Wally's Bear

A quick disclaimer for this post - I'm not a huge fan of dead animal pictures, I'd rather take pictures of them alive but Wally and I had the opportunity to take part in a special hunt that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has started in unit 16 on the west side of Cook Inlet. They have deemed it a predator control hunt for black bears to help curb the decline in the moose population in that management area. The number of black bears in that unit is so substantial that Fish and Game allows the harvest of mothers and cubs and doesn't require the harvest of meat, a rare exception in any game management plan. SO..... Wally and I flew over Friday afternoon to the cabin and began hunting that night. By 8pm we had harvested this middle aged male black bear and we had it skinned and at the cabin by 11pm. While we were packing it back to the boat, Jason Elam flew in in his beaver with Daryl and Levi Sutton. I work with Daryl and Levi runs for UAA. They were in after black bear also and took another one the next day. Here are a few pics of the trip. The size of the swans up close always amazes me.
cheers,
Josh

Catch up

Here are a few photos of the last couple weeks. Jenty stopped through town on her way to Haines to inkeep for Bob and Mary Ellen so that gave me an excuse get out and about. We planted onions and potatoes across the inlet and took a trip to Homer and Seldovia. Rainy and cold here today
cheers,
josh

Harold goes on a date.........

I have spent quite a bit of time at the cabin over the last few weeks and have come to know a local spruce hen fairly well. He has been there nearly every night on the strip sort of milling around. He would fly down to the sand, strut around and then retreat back to the woods. At last, one night, I saw the object of Harold's restlessness. She was a beautiful, slightly built bird, a little on the timid side and Harold seemed to have taken a liking to her. He spent the evening with her in the sand strutting his stuff and doing his best to impress the young lady but all was for not, she was having none of it. Here's to Harold and the spring season.
cheers,
Josh

Spring at the cabin

I was going to go running on the McArthur tonight, but Mike's strip looked like it was dry so I gave it a shot. There were fresh bear tracks in the sand on the strip and the local Muskrat toured by the cabin while I was there. The shot of the picnic table seat shows the ash that accumulated as the snow melted. The ash is pretty significant on the foliage and flat surfaces and it kicks up as your walking through the brush, a good rain would do us good. The mosquito's are already out over there as are the fly's. Track the flight HERE.

Cheers,

josh

Spring on the McArthur

Three evenings ago I flew across the inlet to get used to the tires on sand again. The McArthur River Valley was hit heavily by the ashfall and I was worried it may build up and linger but everything looked fairly good. I'm glad spring is back,
cheers,
josh

Evening in Homer

I had a great trip to Homer the other night, I know your wondering about the the C-130 photo... After I landed and tied down, that plane landed and dropped off one guy, Doug. Doug is a member of the Air National Guard and is an engineer on Pavehawk helicopters. He told me that he needed a ride down from anchorage (he lives in ninilchik) and the C-130 guys needed to do some training runs so they just dropped him off. It worked out well for everyone. It was a bit windy in Homer, but the sun was out and the wind was directly down the runway.
Cheers,
josh