HUNTING

Before I begin, I wanted to take a moment to share with you readers, how important it is to have patients when executing these types of extreme hunts. Anyone that knows me very well, knows I am not long on this important trait. I often have to remind myself that I am not in control of things like weather, flights, other people’s schedules and more. Try not to stress over what you don’t control. It can be frustrating at times and unless you get control over yourself, it could take away from an excellent experience. Don’t let it.

I arrived in Kotzebue on the morning of Sept 20th, as the last leg of my overnight Chicago to Anchorage flight. It’s a clear and warm 72 degrees as I carefully walk down the mobile stair ramp leading from the plane to the blacktop taxiway. Tee shirt weathers is not a good sign for a caribou hunter, since it’s the “cold and snow” that triggers the caribou migration. I specifically booked this last week of the season to avoid this possibility. Oh well, time to improvise and remain focused on the goal.

Making A Trophy Deer Shoulder Mount

A hunter appreciates the importance associated with having a shoulder mount of the deer he or she hunted. It is a memento of an unforgettable hunting expedition. When you harvest a trophy deer, you may want to do a shoulder mount in order to preserve the magnificence of the animal. A good hunter needs to have detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the deer to be able to skin, gut, and dress the animal for a full body, shoulder, or head mount.

Before skinning the head, the most important step is to take accurate measurements. Take measurements from the center of the nose to the front of both eyes. Take measurements from the nose to the sides of both the antlers. Then measure from the nose to the back of the skull. Also measure the circumference of the neck, about three inches behind the head.

Now refer to the “skinning for a shoulder mount” article for instruction on how to cape the deer for a shoulder mount.

Swamp Ghost Cameras

I’m working near Des Allemands Louisiana. I have been watching a pair of mature Eagles. They had landed on this clump of dirt several times. I thought if I put some bait on the clump and set my trail cam up, that I stood a good chance of getting a picture of one. We found the big catfish floating nearby and set the cam up on the clump with the big catfish in front of it. We had to leave the area for a day. When we returned, we checked the cam and BINGO! We had the young eagle trying to fly off with the big catfish. It must have been too heavy for him to lift off with.

That night, an alligator must have taken the catfish. So we found a small catfish and reset the cam. This time I decided to set the camera on forced flash to get a better picture. The flash would brighten the scene and show the colors better on the bird.