2014 Prince William Sound Deer Hunting 8.31.14

Prince William Sound deer season is looking good for this year! Last winter’s lack of snow and then the early spring were both very good for the deer. The Cathy G hunter base camp vessel will be anchored by Montague Island again this season. Last season hunters were successful hunting the north east end of the island. Stockdale Harbor, Rocky Bay, Port Chalmers and Green Island are our favorite anchoring spots. Hunters staying on the 79 ft research vessel the Cathy G will be enjoying all the comforts of home: hot showers, real beds, meals prepared in a fully equipped galley, ample space to process their deer including place to hang it under cover and a large butcher table, so their deer is ready for the freezer when they head home. With a laundry service onboard, they won’t have to hunt in wet clothes or go home with a bag of dirty laundry. Every day they will be transported to and from the islands to the location of their choice (within 15 miles of the Cathy G). Our transport boat, the Bayhawk, is a 32 foot custom built Bayweld boat. It is fully insulated and heated with a landing gate for easy drop off and pick up. The Bayhawk has its cabin near the stern and with its specially designed hull you will experience a smoother ride than factory made boats.  The 79 ft research vessel Cathy G is a very stout, 111 ton steel vessel, equipped for long cruises in comfort under adverse weather in comfort. Unlike charter boats and yachts, we have plenty of room for your group and your gear. The lodging vessel is built as a deep sea trawler and is equipped with over 1700 pounds of anchoring tackle so you will get a good night sleep even during storms. Unlike seasonal businesses in Prince William Sound, we have lived on the research vessel Cathy G for over ten years and operate our business from March through December. We are on the water 10 months of the year – just this year alone we have completed over 5 months of research cruises in Prince William Sound, these projects taking us to all the major bays and coves in the sound. Boating in Prince William Sound is what we do for a living – we have no other side jobs. When booking a vessel based hunt, you’ll want people with hands on experience, not someone who does it on the side as a part time job. Part time and seasonal operators often don’t invest much in their boats, most have minimal safety equipment and limited rough weather experience. Most use old yachts or tired charter boats - these boats have interiors like an RV: very cramped always damp. The Cathy G has a full complement of safety gear including a life raft capsule and survival suits for everyone onboard. The Cathy G is a USCG UPV 5 Star Safety Inspected Vessel. We have two 200 ton USCG licensed Captains onboard. There is plenty of room on the Cathy G - the galley seats 10 and there is a 15 ft by 17 ft  heated work area to dry your gear clean your rifles and prep your field gear. There are no V-berths like most charter boats. We have 4 state rooms each with a single and double bed. Not only do we use the best boat for the job – we offer top quality service at the best price. Unlike Brand X, our prices include all taxes and fees – that’s right - no hidden fees or add-on charges. You won’t pay more than our advertized price. Hunter success rates depend on the hunters - some work harder at it than others and some are more fair weather hunters and are happy to just have the wilderness experience. We do not guide – we are licensed game transporters: #928. Our services are for hunters who don’t need the services of a guide. The areas we transport to are the areas proven to be successful deer hunting areas.

This season we still have a few deer hunting packages left. These packages are priced for a group of 6 hunters. The packages include round trip transport from Whittier to Montague Island, 5 nights lodging and daily transport to shore and back daily. You have the choice of bringing your own food and cooking it in the galley or you can have meals provided. If you chose to cook your own meals, we have all the pots, pans, silverware and everything else you need to prepare a full and delicious meal, as well as an infrared BBQ and full size gas stove with pizza stones. You just bring your food. If you choose to have meals provided, there will be a hot breakfast every morning, a bag lunch for when you are on shore and a full dinner when you return to the Cathy G. We supply bedding, towels, soap and shampoo so no need to pack those items! Below you will find the dates we still have left. Some groups have only booked a couple of rooms – if there is more than one hunting party on the boat, we drop off each party at a different location every day. Mixed groups are limited to a total of 6 hunters on the boat. If you have a larger group you must book the whole boat - we will accommodate up to 8 hunters at a time.

Oct 13^th to 18^th space for 2 hunters

Oct 18^th to 23^rd space for 2 hunters
Oct 23^rd to 28^th space for 6 hunters
Oct 28^th to Nov 2^nd space for 2 hunters
Nov 12^th to 17^th whole boat is open
Nov 17^th to 22^nd whole boat is open
Nov 22^nd to 27^th whole boat is open

We are offering these packages at a deal: $1050 per person if you bring your own food and $1350 per person if you'd prefer to have  meals provided.   

