tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53022049855898465872024-03-14T04:38:14.103-08:00121 Miles UpstreamFur, Steel, and Life in remote AlaskaBrandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.comBlogger477125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-78137490908920277362025-10-30T22:01:00.000-08:002020-04-12T14:44:55.463-08:00MESSAGE FOR NEW AND RETURNING VIEWERS...<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">****IMPORTANT!!...IF YOU ARE HAVING TROUBLE SEEING IMAGES THAT ARE BLURRED OR BLOCKED FROM PHOTOBUCKET, PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK TO FIX THAT: </span></span><br />
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One of my all time favorite quotes is from Aldo Leopold: "There are two spiritual dangers in not owning a farm. One is the danger of supposing that breakfast comes from the grocery, and the other that heat comes from the furnace." It makes me joyful and Thankful that Warren wants to learn and join in the whole process. Trapping is not just smiley pictures in the field. There is work. There is blood. There is purpose. Giving him any other impression would simply be lying to him. You can be my skinning partner anytime, little man... :)
Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-70112717943007565202017-03-12T13:13:00.000-08:002017-03-13T13:22:37.755-08:00Fuel Plane Fly-By...Snagged this video the other day of the boys and their friends watching the fuel plane take off. Too much more snow or many more years of growing and they/re going to have to duck!!... :O<br />
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-80339421289115595572016-12-18T20:03:00.000-09:002016-12-18T20:56:05.405-09:00Lots of optimism this evening...<br />
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Well, today was a fun day and a sad day both...It was the birthday of one of Port Alsworth's loved ones we lost in the tragic airplane crash recently, and so there was that memory. At church this morning I decided to join up with the McGees and set the burbot longline out in the lake. We met up this afternoon and got the beast set in short order. We didn't use the full length, but we can always lengthen it depending on how the first few days (or maybe week) goes. Going to bring the video camera so that we can record the proceedings, as it was kind of fun to have the old rig back. We used the same longline setup we used in Russian Mission (see past posts), this time with only 15 hooks soaking, but of course we didn't have to deal with the current here in the lake, so things were even easier. Can't wait to check tomorrow... Also, I saw tracks in the snow, and got word that another fox was back last night by the rabbit hutch of the neighbors. Needless to say, I put in another set out in front of the house, and so there is much excitement in the air for morning to come so we can check on all things 'set'. Looking forward to the coming day with gratitude and anticipation - but trying to shut out any expectation, as that is usually not wise or as fruitful. I will say, though that there was blood involved today when setting the longline, and for those of you that have followed along, we all know what that implies...we shall see. ;)Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-7943072086303611142016-12-01T20:55:00.000-09:002016-12-18T20:58:46.747-09:00He did it!!Well, that student I mentioned in the last post about the crazy fox day - has done it!! His first fox is now a thing of the past. I will not write his name here, as he is still one of my students, but may he trap throughout a long and happy life. :)<br />
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We started by heading out to an area where he had some sets and snares out, and the fox sign was plentiful for sure - he was already in the right place. It didn't take long and I spotted a nice cluster of spruce where we could employ one of my favorite snow sets I created while in Pilot Station - the "step-up Snowhole". It uses an upslope to the trapper's advantage, just as a step-down-set employed by trappers everywhere, uses a down slope to get canines to commit. Below is the finished set from a couple different angles, with some explanation:<br />
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We used an 'edge' where there was an open corridor of snow that separated a stand of spruce and some head high brush. The fox were using this corridor as a through-way, the tracks in the snow told us. :) We 'roughed it up' (think 'catch circle') and made the set on a bank, using some dead spruce placed in a V as our backing. These spruce chunks can come in handy, as the branches sticking out at all angles really help keep the canines from coming in the back or from angles you don't want them coming in from. Just make sure to bust off anything that hinders their approach from the trap side. <br />
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Chip in a nice level bed for the trap and bed it solid, center of pan five inches out. The trick is to place the trap and the shelf it sits on, the right distance from the hole so that the fox cannot investigate from below it (downslope) without committing, and cannot investigate without stepping up onto the pan in order to satisfy his curiosity. <br />
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After just a few words of advice and some quick demos, I turned everything over to my student and he made the set himself. He did it right, as two days later, he took his first fox out of this set. :)<br />
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Congrats. Man!!! Hope to catch a lot more with you in the future!!!Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-14722861766479972792016-11-22T21:06:00.000-09:002016-12-19T07:30:38.924-09:00Four fox in 12 hours...with one trap (and a bullet)...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom, and the boys, and baby sister (hanging in the baby carrier inside the coat) with an early morning catch. :)</td></tr>
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Little did I know how this one was going to turn out. So this Fall, and Winter, just as last year, we had been seeing fox around the house, and had been seeing them walk by the school during class, etc...so it didn't strike me as odd. After heading home one day to lunch and seeing one walk right up to me, I figured it was time. That same day, Sarah saw one approach the boys where they were playing just beyond the front yard, and she mentioned it was a little weird. Sounds good to me, I figured. I had been trying to refrain from catching the ones around the house, but when they act like they aren't wild anymore, well...I didn't need any encouragement anyway, but if they're offering...<br />
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I made a set right at dark, last night (the 21rst). The set, though, was right out in fron tof the house, just across the drive - we're talking like maybe 25-30 feet from the front step. This morning, on the way to work, as I shut the door, I heard a faint "tink-tink-tink-clink". Hah! I thought...Bingo! Walked over with a headlamp, and, sure enough, the area looked awfully dark (catch circle)..and then the eyes lit up, and I walked to work. With a smile. I waited for daylight, which at this time of year, here in Southwest Alaska, is not until about 9:45. Then I brought it up with the kids in my class, and we quickly decided to go get the fox out of the trap. We filmed the dispatch, and then I quickly went back to work and got through the rest of the morning classes.<br />
