Longbow moose, Wrangell Mtns, 2009

[jrchambers]

what flight servive did you use and may i ask what was the cost of one round flight. and how long, i take it you left from anchorage or the vallley somewhere

[Steve H.]

Excellent John and Steve.  Good news that you saw so many moose in such a low population density area.

Maybe someone is killing a few of those wolves so the numbers can return!

[John Havard]

Hi Steve,

Leif told me about two different packs that he and his winter-time hunting partner personally wiped out over the past two winters within a very few miles from this precise location.  In fact, last year he said they killed one big male a couple of miles away from our ridge top that was "8' long and weighed between 160# and 180#".  That's a big wolf!  The aerial hunting has made a year-by-year improvement in the number of bulls seen by Leif's clients, so the improvement is definite and measurable.  

According to one of the ADF&G biologists that Leif flies around in the early winter to conduct moose population surveys, the benefits of wolf control on moose population begin to be lost within 3 years after aerial wolf hunting is stopped.  I hope the State continues to allow wolf control in this part of the state because it's doing a lot of good.

JR, we flew out of Tok with 40-Mile Air.  Their rates are on their website.  Not cheap, but for the equivalent of a super-expensive guided hunt you can get exceptional quality hunting with zero disturbance from other hunters.

[Terry Green]

Congrats!....that's a wild looking bow...but a beaut none the less.

[Steve H.]

John:

I'll have to send Lief accolades!  I think you saw my thread and my small contribution to the "cause", lol!?

[John Havard]

Hey Terry.  Yep, Steve Kenesie's bow is a one-of-a-kind (thankfully).  Actually it's the result of me losing a bet.  A few years ago (the year that the Steelers won the Super Bowl) they were sitting with a record of something like 7-5 and they weren't looking too good.  Steve Kenesie, a life-long Steelers fan, started talking about how good it would look to have a bow made up in the Steelers motif.  I was stupid enough to say "I'll tell you what.  If they end up winning the Super Bowl this year I'll make you one."  Needless to say, they did so I did.  Do you have any idea how many bits Larry had to ruin in the CNC machine cutting out that solid-fiberglass riser?  Man!  What a bad bet to lose!

Steve H., yes I did.  You may remember that I was lucky enough to nail a wolverine with my ACS recurve last year, and they are supposed to be pretty rare with a bow.  But getting a wolf with a bow like you did this year is also just about unheard of.  It has to rank right up there with the rarest of bow kills.  Congratulations again!  Do you think we might run into one another in Tok next fall?  If so the first one is on me at Fast Eddy's.

[Herdbull]

John- I heard the original Steelers bow was stolen from Steve in Texas or somewhere along the way, and it looks like you had to again make another one.
I know what you mean about the fiberglass. I put that 0.475 inch riser strip I got from John Girardi down the center of my latest bow, and boy did that eat the blades. Ha!
I took a bear with it in Manitoba a few weeks ago, and two guys who were in camp before me each had 15 yard encounters with wolves. One could not shoot because of bad shot angles, and the other guy said it just got a little too dark to make a confident shot. The outfitter was impressed with the personal ethics of these two members of Montana Bowhunters. Mike

[Steve H.]

John:

I'm scratching my head on 2010 plans already John, its a possibility I am thinking about.  I intend to be in Nashville in March so suspect i will see you then?  I definetely remember your wolverine last year.  I have heard of 4 traditional wolves and 3 traditional wolverines.  Could be more but that's just the ones of which I am aware.  Of those 7 critters, at least 4 were taken by TradGangers!

Herd:  Try grinding with sanding gear with abrasives versus cutting, I KNOW you will have better luck!  Think 24 and 36 grit, Si carbide of zirconium oxide.

[Herdbull]

I was a stupid trad guy.... In 1995 I was within 20 yards of a wolverine in Alaska. I was hunting moose, but also had a caribou tag. I did not know that I could have tagged the wolverine with the caribou tag and continue to hunt moose with the moose tag. I know, I know, there is no assurance I would have been able to connect on the shot, but I did get him on film! Ha! It was very exciting.  I never did go to the caribou area. It pays to read all of the regulations!

[bohuntr]

What an incredible hunt and a beautiful bull!!! Congrats to both you guys. That is definitely a hunt I dream of doing but I also second guess myself as to whether or not I would be able to handle the meat haul as well as you guys obviously did. I have killed elk before but they are not nearly as big of an animal and I know how hard it can be to pack out even a caribou across that spongy tundra. What a cool way to close the distance on that bull. Definitely a job well done by both of you guys!      

[Jeff D. Holchin]

Congratulations guys, what a great story and awesome photos!

[Guru]

Thanx for sharing John....very cool!

[John Havard]

Jeff, you've been putting some meat on the pole too from what I hear.

The wife and I own a tiny bit of property not far from Asheville.  Where's Hickory?