# Alaska Post #1



## beaker (Nov 25, 2008)

Those are some of the coolest pics I've seen. Glad you had a fun and safe trip.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Mike L said:


> As I expected awesome pics. But the snow pics reflect conditions that were waaaay more than I would even attempt. Kudo's to you guys for having the nads to even go out. You had to have a "Lot" of confidence in your guides abilities, even then I would expect a few nervous moments. All that said, it was a trip you'll always remember.
> Next month I'll go shoot your mottled duck for you ..........


Once again Mike you and I are of a like mind. Very cool pics, and I give Caddis and crew all the kudos, but man...that's some tough conditions to be out in. I can honestly say, I probably would've taken one look at that, gone back inside and had a date with "Jack & coke" for a few hours over a card game. Yeah...I've gotten soft :evilsmile


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## J-M (Oct 6, 2009)

Sweet !!! :d


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## Carpmaster (Apr 1, 2004)

Very cool!!!!


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## Quack Wacker (Dec 20, 2006)

Those water swattin pictures are amazing! Thanks for sharing.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

eGene:
Those Brassy's followed you out there, probably stowed away in the cargo hold! And Mergy's too!

Thank you for the skillful photography and written descriptions.

And the famous KLR!

The last day's pictures are the hardest core hunting conditions I have ever seen.

I had to drool over that powder...not too far from Alyeska...

Glad everyone came home safe, wish I could have swung it.

Merry Christmas


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## gooseman (Jul 24, 2006)

Amazing!! With a few of those pics in sequence it almost felt like I was there. That has to be waterfowling at the highest level of extreme possible. Thanks for putting the work into sharing it with us. 

My guess is that you've acquired some life long memories over this trip with good friends and were able to enjoy some of God's most beautiful creation.


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## Groundhog69 (Sep 25, 2006)

Those are some of the best pictures I have ever seen purdy amazing


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## springdale (Dec 19, 2007)

All I can say is when you look up Duck Hunters in the dictionary, they should have your pictures in there! Great Job!


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## pts (Dec 27, 2005)

awsome photos


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## LSCflatsman (Oct 31, 2007)

As the saying goes... you didn't fly all the way to Alaska to play cards. Way to stick to the plan and thanks for sharing the story!


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## SHOOTN4FUN (Sep 1, 2006)

very nice thanks for sharing


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## Garden Bay (Jun 24, 2004)

Amazing. Nice pics, Felt like I was right there.


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## Shlwego (Sep 13, 2006)

I've been checking in every day hoping you'd be posting up from Alaska...... Great Pictures!! Looks like a truly amazing trip. I've always said I prefer duck hunting when there's a bit of snow on the ground, but I never imagined anything like that!!! Wow.


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## wishtofish (May 2, 2005)

Looks like a Great Trip!!!!!!!!! Great Photos....


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## Trippin' Dipsies (May 7, 2003)

Wow...great post.


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## nosleeptillbrooklyn (May 8, 2005)

Truely amazing pic's and excellent camera work. Thanks for sharing.


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## LumberJ (Mar 9, 2009)

Great pictures!


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

Can't add anything to the original post. I'm truly lucky to have a hunting partner that can take photos as well as Caddis does...I don't even bother taking my camera out of the bag...


If your interested here is a link to a map of the area we hunted in- to give you some idea to the amount of ground we covered each day.


http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=60...k_Day 3 Hunt Area____~Point.v5n47r2t6bx1_Port____


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## donbtanner (Sep 26, 2007)

Great Holy Grail of northern duck poundin Batman!!!...... that's some extreme stuff there man........ you guys just shoot outa the boat? What was the setup?


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

donbtanner said:


> Great Holy Grail of northern duck poundin Batman!!!...... that's some extreme stuff there man........ you guys just shoot outa the boat? What was the setup?


He'll do whatever. We chose to sit on shore, IMO, you get more the experiece sitting on the bank in 3' of snow. Tim does layout hunting also. We layout hunted here so we passed, but there is a lot of scoter so it would be quite a bit of fun. More fun for us to sit on the rocks and bs though.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

You need to get with Don to put a hurt on those Black Bellied Whistling ducks.

Have you turfed that one?

I had no idea they were so common north of the border...


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## ahartz (Dec 28, 2000)

questions....are those boats left in the water through the winter. I saw a marina full of boats. I guess it doesnt freeze solid??? 

safety in a 36 mile run out into the ocean?? EPIRB??? 
that looks scary. ....

thanks for taking the time to post the pics and tell the story...very cool...
whats the Harli limit???...andy


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

ahartz said:


> questions....are those boats left in the water through the winter. I saw a marina full of boats. I guess it doesnt freeze solid???
> 
> safety in a 36 mile run out into the ocean?? EPIRB???
> that looks scary. ....
> ...