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However, when I went home for lunch, I spotted a fox going around the back of the teacher housing, and making his way over to our house. I ran behind building s when I could, dodging his sight until I was back at my front door, where I grabbed the .22 Mag and some bullets. However - I grabbed some .22 LR rounds. I did this knowingly, because the rifle uses shorts, longs, and Magnums. However, I did not know what was about to happen. went back out the front door, thinking the fox would head for the catch circle - which he probably could smell for a long ways. Sure enough, he did. I saw him break for it behind some spruce and use d my chance to get in position, pushing the safety and waiting for him to stop when he got to the set, which I was covering with my front bead. He stopped, and I squeezed. 'Click!'. Nothing. I couldn't believe it. I shucked that shell, dug another one out of my pocket, and put it in the chamber. Pulled up, with him looking at me this time, about 20 feet away. 'Click!'...WHAT!?!!....Racked the bolt, catching the shell, and put it BACK IN, and squeezed. 'Click!' My heart about stopped at that one. That was enough for the fox, and he bolted out of sight off into the trees. I was bummed beyond belief. However, I wasn;t so bummed I couldn't skip lunch, and instead put in a remake with the tra from the morning. I had a feeling the fox would be back, and quickly. I even brought the shells, with their firing pin marks, back to class with me to share the tale, and 'warned' the class that we may catch another.<br />
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It wasn't long, and I got a text from Sarah...she said that there were not one, but TWO fox out by the sandbox in our backyard, milling around. Apparently the boys saw them during lunch. Excitedly, I asked her not to go outside or let the boys out..if only they would go around to the front we'd have a second one. :) Sure enough, about 2 minutes later, she texted again. We had one. Hah!! I rounded up one of my students, and we headed for the house. However, upon getting to the front yard..we noticed a fox streaking across the back yard, once again by the sandbox. We quickly went inside, and I grabbed the .22 Magnum again. Not liking the angles on him from the back porch (remember, we were in the teacher housing area, with other houses nearby) and hoping this time the gun would go off, we made our way out the front door - past the other fox snarling and jumping in the trap - which my student thought was simply spectacular - and the following ensued (Click link to view in Dropbox):<br />
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<a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/8qj8v3t89yvwhvr/Fox%20Whisperer.mp4?dl=0" target="_blank">View clip on DropBox HERE</a>
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So, with that fox from the backyard down (rifle worked as usual, in case you didn't watch the vid at the link), we were now in possession of two, and had a third in the trap out front. We walked over to the catch circle with the just-shot-fox in hand (which was a HUGE male, beautifully colored by the way - pics coming when he is processed. I took a few pics, and we dispatched the third, and placed him in the freezer. This was turning out to be a great day. The catch circle was SMOKIN' HOT!!!!<br />
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It was that knowledge that made it just impossible for me to not remake the set again. I HAD to do it. So after school, I remade the set before dinner. All the while it had been snowing off and on, but the set was down to the bare ground and leaves from all the..um..activity...<br />
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We enjoyed dinner and were getting the boys ready for bed when our neighbor knocked on the door and said he heard a snarling coming from the area of the set. (It was already dark). I went out, and together he and I dispatched the fourth fox of the day. Three in the same trap in 12 hours is now my personal record. At least one of them was caught only a little over an hour after I set it. Wowza. No pics of this last one actually came out, as it was too dark.<br />
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Now I am left to wonder if I could have done it in less time if only this all didn't go down on a work day. :P :) I'll give it a break for a bit now - but only for a bit - and then I'm gonna remake that sucker again...we might not be done yet with the "front yard set"...Next up, though, is to help one of my students catch their first fox...Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-39759651654952692582016-11-15T20:21:00.000-09:002016-12-14T20:23:53.255-09:00One in a million?... :)Well...the chicken raider is dead. Here in bush Alaska, you often get the chance to see wildlife in your 'backyard', that much is certain. Sometimes, however, the wildlife you do see is not the kind you'd like to. Case in point: some neighbors (well, maybe 200+ yards away neighbors) mentioned that they were having some trouble with foxes and weasels harassing their chickens. I was very happy to say that my boys and I would be glad to rectify that problem, and so we set out to do it...<br />
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Upon arriving and talking with the neighbors about the situation, we learned that this would be a pretty favorable setup. The chicken coop bordered the brush and tundra at the edge of their yard, and the offending weasel had been seen pacing around and around the coop looking for entry on multiple occasions. Just what we like to hear. :) Warren, Abram, and I found a great, level spot to place the box, and I set the trap and allowed them to place it in the front of the box. We added the bait - raw chicken of course (giblets) - to the back of the box and secured the lid. We chose not to use any lure in this case because I felt that the use of any type of long distance call I might normally use (Lenon's weasel lure, or, say, some gusto) could potentially call in more predators than were already causing problems. That, and we already had (or the chickens had) a captive audience. I figured, let the chickens stay under the radar for as long as is possible, if you ask me. The neghbors also thought this was a good approach, as they had already shot one fox and mentioned possibly taking care of some others, though it seemed they didn't want to if it wasn't necessary.<br />
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At any rate, me and the boys left the trap there, and we went back to check the next day, only to find nothing. They were a little bummed, but of course I had the chance to once again explain why this is trapping, not catching, and that if there was some fur in the trap every time we went to check it, things just wouldn't be the same. The next check, however, was a different story. After finally getting the boys' attention away from the chickens, they came over to the box, and opened it - and the celebration began...and while they were jumping and hollering it occurred to me - this weasel looked 'different'. Quite different. My first reaction, caught in the video we took, was to say He's....like....<i>BLUE</i>!.." And so he was...
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I've never seen anything like him. My first thought was that he was coated in something. But what is laying around a house or garage or whatever, and is that color?...Also, how did he do such an even job of "coating" himself, if in fact that was the case?...
