Back from Alaska

[30coupe]

We got back home on Friday. I've been going through pictures and trying to catch up on mail and other stuff around the house. We had a great time in Alaska. Many thanks to Bill Sant and saltwatertom for their kindness and hospitality. I wasn't able to connect with some others who sent invitations. We found out that Alaska is just too much state to cover in 13 days!

I was able to do some shooting with Tom as well as some scouting for bear and moose. Thanks to Bill, I had a bow and arrows to shoot. Here are some pics of me shooting from Bill's cabin deck.







Here are a couple of black bear cubs we spotted, momma was behind the wing strut. They were in an area I hope to hunt with Tom in the future.



Alaska is beautiful and wild and vast. This is both good and bad. Those who think they will find a bear behind every bush will be in for a shock. There are bears, but they have a lot of area to roam. In 1700 miles of driving, we only saw one bear, a large black bear. We did see nine grizzly bears in Denali National Park from the shuttle, but none while fishing.

Moose are a bit more common, but certainly not like whitetails here in the lower 48. The quality of the fish and game in Alaska is high, but the quantity is low compared to many places in the country.

I was saddened to see that, while many in Alaska strive to preserve its pristine beauty, there are too many who don't. I saw too much trash, too much discarded fishing line, too many junked out, abandoned cars, and too many bullet holes in road signs. I read an article in a local paper about a city working to ban the use of plastic shopping bags because so many had escaped from the local landfill and scattered across the tundra.

Despite these problems, I am still drawn to the state. What started as the trip of a lifetime, now seems like my first visit. I will return to Alaska. I hope it will be sooner than later. I would love to stalk black bears with my longbow. I long to feel the tug of a salmon on my fly rod again.

[homerdave]

see ya next time!!!
dave

[Bill Sant]

Glad you got home safely.  Hope to see you next time through and maybe we can shoot together.  You've always got a place to stay here.  Talk to you later   Bill

[Benny Nganabbarru]

Cool! I hope you can get back there and walk after some of those bears!

[Jack Shanks]

30coupe,

If you are like me I wished I would have gone 35 or 40 years ago when I first made plans. Would have been nice to experience Alaska before so many people moved there and it became such a tourist attraction to others. Still a wonderful, beautiful place just not quite as wild as I imagine it was back then.

[30coupe]

You are exactly correct Jack.

[saltwatertom]

Russ, thanks for the visit, we look forward to seeing you again. Any of you out there that get a chanch to know Russ should do so, he is a great guy that knows plenty about and can teach archery and is a really good shot.    
I'll have some salmon and a nice big black bear corraled for you next time.  :D

[30coupe]

Originally posted by saltwatertom:

I'll have some salmon and a nice big black bear corraled for you next time.   :D  

Hah! I know your "corral" will only be several thousand acres...with no fences, but that sounds just fine to me. I am already plotting my return.

Don't you guys let Tom fool you; he is no slouch with a bow. I wouldn't want to shoot against him for money!

[bigislandmark]

Aloha Russ, gotta agree---- Tom is a true gentleman and not a slouch with a bow in hand!

Mark