Forums.NitroExpress.com

Just looking at that bear in the water brings back memories of Alaska. I was stationed at Elmendorf AFB in the late '60's (Chief of Weather for USAF) and managed to get in some really good hunting by building "sweat-equity" with a few guides...basically I would help out around the camp doing whatever was required from helping with the cooking, packing out game, etc etc. and I remember just how miserable it was to try and skin a large animal that had fallen in shallow water ---- the water is very, very cold. I remember one client who was on a combination hunt and he managed to shoot his brown bear so it fell in a stream and his caribou ran after the shot and made it to about knee high water before it died --- we could pull him out but it was a chore. At that point the guide told the client "if your moose makes it to the water you're going to do the skinning and butchering". Two days later we ran into a real "buster" of a moose and he was, of course, standing in some shallow water completely unaware we were around. Guide said wait until he steps out and away and then bust him....5 minutes goes by, 10 minutes goes by and the moose puts one foot on the bank and BANG he turns and falls about 10 feet out in about 18" of water. Guide walks up...doesn't say a word but drops his knife on the bank....and starts back to camp. Client looks at me and I look at him and I pick up the knife and walk out...not a lot of fun but I did get enough meat off the carcass that by the time the guide came back with an unhappy cook (and some rope) we were able to drag the rest of the carcass out.

Post Extras