If there is a big snow event that pushes the deer to the beaches, ADF&G will issue an Emergency Closure for does, limiting the take of producing females.

Check our hunting web site  www.princewilliamsoundhunting.com  

We no longer do water taxi drop offs - all water taxi services are for hunters lodging on the Cathy G.

For more info email us at ak_explorer@hotmail.com or call Heidi at 907-253-8775

9.24.11 Alaska Deer Hunting Green Island Cabin

We just returned from the Forest Service rental cabin on Green Island. The day after we arrived, the weather turned bad with 60 knot winds from the east with 7 feet seas and heavy rain. In the cabin we were warm and cozy with the oil heater running. What a great view out the front window facing the east with the beach 20 ft from the deck. We never had to run the heater over the half or the one third mark on the control valve which burned about 5 gallons every three days .You can save on fuel oil by shutting the stove off when you’re not in the cabin. There is also a wood stove in the cabin which will cook you out. We would start a fire in the wood stove after hiking in the rain all day, which heats the cabin to 80 degrees and then we could hang up our wet gear and crack open a window to let the moist air out which helped dry everything. At night we just ran the oil heater as the wood stove would make it too hot to sleep. It is best to bring some wood with you as good fire wood on the island is scarce. The two bunks were doubles on the bottom and singles on the top. Previous cabin users have left thick foam pads on the bunks - they were very comfortable after a day of hiking through the bush. The cabin has a nice kitchen table and benches set up by the front window and the cooking area was perfect for a three burner Coleman stove. There is a fair amount of shelving to stock food and supplies, although there was a lot of food left by past cabin users. Reading in the log book, some people complained about the abandoned food and gear taking up to much space. Taking a close look at what was left behind we found some items very useful and others had spoiled or were just junk. Spending a lot of time transporting Alaskans to and from the bush we hear plenty of horror stories of previous trips gone badly such as people getting stranded in the bush without food or shelter, so we can understand why someone would want to leave something behind that could save a life. We went through the cached food and noticed that someone put everything in zip lock bags. What was in the zip locks was in good shape like rice, instant oat meal, dried hash browns and spices. Pasta and anything else that was not in a sealed pouch had absorbed moisture. All canned foods where rusted and if left over the winter will freeze turning the food inside to mush.  We did find many items that would be very helpful if one was stranded but we did not find any matches or anything else to start a fire so we left a pack of matches there in a zip lock and some spare candles. Just imagine getting stranded, then finding a cabin with all that food and a heater but no way to make a fire for heat or to cook the food. Feel free to haul off any trash you may find around the cabin or old food – we hauled two bags off. Anchorage in the lagoon behind the cabin was great – even during the 60 knot winds from the east, the boat was sitting in dead calm water. We anchored just outside of the weed bed in 17 feet of water in the northeast corner of the lagoon. Remember to bring drinking water as there are plenty of land otters swimming in the lakes and streams on the island. The rain gutter on the north side of cabin drains into a water barrel for washing and cooking water which is great. Inside the cabin you will find an axe, a saw, a splitting maul and brooms next to the back door. It is dark in the cabin so you will need a lantern or candles. There are plenty of nails on the ceiling to hang a lantern. Bring a piece of heavy wire to hang your lantern well away from the ceiling so you can avoid damaging the wood. You can see many burns from lanterns that have been hung too close to the walls and ceiling. Be careful walking around on the decks as they are very slippery when wet - only the main ramp to the lagoon has a strip of no skid which helps a lot. Hiking on the island is lots of fun - boots are a must as everything is wet with lots of open muskeg with small lakes and streams. The island is heavily wooded on the southeast and southwest end of the island but the center of the island has lots of open muskeg. Birding in the area is very good. We saw large flocks of black oystercatchers and a variety of sea birds. Sea otters are plentiful all around the island and many of them had large pups with them. Most of the otters we saw are half white (golden/yellow) and one that was two thirds white. Every day that we went on the water we sighted whales near the island (both minke and humpbacked whales). Kayaking in the area is amazing – we were using our camo Pungo 140 fishing kayaks – they were super fast and got around the area really well. Staying in the cabin really made the trip enjoyable, even though the weather was not always the best. We had a great time and reading the comments left in the log book sounds like everybody who has stayed there really enjoys it.