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The tale remains to be told, as when we take him out of the freezer to skin him I plan to wash a bit of him in dishsoap and get the skinny for sure. At any rate, though, the boys were CRAZED, as usual, and it was better to just enjoy the moment than wonder why. :)
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-57177489210019068552016-08-31T06:38:00.000-08:002016-09-15T20:06:07.863-08:00Opportunity Found! ...in the currents of Currant Creek (Bull Down!)<br />
Well, these pages have outlined a lot of moose hunts...but I never had a moose hunt go quite as perfectly as this Fall's hunt did. The closest it has ever come to this year's tale was the 2013 bull I took while hunting with Sarah's dad in 7-mile slough, (<a href="http://121milesupstream.blogspot.com/2012/10/another-fall-come-and-gone.html" target="_blank">click here</a> - and that post will open in another window) but even that one was after weeks of hunting HARD through, ice, snow, heavy winds and waves on the Yukon, etc...so that one 'smooth' trip that year really didn't play out the same way, after all. This year's trip was the first outing for moose since we got here (after taking last year off from hunting them), and technically, it was just a scouting trip. That would change, however...<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Our day started off in the morning around 8:30 AM last Saturday - A little later than I am used to setting out during moose season. In fact, as Cam and I pulled out of the bay, my mind was on spotting a bear on shore as we traveled up to the river we planned to hunt, as I had already kind of written off the trip as a scouting adventure, that we could maybe spruce up a bit with a black bear encounter...seeing as they are traveling the lake shores in search of the sockeye salmon that are gathering up in crazy numbers around the creek and river mouths these days. We never did see any bears, however, and we soon found ourselves at the mouth of the river.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We figured we’d head up as far as we
could go, and mark important stuff on the GPS - sandbars that would make good
potential camps, meadows with good sign, etc. - that way we’d have a plan of
action for September. We spent much of the morning heading up river, hiking in
to meadows we scouted on google earth and trying to learn the braids and
channels as we went. When we finally grounded out (hard), we turned around, and
began the trip back down. We quickly learned that the shoe on the jet was bent,
and after removing a lot of rocks, and getting underway again, deduced that we
had ground the impeller a bit, which was causing some lost water compression
and reduced throttle. Oh well, we figured at the time, no biggie. We continued
to stop at likely spots and explore the area.<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"> The morning went much like this. Pulling off on sandbars, heading into meadows to look for sign - and some general exploring of th<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">is incredibly scenic area.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">After
coming back downriver about 8 miles, we rounded a sharp bend and my eye caught
on the partially blocked body of a moose, a ways down river, maybe 125-150
yards away. As the bull turned his head and began moving along the water’s
edge, I noticed he was still fully in velvet, and the paddles looked black as
coal in the light. Even though that made them blend in with the shadows of the
trees behind him, I instantly could see that this was not a bull I’d pass up.
My safety was off before I even motioned to my partner, who was driving. We
closed the gap as he tried to find the bull using my hand signals, and once he
locked on it, I saw recognition come over his face, and he set to work getting
us over to the beach. As the waves of our wake began hitting the sandbar and
the boat itself, the noise caught the bull’s attention, and his head swiveled
quickly to focus on the sound. It was too late, though, as I had bailed and was
already squeezing the trigger as he seemed to realize he was looking up river
at something that shouldn’t be there. At the crack of the rifle, the bull
pulled that maneuver we all love to see – he reared up onto his hind legs,
hunching his back and pointing both front legs straight out at the ground. Just
like that, he was off into the willows. We tied up and followed his fresh
tracks through a tunnel of brush, but saw no blood for about 20 yards. Then, we
looked to our right and there, just on the other side of some willows, (like as
in about 6 or 7 yards away, larger than life) he was stumbling away. Unable to
get a shot other than the Texas heart shot variety from where we were standing,
we both split up and fanned out. When the bull emerged from the other side and
started across the sandbar, I couldn’t see him, but Cam did, and put the coup
de grace on him. When we walked up and watched his last kicks, I realized I was
staring at the boat (up and just right of the bull in the pic below), and
couldn’t help but smile at the pack we wouldn’t have to endure this time
around:</span></span><a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-13%20at%206.46.36%20AM.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2016-09-13 at 6.46.36 AM.png" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Screen%20Shot%202016-09-13%20at%206.46.36%20AM.png" /></a>
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<br />
Cam, just as the moose hunting's "What just happened?!" set in... :)<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6595.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6595.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6595.jpg" /></a>
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The beautiful color that lung blood brings:<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6599.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6599.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6599.jpg" /></a>
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Cam and the mighty bull.<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6601.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6601.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6601.jpg" /></a>
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The most scenic bull moose headshot I've ever been in (at least until a few minutes later, anyway)<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6604.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6604.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6604.jpg" /></a>
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A 30-pound backstrap!! The original organic, harvested the right way - doing it yourself.<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6617_1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6617_1.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6617_1.jpg" /></a>
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Some cool color variation in his velvet. Normal? Don't know, never shot a bull in velvet before this one...<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6619.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6619.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6619.jpg" /></a>
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Epic horn shot, part 1...wowza....<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6635.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6635.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6635.jpg" /></a>
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And some more epic-ness...<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6630.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6630.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6630.jpg" /></a>
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You have to love it when you're so close to the boat that you don't even bother strapping the meat onto the frame pack...<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6642.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6642.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6642.jpg" /></a>
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and the "Back at the boat" shot... :)<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6661.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6661.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6661.jpg" /></a>
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And this next photo just speaks to me. Right down to the bugs caught in the frame. It is precisely images like this that keep a hunter awake the night before, get him out of bed early, keep him out long after dark, and burn into his memory forever. This just might be my favorite moose hunting picture yet. What a day...<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6654.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6654.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6654.jpg" /></a>
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Some more cool velvet shots...<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6666.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6666.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6666.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6667.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6667.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6667.jpg" /></a>
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Home safe and sound. :)<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6671.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_6671.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_6671.jpg" /></a>
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<br />
Now for the processing...so we can get out there and get a sheep....Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-22078293863510571842016-05-26T20:45:00.002-08:002016-05-26T20:59:53.946-08:00The Hackle Ant!!<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/aU2Ke.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo aU2Ke.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/aU2Ke.jpeg" /></a>
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While things are just heating up here on Lake Clark as far as the fishing is concerned, it has suddenly taken an upswing. Not only have we been seeing salmonfly hatches during the midday, but things are warming up enough where terrestrials now seem to be out in full swing. Enter, the Hackle Ant. This pattern is one I found online, and upon tying it up, figured it was a pretty good imitation of a bee, or an ant, or some other chunky crawly critter for that matter, all at the same time. Seemed like a keeper. And based on our first outing fishing it....It sure is.<br />
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Like most of the patterns I enjoy tying, this one is fast, simple...and catches fish like a champ, which is always good.
