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