.Shadow Mountain Outdoors

The Pain of Loss

2011-10-29T18:29:00.002-08:00

The Pain of Loss
Most of you who read my stories know that I am not a blogger for such as a blogger is.Instead I write stories about my life in Alaska. Not stories that I make up, but real life stories of every day adventures and the life that we live here in Alaska.Some folks question where I come up with this stuff and if I have checked out the sources.Well, there are no sources, just my life adventures. You can choose to believe my stories or not, that is certainly up to you.No, I can not spell very well and I can not type worth a snot, but I do manage to get the job done with these two fingers. This is one of those stories that I would just as soon not write, but it has hurt me and my friends next door very badly, and I guess I just need to try to blow off some steam to someone. You are it!
Today started at 02:30 AM.My friends next door have three of the greatest kids that I have ever known. I have watched them grow up and they have considered us to be old Grampa Bubba and Gramma Lin.The family have two carillian ?? bear dogs that they raised from puppies. One is Dolly and the other is Striker, her three year old pup.Those two dogs have chased the big brown bears out of our yards many times over the last few years.I have written old stories: Bad Boy Grizzly, Here We Go Again, etc. in old posts about the problems we have had with the brown bears.Our town has had many bear problems again this year. Three weeks ago the police had to kill a 1200 pound, 10 feet brown bear down town. Also, there is another giant bear ripping up stuff behind the hospital and knocking over fences, as we speak.The fact is, we have far too many bears here on the Kenai Peninsula. The local Fish&Game officials have failed miserably to control the bear population.I am in the process of going to war with those greenie officials to get them to reduce the population of bears before they kill or hurt anyone else.Our moose herds are almost wiped out due to wolves and those starving bears.This is the time of year that the salmon are gone from the Kenai River. The frosty nights have destroyed the remaining berry crops and the bears are out trying to find something to eat before they hibernate for the winter.This is the time the big brown bears come into our subdivision 4 miles up river from town.We live just across the road from the Kenai Wilderness Reserve, which is stocked full of those hungry bears.Since we live with the bears, we always try to keep our yards free of garbage or anything the bears might want to eat.I even have an electric fence at the bottom of my stairs to keep the bears off of my porch.Otherwise I will have big nose-smears on my sliding glass doors in my kitchen.Dealing with those bears is just one of the things we do if we are going to live in a wild place like this. We certainly don't have a grudge against those bears. Actually we kind of like to see them wandering around the yard once in a while.What I'm saying is we have learned to co-exist fairly well over the years.However, once in a while we do have bad experiences with them. Today was one of days to have a bad conflict with them.Early this morning two very large bears came up from the brushy river bottoms and entered my neighbors yard.The two dogs came out of the "doggy door" and made an attempt to herd them back out of the yard.These are the same two dogs that I watched stand between a cow moose with two little calves, and a brown bear who was trying to kill them.They fought the bear for hours until the moose left the safety of the yard. Then the bear killed the cow and one of the calves.These two dogs have done many very heroic deeds to protect the kids and the property from the bears.Today Dolly and Striker once again tried to protect the yard from the bears. I don't know what actually happened, but Striker never came back up the hill. It looked like they had cornered him in the heavy brush and killed him. Then they carried him off into the dense brush and probably ate him.I understand that my neighbor noticed that Dolly had been barking an aggressive bark, and then she began to bark like she was afraid. I'm sure she had watched the bears kill her pup, and carry him off into the brush.We looked for several hours in the brush until it was just too dangerous to proceed farther into the tangled willows.After we gave up searching, we returned to their house to find all three kids waiting to see if we had found Striker.When they saw that we did not have Striker, the look on their faces broke my heart.They had counted on us to bring him back and we had failed them.It was hard to tell them that Striker had died trying to protect them.It will take a long time for them to cope with the loss of their dog.I'm having a hard time of it myself.George"Bubba"Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail".

Alaskan Pioneer

2011-10-12T16:33:00.002-08:00

I stood on a ridge overlooking the Gakona River. Before me was the most beautiful valley I had ever seen.
It was September 18, 2011. The end of moose season was only a couple of days away.We had just spent three weeks camped out near Paxon Lake, in the vast interior of Alaska.
We harvested a nice caribou bull and had enough meat for our freezer.Most of the time we had spent picking blue berries, and catching arctic grayling from a small lake.The hills were covered in the ripe blue berries.Miles and miles of berries, and we picked a ton of the little tasty things. I have never eaten so many blue berry pancakes and muffins.
I am a lot smarter than most old smelly moose hunters, because I take my Owner(wife) on all of my mountain trips.She is a great cook who knows how to cook great camp meals and keep me in line.
The only problem with her is she has to wash her hair every other day and take a shower several times a week.I can't seem to make her understand that moose hunters never take baths or wash their hair. So far she refuses to hear any of that "old moose hunter" stuff.All of that is good but she keeps me hauling water. She can go through 40 gallons of water in a couple of days, and it doesn't seem to bother her much.We found a spring 30 miles north near mile 204 of the highway. A three inch pipe flowed out of the mountain. It took only about five seconds to fill each of the 5 gallon water bottles of the best water we ever tasted. I always have 8-10 bottles in camp.Our hunting neighbor made water runs every couple of days, and took our empty bottles to fill for us.
Fall has always been my favorite season.
Fall is harvest time.
Fall is when the colors of the mountains and valleys turn to red and gold.
Fall is when we finish the summer projects and prepare for the long frozen darkness of the Alaskan winter.
I live for Fall. I already have plans for next fall. I know where I'm going to camp and who will be going with me.
My little Hon is going to have to get used to sleeping in a tent with no running water.We will be 17 miles back in the bush on a trail consisting of dozens of bogs and mostly swamps covered in water and neck deep mud. Those swamps are little more than lakes covered in peat moss mixed with a little mud. They can not be waded because they are deeper than your head.My Mudd Ox amphibian. has tracks and will float when it gets deep, and goes through bad swamps with ease.The only bad thing is if I break down or sink, it will be very interesting for several days, because no one will be able to come and rescue me. I always take enough tools to repair whatever breaks down.
Most folks like the safety of the big city crowds. They feel secure with a lot of folks around.They seem to thrive in their own little neighborhood where everything is the same about everyday.They don't want anything to change and they are satisfied in the same old routine each day.They seldom move to another town, let alone another state. I guess life consists of their own ideas of stability and security.I have said before and I will say it again, "A rut is a grave with both ends kicked out"!
Freedom to me is a big valley with a river that flows out of a gorgeous glacier.
A place where the hand of man has not tarnished the wilderness. A place where the bears, moose, and caribou roam undisturbed by the honking horns and noise of rush-hour traffic.A place where the work of the Creator hasn't been destroyed by human lack of respect for nature. Alaska is the last stronghold of the free innocents of a new born caribou.
Alaska is still pristine and as wild as the earth before mankind began to scar the land.
Alaska is home and we will protect it with our lives. I would never even think about living somewhere else. It's the last place where the pioneer spirit can still be a way of life.
You may get the idea that I'm some "greenie-envirnonmentalist". No, I'm not one of those misguided, poorly informed, bleeding heart individuals who think it is a sin to eat turkey for thanksgiving!Instead, I am a long time Alaskan who believes in keeping our beautiful state pristine, and depends on harvesting wild game to feed my family.Big, big difference!!
Most Americans live in the lower 48 states. Kool!! I can't think of a better place for them.:}
We are a different bunch up here. We see all of the mistakes that were made by other generations, and we are determined not to make those same mistakes.While I'm on my soap box,...
The temperature has dropped below freezing already tonight, so I had better get out and get the wood in for the fireplace.
I can already taste the hot chocolate and smell the wood burning.
I see the sun creeping up the hillsides of the Kenai Mountain Range. The snow is beginning to turn pink in the alpine glow.
I look forward to seeing the northern lights and hearing the songs of the wolf pack.Just another typical Alaskan night.
George"Bubba"Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail"

Bubba and the Fat Pudding

2011-05-08T20:01:00.003-08:00

For those of you who follow this blog site, I thought I would ask for a little help on a serious problem .
Last week I passed my annual cancer tests just fine.
A couple of days ago I went in for my annual treadmill test.
The Doc didn't like the way things looked, so he yanked me into the O-R by the back of my neck.
Then he slammed two more stents into my poor old heart. I guess the three I already had were lonesome. I now have a total of five which is more than old Dick Chaney.
My little wife has found it in her heart to cut out all of the fried chicken, french fries, fried tators,
and a ton of other food that I'm sure will kill me to give up.
The worst one was my big craving for biscuits and fat pudding ( gravy).
I told the doctor it was probably the fat pudding that contributed to my clogged arteries, and he looked at me with a " dumb s##t" look on his face.
I told the doctor that my fishing pardner, Butch McLoud, who is a full blown Texan, was the one who got me started on the biscuits and fat pudding.
Old Butch told me it was probably not good to be eating the pudding, but he was going to continue eating it until he didn't feel good.
I thought that was a good reason, so I ate my little heart out on the stuff.
I tried to call Butch from the O-R to let him know it was too late waiting until it felt bad. I was going to have him come in and watch how the doctor cut my wrist and shoved in those rods with the stents on the end.
I talked to Butch today about the pudding, and he didn't seem too excited about stopping eating it.
I told him it really tasted good until they strapped me down to that table and began poking needles into my whole self.
It was at that point that I made a decision to lay off of the good old fat pudding.
I have been through a lot of bad things, but giving up on the fat pudding is the most painful thing so far.
If any of you folks have any good suggestions about how to do it, please let me know.
In case you we wondering... I'm still going bear hunting tomorrow.
I don't let little things like cancer and clogged arteries stop me from having some good old fun!
Bubba Hunt walking "The Wilderness Trail"