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The ingredients are "simple":
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/FdnFp.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo FdnFp.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/FdnFp.jpeg" /></a>
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- Hooks of your size and brand choice (Here I used tiemco dry fly hooks in 12 and 14)
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- Veevus #6 thread, Black
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- Some 2mm Black foam (Here I used Sportsman's Warehouse brand)
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- Black or very dark brown hackle feathers of your choice
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- Loon Hard Head or other similar fixative
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- Some Glo Yarn, if you wish, for placing an indicator on the ant's back. This is not necessary of course.
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Once you get the ingredients together, place your hook in the vise and cut a narrow strip of foam that is about 2.5 to 3 times the length of the hook shank - roughly the width of whatever size ant you wish to make :)
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/ks5yk.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo ks5yk.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/ks5yk.jpeg" /></a>
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Next, build yourself a thin, even base of thread running from just behind the eye to just past the barb of the hook. Dab some Hard head or super glue or Zap a Gap or whatever you use onto this thread, and immediately secure the foam to the hook with a bunch of wraps. As for placement, I like to allow one-third of the foam to stick out both in front of the eye and behind the bend of the hook; so I am basically securing the middle one-third of the foam's total length at this step. The adhesive prevents the fly from spinning on the hook, both now, when you are tying, and later, when the fish are trying to tear it apart. Once your wraps are on, things should look kind of like this:
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/cHRru.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo cHRru.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/cHRru.jpeg" /></a>
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I like to finish that last step with my thread toward the rear of the hook right where the last thread wraps secure the foam to the hook (in picture above). I then bend the rearmost end of foam back on top of itself, forming the ant abdomen. The end of the foam should come a little past the center point of the secured portion. I then bind in the abdomen with some good tight thread wraps. Next, do the same with the front end of the foam. Bend it back, forming the head of the ant. Secure it with more tight thread wraps, and what you end up with is an appropriately sized abdomen and head, with two tag ends of foam meeting right in the middle, creating what will be the thorax:
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/HpJhk.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo HpJhk.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/HpJhk.jpeg" /></a>
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From here, trim the tag ends so that they are flush with each other, and also so that they have a lower profile, not sticking up much beyond what the head and abdomen do when viewed from the side...
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/r2PVN.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo r2PVN.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/r2PVN.jpeg" /></a>
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Once they are trimmed, this is where you can add the indicator, if interested. Cut an appropriately sized small chunk of glo yarn:<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/tSQud.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo tSQud.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/tSQud.jpeg" /></a>
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You can then place this over the trimmed tag ends, and secure it by running a thread wrap right through the two tag ends, which will pull the yarn down in between them a bit. Give this a few more tight wraps, all the while being careful to not cinch the yarn tuft down in so far it becomes useless...
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/k0Fbr.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo k0Fbr.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/k0Fbr.jpeg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/2ve4t.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 2ve4t.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/2ve4t.jpeg" /></a>
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Next, get your thread over to the wraps just behind the head to set up the hackle legs. Then select a hackle feather, trim it and prep it accordingly:
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/miLDu.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo miLDu.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/miLDu.jpeg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/N5uYg.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo N5uYg.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/N5uYg.jpeg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/IGrqf.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IGrqf.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/IGrqf.jpeg" /></a>
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Then tie in the base of the stem behind the head and secure it with 2 or 3 wraps of thread.
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/kbFv0.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo kbFv0.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/kbFv0.jpeg" /></a>
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Wrap the hackle two turns around just behind the head, then cinch it in with a couple more wraps of thread. As you come around the body on the second wrap, swing the hackle feather under the body to prepare for two wraps just in front of the abdomen as well, also securing this with your thread when done. Hackle pliers may be helpful here, depending on your fingers and the size of the ant you are making...<br />
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/J6mQL.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo J6mQL.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/J6mQL.jpeg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/mckxt.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo mckxt.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/mckxt.jpeg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/Anmqg.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Anmqg.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/Anmqg.jpeg" /></a>
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Now, these are some super long legs, that we need to trim. In addition, we can trim just the corners of the head and abdomen to round them off a bit and give them shape.
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/JjliX.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo JjliX.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/JjliX.jpeg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/9MQZO.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo 9MQZO.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/9MQZO.jpeg" /></a>
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When done, you should have an Ant/Bee/Beetle/crawly critter...presenting, the Hackle Ant!
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/aU2Ke.jpeg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo aU2Ke.jpeg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/aU2Ke.jpeg" /></a>
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Does it work you ask?...time and time again... ;) :)<br />
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-24%20at%202.29.48%20PM.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2016-05-24 at 2.29.48 PM.png" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-24%20at%202.29.48%20PM.png" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Fly%20Tying/hackleantcrop.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo hackleantcrop.png" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Fly%20Tying/hackleantcrop.png" /></a>
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-57102447585635968252016-05-26T06:58:00.001-08:002016-05-26T06:58:02.930-08:00"Beaver Fever" Camp, 2016It is hard to believe that the school year is now over. The frenzy of the last week of school is always crazy, but this year we added to that with "Beaver Fever" Camp (That name was given by the students) :)<br />
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The goal was simple: take kids camping, get them outside, out of cell phone range, make them smell like campfire smoke, teach them Science...and also about trapping Spring Beaver! Have I mentioned that I love my job...<br />
<br />
Anyway, this year's camp was a shining example that, 1) It's not only about the trapping - there's so much more to trapping than what's on the surface...and, 2) Getting kids outside offers more diverse learning opportunities than sitting at a desk. Once again, everyone unanimously agrees, these trips are about the memories made, and learning about life itself. Priceless opportunities abound!<br />
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We landed at our destination early Monday:
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0078.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0078.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0078.jpg" /></a>
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It took a bit to get camp set up, but once we did, things got underway fast.
