October started out with a few powerful storms down by Montague Island. The easterlies were so strong in the Port Chalmers area, we saw 8 foot waves way back in the cove. The heavy rain brought the creeks over their banks. Between the wind and rain most of the open areas were hard to cross on the high ground, making for some challenging hunting but still some deer were harvested. Now we have a break in the weather and hunters have been able to cover a lot more ground. More deer have been spotted and harvested but they have proven to be very wary. Most deer that were harvested this year were startled off their beds along the tree lines. Most groups are getting one or two a piece at best. I picked up two bucks off Green Island - we threw some on the grill last night and the meat was very tender. All the deer that have been harvested have been in excellent condition – very meaty and with plenty of fat. On October 21st we saw the first fresh snow on the peaks of Montague Island. In November this year, we go back to “bucks only” through the end of the season. Some big bucks have been spotted on the high ground where they have a commanding view of the slopes below them. Soon the snow will bring them down and the rest of the leaves will drop. We had a hunter who got his deer deep in the forest and far from shore. In this situation, I usually skin and bone out the deer, that way I only have to carry meat. This hunter made a backpack out of his deer. After gutting his deer, he cut through the front of the front ‘wrists’, leaving the tendon intact. On the hind legs he cut a slit behind the hocks. He put the front legs over his shoulders and hooked them in the slit on the back legs and carried the deer back to shore like that. The front legs acted like a toggle. You wear it head up and you can grab an ear and pull the head over your shoulder to help carry it. Make sure you put some bright flagging on the deer in case there are other hunters in the area. This is not a new method of packing out deer; I remember hunters doing this when I was a kid. It is nice to see some hunters preserving the old traditions. This year we have had several father/son hunting groups booking out the Cathy G. We also have had quite a few hunters from Fairbanks. This season we will return to port at the end of November and start our annual maintenance prep to be back on the water in March. Spring black bear trips packages on the Cathy G are starting to book up. You can call or e mail Heidi at 907 253 8775 or email ak_explorer@hotmail.com for information on packages and deals. We will be basing the Cathy G further from Whittier and closer to the bear hunting grounds for next spring black bear season. This winter our hunting website: www.princewilliamsoundhunting.com will be updated with more information and links to information for hunters wanting to hunt Prince William Sound plus more gear tips and recommendations.