WELCOME TO OUR WORLD

2010-10-23T19:55:00.003-08:00

Noah, you have been around since 10-11-2010, and I haven't had much of a chance to say "howdy" from your old Grandpa, Bubba Hunt.
Since I live up here in Alaska, and you were born in South Carolina, it has been a bit tough to have a get-together so far.
There is a few things I should make you aware of.
First, your Grandma Lin is getting ready to come back there and visit you.
You have to understand that these women folks mean well, but they will be talking a bunch of silly baby talk to you. You'll just have to tough it out for a while.
They will also be trying to do other silly things such as kissing you on the face and goo-gooing.
Some will try to chuck your cheek and tickle your chin, in an effort to get a grin out of you. I know, I know, it's ridiculous, but keep this in mind;those grandma's make a lot of tasty cookies and pies.
As hard as it may seem, I know you will put up with all of the hooferah.
Believe me, all of the fuss will be over in a few years and we can go on to just being a couple of old smelly fishermen.
I have to apologize for giving you such a messed up world, but again, I was born at the end of WW2. I can still remember being afraid of airplanes, and how hard it was getting some kinds of food.
When I was in grade school, we had to practice an emergency drill called "Duck and Cover", in case we were hit with an H-bomb.
I can still remember in the 50's when a lot of folks built "fall-out" shelters.
You, too, will have to be strong.Hopefully the world leaders will be able to find a way where we can all live in some kind of peace.
We are going to have to figure out some way that we can hang around together. I have a lot of things to teach you.
Besides fishing, I can show you how to survive in the wilderness with nothing more than the clothes on your back.
My Dad was the last of the old west Mountain Men. He was trained to trap and hunt by a famous clan of explorers. They were the John Wesley Powell bunch.I think they were cousins.
You will find a lot about them in the western history books. I believe they were the first to float the Colorado River, and they were big in the Indian culture-language history during that time.
The things I can teach you will be from many years of back-country living. It can't be learned from books.
Your Grandma Lin, and I still live the wilderness lifestyle and it would be kool to pass it on to you.
Your Mom is OK with us fishing, but back-woods hunting and trapping still doesn't sit well with her yet.
When you get to be a teenager, we'll team up and put the pressure on her.
Just think... summers in Alaska catching big salmon, digging clams,picking berries, and chasing moose. How much more fun can it be!
Lastly, I want you to know that you will always have a friend who will listen to you, advise you on tough decisions, or just let you rant if you need to.
Always respect your parents, be honest in everything you do, and expect the best out of people.
Life will bring a lot of happiness. It will also bring a lot of failure and pain. Learn from it, never quit, and never let it keep you down. There will always be challenges and stumbling blocks. Use them as stepping stones to greater things. Nothing worthwhile is ever easy. Surround yourself with people who are winners, and stay away from those who never have a vision for success.
Set your goals high and aim for the target. If you miss, then make adjustments and shoot again.
Remember this.." If you are made of the right material, a hard fall always results in a high bounce".
Most of all, be honest to yourself, and your Creator. Take life by the horns and never let go.
Watch out world, here comes Noah!
George"Bubba"Hunt a proud old grandpa!

The Red Bull Bear

2010-09-25T19:10:00.001-08:00

I do believe one of the most memorable events of this years moose camp came from one of my Irish neighbors over on the north ridge.I won't give up his name, but I call him Boom-Boom Mahenny.He got the nice name because he entertains himself by shooting targets in camp when he gets bored.
Most of his close camping neighbors don't particularly appreciate his bad habit of making so much noise.He has a dozen guns, and takes it upon himself to be sure and shoot them all. He's been counted at over 100 rounds in a single display of boredom.
His camp is beyond the far ridge, which doesn't bother me as all of his noise simply drives the moose over to my camp.Old Boom-Boom kept a case of "Red Bull" in a cooler in his camp. He also has pictures on his trail cam, of a black bear sow with three little cubs, who visits at night.
The last time I saw Boom-Boom, he was wandering around a brushy ridge looking for the cooler of Red Bull. It seems that the sow had stolen it from his camp. She dragged it out into the high grass and brush to have a sip or two.
His chances of ever finding it are slim, and none.
Somewhere in the Kenai Peninsula's Caribou Hills roams a sow black bear hopped up on Red Bull.
Should you hear of any cabin ravaged by a bear, it may very well be a black bear needing a hit on Red Bull.Be very careful, I've seen what it does to my nephew, Josh, when he needs his hit.
George"Bubba"Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail".

It Isn't the Killing for Which We Come

2010-09-24T22:12:00.005-08:00

The morning broke with a hard frost mixed with a thick blanket of fog in the low swamps.Below me was a big bull moose feeding in a meadow. He was flanked by a wary cow who already had us spotted. My partner split off to try to get closer for the shot, and I continued on down the trail in case they tried to slip up across the trail to their bedding grounds above us, on the brushy ridge.
I had been waiting for this old herd bull to come down from the high country. The cows had been gathering for several weeks for the rut. The small bulls move in with the cows in hope of some romance. The cows never pay much attention to the younger bulls. Instead they wait for Mr. Big to come down to take over and run the small boys off.
This fall the wait had been longer than usual. The weather had warmed up to 70 during the days and all but stopped the rut. It had been a long 3 weeks.
The fall colors on the Kenai Peninsula leaves the mountains splashed in reds, yellows, orange and green. Everywhere the splendor of fall had exploded in a super-natural display of breath-taking beauty unmatched by anything man could ever duplicate.The lights of Las Vegas has nothing to compare to the hand of the Creator.
This is a place that I wait all year to experience.
It isn't the harvesting of my winter's supply of meat for the freezer, although it is a necessity.
It isn't the challenge of the quarry, although it will test your skills to the limit.
It isn't being out there just to top some trophy of the passed years.I don't hunt just to kill an animal.
The whole month is getting out in the wilderness away from the traffic and hassle of life in the civilized world.Out here nature rules. Out here you must learn to flow with all the wild creatures, or you can end up mauled or dead. There were nine grizzlies around a mile of camp. They left big tracks just 50 feet from camp. The largest is a bear I called Old Treadwell. He sports a 17 inch long footprint by 12 inches wide. He is as big as a grizz can get, with an attitude to match. I spent an hour watching him feeding on a moose carcass. In 45 years in Alaska, I have never seen anything that awesome.
I was raised in the bush country. I fit in very well out there because I have a kindred spirit with the wild critters. It has been said that I never was very civilized. I suppose that there may be an element of truth in that. I certainly get along a lot better with the wild critters than with people.I could have shot three moose.
I let my Nephew, Frank take, the biggest bull I have ever seen. The 268 lbs. of hamburger and 240 lb. hind quarters was all the meat we needed.
The morning the big bull walked up on the trail, I could have easily dropped him with one easy shot. I chose for my partner to have the chance to bag him. It did not happen. The moose moved up into the brush and did not give him a clear shot. He chose to pass him up than make an iffy shot.
Most non hunters think we go out to just "kill" something. That isn't so. The camping, fellowship, stories, and hiking is what it is about. Most of all it puts me in tune with nature and the one who created it all. I feel very spiritually lifted after my month in nature every fall.
Can't wait until next year. It's only 12 more months away.
George"Bubba"Hunt, walking the "Wilderness Trail".

All Systems GO!