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/IMG_4366.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_4366.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/IMG_4366.jpg" /></a>
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<br />
With all the air traffic on Lake Clark, we got our share of fly-bys, starting early on in the trip:
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<br />
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-23%20at%2011.51.58%20AM.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2016-05-23 at 11.51.58 AM.png" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/Screen%20Shot%202016-05-23%20at%2011.51.58%20AM.png" /></a>
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It wasn't long before the beautiful, unseasonable weather prompted us to start a game of 'beach volleyball', with the most epic scenery ever in the history of the sport?! (some would later say...)
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0087.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0087.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0087.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0088.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0088.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0088.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0089.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0089.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0089.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0092.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0092.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0092.jpg" /></a>
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Recognizing the "epicness", we figured we had better get together for a group shot to document the occasion. This is the crew, starting the tradition (hopefully) at Tanalian School:
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0100.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0100.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0100.jpg" /></a>
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We then headed out for some Science, starting with soil samples and then moving into the burn from a few years ago to learn how to do plant transects.
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0106.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0106.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0106.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0110.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0110.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0110.jpg" /></a>
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0111.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo DSC_0111.jpg" border="0" src="https://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Beaver%20Fever%20Camp%202016/DSC_0111.jpg" /></a>
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We found this logjam on a sandbar, and just had to explore it...
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Found this spider with egg sacs on the way too..there would be LOTS more of these...
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Some of the students played "Row Row Row your boat" on our circular path back to camp along the beach:
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Upon returning, we relaxed a bit before dinner, and one of the students caught a nice laker to add to the 'pot'...
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This camp was supposed to be 'roughing it' to the extent possible, and so with absolutely NO spices of any kind in camp, we resorted to this: Butter, onion, honey and cheese stuffed Lake Trout. Like all things while camping, it was delicious...of course...
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Finger Lickin' Good!!!
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Later that evening, we added a beaver to the menu after a series of crazy events...my lucky sweatshirt came in handy again...
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Another epic shot, this time of carrying the rodent back to camp for skinning:
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Sarah and the boys chillin by the fire :)
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Skinning the Beav on a handmade raft (more on that later):
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Next morning it was Pancakes and 'Snausage'...
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The boys enjoying the spoils...
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Over the course of the day, we would also add a Goldeneye and a Lesser Canadian Goose to the menu:
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We took a long beach walk to another area of the burn to refine our plant transect skills and explore the world around us:
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Somewhere in there, we found time for a rock skipping contest:
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Later, for dinner, it was assorted goose and duck pieces wrapped in bacon (Wowza! that was good), and Beaver loins done up the same way..mmmm...
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We also built a Luau pit of sorts, and cooked two beaver hindquarters in it for most of the afternoon and evening....Sooooooo Gooooood!!!<br />
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The Iron Chef and his creation...
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Part of the second day consisted of getting ready for an epic bonfire:
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After starting the fire, it was time to launch the "Huck Finn" Project that one of the students had started...
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By the time that was over, the fire was well under way, and it had gotten so hot that we needed to find marshmallow 'trees' instead of sticks, so we could get close enough to roast some. :)
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Some more random pics...
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Warren ridin' shotgun :)
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The trip was incredible in so many ways... Now we can't wait to do it again...
Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-57039740876087295502016-05-02T08:48:00.002-08:002016-05-02T08:48:25.451-08:00Spring is now here..."Spring colors" are here indeed.... :)<br />
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So, as seems to be the case here lately, the landscape went from brown and sparse to budding and green, just like that. Bang!, Spring. We decided to mark the occasion with a trip to Kontrashibuna, to see if the lakers were biting. They were. ;) Was an awesome hike, even if the weather was a little windy. At least the bugs were kept away by it... <br />
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Warren, jus' chillin'...<br />
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The falls never get old...<br />
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Smiles!<br />
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Unfiltered awesomeness. Water like gin.<br />
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Nice paintjob!<br />
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/Screen%20Shot%202016-04-30%20at%208.14.09%20PM.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2016-04-30 at 8.14.09 PM.jpg" border="0" src="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/Screen%20Shot%202016-04-30%20at%208.14.09%20PM.jpg" /></a>Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-22373515901647102962016-03-17T00:17:00.001-08:002016-04-30T12:04:01.170-08:00The Loon UV Fly Paint eggAnd here it is, the first pattern I am posting here. Just to be clear, this is a great fly to illustrate that there will be no "fly fishing only" stance taken here. I love to catch fish, period. I don't care what they will eat, I'll use it (if it is under legal regulations, that is). Chunk of meat, Live minnow, frog, grasshopper, worm, Panther Martin spinner, or home made fly - It doesn't matter to me - fooling the fish is fooling the fish. To quote the old saying, fly fishermen are actually the liars of the bunch - it's the bait fishermen that are giving them what is advertised... heh, heh. :) So here it is, an Egg fly. That perfect combination of bait and artificial that catches fish like a... well, you know.<br />
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To begin, for this fly you must have a rotary vise. If you don't have one of these, this isn't going to be very easy (or even possible, really) for you...I then start with a Tiemco size 12 caddis pupa/shrimp hook, and a brass bead, 3/32 size. You will also need the Loon brand UV Fly Paint (in this case, orange), some thread of your color choice, and a UV curing light. The light I use is the Clear Cure Goo light. My online fly-tying shops of choice were both out of stock at the time, so Cabela's got the nod, and I got the power to create 'flies' that fish think are candy.
