Glacier Glove

A Great Weekend in the Desert

admin — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:57:47 +0000

I headed up North for the weekend with my long time friend Macy. Saturday we hunted with my most frequent hunting buddy, Paul. We enjoyed some great weather, did a lot of hiking, got into some birds, found some great deer sheds, and found a ram that looked like it had been killed by a mountain lion. All in all it was a good day. We did not shot a lot of birds, but it was still a good day none the less.
Saturday night Macy and I camped out and it was actually pretty darn nice out for November in the desert. We got up early Sunday morning to frost covering everything. It was 21 degrees, but we both slept very comfortably. In fact I was hot all night long and would have slept better if it was 10 degrees cooler. We made a quick breakfast, loaded up the truck, drove to our next hunting spot, and had another good day of hunting. We had plenty of good opportunities on Sunday, and connected on enough to be satisfied. There was no great shooting performance on my part, but luckily I had Macy there to knock down the birds that I missed.
It was a really fun weekend. I enjoyed hunting with Macy and I enjoyed spending time in the field with the dogs. After a tough day last Sunday for the dogs due to heat and zero wind, it was nice for them to have better hunting conditions and for them to get back on track this weekend.

Jay

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

What’s in Your Bird Hunting Pack?

admin — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 18:00:40 +0000

I believe that there are a few essentials that should be in every upland bird hunters pack. (Assuming that you are hunting with a dog)
Starting with the most obvious:

*Shot Shells
*Cell Phone (if it might works in the area)
*Whatever electronics you use for your dogs (e-collars, tracking systems)
*A snack
*Water (for yourself)
*Plenty of water for the dog(s)
*A light wind breaker (I have one designed for running that weighs practically nothing that I keep in my pack at all times. You never know when conditions might change and you will be happy to have it.)
*A light pair of Gloves
*A Fleece Beanie
*A set of dog boots for each dog (this way your dog should never really get foot sore)
*Extra Whistle (I don’t know how many times I have forgotten my main whistle and had to use my back up)
*Extra batteries for your tracking system
*A Leatherman Tool (the knife comes in handy, but the pliers are essential for removing cactus, quills, or whatever object you will find sticking out of your dog from time to time.)
*Duct Tape
*Goss
*Q-Tips (for seeds, dirt, or whatever needs to be removed from your dogs eyes)
*Benadryl (for bites, or stings) (talk to your veterinarian about how much would be appropriate for you dog)
*EMT Gel (it can quickly and easily fill up and seal off small cuts and scrapes, keeping them clean and sanitized until the end of your hunt)

I generally don’t carry much more than that. As for dog first aid, I keep a complete kit back at the truck. Fixing small cuts can usually be done easily with Super Glue. I usually don’t carry Super Glue with me, though it is not a bad idea, but I kind of figure that anything small enough to be glued can wait until we are done hunting (cover in EMT Gel), and will likely need to be cleaned anyway. And anything too big for super glue, depending on the location, will probably mean the end of the days hunt. The Goss and Duct Tape can help with that until I am back at the truck, or at the Veterinarians.

Obviously, the kind of hunting that you are doing, the kind of dogs that you run, the number of dogs you are running, the terrain that you are hunting, personal preference, and weather conditions are all factors in what you will add to your pack. If you have a good hunting pack that will put the weight on your hips, and there now are some good ones out there, the small amount of added weight will be no big deal.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Alaska Kayak School - Fall Update

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:34:28 +0000

Alaska Kayak School Winter Sea Kayaking – 1st Weekend Report
Halloween 2009, Kachemak Bay, Homer, Alaska
Surf & Open Water Training: October 31 and November 1

Five paddlers and Tom the “coach” lined up for the weekends fun, Poseidon and the Zephyrs did the their part. We had small 1-2’ surf on Saturday, Halloween, light winds (variable 10 kts) and sunny conditions. Even if at the outset it seemed the 32ºF air temperatures would keep the fun factor down, we were wrong. Small waves peeled off the sand/gravel bar at the mouth of Beluga Slough, a favorite traditional play spot, and fun was on the menu.