2010-05-12T13:50:00.001-08:00

May 12, 2010
Just a note...
My fine Doc cut off two protruding disc's at L-4 L-5 and L-5 S-1. He done a wonderful job and I'm up running around. Hurts a little and is a bit stiff and sore, but otherwise a very successful job done.( actually it hurts like HELL!!) but If I don't forget the meds, it is easily controlled.Thanks a ton for all the e-mail prayer support, and I'll be back on the air soon.Bubba
Posted

NO Big Deal

2010-05-08T12:21:00.002-08:00

I suppose that I could sit down and wring my hands and feel real sorry for myself.That might be the plan of some ordinary folks who take a foul hit from a health issue.
So far in the last year I lost my cancerous right kidney, 14 inches of colon, major surgery to put large mess in my guts due and old prison injury, and now I'm looking at spinal surgery on monday morning in Anchorage.I guess I have been a bit rough on picking up things bigger than me for too long.
After 67 years of doing and living my dreams, I'm not about to lay down and let someone else wait on me hand and foot.
My little wife has seven fusions of her spine from prison injuries.( She was one of the top cops at the Calif. Dept of Corrections.) She suffers more than anyone I know. She is happiest bent over a bull moose that she just harvested. The bigger the gut pile, the happier she is. Does it hurt?? Unbelievably!! You might see tears running down her face, but you won't hear a whimper.
The reason I write some of these types of articles is I hate to see good, productive people, who have always been active, just sit down and let pain destroy the rest of their lives.
I only have a blown disc at L4-L5. It messes up my leg with lots of kool charley-horses in my left calf. Hate those charley-horses! That disc will be lobbed off monday morning and I'll be bear hunting in a few days.
Long ago I stopped hanging around folks who use that "CAN'T" word. Life has enough hard times and those "can't" folks can peddle their brand of "defeatism" somewhere else.
Saying "CAN'T" to Lin and I is like throwing a steak at a couple of hungry hounds!
We have the Gill nets to run in June. We usually catch 150 salmon in 3-4 days. Then Bow season for moose. Lot's of trout and arctic char must be caught in these mountain lakes. After all of that fun, we camp out for a month far back in the mountains for some serious bear and big old moose hunting. During that time we pick gallons of blue berries, wild raspberries, cranberries, wild currants, and wild watermelon berries.
Who has time to sit down and bawl about a little stiff back problems.Eight years ago I had a cancerous prostate removed and then 5 years ago I had the pleasure of receiving 3 nice stints in my heart. I have climbed a lot of mountains since then, and bagged several tons of moose and bears. I can not say how many pounds of halibut I have pulled up from 300 feet.
You will hear me huffin and puffin once in a while about these temporary little set backs. I don't do it to be boasting, I do it to inspire regular folks to reach down and pull themselves up by the boot straps when bad things happen to them. AND they WILL happen sooner or later.
I noticed that quite a few of you seem to enjoy this old rambling from the "comments".
My life story, "The Wilderness Trail" should be of interest to some of you.It can be bought from me or at the web site www.thewildernesstrail.org.
Bubba n Lin Hunt, walking the wilderness trail.

Bubba and the Parrot

2010-04-02T09:35:00.004-08:00

While working as a telephone repairman in Anchorage, I got a call to respond on a repair order.
When I showed up to the residence, it was obvious it was the home of a druggy.
There was a note on the door telling me that the key was under the mat, and to go on in and fix the phone.
It went on to say he had two large pit bulls, but I would be OK if I didn't try to pet them. It also said that he had a parrot, who talked rough, but as long as I didn't "talk" to him, it would be best.
While I was repairing the phone, I got tired of the bird calling me awful names, so I finally turned to it and called it a few foul names of my own.
The parrot set there quietly for a few minutes and then yelled in a loud voice,"SPIKE...STRIKER..GET EM!"
Thought you could use a grin today.

We Shall Never Surrender

2010-03-24T13:07:00.004-08:00

I have always been impressed with a lot of the quotes of Winston Churchill. I suppose it has had a profound effect on the way I grew up, and the way I always look at life.
We are living in tough times and those times are on the ragged edge of getting a lot tougher.
I feel a bit sorry for all of the young folks who will have to face those times.
When I grew up about the worse thing that happened was some of the high school seniors got into a case of beer at the annual Future Farmers of America bar-b-que.
The bar-b-que was held on the banks of Thomas Creek, just west of Corning California. We had a big bon-fire and cooked the beef in a fire pit all night.We had a full night to party.
According to some of the school officials, we were bad. How things have changed!!
Kids, today, have 100 times more pressure on them than we ever did.
I would not want to grow up today with all of the things that the young folks deal with every day.
Most of my life was growing up in the hills. It was a lot of chores and helping Dad out on the trap line. I was very insulated from normal city life.
Maybe that's the reason I have managed to hang on to the kicked-back, country kid lifestyle. I moved to Alaska when I was 26. Alaska is one of the last strong-holds for the pioneer spirit.I have fit in very well up here.Life hasn't changed that much for me. We still live pretty much off of the land keeping our "4" freezers full of moose, salmon, clams and wildberries.
This life-style disappeared 100 years ago in the lower 48 states. It is just the way things are up here.
I have never let much get in the way of what I wanted to do. It bugs me to see so many 30-50 year old folks sitting around, glued to the tube. It seems they are satisfied to lay around doing nothing. They work, sit, and work again, while their bodies grow old and flabby.
If only they would get up, get out and live out the rest of their years having an adventure once in a while, instead of wasting their youth on the web. Those "young-productive" years will be gone far too soon!
I turned 67 yesterday. Is it slowing me down from all of my outdoor adventures? I don't think so. I am getting ready for bear season, then running a gill net for salmon.
I have a hundred lakes and rivers to fish this summer, and then camp out for a month during moose season. Clams have to be dug from the beach, and berries have to be picked while watching out for the grizzly bear, who is picking also.
I have had a ton of youngsters come up with every excuse in the book on why they never do anything outdoors. They have so much to do...they have health issues and can't do much. They just don't have time to squeeze any outdoor time in...in other words they have succumbed to the "rut" lifestyle. They have already died, but haven't fallen over yet.
It makes me sick to hear all of that BS! They have lawns that have to be mowed and shrubs to trim, a garage to be cleaned out...kids to take to ball practice...
Too danged many people see to it that their kids play all of the different kinds of "ball games"and sports, and never take them camping or fishing. Kids grow up knowing nothing but ball games and nothing about living in the outdoors. It's no wonder why they never get to know who they really are.A foundation of "ball games" is a poor foundation for handling the real struggles of life's real challenges! It's all too easy to let the coach take the responsibility of training your kid, instead of you taking them out and sharing the "personal" time with them.If you don't believe me,ASK THEM!
I could have easily let health problems stop me. I have had 4 major cancer surgeries. Two of them in the last year. I am trucking along with one kidney, and three nice stints in my heart. I'm just getting over with my fourth surgery within the last year. Can't lift much yet but I did shoot some arrows in my 70 pound bow. Hurts like heck! Shouldn't have done that!! Dumb!! I'll have to crank it down to 65 pounds and see if that hurts.
What I'm actually trying to say is never let excuses slow you down.Pain, is my old companion. So far I'm still kicking his butt! He still hasn't gotten dominion over me yet.
I know that the day will come where I can't drag this old carcass through the back-woods of Alaska any more. You can bet one one thing...I'll be dragging and clubbing it down the trail! May even be calling it a few choice names. The "real me " is still 27, not 67. This old carcass will never dictate how I will live and as what Winston Churchill once said.."WE SHALL NEVER SURRENDER"!!
George"Bubba"Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail"!

Comments and Stuff

2010-03-14T13:20:00.001-08:00

Sunday, March 14, 2010
Comments and Stuff

I get a lot of e-mails on my blogs and some of you ask questions. I can't respond on the comments from this blog site. Instead if you have questions please feel free to e-mail me at "oldbearhunter@alaska.net.
One question that keeps coming up is when I'm doing the "Book Signing" at the Flournoy Store, at Flournoy, Calif.
It will be on Sat. June 26th, 2010.
For those who don't know where Flournoy is, it is about 13 miles west of Corning, Calif.
I would really like to see a bunch of old Corning High folks(class of 1962) and old Flournoy grade school friends.( as well as old El Camino grade school,( Gerber), class of 1958.
I don't get down from Alaska very often.
Please pass the word and plan on being there. You can also get one of those monster (Belly Buster Burgers) at the store. That is worth the trip!!
Thanks, and hope to see you in June.
George"Bubba"Hunt
Shadow Mountain Outdoors
thewildernesstrail.org
Posted by Bubba at 2:13 PM 0 comments

Flournoy Never Changes

2010-02-28T21:55:00.003-09:00

We were in California over Thanksgiving.
I decided to take a trip up-state to the little community of Flournoy, where I went to the first few years of grade school.
My memories of the little country school and the old homestead have always been very dear to my heart.
My book, "The Wilderness Trail", began here in my childhood and ended at the old ranch site where I had lived over 50 years ago.There are many references to Flournoy in the story.
I have never forgotten the country life-style of Flournoy. It seems like everything else, and every place else where I lived had changed dramatically over the years.
Flournoy has managed to stay much the same. The people are still friendly, and the old Flournoy Store still has the old-time 50,s style atmosphere.
The Bedford's still live next door. John Bedford is one of the last living friends that my Dad had, and he and his wife are still considered to be family.
When we arrived at the store, my first grade teacher, Marjory Murphy, was there to greet us. Her son, Darrell, and two of my classmates from were there too. I hadn't seen Sherry Pitkins or Jim Davies since the years at old Corning High School, where I graduated from in 1962.
I hadn't seen Marjory since 1953.
They were seated around the old table on the front porch of the store. What a reunion!
Most of the afternoon was spent spinning stories about how things were in the old days and all of the people we knew. It was a time I will never forget, with folks who were just like family, even after all the years gone past.
We ended the day inside sitting around the table. The rib-eye steak I had was outstanding. Lin had the "Belly Buster". When I saw that monster burger, I wished I had ordered it instead of the steak.
Not to worry... Lin could not eat half of it, and took the other half home in a doggy bag. I am always the "doggy". It was still absolutely wonderful the next day when I finished it off.
I can not wait to get my own.
We will be in San Francisco in late June. I'm planning on coming back to Flournoy and doing a book signing at that old table on the front porch of the store. I am also planning on chomping on one or two of the big old burgers.
I don't have a date for the signing yet, but I will in a short while. I will be having postures put up around Corning and Flournoy.
I sure would like to see as many of my old class-mates as possible.
A lot of who I am comes from my years at Flournoy school and the long-lost country life-style that we lived.
I can't wait to come back to my roots.
George"Bubba"Hunt
www.shadowmountainoutdoors.com

