SE Alaska Sitka Deer Hunting, By Jeff Lund

[alaskalund]

The ferry is not bad most of the time but it's just long. The first time my wife rode it we had 12-20 foot waves crashing over the bow. We had to head into them and make a hard turn to port behind Gravina. The newspaper was waiting in KTN and wrote a story about it. I am still shocked my wile was still on board for building here after that. : )

How'd the hunt turn out?

 

[NevadaMike]

How'd the hunt turn out?

I only hunted one day last week and only saw a few flat tops except for the pair of bucks in my yard. I am back in Nevada now but I will be back on POW and hunting seriously in November.

 

[alaskalund]

It happens. Early-mid September can be awesome, but the weather usually ruins all hope. Good luck in November.

 

[Pathfinder27]

Thanks for posting. I'm going back to SE Alaska in a few weeks for 10 days to deer hunt. I've only bear hunted there and I'm sure the deer hunting is very different. I'm trying to consume as much deer hunting info as possible between now and then. One thing I learned is to take some back up rain gear, ended up with a big hole in the rain gear on day 2 of my hunt in 2020 and didn't have a patch or a backup and promised not to let that happen again.

 

[alaskalund]

Thanks for posting. I'm going back to SE Alaska in a few weeks for 10 days to deer hunt. I've only bear hunted there and I'm sure the deer hunting is very different. I'm trying to consume as much deer hunting info as possible between now and then. One thing I learned is to take some back up rain gear, ended up with a big hole in the rain gear on day 2 of my hunt in 2020 and didn't have a patch or a backup and promised not to let that happen again.

Yeah hole in the rain gear is no good. I'll send you a link to some stuff that might be useful.

 

[shavezchavez]

I wish I could do this.

 

[AK EricB]

Great article. Get's me excited for alpine season to start again! I think you were spot on throughout, but lots more could be said about many of the topics you covered. For people new to SE AK, the risk of getting cliffed out is I think the most important. Especially on the way down. Always mark where you've come up so you can go back down via a familiar route. So easy to get stuck or wind up in a really dangerous place.

 

[alaskalund]

Great article. Get's me excited for alpine season to start again! I think you were spot on throughout, but lots more could be said about many of the topics you covered. For people new to SE AK, the risk of getting cliffed out is I think the most important. Especially on the way down. Always mark where you've come up so you can go back down via a familiar route. So easy to get stuck or wind up in a really dangerous place.

For sure. Always go with the sure thing. Even if it sucks, at least you've seen it.

 

[RAG2Scott]

Nice article and enjoyed your books, picked up both in the Ketchikan airport. I hit SE Alaska nearly every year and graduated from fly fishing to deer hunting. ‘22 and ‘23 scouted around and figured out most of the worst ways to Alpine hunt… I’m a slow learner but looking forward to trying my luck this fall.

 

[alaskalund]

Nice article and enjoyed your books, picked up both in the Ketchikan airport. I hit SE Alaska nearly every year and graduated from fly fishing to deer hunting. ‘22 and ‘23 scouted around and figured out most of the worst ways to Alpine hunt… I’m a slow learner but looking forward to trying my luck this fall.

Thanks for the support. Sometimes you do the right thing it’s just the wrong year or area. Good luck this year.

 

[ChrisD]

Super informative. Thanks so much Jeff!

 

[matchu865]

I enjoyed the article. I’ve hunted southeast the past two years and found it pretty spot on. Our tactic has been to stay the night in forest service cabins, and hike up to the alpine every day. Getting to the alpine is no joke, but having a dry place to sleep and store gear is worth a lot. Once in the alpine, my hunting partners are pretty restless and prefer hiking between likely habit as opposed to long sits glassing. Both work. Last year we ran out of time in the backcountry before I got my deer, but I was able to shoot a small buck the last day hunting off a popular hiking trail near town. Easiest pack out ever.

 

[DMurphy]

Great article headed to PWS this year in August.

We are headed to Kodiak next August for our first blacktail hunt. Any tips you can give following your August hunt?