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These things are KILLER...if you don't mind using a fly that is 'bait', then you are going to want to make them. A LOT of them. They are super easy and fast, and work well. What more can you want?...A challenge?...if so, then these might not fit the bill - for creating them, or for getting fish to eat them... :)<br />
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Anyhow, get the hook on the bead, opposite the normal direction. By that I mean, run the hook point through the large hole first, which is 'backwards' from the usual way. This helps any runs of paint to go back toward the shank rather than the hook eye. Get this stuff in the hook eye and cure it and good luck ever threading your leader through it.<br />
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I like it about even with or just in front of the hook point:<br />
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Tie in the bead with some thread in front of and behind, to lock it in, (here I used my closest match in color, which was some Veevus 6/0 in florescent orange):<br />
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Once you whip finish, it's time to start applying the paint. It is important to constantly spin your vise while doing so. The paint will come out kind of gel-like, so you'll have some ability to control where it goes. A slight side to side distribution seems to work best for me until there is enough accumulated to form the egg size I am after. If you pause, the blob you have accumulated will immediately start to pull downward with gravity. This can either hurt you, or be used to help you form a nice sphere, depending if you plan your slight pauses as needed, or fumble with the vise handle, etc. As long as you aren't too slow in recovering a slip, this stuff is thick enough to hold on long enough for you to get it spinning again. <br />
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Keep spinning as long and as fast as you need to to get things nice and round. This pic would be better as a video (maybe sometime soon, who knows). Then, with your free hand, grab your light and begin curing by shining it on the egg. Don't stop spinning or change speeds here!!<br />
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Let the curing begin. 15-20 seconds here (while <u>Still Spinning!!!</u>) will turn the egg mostly solid, if a bit tacky.<br />
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After that....Voila!!! Fake egg ala fish catcher.<br />
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And here's a lineup of sizes for everything from the Lakers to the Grayling to the Whitefish here in the lake. They all LOVE eggs almost as much as I love these 'flies'...There are going to be LOTS of pics of these this summer and fall once the Sockeye get here, along with their newfound friends...you heard it here first... *Disclaimer - this is NOT my original creation - I found them on the <a href="http://flytying123.com/" target="_blank">FlyTying123</a> site - he calls them the "Tungsten Embryo"<br />
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More patterns to come! A little something to while away the winters when there isn't enough snow around to trap...sheesh, maybe we should just go fishin'....<br />
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-2918880597899336102016-03-16T20:24:00.000-08:002016-03-17T00:31:00.552-08:00Another label emerges... :)Well, I guess it was just a matter of time, but..I have decided to finally get around to posting some Fly Tying stuff on the blog. So there is a new Fly Tying label here (on the list below at right). I had dabbled in it long ago when I was literally a fish bum, living on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington in the college years, and then again got back to it briefly after moving back home to PA, but it never stuck. Guess I kinda spent too much time fishing back then to have any left over for fly tying...<br />
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At any rate, I now have long Alaskan winters to fill. Long story short, I set out last summer (about 40 weeks ago, now) to get back into fly tying. But this time, I really meant it. I was not only going to 'dabble' in it, I was going to LEARN it. The 'new first' fly, a green rockworm-dubbing-nymph-creature-thingy, emerged after a flurry of Longboard Lagers (see pic) as I tried out my Anvil Atlas vise back in June. The Atlas was the first tool I selected to accompany me on this journey:
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And since then I have been poring over books, videos, websites, blogs, and opinions on, "Which dubbing for this?", "What type of feather will do that?"...and on and on. Since then I have (at times, quite unsuccessfully) tried to tie everything from size 20 midges to huge bulky pike flies - "streamers full of junk", if you are up on the recent lingo that fly fishing and tying has adopted. :) Having some base knowledge (of the flies and the bugs both) and some vague memories has helped a bit, but mostly I think it has been the addiction that has advanced my learning curve the most of all. That, and, of course, living at Ground Zero for trout and salmon Shangri-la helps too :) - you get to try out all your creations and experiments on real fish...immediately...and fish are the best teachers, when you are a fly-tyer.<br />
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So though I am still nothing close to a Jedi, my flies have come along enough now, (and caught enough fish for me) that I am ready to start posting them here. Should be another fun element to add to the blog...and of course, the fishing itself will be found on the species list blog, found by the link at the top of the pages. And away we go...
<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Screen%20Shot%202016-03-16%20at%208.04.15%20PM.png.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo Screen Shot 2016-03-16 at 8.04.15 PM.png" border="0" src="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Screen%20Shot%202016-03-16%20at%208.04.15%20PM.png" /></a>
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-19390953295873152822015-12-08T22:04:00.001-09:002016-02-16T12:14:36.356-09:00The Weasel Project Marches On!!!!!....The lessons, experiences, and qualities that trapping can teach us all come out every time someone leaves their house with some steel to set. That is perhaps most evident when you apply it in the classroom (and then, of course, outside the classroom, to speak literally...). I am convinced that getting kids out trapping not only teaches them to appreciate the ecological soundness of this activity, but also is a fun way to engage them in learning responsibility, ethics, respect, patience, integrity, humility, and thankfulness..and that's just getting started. All this, despite the nonsense the naysayers like to toss around...<br />
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This conviction is borne out yet again in the Port Alsworth Weasel Trapping Project, carried on in all of my math and science classrooms this year. The torch that Sarah and I started in Pilot Station is still being carried, and trapping as an educational and life tool is still succeeding. No teaching endeavor brings me greater joy than these types of projects. Academic success - yep. Achievement in life - got it. Strength of Character - Check! The philosophy of Tanalian School is enabled through the weasel project! Teachable moments abound, and the rewards are many! Have a peek.... :)<br />
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First, a shot of my bulletin board in the classroom... (The 'bear-rugged' vole and shrew pelts are there because those two specimens are the leaders in their species category).. The quote says it all, uttered by one of my students early in the year. Indeed....<br />
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Now, as for the details... So, we started off the weasel project this year, as always, with a research project:<br />
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... to learn the physiological, ecological, and life history aspects of the mustelid family, most specifically the short-tailed weasel, (<i>mustela erminea</i>), also known as 'ermine' or 'stoat', depending where you are from. Though we didn't expect to catch another specific species of weasel during the project, the least weasel, (<i>mustela nivalis) </i>we did! - second from left in the above pic. As we will be trapping all the way to March, there's still a lot of time to catch more, too! <br />
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But, after all the students demonstrated their learning about the weasels we would be targeting, and how they - and the species they are connected to - fit into the environment ecologically, it was time to bring the project into math class...<br />
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We held a contest to see who could come up with the best design for a weasel box, as everyone now had some helpful knowledge of the weasel, their dimensions, abilities, and their habits.<br />
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Once the designs were explained, debated, and approved, we went ahead with construction. (Bring on the 'industrial arts' :) ) Materials were scrounged up from all corners of town, and the graciousness of the donors was acknowledged. ..And the first applications of the students getting to use manners and gratitude make their appearance.