WE LOVE PAIN

2009-11-14T14:56:00.002-09:00

Life usually brings a lot of discomfort all by itself, and most folks try to avoid as much of that pain as possible.
Then there are those who put themselves out there knowing it will hurt, and sometimes hurt real badly.
I really don't particularly enjoy the pain of trying to thaw out frozen hands and toes. Those little finnies don't look much like they should be able to muster all that pain, since they don't appear to be damaged much.
Never assume that those little things will thaw peacefully.
I have shed many tears while trying to get some warmth and circulation back into those critters.
I suppose that most folks would at least TRY to keep the things warm enough to avoid the displeasure, but I have never been lucky enough to avoid the problem.
No normal folks would consider going out on a windy lake when the temperature was 5 above zero. No normal folks would EVEN think of going fishing when it's that cold.
The only reason the lake was not frozen over was the gale blowing down the lake, keeping the water moving enough to not freeze. Most of the low-land lakes were frozen over, but this high mountain lake was still open and begging for some fools to fish it.
On November 4th, my nephew, Frank, Lin and I put a boat on Cooper Lake, high in the mountains above Kenai Lake.
Cooper Lake always blesses us with some of the finest Arctic Char and Rainbow trout. It also has a hybrid mixture of the two, which are Char-bows.
The lake is deep and the water is clear and moving. Not stagnant like other lakes. The rivers drain into the lake and out the other end near the big dam.
Most people don't catch much when they fish there, but we have figured out how to fish the lake and we always limit out quickly.
The only smart thing we done was take along a little Buddy heater. I never spent much time in the cab of the boat because the fish were biting so fast that I had to hold my pole to keep it from being jerked into the lake.
Lin also stayed out in the cold wind and managed to beat me at fishing once again. It was because I had to bait her hook and my fingers stayed frozen beyond feeling.
My reel also froze up and was very hard to get the thing to turn.
During such a fishing frenzy one seldom realizes just how cold the old nose, feet, and hands can get.
The lake is in steep snow covered mountains. The sun only shines there for a couple of hours a day, and since we got there late, the shadows were already on the water. It is one of the most beautiful lakes on earth, and one of the coldest in the winter.
We all knew it was not going to be very pleasant, but it would be the last trip of the Fall before freeze up. Not going was not even an option.
Yeah, I knew it was going to hurt, but this time it was special.
I did managed to drive back home, but my hands and feet kept me in tears the whole way back home.
The fishing was more than great; the scenery was more than breath taking; and the pain won't soon be forgotten.
I guess it was a trade off of a sort. Having said all of that, ice fishing will be starting in a few weeks. By then I won't remember the pain, and I guess I'll have to learn the "pain lesson" all over again.
Without a little pain, there would be no adventure. Life without adventures wouldn't be worth living. Strange, Huh??

Reflections

2009-09-25T18:58:00.003-08:00

Fall is by far my favorite season.
Each season has it's sounds. Each season has it's beginning and end. Each season has it's feeling of the weather and the "change" in the air. All of the wild creatures react to these changes.
Fall is the time of the moose and caribou rutting. It is the time you hear the grunting and the slashing of the bulls as they compete for dominance. It is the clashing of large antlers as the big bulls battle for the right to propagate the species.
It is the long moans of the cows as they search for the dominant bull.
The wilderness is alive with the calls of the ducks and geese as they prepare for their long journey south.
The bears are finishing off every edible salmon, grass, and berries before the land is covered in snow and ice.
I think my favorite sound is the song of the loons on an unnamed lake.
Too much of our lives are taken up in the struggle with mortgages and the never ending battle with paying the bills.
It seems that we spend most of our time trying to find happiness and peace in a world that has neither.
I guess most folks define happiness as the things they can acquire, which never will fill the void.
Too soon we get old and find that we have missed the opportunity to find what we have fought so hard to get.
I learned as a youth that most of who I am could be found in the wilderness.
I always felt more at home in the mountains. I always felt more accepted in the wilderness.
Wild places never required me to act a certain way, or to be a certain way. It always allowed me to fit in and flow with the way wild critters lived.
I learned very young HOW to fit in without having to change the way the winds of the wild spirits would blow.
There is nothing about the ways of nature that I would change.
Most town folks will never understand what I'm talking about. Most town folks are happy with being around other town folks. Most town folks also seldom stop and enjoy a sunset.
How sad it is to live out your life depending on others for your happiness.
The wilderness has never let me down. It has never left me feeling unfulfilled. It has never failed to bring the inner peace and quietness of my spirit. The wilderness will find me at peace with myself and my Creator.
Fall always finds me camped in the mountains for many weeks.
Fall is the time I fill my freezer with moose meat. It is the time I gather firewood for the long, cold Alaskan nights ahead.
I actually look forward to the challenge of survival through the long months of winter.
I am at my best preparing for these challenges. I haven't let health issues stop me or slow me down much.
This year has been tough and probably would have stopped most. I had a 4 pound cancerous kidney removed along with 14 inches of cancerous colon.
I went on to get the set nets out a few weeks later and catch the salmon for four families.
I have all of the clams in the freezer for winter that I dug with a belly full of stitches.
Lin and I have several gallons of berries that we picked during moose camp.
A lot of folks enjoy the opera or the latest movie. We would rather share a berry patch with a bear.
Today the leaves have turned to their fall colors. Today I felt a crispness in the air. It was like the air was thinner with the promise of heavy frosts ahead. Today the "change" was definitely in the air. Soon the rains of late summer will give away to the quietness of blowing snow.
Soon the colors of fall will give away to the soft white blanket of winter.
Soon the only sounds will be the mournful howling of the wolf pack on it's winter nights hunt.
The ducks and geese will be long gone to their wintering grounds in the south.
Alaska will be buried in long months of darkness and ice.
The tourists will be home smoking on their exhaust pipes and we will be sitting around the fireplace drinking hot chocolate.
It will be a time for reflecting on the year gone past and plans for the new life of spring.
We will be pouring over maps in search of new moose hunting camps. Already we are talking about moose season next fall. Already we are putting plans together for family meetings to get ready for next fall.
Soon the lakes will be frozen over several feet thick. Soon we will load up our fishing gear and heading back into the bush on ice fishing adventures. Soon we will be living the adventures that others can only dream about.
Tonight I look out over the Kenai River Valley into the falling darkness. The Alpine glow of the Kenai Mountains has finally gone from pinkish purple to the long shadows of an Alaskan night.
I can't help but to feel fortunate to be here on my mountain. I can't help but to feel very blessed for our log home and the warmth of our fire and friends. The thought of being somewhere else would be unthinkable.
We are ready for the challenge of the long Alaskan winter. We are ready for the temperatures to fall well below zero. We are ready to watch the snow falling around the house and down into the river valley below.
We are ready to snuggle up under the down blanket and feel secure. We are ready for all the fury and beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. We are ready!

Not So Dumb After All

2009-09-21T18:21:00.003-08:00

Well, there are some pretty smart weather folks out there after all.
I called the National Weather Service in Anchorage about those "tornado's".
It didn't take them long to e-mail me back with the answer as to what we went through.
I had heard of "williwaw's before, but never on the main land. I found out they do appear in Chile, and Greenland etc.
They are caused by "down sloping winds" that come down from the mountains in glacial country.
The wind gravitationally sinks very quickly causing the winds to heat up and gain speeds of over 120 MPH. They cause tornadic twisters that are very dangerous.
During WW11, in the Aleutian Islands williwaw's caused heavy damage to aircraft and the military encampments.
If you are interested in williwaw's, you can look it up on the web. There is quite a bit of info on them.
I know that we don't want anything more to do with them!

