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#432009 01/10/16 01:08 PM
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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?

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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.

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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

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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? smile

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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.

Last edited by Cameron; 01/10/16 07:23 PM.

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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. :-/

Last edited by LeFusil; 01/10/16 08:06 PM.
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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?

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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

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Thanks Mike!!! smile

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.

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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:

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