Early Sitka's
- Thread starter grizzly
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T
TBinKodiak
Guest
I wouldn't hunt them any earlier than August 1st (that's when the season opens). 
They are in velvet at that time and start shedding it around the 2nd to 3rd week of August. Alpine hunting is the only way to go during Aug and Sept. The grass and leaves start dying the last part of Sept so visibility is a little better. Decent weather, lots of light, and bears on the salmon streams; all make it a pretty good time to be up hunting. The down side is warm weather for meat care and black flies.
Later Nov and Dec will have them on the beaches, which is the equivalant of Alaskan "road hunting". The benefits are hunting/sleeping from a boat lots of deer. The down side is short days, poor weather, and the horns start to drop the first part of December.
It's pretty much up to you and what you want. If your going with a bunch of guys and want a more relaxing hunt go with the boat based hunt. If you want to "work" at it and hunt the alpine go early. You'll see some bucks and some awesome country either way.
That's Kodiak anyway, POW may be slightly different.
They are in velvet at that time and start shedding it around the 2nd to 3rd week of August. Alpine hunting is the only way to go during Aug and Sept. The grass and leaves start dying the last part of Sept so visibility is a little better. Decent weather, lots of light, and bears on the salmon streams; all make it a pretty good time to be up hunting. The down side is warm weather for meat care and black flies.
Later Nov and Dec will have them on the beaches, which is the equivalant of Alaskan "road hunting". The benefits are hunting/sleeping from a boat lots of deer. The down side is short days, poor weather, and the horns start to drop the first part of December.
It's pretty much up to you and what you want. If your going with a bunch of guys and want a more relaxing hunt go with the boat based hunt. If you want to "work" at it and hunt the alpine go early. You'll see some bucks and some awesome country either way.
That's Kodiak anyway, POW may be slightly different.
OutdoorWriter
Long Time Member
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Trevor,
Are you familiar with Ninilchik Charters? I'm scheduled to hunt with them Oct. 7-14. -TONY
Are you familiar with Ninilchik Charters? I'm scheduled to hunt with them Oct. 7-14. -TONY
T
TBinKodiak
Guest
I've heard the name a lot and have checked out there website. They seem to be a pretty good outfit, no personal experience though. Oct 7-14 should be a good hunt. Get up high though because most of the big bucks will still be at the alpine line. Also bring a shotgun, duch season opens Oct 8 and you shouldn't have any problem getting Harlequin, oldsquaw, and a few scoters, lots of puddle ducks around too. Good luck on your hunt.
T
TBinKodiak
Guest
Grizzly,
Your best bet would be to call the Visitors Bureau at 1-800-789-4782 and request a list of Hunting Transporters. They have a list and will send it to you free of charge. If your looking for a flight Andrew Air, Seahawk, and Kingfisher are all real good. Actually all the flight services are pretty good here, but there are a couple boat transporters that you should avoid. There was actually one out of Larsen Bay that just got like 3 months in jail for illegal activity. I think his wife's trial is still pending, but she's taking a plea bargain.
Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions on specifics and I'll try to help. [email protected]
TB
Your best bet would be to call the Visitors Bureau at 1-800-789-4782 and request a list of Hunting Transporters. They have a list and will send it to you free of charge. If your looking for a flight Andrew Air, Seahawk, and Kingfisher are all real good. Actually all the flight services are pretty good here, but there are a couple boat transporters that you should avoid. There was actually one out of Larsen Bay that just got like 3 months in jail for illegal activity. I think his wife's trial is still pending, but she's taking a plea bargain.
Feel free to e-mail me if you have any questions on specifics and I'll try to help. [email protected]
TB
OutdoorWriter
Long Time Member
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Trevor,
Thanks for the info. Will the vegetation have browned up or disappeared that early in Oct. where glassing with 15X binocs off a 'pod is feasible? -TONY
Thanks for the info. Will the vegetation have browned up or disappeared that early in Oct. where glassing with 15X binocs off a 'pod is feasible? -TONY
T
TBinKodiak
Guest
The alder leaves will be thinning out but probably not all off. The grass and brush should be about dead and starting to lie down. The salmon berries will probably still be green though and those patches aren't the easiest to get through either. Those binos should work fine, but you'll be glassing long range so a spotting scope can save on boot leather. Remember to hunt hard on the decent days because you never know when the weather will close in and shut down the rest of your hunt. The good news is the days are long, the bugs are dead, the deer are plentiful and the weather usually isn't too bad in Oct. You should have a good hunt.
OutdoorWriter
Long Time Member
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Thanks, Trevor. That's about what I figured.
I rarely use a spotting scope because it gives me Excedrin headache #1. I can glass for hours with a good pair of 15X binocs on a tripod and they're pretty decent for judging antler quality out to 1 1/2 miles or so. I don't do B&C points anyway but look only for nice representative trophies. If a deer is farther away than that, I'd likely pass. I'm getting too old to race up or across a mountain that far for a shot at a deer. Might have been different 20 years ago, though. :-( -TONY
I rarely use a spotting scope because it gives me Excedrin headache #1. I can glass for hours with a good pair of 15X binocs on a tripod and they're pretty decent for judging antler quality out to 1 1/2 miles or so. I don't do B&C points anyway but look only for nice representative trophies. If a deer is farther away than that, I'd likely pass. I'm getting too old to race up or across a mountain that far for a shot at a deer. Might have been different 20 years ago, though. :-( -TONY