The Glacial Tornado's of the Twenty Mile River

2009-09-20T21:17:00.004-08:00

I have been putting off writing this story due to the lack of information I had in trying to explain the event. I have not ever been exposed to the kind of wind problem we had.
Most folks don't seem to get a grip on the situation we faced.Everyone I've talked to get funny looks on there faces and try to understand, but they have never heard of such a thing.
I have camped in high mountain passes over the last 40 years. I have had to get up several times to repair broken tent poles, broken rope "tie downs", and about every thing else on a tent that can break.
These high winds can rip up about anything out there.It takes a very good tent to withstand some of the harsh winds. High winds are the norm and I always make great preparation to set up our camp with the wind direction in mind.I use trees, alders, rocks, logs and anything else to block the winds. I am certainly no rooky when it comes to setting up a safe camp
Actually Lin and I camp out for two months a year.
This year we both got our moose in a couple of days, and decided to join my two nephews, Frank and Ernest Hunt, on their moose hunt in the Twenty Mile River area.It was a once in a life time draw and it was in the most scenic area in Alaska.
The Twenty Mile is a valley just north of Portage Glacier. It is an area known for very high winds. With that in mind, we set up camp on a gravel bar next to a row of trees.
The first couple of days brought rain in buckets. The river begin to come up the bank and we were soon surrounded by rushing water on our little island.Luckily I had my SAT phone and was able to call our boat friends to move us down river.
We set up camp about 3 miles down river on a bend. We had nice high ground and were able to set the tent up in an alder thicket.I love alder thickets! It provides many great places to tie to the bases of the bushes.We took liberty of all of the bushes.
I knew a storm was coming up the Prince William Sound and high winds were coming.Prince William Sound dumps wind over Portage Pass and down over the frozen glaciers at speeds of nearly 100 MPH regularly. It wasn't something I did not expect.I even tied a rope over the top of the tent to hold it down in case of one of those gusts.
What I didn't know was the warm air would come over the passes and become "down-sloping" winds. The warm air would hit the frozen glaciers and ice covered river causing "glacial tornado's".
Three mountain passes entered the Twenty Mile valley from the south at 90 degrees.I had noticed that the normal wind currents caused little twisters in the low fog clouds almost every day. It never occurred to me that those same little twisters could become raging glacial tornado's with winds well over 100 MPH.
As I had already stated, these were not the run-of-the-mill gust of high winds.
The first tornado hit the tent at 12:30 AM on Sept 11.The wind outside had only been barely blowing, if at all.We could hear the deafening roar for 45 seconds.
We have never been in a tornado, but we all knew what the roar was about.
The first blast hit the tent and we thought it would explode. The tent blew up like a big balloon, and almost went up. The blast lasted for what seemed like two minutes and was gone. Everything outside was dead calm.We jumped up, got dressed and went outside to re-tie the broken ropes.
We took shovels and dumped a ton of gravel on the tent flaps around the outside.We tied two more ropes over the top, and hung our 5 gallon water jugs on the corners of the tent.Frank grabbed the chain saw and cut three logs ten feet long. He notched the ends and we braced the walls inside the tent. I tied the logs to the upper side rails and buried the butt of the logs in the ground.We were lucky to have most of the bracing done before the next tornado hit.
I was standing outside when it hit. I grabbed the top corner of the tent and tried to hold it down until the roar had passed. I was scared it would lift me up too!
The one strange "other" thing was the warmth of the air. It should have been cold, but it was warm instead. During several of the blasts we were also slammed by hail and rain.When each tornado hit, the hail and rain also hit. Then as quickly as it started it would be dead still and quiet. It was just like someone flipped the switch off.
We were forced to hang on the logs to hold the tent down until 5:00 in the morning.
I don't know how many tornadoes actually hit us. I think it was between 15 and 20.The first 5 were much the worse.
We survived because we done everything right. I had everyone dressed warm and in rain gear in case we lost the tent. I also had a 10X12 tarp tied to a log outside in case we had to spend the night out in the rain.I told everyone to drop to the ground if the tent did explode. I know some or all of us could have been injured very badly if we lost it.
The next morning we found all of our nice awnings shredded and everything else blown across the gravel bar.I had a ground blind set up with a portapoddy. That critter had to be hunted down and dragged back to camp.
The heavy tie-down loops on the tent had all been ripped out.
Not much actually scares me. Not big bears or much of anything else, but this night I was scared. Lin, with her bad back, hung in there and done her job in spite of the pain. She did not come apart as some would have done.
The next morning the stress shown very vividly on every ones face. We were lucky to be alive and we all knew it.
I guess there were many strange things that took place. One of them was a tent 3 miles down river. It had not seen any wind.
I called the boat crew and they came in and helped us gather up our destroyed camp.
I heard from a different camp of moose hunters over on the Placer River, which was just on the south side of Portage Valley.They were not so lucky. They lost their tent and spent the night rolled up in a wet tarp.They were hypo-thermic but did make it.
I know the pilots don't fly near these glaciers for a good reason. I have an idea that the Weather folks don't have near all of the answers about some of those glacial wind currents.
The fact is hurricanes spin, low and high pressure fronts spin, tornado's spin. Most high winds are the result of air masses spinning. Those areas where warm air contacts the glacial ice fields also causes some very terrible, explosive tornado's. They may not be large in size, but they are explosive and very dangerous.
Other than that we had a very nice camping trip.Just having fun.

Moose Camp 2009

2009-08-26T20:43:00.003-08:00

It seems that good times always come to an end much too quickly.
I wait all year for moose season. I always plan a month long camping trip far back in the wild country. It's as much about just being out there as it is hunting.
This year was disasterous!It was over in 4 days.
I tried passing up several moose to make it last longer, but as it goes.We usually have a short camp only a few miles from home while waiting for the opening day of hunting in the Caribou Hills.
Short camp lasts about 5 days until the real opening day.We can never afford to pass up our winter's meat, so we have to take moose if one presents it's face.Unfortunately, too many moose presented their faces in the first four days.
Lin bagged her bull on day 2 with a nice shot through the neck. It was a fine year-and-a-half old bull. They are the best and tenderest meat to eat.We had it back in camp by day break and hanging in a cold storage unit before noon.
I passed up several on day three which I probably shouldn't have done.
The fourth morning I bagged my bull before the sun was up. I suppose it was just about when it was light enough to see.I was glad to have another fine young bull, but it was sad to have to be done before we got to go to "real camp".There was no justification to go to real camp because it cost's $225 for a permit.It was over. We stayed an extra day to just sit around the camp fire and reflect on our success.
Don't get the idea that it is a wizz to go out and pop two moose quickly.
No other hunter bagged anything out of a ton of moose hunter's camped everywhere.They drove the roads and trails from sun up to sun down. The only problem is moose never stick that long nose out after first light, then they hit the thickets and watch all those wanna-be moose hunter's pounding the muddy trails.Then those hunter's are back in camp after a long days riding before deep dusk.Once again the same moose seldom come out of the thickets until deep dusk.
I hunt the first light and the last 30 minutes before dark. The rest of the day we pick berries, tell lies around the camp fire, or catch up on sleep.
In Alaska first light is at about 0500, and deep dusk can be around 2100 hrs. So it's 2200 hrs before we get to bed.
Having said all of that, it makes for very short sleep before having to get up at 0400.Most of the hunters sit up around the camp fires until 2400 hrs before getting to bed.The next morning they are woke up by the roar of our moose rifles, because we have enough sence to get our sleep during the day so we can be up at that wee hour.
I have had complaints of others because they jump up out of bed when I set off my 375 H&H Magnum right next to their tent.
This year I could have shot 2 big bulls standing in the trail. The only problem is right behind the moose was one of my friend's tent. They were not at camp. I didn't know it or I may well have dumped one of the big bulls next to their tent. I knew if I shot, the bullet would have easily gone through the moose and poked a big hole in the end of the tent.I knew they were already mad at me for waking them up early for years, and leaving big gut piles too close to their camps.It's not kool to have big gut piles next to your camp because they draw the big old fuzzy grizzly in too close to camp.You can see how they don't sleep very well with those big old bears wandering around their camps.
I'm not a mean old geezer, but I do have a decent sense of humor. Especially when I have been trying for years to get those lazy old pharts up early enough to shoot their own moose.
I hate to admit it but I do kind of enjoy messing with them.The rest of the year we fish and do other things, but when it comes to moose hunting, we agree on nothing. We spend long hours debating moose hunting issues.
Not to brag too much, but my camp has bagged many bulls while they have had to eat beef and dead hog for winter's meat. Maybe a chicken once in a while.
My good old moose has absolutely no growth hormones or fat. It's probably those "growth hormones" that keep those old pharts from getting up early enough to get moose.
I have even offered to go with them and show them how to do it, but that sort of gauled them a bit. I guess when they get red in the face and start shaking, I should back off and not needle them too much.
They are still camped out there and I do envy them for that.It'll be a small miracle if they get a moose, unless one stumbles over one of their tent posts and breaks it's neck.
By the way, we got a couple of gallons of blue berries, cranberries, red currants, crow berries, watermelon berries and low-bush cranberries.Dang! I miss being out there.
Actually two of my nephews drew moose tags in a unique moose area. I'm going along to shoot video of their hunt.It will be a river boat trip up a river in the best moose hunting area in Alaska. It is a place where only 20 tags are drawn. I am excited about going with them.
I'll bet I won't have trouble getting them up early. I have found that a cold bucket of glacier water in bed always helps the late risers.Just having fun!!