Alaska Boaters Base Camp 7.22.12

Prince William Sound’s best hunter base camp, whether you are a boat owner or you wouldjust rather not camp during your hunt. Prince William Sound Lodging offers the most affordable lodging at the best locations in Prince William Sound. Our base camp boat the Cathy G is a 76 foot and 111 ton vessel, fully outfitted to accommodate your hunting party. We base the Cathy G near the best hunting areas in Western Prince William and we move to different locations with the change of season as hunting conditions change, unlike land based lodges that are stuck in fixed locations requiring you to either put on many miles on your boat, wasting lots of fuel or paying for daily water taxi trips just to reach the best areas to hunt. There is plenty of room on board to tend your gear and process your game. Our large galley is fully equipped so you can cook your own meals or you can take advantage of one of our fully inclusive hunting packages. Prince William Sound Lodging offers fully inclusive packages where we cook for you and transport you to and from the hunting grounds every day (included in the price!) Transport is provided by Whittier Water Taxi, you most reliable and affordable hunter transport option for Prince William Sound. Tired of lugging the camp gear, sleeping in a bag, being stuck in a tent during bad weather, not being able the dry your gear? I’ve been there, done that, for well over twenty years spending a fortune to have the right gear and coming back after a hard day of hunting to cook over a Coleman stove in the rain or snow. If you bring your own food and cook for yourself, lodging is $100 per night per person, a savings of over $150 a night compared to the land based lodges. All our posted rates are exact and include all taxes and fees. There are no hidden charges - you won’t pay anything over the posted rates. For more information on Prince William Sound’s best hunter base camp, call Matt at (907) 362 1291 or Heidi at (907) 362 1290 and check out our web sites www.princewilliamsoundlodging.com    or  www.princewilliamsoundhunting.com  
Matt

Alaska Sitka Black-tailed Deer Hunting 8.27.12

On August 1st the fall deer hunting season starts in Area 6D: time to go after those high ground bucks. Every year we get several hunters that like to go after the bucks in velvet. This is also one of my favorite hunts; not only do we get some choice meat from these grass feed bucks but the views from the high ground are spectacular. We have even seen whales breaching miles away in the passages between the islands. August offers fair weather for camping and an opportunity to harvest some of Prince William Sound’s famous blue berries. If you bring a raft, there are still plenty fish to catch. August offers a bounty of wild food to harvest and Prince William Sound is a paradise for those who like to harvest their own. This season there will be more snow left over from last winter in the high ground. Whittier received over 42 feet of snow last winter. One thing I have noticed about the left over deposits of snow, as they melt there is fresh vegetation sprouting around the edges which attracts deer. With the warm weather there will be black flies so be prepared with bug nets and gloves they work better than any bug dope. Avoid hunting or camping around standing fresh water and lagoons. This year the bugs are especially bad on the main land in the sound so try hunting on the islands where breezes from the sea will give you relief. Be sure to bring fine mesh game bags and plenty of black pepper to sprinkle on your game to discourage flies. Those Alaskans who don’t have a boat and want to get out to Prince William Sound, check out www.whittierwatertaxi.com . Our rates are exact, all taxes and fees included, no hidden charges and we stand behind our posted rates. We cater to Alaskans. For more information on hunting in the sound check out  www.princewilliamsoundhunting.com   Don’t be fooled by copy cats there is only one real Whittier Water Taxi – owned by Aquetec LLC - we are the one with the best rates and service.
Matt (907) 3621290

