved when he told me the shot was good. The buck ran a short distance, laid down, and then disappeared from view. We high-fived and took in the scenery below.

I was shooting a new Gunwerks Rev-X chambered in .300 win mag throwing 200 grain Hornady Eld-x. I bought this rifle for this hunt and many more and it proved the right recipe for the blacktails. The chambering is overkill no doubt for deer sized game but dead is dead and I'm a firm believer in Robert Ruark's advice...use enough gun...especially when the "man in the brown suit" is lurking around the corner!

We made our way to my buck and were astounded at the size of his body and the size of his rack. Neither of us had really evaluated the buck for trophy quality as I had two tags and had hoped for a 5x5. As it was the second day, I had shot this buck as a "representative" as I knew he was missing his fork and G3 on one side. The buck was much bigger than I had anticipated. Body size was MUCH bigger as well. There was no dragging this brute out. Thus I set upon deboning the deer as Travis scanned the hills for any unwanted visitors. We anticipated the buck weighed a conservative 250lbs live weight and the meat pile kept growing as I deboned every edible morsel per Alaskan requirements. I am not sure how much our packs weighed but another piece of advice for you little guys like me (175lbs soaking wet) pick your hunting partners carefully and preferably much bigger than you . We loaded Travis' pack up with the bulk of the meat and I took the remaining edibles, hide and horn and we headed down the beach. It wasn't until later when we realized just how big my buck was. He scored over 101" and was an old bruiser. There is no doubt at one point in his life he was a true monster as he showed signs of a battle proven warrior who was probably on the decline. Had he matched sides, he would have easily eclipsed the 108" Boone and Crockett requirements for fame and fortune. He was massive, wide, and had beams to spare...something that is exceedingly rare in mule deer or all types. He was over 16 inches wide and had 17 and 18" beams. My trophy sitka blacktail was in my pack and would be headed back to Texas...and I didn't even realize what I had when I shot him. Better lucky than good anyday!

Clear and crisp to start the day, snow storm in the afternoon.

Wait a minute and the weather will change on you....snow storm on the mountain

 

[TBossHSauce]

Day 2 continued

My trophy blacktail...didn't even know what I had until I put my hands on him!

The pack-out was long and hard with a lot of butt sliding and many "help I've fallen and I can't get up" moments! Very rewarding!

Travis taking in the view from where I shot my buck. The beach in the background was our final destination and gives you an idea of how high we went to get my buck.

Trophies aren't about the numbers but the numbers are sometimes the icing on the cake!

 

[TBossHSauce]

Day 3...Alaska weather shows up.

The weather folks actually got this one right. The forecast was for rain and wind and boy did it rain and blow! The estimates were sustained 40 mph with gusts of 60 and I will tell you it blew every bit that hard that day. We spent the day telling each other stories we had already made on the mountain, resting our bodies, and listing to Jeff tell tales of Kodiak and Old Harbor life. At about 4pm the wind finally subsided somewhat and we decided to test our hand at some duck hunting as we were going stir crazy in the cabin.

The beautiful Harlequin ducks were everywhere and I was bound and determined to take one back to Texas with me. We quickly learned that these little ducks were bullet proof. The hardest ducks I've ever had to knock down. Many were crumpled in flight only to dive once they hit the water, over and over again, to resurface just out of range and take flight again never to be seen. I personally witnessed one duck getting hit 6-8 times and flying off. Hell I even had to chase mine down with the zodiac to recover him. Nonetheless I had another trophy to take home...a Kodiak Combo!

Harlequin combos!

 

[TBossHSauce]

Days 4 and 5...

With 4 of our group harvesting deer, some opted to fish and duck hunt the remaining time on the island. Travis and I hunted long and hard to find him a good buck. The rain had melted all the snow and made for treacherous hiking conditions. We passed on multiple younger bucks and had a nice 8 pointer on the second to last day within sights but decided to let him walk as well. Unfortunately that decision would haunt us as he would be the only hunter not to shoot a buck. The last day Reese connected with this massive 4x4. Five out of six bucks down. Two bucks would score over 101" and two over 90". Our hunt was a success no doubt about it. We went far and wide and deep to get these deer. We crawled, scratched, and walked miles and miles. Memories were made and nothing will compare to the experiences we had. Those that have done this understand. Those who haven't have to experience it for themselves to comprehend the wild nature of this hunt, the physicality of the unrelenting hills, draws, and mountains and to gain appreciation of the diminutive blacktails that are anything but...

Last day buck. This was the most massive of all the bucks we shot.

Bunch of Blacktails

 

[lilharcher]

Great write-up. Congrats on a successful hunt.

 

[TBossHSauce]

Misc thoughts and pics....

I can't begin to say how happy I am to have purchased quality gear for this trip. Each of us had different things that worked well and brands varied greatly. This is not in any way an endorsement or brand boasting rather is what worked for me and what I would have done differently.