The Mosquito and the Plumber's Crack

2009-07-30T20:44:00.004-08:00

I have been taking a break for a while and it hasn't been entirely by choice.
First of all we put out our nets for a few days and got enough salmon for four families.Around a 130 or so.
It's always good to have the freezer full of fresh salmon.
Our operation was slobbered over by everyone on the beach for a mile.Folks like the idea of using a wench for pulling the nets in and out. They also liked my pressurized water system. It allows us to spray the fish clean before we vacuum seal them.I always have my generator running and the freezer plugged in. It gives us a place to freeze the fish as well as being able to have nice steaks and ice cream in camp.
Fish camp went very smoothly again this year.
My neighbor gave me an old 1986 ford one ton diesel 4X4. It had a recently installed engine and a lot of other new goodies.He couldn't get the transmission to shift. I told him many times to replace the little slave cylinder on the clutch and it would be fine.He wouldn't listen so I asked him how much he would sell it for. He just gave it to me to get it out of his yard. How Kool is that!!
Lin started right off the bat not liking the looks of "Old Rusty".
It took me 20 minutes to get the clutch working. I have had to put vaseline on my teeth and gums to keep them from drying out, from all of the grinning.
"Old Rusty" is a flat bed crew cab with a 4 speed transmission.
I have just finished a month rebuilding all four wheels with brakes, seals, bearings etc.I installed a new tie-rod, batteries, windshield, emergency brake cables, heater and radiator hoses and speedometer gears and cable. I had to replace the light switch, turning switch, dimmer switch and rewire the dome light. It seemed that ever time I replaced something, I would find three more things that were worn out.
During one of my projects of working on the front wheels, I found that if one fails to spray mosquito spray on every inch, the industrious little critters would find and set up camp on it.I usually covered about everywhere I could think of. I figured if I missed a place, they would surely let me know.
Well... when I was all bent over wrestling the front brake, they found that little place just below where my shirt wouldn't quite reach and where the top of my pants also wouldn't quite reach. I suppose I was too busy to notice all of the action going on back there.The result was a great bunch of the most itchy bites I have ever had.There was none of this "don't scratch the bites".
Lin found a lot of humor in my agony. She offered to put some lemon juice back there, but I couldn't trust her not to "accidentally" dribble some on down to "old Glory".The thought of having lemon juice along with the bites almost sent me into deep depression.
I tried backing up against a tree and rubbing like a bear, but that still wasn't enough.I would wake up at night clawing at the things like a sick cat. The more I clawed, the worse they got.
After many days and nights of no sleep, they finally began to slack up a bit.
My old "hind end" looks like I just got over a small battle with "small pox's".
I know there is a moral to that story, but I try not to figure out what it might be. Everytime I think about it, I can feel the itch beginning to return, so I try to forget as much as I can.
I am going to have to cut this blog short so I can get a few scratches in before lin catches me doing it again!
Poor old Bubba

It's Time to Stand UP and be COUNTED

2009-04-15T19:44:00.001-08:00

I have been sitting watching all day of the Americans who turned out for TEA day.I found myself humbled by the unity of so many folks who are tired of what the Obama administration, along with a Liberal controlled Congress, is doing to destroy everything we have stood for for over 200 years.I have been perplexed for so long. Sometimes I have felt that I was the only one who understood what was going to take place, and then had to watch as Americans elected the most power-hungry, socialistic, Liberal Progressive President and Congress that America has ever had.My greatest fear happened in November.
I am re-attaching an article I wrote in October, BEFORE the election from hell.Maybe now...just maybe all of you who I sent it too won't hit the "DELETE" button before you read it. Maybe you might just possibly realize that the old Bubba might have lived long enough to see enough CRAP happen, and just maybe he just might know a tad about how things were, and how things can be.I know I have sent a lot of political stuff in the last year, and I know very well some of you want to puke when you see another one of those political e-mails.Well, give me a minute of your time and actually read this article from October.
Bubba
Wake Up America American Socialism??
I would like to start this out by saying that I was raised as a Democrat. My Father's old Democratic party has all but been replaced by a Far-Left organization that has little to dowith the old Party.I consider myself to be an average "flag-waving" American who still believes America is the only force in the world that still stands against the socialistic, and freedom- hater factions that run rampant today.Recently I watched several people in a political rally that were not only very angry; they were also begging John McCain to stop the socialism from taking over America.It looked to me like just another bunch of those "strange" folks that live everywhere among us who think the sky is falling.I was amused, but didn't really give it much thought.Since then I began to think about what has taken place in the last few months.Then I remember what Khrushchev once said. "I will take over America without fireing a shot."I will never forget that statement. It has often haunted me that it could be done.The more I thought about all of this, it began to be very clear what was taking place right here in our country. It sent chills up my spine and brought a very deep concern that something very Un-American was close to fulfilling that promise.I don't consider myself to be one of those "Nuts" who cry fear every time they don't like something.Most of you who know me, know I don't usually jump on every wagon that comes down the street. This time I am jumping, and jumping hard.Call me what you like! Think that I too, have gone over the edge.My friends, I am scared for our way of life more than any time in my 65 years. I have seen a lot of policies come and go. I have seen a lot of mistakes made by our Government.I know that it is not run very well a lot of the time, and a lot of us don't trust them as far as we could throw them.Most of us would just as soon keep them out of our daily lives as much as possible.Having said all of that, I'm going to write some controversial things that may or may not upset you. Whether or not you agree with me is up to you, but I have to get this off of my chest because it is bothering me more than I can stand.I don't want all of this to go down without saying a thing.AS WE ALL KNOW, America is now in a crisis that will change our way of life forever. 911 changed our lives forever also. I felt it then and I danged well feel it now.I have begun to try to understand what has happened in the last few days.I watched the Government being "forced" to pass laws against the theme of our Constitution. I saw many in Washington vote against the bill from both parties.I wondered why some of the Democrats voted against it.Now the Government is considering having to "Nationalize" the banking system in America.No, they don't want to do it but they feel that something has to be done to save our economy, and the fall of the stock market.IF THEY DO THAT, IT WILL BE A TERRIBLE STEP TOWARDS A SOCIALISTIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT!!No American should sit back and say nothing about this!!I want you to think about this next part with an open mind.First, our financial leaders all agree that all of this "economy" problem started with the fall of the Housing Market.The Housing Market went down due, in large, to the sub-prime crunch where folks were loaned mortgage money that had no way of paying it back.The rates went up and defaults took place.Then Fanny and Freddie emerged with some CEO's who had been cooking the books for several years. Barney Frank (left wing congressman watch-dog), along with others testified that Freddy-Fanny were in good shape Top that off with ACORN helping to push these "ridiculous" loans along.Now ACORN is cooking the voter registration in many states trying to fraudulentlywin the election, and have been doing so for several elections.There are three Freddie-Fanny executives who were instrumental in the fall.All three are now on the election committee of Obama. (Franklin,Tim,Jim) If you want their names, look them up!Several of our Left-Wing politicians were in charge of "watch-dogging" Freddy-Fanny.They now are a part of the crowd in charge of trying to fix the problem! (Wolves guarding the flock)I promise you that they are scurrying around trying to cover their tracks.When I began to understand all of this, I began to see how it all started four years ago, when the left took over control of Congress.I know that these are not all of the issues.Four years ago we were strong financially, and gas was $2.30 a gallon.Since Congress is the one that runs our Government (not the President), guess who is responsible for the fall of America?? Could it not be the Democratic Congress?In 2006, McCain tried to pass a bill to stop the fall of Freddy-Fanny by tighter regulation, but it was voted down by the Left Congress.This brings us to Obama.It certainly is no secret who he has been associating with. Other than that, who is he?He has promised America with a Government based "Health Plan" that will be "far better than McCain's "privatized" plan. (Socialized health care?)Do you realize that if he is successful in being elected President, WE WILL HAVE A LEFT-WINGED PRESIDENT BACKED UP BY A LEFT-WINGED CONGRESS!!No American should be happy with Obama, Pelosy, Reid, Franks, Ayers, running America. The worse thing is they will have ABSOLUTE CONTROL of America!With the Government in control of the BANKING system, guess where all of that leaves you and I?Khrushchev's statement doesn't sound so far-fetched now, does it?Looking back at the last four years, it isn't hard to see how all of the pieces of the puzzle fits into place.Now Obama has stepped up in position to tell America that it is the fault of the Bush Administration. He has blamed everything on "someone else", and he is going to bring "change". God help us all at the "change" we may get!He is now in position to take advantage of the situation to get elected.The Socialistic Left has been laying this ground work for years.Now, with the fear of America's economy, and with people having lost everything they have worked so hard to get and save.Now with all of the pain we have been through.Now during our darkest moment of American history, Obama is trying to step in and take over our country with a Left-Wing Socialistic form of government.I am very afraid! I'm not mad as some are! I am scared to death that we are on the brink of loosing our country to the worst possible kind of enemy that our founding Fathers tried to keep us from.IT IS TIME TO WAKE-UP and help fight this attempt to take over our country!I don't care what political party you belong to. I don't care if you believe any of this.It is on your shoulders to look for yourself and make up your own mind..Quote, "All that it takes for evil to prevail, is for good men to sit and do NOTHING"?Let it never be said that "I" didn't try to stop this down-fall of America.I figured I had to say what I could.After the election it will be much too late. If we loose, it will be too late to stop the process. Then you will hear that it was all caused by the Bush Administration, and more Socialistic measures will be needed to control the problems.The Obama Administration will have all the answers, and you will all have to go along with it.Democracy around the world will fall!Please pass this along, please. I don't claim to have all of the answers, but I have enough sense to see what's coming down if we sit quietly and do nothingI am an old timer, but my grand kids will suffer beyond anything than I can imagine if we do nothing.
posted October, 2008
George "Bubba" Huntoldbearhunter@alaska.netposted by Bubba at 1:05 PM

