Alaskan Wilderness Adventure

[QUOTE=Hemingway;80109] I've never been to Alaska, so this might sound stupid, but I was thinking, as a standard, I'd leave 2 slugs in the shotgun for hiking, just in case. Then if I ran across something to hunt, I'd cycle those 2 shells out for smaller shot.

That works, and if the tube holds 4 or 5 shells, just have less shells in the tube, and push a shot shell into the "Next-up" position in the back of the tube when you want a shot shell next, then just one cycle and good to go.

Don't know about the minishells in the Mossberg 500, but I think I did a thread on them and some people stated which firearms they cycle in. Try a search or start a new thread, I know they "did not" cycle every time in my Ithaca M-37 Featherweight.

I've driven to Canada twice with my shotgun. There was a fee.

It's been a while since I posted on the forum.

I just wanted to say hello again and am looking to head up to Alaska for part of this summer. I'm hoping to find a partner(s) for this.

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Originally Posted by Hemingway

It's been a while since I posted on the forum.

I just wanted to say hello again and am looking to head up to Alaska for part of this summer. I'm hoping to find a partner(s) for this.

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good to hear from you, stick around for a while we need some friends in here.

A few months back this thread had a lot of discussion on it. Is anyone interested in heading up to Alaska for part of this summer?

The: Alaska Outdoors Forum has whole sections on helping people moving to Alaska. And it appears that 148,MILLION out of work American-o's are moving to Alaska this summer to get rich, and have free everything, plus "Money for nothing, and the fish are free".

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Originally Posted by hopeak

The: Alaska Outdoors Forum has whole sections on helping people moving to Alaska. And it appears that 148,MILLION out of work American-o's are moving to Alaska this summer to get rich, and have free everything, plus "Money for nothing, and the fish are free".

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havent you watched "the deadlyest catch"? big crabs giant waves and a captain that calls you a fish.

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Originally Posted by hopeak

The: Alaska Outdoors Forum has whole sections on helping people moving to Alaska. And it appears that 148,MILLION out of work American-o's are moving to Alaska this summer to get rich, and have free everything, plus "Money for nothing, and the fish are free".

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lol. I'm bucking two trends in one. Instead of moving to Alaska, I'm going to jump the border from the American side to Mexico. Now I need to go work on my spanglish.

Via con pollo! You'll never go hungry.

I'm not planning to move to Alaska, just spend a month or so up there backpacking, hunting and living off the land.

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Hemingway wrote: "As far as firearms are concerned, I am leaning towards bringing my Mossberg 500 12 gauge shotgun. I had been debating about this a lot but figure the protection against bears that the shotgun would provide is invaluable compared to smaller options. Since I am not an experienced hunter, I was considering a .22 rifle for small game. I figured small game would be much easier to prepare and tend to, but the .22 will offer no protection from dangerous animals. I guess the ideal for 2 people would be a 12 gauge and a .22, as it opens the doors of small game, birds as well as larger animals, while still giving protection. Any thoughts on this topic? I own a shotgun as well as two semi automatic .22 rimfires. As I will be spending more money on additional equipment and supplies I would prefer not to have to buy another firearm for this trip. Any thoughts?"

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The 12ga. with various types of ammo would work fine. Sobot slugs for anything large and cantankerous, steel bird shot for smaller animals. (I would use steel shot so that you don't have to worry about eating lead laden meat, and steel shot is much easier to find in the meat so that you don't break a tooth on a piece of lead shot).

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Hemingway wrote: ". . .I don't want to be 3 weeks into living off the land and see a family of hikers coming along while I am in the middle of hunting or cooking."

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It would be pretty rare indeed to run across other hikers unless you are hiking in a high volume tourist area.

I have taken survival trips into Denali and have rarely come across other hikers. Maybe 3 times in 15 years?!

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Hemingway wrote: "As far as hiring someone to fly me in, I am leaning against that due to cost as well as the rigid timetable of the pilot's pickup. I want to be able to adapt to circumstances and if something negative happened, to at least know how I can hike back."