Clothing:
* Kuiu - I lived and hunted exclusively in Kuiu Yukon rain gear. The weather and precipitation required quality rain gear and I put this stuff through the ringer. I was never wet but did get cold not due to the Kuiu rather due to sweat. No matter what I would have worn, the physical hiking and body heat equals sweat. I would leave the beach wearing thermal underwear and my Yukon rain gear and would be dripping wet by the time I made the top of the mountain. Fortunately with the full length zippers and pit zips on the jacket I would vent the heat out which helped some. I carried a Kuiu synthetic insulation layer to put on while glassing and maintain body heat. I used the Kenai jacket for this as it was light weight and easy to pack. This was a life saver on top of the mountain and would keep my core warm even though my thermals were sweat soaked.
* Gloves...I am still in search of the perfect glove. Kodiak is full of unforgiving bastards of bushes that require good robust gloves that are waterproof. I purchased Kuiu Yukon gloves for the trip along with the peloton 240. The Yukon were great but too insulated. I would sweat out the interior on the ascent and then would get cold. I really needed TWO pairs of these or something similar to put my hands in once at the top. I would use the peloton 240 gloves worked ok but are not waterproof and would soak up snow and moisture when crawling and I'd get cold. I wish someone would make a thin, waterproof, robust glove that is non-insulated for hiking. I may just buy leather gloves and mink oil the bejebus out of them for the next trip...
*Thermal underwear - I opted to use my already owned Under Armor thermals to save money. They are plenty warm and are tight to the body but would soak up moisture and would not dry out as fast as I would have liked. If I had it to do over I would have purchased good quality merino base layer...Christmas here I come!
*Boots - as previously mentioned I made a rookie mistake on my boots. I ran Schnee's Granite boots for this trip and love them. They are robust, waterproof, and the stiffness was very much needed in towing the mountain on steep ascents. I couldn't have done this trip without them. They never failed and never leaked. Blisters aside, I still don't think the boots were the problem in my feet woes. I also ran Schnee's socks and my feet were dry and moisture was wicked away nicely.
* Gaiters - I purchased Kuiu Yukon gaiters. Regardless of the brand you choose a high quality tall gaiter was a life saver. We crossed many streams, often 10 - 12" deep and I never once got water in my boots.
*Pack - I ran a Kuiu Icon Pro 5200 for this trip. The pack is nice and supported the weight of the deer and gear nicely. It is too large for a day-trip like this and I would have rather had a 3200. The 1850 would have been too small for the gear and meat packing requirements. I may look at a Kifaru for my next pack as I like the options and customizable features they offer.

Other gear:
* Optics - I run Leica Hd-Bs range finding binoculars and am in LOVE with them. The glass is amazing and the ballistic function works flawlessly for my rifle and ammo combination. I have used them all the way to 1350 yards and they have been spot on. They made shooting my deer an easy experience. I also run an Leica 65mm spotting scope that is like an eyegasam every time I view through it. I didn't like sporting the weight of the glass around the mountain but wouldn't have left it in camp either. It proved valuable in evaluating deer at long distances. I put it on top of a Promaster carbon fiber tripod and it is a lightweight combo that fits the bill perfectly.
* Firearms - I purchased a stainless Ruger Redhawk .44 Mag for this trip. My wife convinced me I needed bear protection and even though I argued a rifle was enough I'm not one to tell her no when I have a green light for a firearm purchase. The pistol is a HOSS and I loaded it with Buffalo Bore 340 grain hard cast for the nasty bruins. I left it in camp on day 2 and never looked back...The pistol and ammo weighed right at 4 lbs and that was 4 lbs I didn't need to carry. If I was doing it again I would not bring a sidearm with a rifle in hand. That's just me... My rifle is the new Gunwerks Rev-X chambered in .300 win mag. I like this chambering as I have been on the unfortunate end of lost ammo in some of the darkest places in the hunting world. I know I can find .300 win mag the world over so that is why I shoot it. The gun is a flat out shooter using factory Hornady Precision Hunter 200 grain ELD-x loads. The rifle is a heavy BEOTCH however. It quickly became a very expensive walking stick as it simply weighed too much to comfortably carry in my pack and once I lost the pistol to weight conservation I rather have had it in hand. The rifle took a beating and was a brush busting accessory. That's why I bought it...to use...and it held zero perfect! Dead deer...410 yards. It did make me keep thinking about the Kimber Montana .270 in my safe back home however, the big brown bears we saw made me feel better about the larger caliber.
*Pack weight - as the trip progressed I began shucking things from my pack that were unnecessary, my pack weight got to 32 lbs without rifle which was very manageable. My rifle weighs 11 lbs....yeah...11 lbs...hence why I carried it by hand and used it as a walking stick and not in my pack. Again...I felt comfortable with the firepower in my hand anyway.

I am sure there are things I am missing and I know this has rambled on. If anyone has any questions please feel free to message me. Again, none of the gear I carried is any better than the other, it is just what I have and what worked well for me.

Thanks and if anyone is interested in making the trip look up Jeff Peterson and Kodiak Combos! You won't be disappointed. Just be sure to get in shape, go balls deep into the mountain, and have your head on a swivel for the Man in the Brown Suit...it is his home...you are just an uninvited guest with a tasty morsel on your back!