Braggin Rights

2009-04-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

Thought I would get an update on my latest adventure, to the local hospital, that is:)
It's easier to do theses little blurbs than call.
Today I got out of the hospital with ALL of the cancer removed. I only got the colonoscopy because my brother and nephews had gotten one,( I didn't want to be left out on such a nice event) I had no pain or thought I had any problems.
Today I'm walking a bit stiffly. Feels like I swallowed a "lit chainsaw."
The next time they get some test done I will be running the other way as fast as my short legs will travel!!
Actually I'm a walking miracle. I lost 14 inches of colon, and my right kidney.Like I have said before, I had no pain or knew anything was wrong.If either of those cancers had spread, I wouldn't be here pecking on this key-board.
My cancerous kidney was 4-5 inches wide and at least that thick.It looked like maybe 9-10 inches long and the Doc said 3-4 pounds.
I'm sure it was some sort of world record!! Can you imagine that?? I had a world record kidney and couldn't even brag about it! My nephew Frank wanted it to make a fuel filter out of it. He also want the colon to make a "moose call" out of it.
For some reason the old Doc wouldn't give it up.
My little wife doesn't see the humor in it all, and she muttered something about us being some sort of sick dogs.
Some times the little gals can't understand??
Thanks again for all of your support and prayers.
If you ever wonder if God is listening, then maybe you can help me understand this little tid bit. "I just underwent MAJOR SURGERY and NEVER HAD ANY PAIN??" I do have stitch irritation, but had no real pain. ( I seldom ever pushed the pain button either, and only when the nurse scolded me)
God must think I'm special!! Maybe I'll brag about that!!
Bubba

Dang It!

2009-03-26T15:03:00.002-08:00

I suppose that most of you know, but if I missed anyone...
On Tuesday March 31, I will be whacked on, big time!!
This is what I get for going in and getting a colonoscopy.
I really didn't know there was a problem, but most of my family have had it done lately, so I decided to get it done to see if anything was wrong.
Well, dang it, they found a rare colon cancer, which has to go! They ordered a cat scan and found my right kidney was covered in a large cancer. I didn't know about that either. That too, has to go.
The good news is the other kidney is still Ok, so things should be OK after they get done.
Hopefully they found out before too much was affected. That just goes to show that you never know what all is going on. I'm lucky it was discovered before other things were messed up too.
I strongly urge everyone to get those check ups!!
I have no intention on giving in to this mess.
Thanks for all of the support and prayers. I'll keep you all posted on things as soon as I can get back to a puter.
Bubba

Time for a Regulation Change

2009-02-21T23:14:00.000-09:00

It gripes me to have to write this article.It would be easy for me to sit quietly and do nothing. However, I have a lot of grand kids who need someone to step up the plate and take on the hunting problems we face.
I will be 66 soon and would like nothing more than to take it easy and let someone else do the fighting. I have to live with myself, so I must stand up for what I believe is right.
I grew up in a “predator control” environment.
My Dad was a Government Predator Control Officer all of his life.He was in charge of protecting livestock and the deer herds in Northern California.
During his entire career, there were an abundance of deer, fox, rabbits, and all of the “ground nesting” birds. Pheasants and quail were everywhere.Since his death in the early 70’s, the predators have taken over the state.
The mountain lion has been protected since 1972. Now the deer herds are few and far between. The mountain lion has lost all fear of humans and have attacked and killed several people. They have grown to dangerous numbers.
The coyotes have all but wiped out the small game and have moved into urban areas and killed many pets along with attacking small children. Even the red and grey fox are now listed on the endangered species. They were numerous and healthy a few years ago.
I have studied the predator issue since I first came to Alaska in 1969.
I was also on the Advisory Committee in the Interior during the mid 80's.I'm not some "johnnie-come-lately" that fell off of the last turnip truck that came through town.
I shared that information with you so you would understand where I am coming from, and maybe help you to know where I stand. Most importantly, that I’m not some blood-thirsty kook that wants all predators destroyed. I absolutely do not support that!I do, however, have enough common sense to see the present problems we face.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that we have an over abundance of bears on the Kenai Peninsula. It also doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that our moose population is in big trouble. It also is widely known that all of us have a serious problem with rogue bears that live in our town during the summer and fall.It seems that they have lost their “fear” or “respect” of humans.
There are several reasons for their bold-pushy attitudes.
The first of which they haven’t been hunted enough to know to stay away from people. Bears in the wilderness setting, will be seen running from people a quarter of a mile away, because they fear the hunters.These urban bears have more of a desire to get your pets and outside freezers, than they have any fear of you.
I know the idea of some lazy folks who won’t keep their garbage put up.They are scolded regularly, and should be.It only takes one lazy person to train the bears to hit the garbage cans. I don’t appreciate anyone who litters or fails to keep their yards free of garbage. We will always have those pigs around.
Even with those kinds of people around, we still have the bears with “no fear” of people.We have always had those negligent people, but we now have too many urban bears coming around to keep them company.
How many more people have to be mauled, and how much more property has to be destroyed by these bears before some one steps in and reduces their numbers?
Several cow moose have their calves in my yard each year. The cows believe it is safer in my yard than out in the wilderness area.
Last spring a cow had her twins in my neighbor’s yard. That very day a brown bear was in the yard trying to get the calves. The Karelian Bear dog next door was between the calves and the bear for hours, but failed to save them. A couple of days later the cow and one calf were destroyed by the bear.
The remaining little calf stayed in the neighborhood all summer. I haven’t seen her lately.
I was told by the local Biologist that most of the moose killed by hunters last year were the “spike-fork” bulls.
The bears kill most of the calves in the first week of birth. The road and winter kills a lot of them. It is no wonder why we have so few moose left.I wonder how the DF&G think they can manage our moose population with all of the pressure on the yearlings.
The DF&G allow harvesting of the spike-fork bulls in most areas. They then protect the rest of the bulls up to antlers that are 50 inches wide, or three or four brow tines depending on what zone it is in.
We see our moose herd disappearing because we don’t protect the young bull moose.
Everywhere else the young deer, elk are protected. It makes for more medium to large animals in the second through fourth years.
I have proposed that the DF&G protect the bull moose up to antlers 36 inches wide, and allow hunters to harvest everything above.I believe it would insure that more larger bulls will be left for breeding and hunting.
It worked fine in the Interior during the 1980's.
It is ten times easier to judge a 36 inch bull than a 50 inch bull.
Many hunters fail to judge the 50 inch bull every year and mistakenly shoot them. If they turn in the sub-size bull, they pay the fine and lose moose hunting privileges for a year. Many hunters can’t afford to pay the fine, so they leave the meat to spoil in the field.These hunters are not law-breakers by nature. They are honest folks who are trying to put the winters meat in the freezer, while trying to make a very difficult call. A judgement call that few professionals can make correctly.
Sure, we all should be sure not to make that mistake. I let many large bulls walk free each year because I still can’t make the call even after 40 years of moose hunting.
It doesn't make sense to keep a regulation that fails to restore the bull to cow ratio, while causing honest hunters to make honest mistakes.
It will take more than just changing the antler restriction. It will take a vigorous predator control of bears and wolves.
Most of the lower Kenai Peninsula wolf population is suffering from lice and loss of hair. They, in their sickened condition, have to kill more moose to survive.
I have heard all of the arguments about harvesting the spike-fork bulls.They contend that if the genetics of the spike-fork is eliminated, then the first year bulls will have larger “paddle horns”.
That has never been proven, and never will. The young bulls are rarely paddle horns their first year. I was told that the spike-fork program has been in operation since 1985. It has not worked yet.
Each year the yearlings are still “spike-fork”, with only a fraction of the yearlings ever growing the antlers to the paddle-horn size in their first year.It would be nice if the spike-fork genetics could be changed to the paddle-horn, but the idea simply is not practical and has produced nothing except a decline of the bull population.
Each year the moose population keeps declining. You just can’t grow a healthy moose herd if most of the harvested bulls are yearlings.
Once again, the answers are not that difficult.
1. Reduce the predators dramatically.( not just the 10 productive sows this year)
2. Protect the yearlings up to antlers 36 inches wide, and harvest those above.
3. Stop regulating the predator population by the “Defense Of Life and Property” clause.
4. Stop trying to regulate the moose herds by restricting hunting and access.
These ideas are not new. I believe programs that don’t work should be eliminated. New ideas should be tried, especially when these ideas have worked for years in other states.
We don’t have the option any longer of doing nothing.
George “Bubba” Hunt
907-260-6990
oldbearhunter@alaska.net.

