A couple questions, Anyone go to Alaska to specifically bird (upland or waterfowl) hunt?
Is it too expensive to just go bird hunting there? And if you do, what do you normally do about the bears? Do you keep a couple of slugs or buckshot in your pocket just in case. Or is the noise, movement and shooting enough to move them out of the way? Or listen to the 'Bear activity report' on the radio and stay out of that area altogether?
If you drive from the lower 48 how do you get through Canada with a shotgun and ammo? No problem at all? Too much of a hassle just borrow a gun?
The very best resource on bird hunting in AK is Jim McCann. He's written a book on the subject (Upland Hunting in Alaska) and has an excellent photo essay on ptarmigan hunting in the current issue of Pointing Dog Journal. Jim posts from time to time over on the Shooting Sportsman Bulletin Board.
I have fairly extensive experience bird hunting the AK. If you like, you can give me a call and I'll go over some details and answer your questions. There's a lot of information, too much to type out. I have experience hunting rock and willow ptarmigan, ruffed grouse, spruce grouse. Most of my bird hunting took place in the central part of the state around Fairbanks and in the Kenai. I've also hunted various species of ducks in the Minto Flats and Kenai area. I didn't use outfitters or guides, all of my hunting was done using foot power and a lot of scouting. Pm me for my number if your interested in chatting.
Dustin
Thanks You Larry and Thank You Dustin for the information and invite, but I just raised this post as a discussion for experiences and or opinions on bird hunting in Alaska.
Way out of shape for that type of hunting, heck I don't even do any upland bird hunting in PA, (way too much tobacco use 40+ years of smoking.) I could shake it off when I was younger, can't anymore.
But anyone with opinions on what they would do or experiences on what they did?
What shotgun(s) did you take/use while in Alaska, Dustin?
Most of my ptarmigan hunting was in W AK, when I lived there. The ptarmigan numbers there was phenomenal! However, I hunted off the Denali Hwy, Summit Lake area, around Cold Bay (lots of birds also), up towards Nebesna and the road to McCarthy with success, after moving to Anchorage. I never did have any luck on ruffed grouse where I hunted, but bagged a fair number of spruce grouse from Glennallen to Paxson, particularly after the 1st good freeze in the late summer/early fall.
Some of the places mentioned are a bit off the beaten path, thus making them logistically more difficult. I had a couple of shotguns, but mostly used a beater 870 12 gauge, that fit the terrain and conditions I often hunted in (off a sno-go).
I have a good friend who taught in King Cove (across the bay from Cold Bay and would go there to waterfowl hunt, mainly. We would hunt ptarmigan if we limited on waterfowl. He had his vehicle barged to Cold Bay, therefore, we had a vehicle to run around in. It being a base during WW2, there were plenty of old roads to drive around on. I will say, I did get a bit paranoid hunting the willow patches for ptarmigan, with the number of bears in the area. We would talk constantly when we were hunting the willows.
Ok, here goes.
Getting up there by driving just to go hunt is probably out of the question for most. Two ways to get up there going that way...the ALCAN or by Ferry. Expensive going both ways. Not practical at all for short trips. Getting your guns through Canada isn't a big deal. Fill out the forms, check in at the border crossing, declare and you are through. No pistols at all, just hunting guns.
The upland guns I used, a 20 gauge Model 12, a 20 gauge Rizzini o/u, and on warmer days, a 12 gauge Churchill XXV. The single trigger guns really come in handy when the temps drop into the severe negatives and you have to wear thicker gloves.
If youre hunting ptarmigan in the winter...a couple of necessary items are: binoculars & snow shoes.
Dogs are optional, you'll find more birds just glassing. Sounds crazy I know, but that's how it is. The ptarmigan aren't actually white, they have a pinkish hue to them and they stick out against the snow. When it's snowing out or the day is hazy or foggy, they are much harder to glass and find. The willow Ptarmigan are the species I'm most familiar with. They run like crazy, always seeming to stay just out of range, some days they just don't fly. On days they do flush hard the shooting can be amazing. You'll find the birds on "domes", bald mountain tops with lots of brushy willow on the edges and out in the tundra picking buds and berries. When it's nasty out, entire coveys of ptarmigan will also burrow under the snow for protection from the elements. If you get at when they are still in bed, it's another dramatic flush complete wind blown, smooth glassy snow erupting like an explosion all around you. Whew!!!! :-)
Ruffed Grouse and Spruce grouse...well they do not act like birds in the lower 48. The ruffed grouse are not nearly as wild up there as they are down here especially if your talking about ruffs back east. They can be downright tame. I've walked past ruffs that were sitting in branches...mature, full grown birds, and I swear I could've reached up and pet the damn things. Spruce Grouse, well I have actually reached up and touched them, they just hop up to the next highest set of branches. There are times though when the birds do explode and flush hard. When it's real nasty out, the ruffs will burrow in the snow, they explode upwards if you catch them in their cave and it makes for some seriously dramatic action.
