Part 1 in the 2009 series: Semi-Live on Kauai'
Part 2 in the 2009 series: Alaska Muskox
Part 3 in the 2009 series: SOLO Alaska Brown Bear
And so begins part 2 of our series.....
I applied for an Alaska muskox tag last Spring and drew my tag #18 of 18 which was my third choice unit.
The units I applied for all had a fall season and I wanted to hunt muskox in the fall. My tag was for the Seward Peninsula outside of Nome.
Well, I hunted for a full week in September and saw ZERO muskox!
The End.
WHAT? The End?
Well, it would be the end except for the season ran until March 15 so I located an outfitter (Brian) that works with an Eskimo gent named Cliff out of the village of Shishmaref, that pull off the logistics for winter ox hunting.
I taught myself to shoot my longbow with a monster-sized arctic glove on. I arrived into an icy-cold Shish on Feb 10.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/PO_99772_043.jpg)
We went to Cliff's house and got my gear ready to slide!
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/Cliff_GdadHouse_029.jpg)
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/Brian_135.jpg)
Brian waiting.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/Cliff_134.jpg)
...and here is Cliff in between cigarettes.
At least one of us is out here waiting. The one who saw a musk ox on the Parks Highway one day and nearly drove off the road. (Yes, it was an escapee from Palmer . . . )
We were joined by Cliff's son-in-law or grand-cousins husband or some such kinship-Jim.
Now I was born just days apart and in Nebraska just 75 miles away from Larry the Cable Guy BUT Jim here, Jim "IS" the Real-Life "Larry the Cable Guy".
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/JimTheCableGuy_133.jpg)
Cliff took off ahead of us and hung out at a cabin about 15 miles out in the white and Brian, Jim, and I lagged behind.
I hadn't ridden a snow machine in 25 years but in no time at all I was an expert and Sarah Palin would have been giddy if she'd have seen me.
When we had just gotten into sight of Cliff's cabin my machine seized up and died. I borrowed Cliff's machine and off we went.
Now it was cooold out there!
How cold was it Steve?
Something like -30 which is cold to everyone but polar bears, Eskimos, Canadians, and Minnesotans.
It was so cold I had icicles on my eye lashes.
Keep it coming!
Get-rrrrrrrrrrrrrrr-DONE!
Sorry about the delay.
I would like to say it was cause my wife had brought home some new eatin' britches (cherry 's my favorite) but no such luck.
To make sure this was as fair-chase as possible I would only use snowmobiles for transportation/hauling and approach no closer than about a half mile. This may be a law in Canada but it is not in Alaska.
Also sled would not be used to herd or maneuver animals.
"Sorry about the delay.
I would like to say it was cause my wife had brought home some new eatin' britches (cherry 's my favorite) but no such luck."
LMAO! :biglaugh:
About 25 miles out we crossed the tracks of three ox in the snow. Brian had recently seen another group in the area so we pressed onward.
We eventually located the herd and it had about 2 dozen cows/calves and one mature bull.
I approached on foot as the herd backed up against a small butte. The end animals leap-frogged behind the others and I almost had a good shot when the bull moved behind the others but they took off instead.
I dogged them on foot for quite awhile and got close a couple times before they cleared out. I met up with Brian and Jim and we brought the sleds forward before I set out on foot again after the herd.
I got back in close and the bull gave me an instant of exposed ribcage and I snap shot quickly with my big ole' glove on.
!)*@&&#^^@&&@@@)@*&^&#&*&@ ***The Internet is Experiencing difficulties, please log back in tomorrow*** )&@#^*(@*(#**@*&@*&
:campfire: Everything is fine on my end keep going! :goldtooth: ...only kidding
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/Ox_130_Fav.jpg)
The bull galloped off with the herd and quickly laid down for the last time.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/Ox_013_reduced.jpg)
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/Ox_124.jpg)
We rolled the bull on a sled and pulled it back to Cliff's cabin where we warmed up and cut it up under lights powered by a generator.
It was nice throwing a quarter down on the ground and not having to worry about dirt and sand getting on the meat.
Wem got back to Shishmaref very late, around 11pm. My eye froze shut on the way back it was so cold!
Awesome Awesome Awesome!
way to go Steve
I was stranded in Shish for several days so got to get out and see the village. Here are the three totes of meat, one tote of ox head, and trash can filled with ox hide--flash frozen!
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/MeatHideTotes_045.jpg)
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/Broadhead_019.jpg)
A close up of the horn boss and killing broadhead, a 160 grain Grizzly. The point was found lodged in the off side shoulder muscle.
(http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a137/SteveHohensee/TomCod_041.jpg)
Here are some dried and frozen tomcod used to feed the dogs (I think?) but the Eskimos may eat them too.