Surf safety, wave selection, timing, stern-rudder, low brace turns, edging in surf, and good balance were all on the agenda. Paddling out to the “line-up”, group awareness, and applications of all the flatwater skills made for sore smile muscles all around. Full cold water garb was required: dry suits and all the layers, neoprene gloves, helmet liners, helmets, and a few “storm cags” made the session not only tolerable, but fabulously enjoyable.

All the paddlers pushed the envelope, and some had a few wetter moments than others, but the surfing site lent itself to learning - easy swims and recoveries were all part of the fun. Over edging and “too much paddle” was the resounding admission by the paddler that got over wet, ‘+).

On Saturday paddlers tackled wave after wave until the tide changed and the waves petered out a bit, but by then the fun quotient was so high, it was hard to dampen the enthusiasm for sea kayak surfing, at least in this bunch. Get in position, take off, drop in and glide all became habits.

The new surfers discovered that dropping in perpendicular to the axis of the wave gave better results and all riders went for it, time and again. Waves weren’t big, but were big enough to make the sea kayaks glide gloriously and sent the surfers rocketing toward the beach.

Low bracing into the foam piles once the sea kayaks broached into the “bongo slide” the term for sea kayak side surfing was the move of the day and many a “wet moves” were dodged by the clan off of the effective low brace.

As the tide fell, the waves became tubular and steeper, making some of the runs more challenging and speeding up the action on the faces. No one shied away from the fun though, and all the fun hogs enjoyed great rides.

Gliding runs out on the gentle shoulders were just as rewarding as the late take offs and elevator drop-ins, making the action seem gentle and calming, almost mesmerizing.

On Sunday 1 November the surf had died, and we were all up for an open water paddle from Lands End, at the tip of the Homer Spit, back to town, where we planned to land at Mariner Park, on the Spit’s West side. It was windy and cool, 32ºF and East winds 10-17 knots, so we all dressed warmly and got ready to launch into the 2-foot chop on the steep gravel beach at Land’s End, next to the AK Marine Highway dock.

Seas were calmer on the West side of the Spit and we agreed to paddle 0.7 nautical mile offshore to the West, and to enjoy the small swell, alternating snow flurries and sunspots, as well as the feeling of being out in open water.

Sunny weather turned on us off and on and in spite of the brief flurries, we managed to steel our resolve and turned the end of the day into a bit of a round-robin sea kayak rescue fest. Nobody tested the wet exit, all were previously competent at exiting their boats, and most got tested yesterday in the surf. But t-rescues, various re-entry styles and yank rescues were discussed, tested and analyzed for the benefit of all.

The virtue of the speed of the “yank” rescue made itself readily apparent, but the virtues of the t-rescue, in which the kayak is emptied before putting the “swimmer” back into a drained and dry-ish cockpit was clearly the favorite.

You have to hand it to these sea kayaking fans, the Alaskan spirit lives on in the die-hard commitment to practice in conditions. Air temperatures were dropping past freezing as the day wore on and we approached the take out, but this didn’t dampen the paddlers’ enthusiasm for making sure that they did their part to keep kayaking as a “wet sport”.

Some paddlers, eager to practice in “real” conditions, went back into the frigid water repeatedly to test various re-entry techniques, including the “between the boats hip-thrust” method, which both rescuer and the swimmer help to pull the boats together to make a wide and stable rescue platform.

At the end of the second day, Sunday, we all remarked on what a fun weekend we’d been treated to by the weather and the bay; sprits ran high, and the talk drifted to the next winter weekend when we could pull off another two days of fun in cold, short days of late November. It was sad to see the Anchorage and Soldotna contingent pack up and head North, while the Homer team contemplated the fact we’ve had almost no snow, even though it’s already November. But one fact remained, it had been a really fun weekend with lots of smiles, thrills and skills for all that donned the dry suits and helmet liners. And at least for me, I was impressed with the enthusiasm and cold commitment of the whole team, even after the swims in the icy cold drink.

Check the Alaska Kayak School calendar for the schedule of the winter sea kayaking weekends, and try not to let the winter go by without checking out the action. But do remember, theses weekends aren’t the place to develop your sea skills, these are programs to apply the skills you’ve learned in other Alaska Kayak School programs, and to stretch into a place where you realize you don’t have to hang up the sea kayaking spurs just because it’s past the end of October.