Most hunters up in Alaska do their upland hunting with .22's. Just the way it is up there. Bag limits for all species are very liberal. In some areas (like around the Dalton hwy) the bag limit for ptarmigan is 50+ a day.
All the time I spent hunting birds up there, I only ever ran into one other hunter. It's a solitude to the max. I loved every minute of it. On a back note, this solitude can be dangerous too. If your vehicle breaks down, doesn't start, you get stuck or hurt, it gets serious really fast. Especially in the interior where it can get down to -70 in a matter of a few hours. I got stuck in a snow drift off of an old mining trail in the interior, I had one bar of cell service and managed a SOS text to a friend who drove 60 miles out to rescue me. I think I could've made it through the night though, it only got down to -30. :-/
Great experiences guys, Thank you. I guess if the birds find it practical to race out in front of you a 22 rifle would be practical. But what would you do about a bear?
Hi Treb! I actually live and hunt in Alaska (for nearly 40 years).
Brown's suggestion about McCann and buying his book was a good idea to introduce the state. McCann lives in Fairbanks, and that's in the central part of the state. Some of the best grouse-sharptail, and ruff grouse hunting is north of the Alaska Range and along the Yukon and Tanana Rivers. Ptarmigan are ubiquitous but it takes local knowledge to find huntable area and populations. Alaska has a lot of state and federal huntable land but way most of it is off the road system. Most of the land along many of the roads is private. Lots of land (44 million acres!) owned by Alaska natives. They typically DO NOT allow public hunting on their land.
There is also a long north country waterfowl season and great hunting for everything from ducks to cranes either along waterways or in some areas, agricultural land.
Some friends outfit a "cast and blast" hunt for ptarmigan and trout/dolly varden. Usually floating Alaskan rivers. Contact me for further info. It would be possible the get a "McNab" in Alaska...shoot a caribou, a ptarmigan and catch a char in the same day on a river in Brooks Range.
If you like, email me with specific questions and I will help as much as possible.
Cheers!
Mike
Thanks Mike!!!
Hunting up there sounds like paradise, IF you know where to go and you are prepared for what you are facing.
I figured out so far that Alaska is unforgiving to the unprepared.
Here's some shots from some of my adventures up north:
Outside of Haines:
Ptarmigan country near Cantwell:
Ptarmigan country near Healy:
Like a rabbit foot, great runners, excellent diggers:
Ptarmigan country up high on a dome:
More pics:
Dome country, pic taken around noon'ish in December:
A shot of Minto Flats in the winter, in the spring it becomes home to millions waterfowl:
Spruce grouse country:
Thanks Dustin, That best artist in the world couldn't begin to paint a better picture.
I take it that's your 20 gauge Rizzini? Beautiful!!!
I've hunted waterfowl and ptarmigan in Alaska several times. King Eiders in the Bering Sea or Harlequin in Prince William Sound are not do-it-yourself trips. Pacific Brant and ducks in Cold Bay can be DIY. All the waterfowl hunting I have done in Alaka has been with outfitters. While the guided waterfowl trips can be very expensive I don't see any other options unless you live in the area, own all the appropriate gear and have the ability to operate the equipment in an environment that gives no second chances.
Ptarmigan hunting can certainly be a DIY trip. I would suggest the Denali Highway between Cantwell and Paxson. Drive till you see an area you like, get out and start walking. Not a lot of birds but you will get a bird or two. Cold Bay can be DIY for Ptarmigan and waterfowl. Fly to Cold Bay rent a truck and drive the roads. Great Pacific Black Brant plus geese and ducks. Ptarmigan are plentiful and so are the BEARS. There are a lot of bears in Cold Bay and they have the right-of-way.
If you really want to experience alaskan ptarmigan hunting and feel a bit plush take a bush plane out of Soldotna and fly across Cook Inlet. Willow and Rock ptarmigan in great numbers and you can stop and catch a few fish on your way back to camp.
Alaska has great bird hunting opportunities and they are all worth whatever you invest in them. It's been a couple years since my last trip and I think it's time to head back. I think a guided trip to Cold Bay is on the horizon again before I get any older. Any one want to go?
Dennis
Dennis, Great information on your hunting trips. That's the picture I kind of had in my mind about Alaska; drive, look, stop, load up your shotgun and start walking.
What did you take/use up there? Shotgun or shotguns?