Oh, and by the way I asked Cliff if I could try his seal. It is a greasy meat stored in seal oil. I emphatically state it was the single nastiest thing I have ever had in my mouth-uuccckkkkkk!!!!!
***The End***
Next: May 2009 SOLO coastal brown bear!!!!
BTW, The term "Eskimo" fell out of favor a number of years ago as not being "PC". The term Eskimo is the accepted term today to call Eskimos.
Atta boy Stteve, Now on with #3. Love them bear. Grizz are a dream!
Great story! thanks for sharing and congrats on a super trophy, he is awesome!
Hey Steve..congrats on your ox :thumbsup: are you still making your own bows?
What an adventure!!!! Good for you to be able to live your dreams!
:notworthy: :clapper: :clapper:
Way to go Steve...awesome story and pix :bigsmyl:
Thanks really enjoyed it. :clapper:
Top stuff, Steve, absolutely magic! I cannot comprehend that white stuff and its associated cold. Great to read about this awesome hunt, mate!
Man that is one great lookin animal. Well done.
Your eyelashes really do have ice cycles on them! Good story telling Steve.
Wow he's a dandy! :clapper:
Do you have any idea on his age? I'm curious as to how long it takes their horns to grow to that size. Congratulations on the successful hunt! Looks like a lot of meat. What are your plans for the hide?
Congratulations Steve. That's one fantastic hunt and well done the hard way.
One Christmas at Nuiqsut I ate seal, walrus, and whale muktuk. Of the three the walrus was the most palatable, with the seal being the most oily. A cold-weather survival and rescue trainer told me that seal oil is a staple for cold-weather survival among our Eskimo neighbors.
Again, congratulations and enjoy the day there in Moose Pass!
John
Steve, are you using a "White Bison"?
That is cool--but looks COLD!
Well done. Congrats' :thumbsup:
thanks for sharing your story had me missing winter -30 you are blessed.
Ben: I sent you an e-mail but may have used an old addy.
I suspect he is in that 5-8 years range class. I have the lower jaw and for about $20 I can send a tooth and have it dental cementum aged. May do so. When the horn gap gets tight thta meanas they have hit 4 years of age so he is at least that old but since he was a herd bull I supect several more on top of that.
Nuiqsut? Hmm where is my map?!
SO: White what? Built on the same form as the WB but the few made since 2001 are "Made in Alaska" (only about a dozen out there and I have four and my wife has two of them).
Absolutely awesome! One of my favorite beasts.Too bad theyre so rare in NY or Id have one in my freezer.Condrads on a beautiful beast.
:bigsmyl: :thumbsup:
Steve, Nuiqsut is in the middle of the Colville River delta just about 9 or 10 miles south of the Arctic Ocean coast.
We'll get back to that solo brown bear hunt soon.
My wife decided she needed to have her gallbladder removed today so were over in Soldotna. Guess there is nothing better to do on a beautiful spring day in Alaska!
Man! Please wish your wife well for all of us Steve. That gall bladder surgery is no picnic. I hope she's up and around very quickly.
Pretty sweet! Congrats.
Get well soon for your wife.
Great story Steve :)
Hope all is well with your better half.
Coooool!!!!! and I'm not talking about the temp.
Steve, congtaulations on the Muskox.
Thanks for sharing the details. I received some of the pictures a couple months back but you left me hanging with the lack of details.
ops!
Still at the hospital in Soldotna, I can occassionally borrow a computer. I'm hopeful we'll go home today. Walt, make sure you see the next round since you've been close by!
Hope your most recent hunt turned out better them mine, I still get depressed every time I remember/visualize that arrow dropping under the big guys' chest.
Awesome!! Thanks for that story and pics. They sure are a beautiful animal. Lookin forward to your Bear hunt story.
Congrats on a hard earned trophy. :thumbsup:
That's really cool Steve!!!
Thanks for sharing!
Back home in Moose Pass and all is well. Maybe we can start the bear thing tomorrow. Been thinking about how to do the presentation since it really was a multi-year event.
Walt I went into S-cove (I believe that is where you mmmmm-you know.....was still very wintery there and lots of snow.
Absolutely tremondous story telling. Congrats on the adventure. Glad to hear all is well with your wife. I enjoy the writing. Just got back from a day at the pool and just LOOKING at the pics in all that snow makes me cold!
WOW, from a tropical paradise to a winter wonderland! thanks for the thread Steve, looking forward to the the Bear hunt now.....
TTT in case anybody who want to see this and missed it.
Great Stories, I'm an Ex Wasillian! Miss AK!
Those are some purty pictures... You and the muskox in the white. Nice. :thumbsup:
TTT as requested.