A dry suit with socks, the right layers, neoprene gloves, helmet liner and good company with honed skills and safety awareness will take you far. If your skills aren’t up to the cold commitment, focus on some more pool time and wait until May 2010 when the sea skills weekends in Halibut Cove start the Alaska Kayak School’s annual cycle all over again. The next winter sea kayak weekends in Homer are the Spring tides at Thanksgiving: November 28, Saturday, there is a mid-day High tide of 16.90 ft. @ 1100 hrs. and a mid-day 18.06’ tide November 29 Sunday @ 1142 hrs. Make it to Homer for the Turkey-Day fun; you’ll enjoy the thrill of the chill.

Check the Alaska Kayak School calendar for other 2009-2010 dates of more winter sea kayaking fun in Homer. Call (907) 235-2090 or email info@alaskakayakschool.com for more information.

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Almost got Skunked!

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:40:41 +0000

I would like to tell you tales of great hunting and show you pictures of limits of birds, but that was not the case this last weekend. The truth is that I had two days of the worst hunting that maybe I have ever had. I hunted about 10 hours over the course of two days and just narrowly avoided getting skunked.
This coming weekend I will be at it again though, and the results are sure to be better.
I am going to have a good time regardless!!!

Jay

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Back Home, Hunting in Nevada

admin — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:58:01 +0000

I got two more good days of chukar hunting in this weekend. It was the first time that I had hunted with my buddy Paul since, well, last season. Saturday we hunted a new area, for me at least, north of Gerlach. If I remember correctly I moved 6 coveys, but they were as wild as any chukar that I have ever hunted, which for me seems to becoming a trend this year. It was a good day though. I loved the terrain, the dogs got in some great work, and I managed to get some birds in the bag as well.
Sunday I hunted North East of Lovelock. The conditions looked really good, but there wasn’t a lot of birds. I think that area is still recovering from two previous years that had really low numbers. Once again it was a good time. The dogs hunted perfectly, I shot decently, and at the end of the day I had a few birds in the bag.
Overall it was a good weekend. I had two days of hunting with one of my favorite hunting partners, had a great time with the dogs, and got to see some new country. I can’t think of anywhere else that I would have rather been.

Jay

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

Oregon Chukar Hunting

admin — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:16:37 +0000

I just got back from a week up in Oregon on the Owyhee River. It was great to see some friends that I had not seen in a while and it was a lot fun to spend some time with my Dad as well. He and his dog Amber are hunting as well as ever. Amber is a lab, and there is not another dog that I would rather shoot quail over in heavy cover than her. She has it mastered. My friends Steve and Hank have really good pointing dogs, and are great dog handlers, so it is always fun for me to see those guys, aside from the fact that they are friends. As a lover of bird dogs, I really enjoy seeing dogs that have been given the opportunity to reach their potential. The bird hunting was better than the last couple of years, but it was still not what I would consider good. None the less it was a great time.

Jay

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

CHUKAR SEASON!

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:37:38 +0000

Just wanted to wish everyone good luck this weekend. Chukar season opens up on Saturday, and that is always a big deal here in Nevada. Should be a state holiday if you ask me. Anyway, best of luck to everyone, and I hope that you all have a great time!!

Jay

Original post blogged on b2evolution.

More Grouse

admin — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 19:58:48 +0000

Last weekend Coby and I went Sage Grouse hunting with Joe, who I believe to be one of the very best bird hunters in the area. Unfortunately, the season opened on Friday, and by the time we got there on Saturday the birds had obviously seen some pressure and were a little more educated than they would normally be. So, we all saw Sage Grouse, but none of us were able to get close enough for a legitimate shot at them. The dogs all got some good work in pointing chukar though, so it was a good day regardless.
Saturday night I drove east bound to a little Blue Grouse hunting spot. I spent the night in the back of my truck sharing a sleeping bag with two dogs (not ideal), woke up the next morning, and had a great hunt. We got a limit in about 75 minutes, and all three birds where pointed. Shooting Blues over pointing dogs may well be one of my favorite things in the world to do.

Jay

Original post blogged on b2evolution.