I use a Benelli SBE for all my waterfowl hunting in salt water. 12 ga. with a modified choke. In extremely harsh conditions I use a Browning Citori in 12 ga., 3 1/2". That's the back up gun for those times that the Benelli won't go bang. King Eiders in the Bering Sea would be a prime example of needing a back up gun. I also took one of the first A10's to the Bering Sea. A rose and scroll A10 with exhibition wood covered in salt spray and ice will make one shake is head.
Most of my Ptarmigan have been taken with an AyA 4/53 in 12 ga., choked .012 & .021. One of the deluxe ones that Cabelas had a few years ago. I usually shoot 1 1/8 oz.,
# 7 1/2's for Ptarmigan. I bought the AyA with prairie birds in mind but it makes a great Ptarmigan gun also.
If I get back to Cold Bay in the near future I think the SBE may become my back up gun. Since my North American Waterfowl Collection is complete the pressure is off so I will go back to a vintage SxS. Finding the perfect vintage Brant gun could be as much fun as the trip itself.
Dennis
Let me get this straight in my head. I'm driving to Alaska however I have to go through Canada first, now do I just drive to the border with my shotgun and ammunition and fill out the necessary paperwork at the border crossing or do I have to do something prior to that?
Some beautiful pictures of some beautiful scenery these guys posted here, isn't it?
Whenever I've crossed into Canada with firearms, I've printed and filled in the form prior to crossing. It goes a bit quicker if the form is already filled in. You can certainly fill in the form at the border, but again, I do it beforehand.
The link below has the information you're looking for in taking guns into Canada. The form needing filled out is a CAFC 909 form.
The information you're looking for should be found in the link below.
http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/fs-fd/visit-visite-eng.htm
Thank you Cameron, good information!!!
It's written here,
A PAL or a confirmed Non-Resident Firearm Declaration or a Temporary Firearms Borrowing Licence (for Non-residents) is necessary to buy ammunition in Canada. Limited amounts may be brought into Canada with you. Please note that ammunition should not be loaded in a firearm when arriving at an entry point.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is responsible for regulating the import of ammunition under the Explosives Act. Contact NRCan for information on how much ammunition can be imported for personal use. For information on how much ammunition can be imported duty-free, please contact the CBSA.How much can be brought through Canada. The reason I ask is, of course, I'm bringing a 16 gauge, if I go.
I found it, pretty easy web-site to navigate through,
http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/explosives/importation/9909A person is permitted to import up to 5000 rounds of small arms cartridges for personal use and not for resale into Canada without an import permit. An Import Permit is required to import larger quantities or if the ammunition is for resale in Canada. A person is permitted to export and transport in transit up to 5000 rounds of small arms cartridges without an Export or In Transit permit. An Export or In Transit permit is required to export and transport in transit larger quantities.
Treb,
Last trip to Saskachewan waterfowl hunting in 2104, we were able to take, if memory serves correctly, 10 boxes or 250 rounds of shotgun shells apiece. (edit) In thinking about it, I think it was 8 boxes or 200 rds one could take in without any issues.
Was that enough ammo or did you run short?
Bless them Canadians, they sure know how to set up a web-site. I just searched for 'non resident ammo limits' in their search screen and boom it came right up.
We hunted for 5-6 days on each of the 3 trips to SK over the past 5 years. I only become concerned I would run out on 1 of the trips and only because, one in our party on one of the trips, didn't seem to have any boundaries on the shots he took. I ended up giving him a box of shells and still had enough to finish out the hunt.
I think 200 rounds is sufficient unless it's an extended stay. FYI, At a few of the sporting goods stores we've been in, I haven't seen anything resembling a good stock of 16 ga ammo and since I hunt everything else but waterfowl with a 16 ga, I'm always on the lookout for 16 ga ammo.
Hunting ptarmigan in AK isn't usually as high a volume shoot like a SK waterfowl hunt, so taking a couple of hundred rounds should be more than sufficient, I would think.
That's what I was thinking also about the type of hunting and the number of shells that would be needed. For back up I'll take a set of 20 gauge Gaugemates to fit into my double and if the unexpected happens I'll at least have a chance to buy 20 gauge shells.
http://gaugemate.com/
I Leaved in Alaska for 10 years and hunted everything up there under the sun. After moose hunting (September 15) ducks and Sandhills were on my list. Depending on the weather. For grouse, depending on where you hunt north of of Wasilla south of Fairbanks or down toward Seward. Lots of birds and hairs don't forget about the hairs. I used my Rizzini in 28 gauge. Bears, never ran across any bird hunting. But always had my king cobra strapped across across my chest . Fly up, you don't want to deal with Canada's gun rules, plus a 3 to 4 day drive through north west territory is buitiful it could cost you more than you expect. PM me if you like I can give you more information. Lots of good board members have information oh I moved back to Ohio from Alaska in 2001 so my data is dated.