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You can find reasonably prices air services and they will pick you up when you want, unless the weather is not permissive. Then they will come A.S.A.P.

I have had to wait as long as 6 extra days to be picked up due to high winds from the tail end of a tsunami off the coast of Japan.

The Alaska back country can be a harsh taskmaster. It is much different hiking deep in the back country in AK than it is in the Sierras or Rocky mountains of the lower 48, albeit much more beautiful terrain!

Long sleeves and head net are a must during black fly season. Even if it is breezy the little buggers still come around.

Depending on where you go, May/June can be rainy, wet and/or snowy and you will need plenty fire starter (petroleum soaked cotton balls work well or Trioxane fuel bars) to get your tinder going. It is one of those JIC (Just In Case) items that is better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

I would also advise you get a 2-way hand-held short wave radio w/a solar charger. . .JIC, a U.S.G.S. topo map and a good quality lenstatic compass is another must!

If I can help in any other way just send me a PM. :)

Nativedude, thanks for your info. I appreciate it. What exactly is a enstatic compass? I have a regular compass but am not familiar with that term.

One of my biggest concerns is finding a partner for this. I think for general enjoyment, as well as personal safety, it will be a huge asset to go out into the wilderness with someone. My problem is, I can't find anyone who's even interested in such an ordeal or is willing to set aside the time to actually do it.

Here's a little bit about the lensatic compass, also called military field compass. http://mysite.du.edu/~jcalvert/astro/lensatic.htm

Description of a lenstatic compass. Also known as a "sighting compass".

There are a lot of compasses that do not work up here, but the lenstatic type work the best of any of the compasses. And than work for more than just just reading directions. They work well for landmark navigation as well. :)

are you paying for the transportation of your partner? gust wondering. i cant go this year. i have to much planed for this summer but it sounds like it would be lots of fun.

I wasn't planning on paying for the transportation of my partner. I have a lot of gear and the tent, as well as the shotgun and rifle, so things like that are already taken care of.

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Hemingway wrote: "I wasn't planning on paying for the transportation of my partner. I have a lot of gear and the tent, as well as the shotgun and rifle, so things like that are already taken care of."

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What area of Alaska are you planning on going to?

And you could take the ferry across from Washington or go up the AK coast highway. Then you don't need to worry about Canada.

If you go through CA you need to make a complete list of everything you are taking or you will be stuck at the boarded for H-O-U-R-S!!!!!

I watched a young couple with a U-Haul have everything and I mean everything removed from their truck and trailer and piled out on the parking lot as the custom's folks went through it. Then they got to load it back up themselves. Sad but necessary these days, I guess.

As Native Dude said, you can take the Alaska water ferries just about anywhere you want to go along the coast.

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

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Originally Posted by Rick

I watched a young couple with a U-Haul have everything and I mean everything removed from their truck and trailer and piled out on the parking lot as the custom's folks went through it. Then they got to load it back up themselves. Sad but necessary these days, I guess.

As Native Dude said, you can take the Alaska water ferries just about anywhere you want to go along the coast.

http://www.dot.state.ak.us/amhs/index.shtml

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I was driving a "Super Cub" Piper PA-18-150 over to Dawson, in Canada. And as I was clearing U.S. Customs in Northway, Alaska. I ask the agent what she could do in checking my aircraft. I was politely informed, she could fully disassemble it, take the engine apart, cut up the frame of the aircraft. I said the U.S. Government would have a big bill for reassembly. She said, she could, and would leave all the parts on the runway, and it would be my problem, and my expense to reassemble the aircraft. I love America, It is my Government I fear.

I have taken the ferry on several occasions. You can rent a cabin (they're kinda pricey) or pitch a tent (which I did) on the upper deck (though space is limited) on a first come, first served basis, but it is an inexpensive and fun way to travel from WA to AK and the view is spectacular!!

So, are you still alive?
Kidding of course....
but really.

I hope to take a trip like this someday but i need a few years worth of experience before, especially in the way of navigation so i know where i am going and exactly how to get back out. I think it would be cool to walk into the center of the deepest and most remote forest in the world