You noticed the list on the "Mine Too" eh? 
We experienced an extreme situation, even for Alaska. Was the second highest 24 hour snowfall in recorded history for Valdez. Usually nothing more than skim ice in the harbor.... Normal temps are 20-40* and the with the salt water and the fact that the Port is 1100 feet deep and it's a major tanker route to the Alyeska Pipeline, helps keeps things open. Normal snow fall for Valdez is 400" per year- so the snow has to be cleared often from the boats to keep them from capsizing.

EPIRB's were on the boat- but truly, I was more nervous about the plane landing on what looked to be sheet ice in both Valdez and Anchorage, not that the boat ride wasn't an adventure at times. 

The Harli limit for non-residents is 4 per year.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

...we better hurry.

The East Coast birds are endangered, no open season.

Had 200 of the 800 total on the east coast fly right over head, 10 yards high...itchy trigger finger....

The guide said we'd get in more trouble shooting the birds than him!


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## OldTimeHockey9 (Mar 29, 2008)

Truly some awesome pics you have. Very impressive. 

David J. Olshansky
West Oakland Ducks Unlimited


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## YELLERLAB (Oct 21, 2009)

Awesome hunt! Thanks for sharing!


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## cheeseandquackers (Jun 20, 2007)

Phenomenal pics. I really like the one where you guys shot just behind the Harlequin and the water swat pic. good stuff. Thanks for sharing.


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## fightem (Sep 21, 2008)

Wow what a trip....:yikes::yikes: Those Harlequins are so beautiful.They are my favorite to carve. Very cool as well with the two Barrows Golden Eyes.:coolgleam:coolgleam


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## Frantz (Dec 9, 2003)

WOW!!! I am glad I finally came across this one. The photos are GREAT! I especially like the very first one, with the plane in the fog, very cool.

Thanks for sharing the pics.


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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

Sweet photos gents!! 

Wow, can't imagine those conditions. You guys were fortunate to hunt everyday. Good equipment and an experienced guide saved the hunt.

So.......how many harli's will find the wall?


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## KLR (Sep 2, 2006)

LoBrass said:


> So.......how many harli's will find the wall?


Not sure yet...one of mine got strafed pretty good, so we'll see.

Going to do one standing/sitting on an ice floe or rocks. Probably do one in a running takeoff pose over some water. If either of the others is mount quality, I'll probably do a deadmount with a Barrows.

Dayum...I'm gonna have more into taxi work than what the trip cost!!:lol:


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

...what they taste like?:lol:


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## TSS Caddis (Mar 15, 2002)

cheeseandquackers said:


> Phenomenal pics. I really like the one where you guys shot just behind the Harlequin and the water swat pic. good stuff. Thanks for sharing.


Water is farther away than the Harli, so it sppears behind. That bird fell. Just wasn't patterned.


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## donbtanner (Sep 26, 2007)

waxico said:


> You need to get with Don to put a hurt on those Black Bellied Whistling ducks.
> 
> Have you turfed that one?
> 
> I had no idea they were so common north of the border...


The whistlers showed up in S. LA. in some greater than usual #'s just last year and seem to have been increasing in #'s this year...... they really are not common in the area, few "mexican whistlers" as they are referred to affectionatley (not so pc, but what does a ******* care about that) were killed every year or so, but they are beginning to become a nuscience as they sit on top of wooduck boxes and dont allow the boxes to be used by the intended residence........ I could certainly put you on the "X" with these without having to cross the border......... BTW, I was told they taste like chicken......:lol:


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Monseur Coonazz!!!

Good luck on the split, I'm going boarding...


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## donbtanner (Sep 26, 2007)

Thanks bro, see ya next year......, not doing boyne this year after Christmas, goin to Mont Tremblant, ever been? Looks pretty good on trail map...... gonna bring the board and the planks for some mogul hoppin........


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Monsuer Coonazz Tanner:

Mont Tremblant c'est magnifique!
They just got a dump last week too.
Don't look too long at the French Canadian madamoiselles...
And stay out of the Montreal Ballet clubs
Your French will help big time, they are cold to English speakers

Have a great time with your family


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## dsarge390 (Oct 4, 2009)

Beautiful birds, some day Ihope to make it out to Alaska.


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## sandman_187 (Sep 11, 2005)

GREAT PICS!! Had to be a memorable hunt. Thanks for sharing.


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## docowens (Feb 24, 2009)

Fn sweet!!!


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