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Once the boxes were ready, we learned how to set the traps we would be using, and all that was left then was to wait for the season opener. We spent this time examining tracks, and piecing together what the students had learned about ermine with what the animals were showing us.
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Finally, November 11th came around, and off we went...
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It didn't take long, and catches started trickling in...<br />
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They can't just catch 'em...they have to skin and stretch them, too...<br />
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He looks angry!... :) After all, there is only ONE BEST WAY to learn anatomy...medical schools everywhere can't be wrong...<br />
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When catches are made, we take weight and length measurements, examine the weasels for parasites, physical condition, and freeze the skinned carcasses...and later on, as we get to the appropriate Units, we will be dissecting them, examining stomach contents, etc. There is pretty much no realm of life science or physical science that this project does NOT cover... <a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_2496.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img alt=" photo IMG_2496.jpg" border="0" src="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/Port%20Alsworth/IMG_2496.jpg" /></a>
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And then there is the exercise that we all get, tromping around in the great outside...<br />
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Weasel furs do some awesome stuff when you shine a blacklight on them...notice the legs, edges, tails do not show purple... (I know, a lousy pic, but it has to be dark... ) :) It is thought (speaking of some of the scientific community) that this light-reflective property may be useful to the ermine in escaping predators hunting them at night. Perhaps something to do with the mechanics of the eyes of birds of prey, etc., that enables them to see at night, I presume. <br />
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Least weasel adult (That's Da 'yittle one) next to a short-tailed weasel(the large one).<br />
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Prime winter ermine fur, baby!!!!!<br />
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The wall of fame, so far.... LOTS of trapping season yet to come...<br />
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-18832701008197479352015-11-21T21:07:00.000-09:002015-11-21T21:16:17.316-09:00The Mink WhispererSo...finally getting that last post up about the fox catch reminded me, as I sifted through my 'iphoto' library, that I have been stockpiling stuff for a while now, and haven't been doing much writing. So here's the first of events I've left out from the last month or so...<br />
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On a preseason (trapping season) scouting trip, on which we hoped to secure some bait, I headed up a dry creek - hah!, that's actually the name by the way - and while we were walking up, pushing for grouse and rabbits, we came across a mink. One of the students wanted to shoot, and the rest of us begged him to wait - after all, we could trap it later and actually be able to salvage the fur. Thankfully, he held back - and as it turned out we were all glad he did. The mink came out of his rootwad hiding place, where he had been presumably chasing mice - and entered the creek channel. I declared, "He's going to come right at me, take a picture!"... And he then proceeded to make his way about 12 feet STRAIGHT TO ME before jumping onto my boot and checking me out. He must not have liked the smell of me, cause after a moments or two he hightailed it out of there - but now I carry the name "The Mink Whisperer"... here's a photo sequence of the whole circus. Surely a first for me, and probably the last as well.<br />
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He's in there..brown furry lump in the cluster of spruce at center...<br />
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body and tail visible here...barely below and right of the puddle...<br />
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head and body<br />
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Here he comes...he HAD to see me...just didn't care...<br />
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Was waiting for him to smell something he didn't like and take a bite out of my leg... :)<br />
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Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-62188958403438522172015-11-21T09:37:00.000-09:002015-11-21T09:39:04.505-09:00"Caught on Camera" video link...So, Though the week was a mite crazy, I finally got the "full-length" video posted to the youtube channel. Here be the link to the full size version on youtube:<br />
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBTe2LMNeSE<br />
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And here is the smaller, embedded version, just click to watch. <br />
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Hopefully, this is the first of many more to come this season. Right now, the camera is in a weasel box, and that is another story for later...we'll see how it unfolds... Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-82757968038610423372015-11-16T22:18:00.003-09:002015-11-16T22:20:20.999-09:00Caught...on Camera...So, ...I never have been able to get a catch (fox, that is) caught on camera, as long as I've been trapping. This weekend I finally did just that. And now I want to do it again...and again, and again...<br />
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So, though I am still processing the video, which consists of three nights' worth of footage, I pasted together a short version to get it on here...the longer version will be posted to youtube as soon as I can. At any rte, here is a short glimpse, starting with the clip of the moment of truth. There are also some sequences of the aftermath...including some wild pulling, (of course) and what I can only describe as... fox yoga?!?!!.... see for yourself...<br />
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Click the thumbnail below - it will play much larger. And I repeat...The longer version will be coming soon... :)<br />
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<a href="http://s202.photobucket.com/user/aktrapper26/media/Spot%20cam.mp4.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa171/aktrapper26/th_Spot%20cam.mp4" border="0" alt=" video Spot cam.mp4" style="width: 160px";></a>Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-52622063864624762212015-10-22T06:06:00.002-08:002015-10-26T19:26:08.447-08:00Backyard Sheep...Dall Sheep, that is!Nabbed this video yesterday evening, and figured I would have to post it. There aren't that many folks that get to see Dall Sheep from their back porch...but whatever obscure club that gets you into...we are now members of it :) Never thought I'd be able to say THAT...we are blessed indeed to call this place home... <br />
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A couple of side notes...yes, that is the same mountain we climbed for the school trip a few weeks ago, and no, the season on sheep right now is not open...it has closed (Oct. 15th) until January...but winter season starts January 1rst!!...Stay Tuned!!...Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-42839210948768287332015-10-06T16:54:00.000-08:002015-10-11T16:57:58.067-08:00Squeezin' in just a few more casts...Winter is continually threatening...the first snowfall of the year has arrived. What did we do to celebrate?... we went fishing, of course... :)
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And here are a few pics from weeks past, when a gracious visitor volunteered to take our picture with some of the 'hogs' that Warren reeled in... :) I just received them via email, and so here they are, though a bit late to go with the others from the same timeframe - notice the lack of snow ;)
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Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-61774376535043262712015-09-05T10:43:00.000-08:002015-09-12T10:46:25.064-08:00Tanalian MountainLast Tuesday we had what may likely prove to be the last amazing great weather day of the Fall...in the mid to upper sixties and cloudless skies - the 10 day forecast following that looked gray and wet for its duration. Accordingly, we planned a school trip...hiking up Tanalian mountain. Sarah would be carrying Abram, and I would be carrying Warren, so this time, they got to go with us. :) It was a glorious day!!<br />
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Much of the trail is in the trees, with limited views until you start getting up higher...but the scenery is still nice. It will be awesome to see when the leaves really start changing for Fall...