Deer Hunting Prince William Sound 8.13.12

Aquetec LLC, owner of the real Whittier Water Taxi and Prince William Sound Lodging is offering hunter transport/drop off for deer hunters again this fall. Last year we transported deer hunters to Montague island until December 24^th and until December 19^th the season before. The weather is what determines how late we run the water taxi. This season we will have our Prince William Sound Lodging base camp boat the Cathy G at Montague Island. If you are a boater and want to cook and supply your own food your party can stay for $100 per person per night or the reserve the whole boat have up to 8 people at $700 per night. Just like our Whittier Water Taxi rates, all taxes and fees are included  in our rates. Our rates are exact with no hidden charges or surprise adds-on to your bill. Don’t have a boat of your own? We can take you out there - check out our hunting packages on www.princewilliamsoundlodging.com   In these packages we cook for you and drop you off and pick up every day and also transport your group to and from Whittier. Of course these packages also include warm dry beds and hot showers and package prices are for your whole group. The best rates are for groups of 6 to 8. We will still be transporting hunters who wish to camp at the best rates offered in Prince William Sound. www.princewilliamsoundhunting.com  Our hunting website has lots of information on the services we offer to hunters as well as helpful tips. Over the years many of our repeat hunters kept telling us their wives would come out on a hunting trip if they didn’t have to sleep in a tent. Well guys here’s your chance to get that kitchen pass - just remind her how nice it would be to process your deer out on the water rather than making a mess at home and don’t forget to mention the hot showers and real beds. Lodging on the Cathy G is like having your home with you - everything you need is on board so there is no need to pack and lug a load of gear, just your clothes and guns.

Matt

Prince William Sound Black Bear Hunting 9.27.12

Prince William Sound fall black bear opens on September 10^th, 2012! There are plenty of bears being sighted around the berry patches. The salmon runs were weak this year in the sound and the berries are late. I’ve seen salmon berries that are just now becoming ripe which is very late. The blue berries are almost ready and it looks like we’ll have a much better crop this year. Last year the moths ate a lot of the leaves of the blue berries causing a crop failure. Many bears went into hibernation without their fill of berries that season. Not this year – the berries are plentiful and large. The bears had devoured the fruit of the skunk cabbage by the end of August. Last fall we spotted several bears foraging on kelp along the beaches. They prefer ribbon kelp, bull kelp, sea lettuce, dulse and nori. These types of seaweed are best found on exposed beaches with kelp beds off shore. This is always a good place to spot bears after a storm. Bladderwrack (often called pop weed or rock weed) can be seen growing everywhere in the sound: deer and bears don’t like to eat this seaweed. Last year’s record snow fall has changed the timing on many of the foods the bears depend on, making a slow start in the spring, late fish runs and now a late berry crop. There are plenty of bears out there; many deer hunters claim there are too many and the bears are getting a lot of fawns in the spring. Over the years we have seen areas where the bears have multiplied and the deer have become scarce, especially around the areas of enhanced salmon runs. For more information on hunting Prince William Sound or hunter transportation in Western Prince William Sound, check out www.princewilliamsoundhunting.com

Montague Island Deer Hunting 9.28.12

October 1^st is just around the corner: the opening of the ‘all deer’ season in Prince William Sound. It’s looking like Montague Island is this season’s best pick for filling the freezer with Sitka Black-tailed Deer. Hunters that have recently hunted in the northern half of Prince William Sound for bucks didn’t have much luck but that is nothing new. They found deer trails everywhere but no fresh tracks. This is also not a big surprise after last winter’s snowfall. Spring bear hunters in the northern part of the sound usually spot fresh tracks and often see deer but not this spring. In the spring the high ground was still covered with many feet of snow and no deer was spotted in the northern half of the sound this spring. Montague Island is a totally different story with its warmer maritime temperatures. The snow levels went up and down throughout the winter including way down by the time we wrapped up the deer season in late December. Often when we would head out from Whittier in cold windy conditions, a few hours later we would arrive at a sunny and comparatively warm Montague shoreline. The tidal zones on Montague Island offer much more food in the winter than the northern islands and shores. The large older growth forests on Montague offer not only better protection from the winter storms there is also more food to help the deer survive the winter. Add that to the fact that the northern half of Prince William Sound has been heavily hunted in the past, being close to Whittier and the commercial fishing districts. If you are planning a trip to Montague Island bring a raft or waders. The snow melting in the high ground plus recent rain storms have kept the water levels high in the streams making them difficult to cross. We have noticed hunters who camp tend to get more deer. The cabin is always booked so areas close to the cabins are hunted harder. We haul many hunters to the Port Chalmers cabin and they do get lots of deer but the hunters that camp always bring back more deer. In November through December many of the hunters get a full limit especially if there has been some heavy snow fall in the high ground. Every year we get a group of return hunters that get their limit and fill a couple proxies. For the most reliable hunter transporter with the best rates, check out www.princewilliamsoundhunting.com  Alaska game transporter #928 www.whittierwatertaxi.com  Our round trip rates are posted on the web site and include all taxes and fees. Rates are exact and there are no hidden charges. We are the only water taxi service in Prince William Sound that posts our rates and stick to them.
Matt