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A Warren selfie on the way up :)
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And Abram fell ASLEEP on the way up!..hah!
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At long last we popped out of the trees...
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Up, up, up...
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Sarah pausing to take it all in...
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And then it was on to the top
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Good to be back in the alpine again :)
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Blueberries!!! Yummmm. That's Port Alsworth down there!
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The brothers stop for lunch
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Happy times with mom
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Still not done yet..
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Huddled up at the USGS marker
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Some panos:
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Group shot :)
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More blueberries
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Dall Sheep tracks!
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W pondering life :)
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Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-44942269766494829442015-09-01T13:25:00.000-08:002015-09-12T13:27:28.664-08:00Checking out Kontrashibuna lake...The 4-H club set out on a hike to Kontrashibuna lake recently, and though it held a lot of unexpected twists and turns, it was one of those trip sthat makes you glad you went in the end. :)
First of all, we realized the crock pot with dinner simmering away was left on HIGH instead of low, when we were about halfway through the first leg of our journey to the lake, which goes by way of the Tanalian river falls. I turned around and hiked back to the house to turn it down while S and the boys went onward to the falls to wait...what's adding a couple more miles to a good hike, anyway, right?
So then, I made it back to the falls and found them, where we got some pics:<br />
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Despite the eariler setback, we decided to continue on and hoof it to the lake anyway. The boys enjoyed their time out of the backpacks...
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It was then that things got a little crazy. First I dumped Abie over in his pack, causing him to receive some scratches on his head and cheek. Then, when we got to the lake, Warren and I got attacked by an angry swarm of yellow jackets while I was carrying him piggyback to a better fishing vantage point....sheesh!! What a misadventure... Despite both of us being on the receiving end of multiple stings he worse than I :( we still stayed long enough to catch a couple lake trout. Though it was super sweet to catch lakers from shore - (in an outlet/river, no less) for Sarah and I, we didn't have long before we had to head back. We only snapped a couple pics before turning around and cutting our losses.
Here's the gorgeous paintjob on one of the lakers:
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And you can see the hurt on W's face in this pic - not his normal "Fishy smile" due to the stings he was coping with. Poor guy! Next time we get to the lake we'll have to get more pics...was another beautiful place that we will surely see again...
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Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-35292346076760008252015-08-31T21:35:00.000-08:002015-09-12T13:08:43.592-08:00And the path has been set...Well, it is fall 2015 now, and we finally landed in Port Alsworth in August. The school year is well under way, and things have settled in enough to where I found the time to post a little something. This place is amazing!!! For those of you that didn't know already, it is the headquarters for the Lake Clark National Park. It is the home of volcanoes, glaciers, spectacular mountains, - it could be considered ground zero for the best fishing in Alaska - nearly every species of Alaskan mammal can be found within the Park limits (including marine species)...the list goes on. And now we get to call this place home. So in the beginning (first month or so) of exploring this incredible place, we have gotten a taste of the fishing, we got to go on an incredible hike with the entire high school, and generally have experienced profound change in many ways from what we experienced on the lower Yukon. To get started, here are some pics from our "fly-through" one day visit back during this past spring. It was quite an introduction...<br />
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And now to more posts... :)Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-48811163246123389752015-05-22T23:21:00.000-08:002015-05-25T23:52:42.069-08:00A Year In The Life - Day 367, May 22, 2015Well, I wanted to keep on going with the posts until the last day of school, even though it is a mite over a year. Here is the last one: The after-school barbeque dance, just getting underway with some of the staff encouraging some wallflowers to join and showing us how its done! Happy summer to all!!!<br />
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5302204985589846587.post-56271750505356554492015-05-21T23:20:00.000-08:002015-05-26T00:08:23.993-08:00A Year In The Life - Day 366, May 21, 2015With one more half-day of school to go, the trapping class took our last walk of the year. The last walk ever, I guess you could say. Not likely that class is going to be taught next year. We sure have learned a lot. They caught everything they set out to learn to catch. Trapping is a good teacher on so may levels. Patience, persistence, hard work - nothing's easy.... the list goes on. Everytime you leave the house to go trapping you will learn something. Maybe about yourself. Maybe about the animals. Maybe about nature. Maybe about life. Maybe about the skeptics and the haters. Catching fur and receiving a check is the least of the benefits, though worth every minute - even during the lean times when you aren't making much money. I'm going to miss you guys!!<br />
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<br />Brandenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01103585152879964152noreply@blogger.com0