Frozen Wilderness Therapy

2009-01-29T21:48:00.001-09:00

A cold gust of wind swirled across the lake causing the blowing snow to dance in long sheets of fog-like ice crystals. They seemed to come from nowhere and then disappear into the flat surface of the frozen lake.
It was a pleasant change from the news of the failing economy and stories of corrupt politicians.The Alaskan wilderness is my therapy. It gives me a break from all of the bad news that the Media shoves in our faces every minute of every day. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't get away from it all.
Bad news, struggling to keep your head above water, and stress, are the silent killers.
It's the kind of a thing that builds up inside and torments everyone of us.
It's the kind of a thing that causes normal folks to die long before their time.
It's the kind of thing that caused a man in L.A. to destroy his family and himself.
We have lived in a different kind of world since 911.
Lin and I were in the Caribou Hills in moose camp when the jets hit the Fair Trades Buildings.I watched the end of the American way of life.I told Lin that nothing would ever be the same in our Country again.
The life we lead of the "old America", was changed forever.I knew that the easy way of life was over. I can't explain the feeling of horror of that day, but I knew it was changed forever. I knew I was never going to go to sleep at night knowing all was well.
For me it would be a life without much peace and not a lot of hope for the old days.
I grew up in the mountains. We were insulated from a lot of the hassles that most folks had to live with.My life had always been very slow paced and kicked back. I was never in much of a hurry to go anywhere or keep any kind of a schedule. Life was simple.I guess I was lucky. I was able to live the back-country life style.
The only problem with that is I still can remember what it was like to live that way. Maybe that's the reason it hurts to miss something like that more than someone who never experienced it.
Today my old fishing partner, Sid, and I drove his Argo track rig several miles back into the bush to a frozen lake to do some serious ice fishing.Both of us couldn't wait to get out there. I guess we are like a couple of kids going to the Saturday Movies.
Both of us are over the 65 year mark but you probably wouldn't know it by being around us.We get around like a couple of 20 year olds. Not much slows us down.
As for all of the 30 year old couch potatoes sitting around on their over-stuffed butts eating corn chips, drinking soda pop and watching the tube...you are already dead..you just haven't fallen over yet!
No, we haven't lived without some defects. Sid had a cancerous kidney removed last year and a knee replaced.A few weeks later we were pulling salmon nets at fish camp on the Cook Inlet.I killed the biggest moose of my life 3 weeks after cancer surgery, with 39 staples in my guts.I also have three nice stents in my old ticker. Has it stopped me from enjoying the outdoors?I don't think so!
My little wife is recovering from 4 more fused vertebra's in her back. For a total of 7 fused. Will it stop her from shooting her moose this fall?I very much doubt it.
I often hammer on the younger generation in hopes they will get out there and live a life of adventure, instead of wasting their young years doing nothing. Too soon we get old and these old bodies began to fail. Then we can do nothing.
Today, however, it was about drilling the holes in the ice with my power auger. The ice was 30 inches thick. I don't drill those holes by hand anymore.
We had our propane heater set up in front of us, so getting cold wasn't much of a problem. Fishing this time of the year is slow because the fish are not active in the winter.
It wasn't for the fish that we came, it was just a bonus, or rather a good excuse for being out there.
I only wanted one big silver salmon. Sid wanted two, and the rest would be released.We only take enough for one meal. It gives us an excuse to come back and we don't really like to eat fish that has been frozen in the freezer. Why eat frozen fish when you can eat fresh fish. Good idea, isn't it!
The only thing out there was an eagle, who steals one of our fish if we leave it on the ice.
There were moose, wolf and rabbit tracks everywhere. Other than that, there was no sound except for the wind blowing the snow crystals across the frozen lake.
Neither of us talk much when we are out there. I guess we both are caught up in the solitude of the wilderness, and words seem out of place.
I'll be going out there again in a couple of days. My Grand Nephew, Tyler, and his little son,Bradley, will be going with me.
It will be Bradley's first fishing trip with me in the back woods. It is time for him to experience the solitude of the frozen wilderness.
Until then I'll keep the fire burning in the fireplace, and watch the snow falling down around my mountain.
George"Bubba"Hunt walking "The Wilderness Trail".

Good News for the Scared Folks

2009-01-01T15:35:00.000-09:00

You may wonder why I spend so much time blasting the new Politicians, but they are going to spend billions on many "green" programs to combat "Global Warming".
Many have bought into the idea that we some how are destroying our earth by too much man-made carbon dioxide gasses. It is somehow causes the earth's temperature to rise.
It wouldn't bother me what they believe if it had no affect on me, but it does.They have driven the cost of diesel up with all of the regulations, and they are about to do it again. To a point where the truckers won't be able to up-grade their trucks. Many will go out of business. Guess what happens when that happens?Most of what we need is carried by trucks!
They are willing to shut down off-shore drilling as soon as Mr. O takes office, and ANWAR will never get drilled as long as they are in control.
Maybe we do need to find another way to "power" our country. I can go along with that idea, but let us still keep burning fossil fuel until we come up with something else.We can't afford to shut the Country down until we find a solution to the fuel problem.
Don't these people have any idea what they are trying to do??I have a hard time trying to understand all of their "green craziness".While I was wondering what they were "thinking" about, I came to the conclusion that they weren't "thinking".Instead, they were going on some notion that the earth was coming to an end and they were scared to death of the idea that we all have had something to do with it.
People like Gore have stirred up folks with a bunch of hulla-ballou that the scientists now say just simply is not true!No one likes the idea that we are causing a problem to hurt our planet. The fact is that the fires of California have dumped more green-house gasses and carbon, than all of the vehicles in the US.One volcano eruption does more damage that anything "WE" have ever done with all of our carbon emissions.
Earth will perish when GOD says it will perish, not until then!
Could it be that we have become so GODLESS that we fear everything that the GODLESS say??I can't make anyone read the Bible to see what is written about this present age.I am an old Preacher, but I'm not going to preach to you about this mess.It's in the BOOK. Read it for yourself!!
I will say this, however, it says that "confusion, evil, and FEAR" are the tools of the dark side.We do live in scary times. The whole world is in turmoil. Maybe you might like to read the 21st Chapter of Luke, or the 25th chapter of John.It may be time for a lot of you to get your "ducks-in-a-row".
In the mean while we need to pressure our Congressmen to stop the destruction of our country with all of the regulations and this "Global Warming" nonsense.
By the way... we have a record cold year in Alaska. We have been below zero for so long that I have forgotten what "above zero" is like.I froze my blasted nose out getting in firewood yesterday.
I guess I shouldn't complain, it warmed up all the way to 10 below today.
Must be global warming or something.
Bubba, oldbearhunter@alaska.net
I would appreciate your comments.

Global Warming

2008-12-12T22:17:00.000-09:00

December 12, 2008
Global Warming
I know, I know, I've been dragging my feet lately. However I have come up with a subject that should bring a grin to all of you "Global Warming" folks.
Recently I saw a picture of Kotzebue Sound, and it was frozen over about two months early this fall. The seals and waleri (walrus's) were laying out there on the nice thick ice ,with big "toothy" smiles on their little whiskery faces.
While I'm at it, this summer was the coldest in Alaskan history.
My tomatoes grew up finally, but no tomatoes!My peppers did grow up to about half size, yet no little peppers. Nothing I planted made it to the table.
The farmers up in Fairbanks usually grow big fields of potatoes. Not much luck there.
The farmers in the Matanuska Valley usually grow big 80 pound cabbages, lettuce and all sorts of other things. This summer things were a month late and a lousy crop at that.Top that off, the Canadian scientists have said last week to forget the"global warming" myth, and prepare for a soon impending beginning to the next ice age.
They said that in the next couple of thousands years there could be 2000 feet of ice over Alaska and Canada, along with northern Europe.If you doubt that could happen, dig into your history books about how the weather dropped out for 400 years. It lasted all the way up to the late 1700's.Millions starved in Europe.
It only took a few years for things to drop out. Europe went from nice sunny, warm weather, to bitter winters and failed crops. It happened in less than ten years.
The Canadians said that the earth was starting into it's fartherest orbit from the sun. They said it would take several centuries to normalize, if it ever did.The interesting thing about all of this is it did seem to get very warm for a few years before things dropped out.Should you still think I'm huffing about some unknown tale, look up the history of the "Dark Ages" in Europe, and read it for yourself.
While you are at it, find out what happened to the Vikings that lived on Iceland.
The Scientist's also have tested the ice cores from the glaciers, and core samples from the sea bottom, and found that it always warmed up dramatically before an ice age dropped out.
We have been having some really toasty summers lately. Nothing like it used to be 40 years ago.
This year it froze up here in October, and still is frozen up. Not normal for the history of Alaska.
Tonight it's going to below zero again. Not too abnormal for this time of the year, but it has been colder than snot for a long time already. The ground is already frozen down three feet. Not Kool! Pipes may very well be freezing up this winter for too many folks.
I would like to invite Mr. Gore up here for a few weeks. Maybe we could sit out on the porch and have a nice cup of coffee. With global warming and all!
Having said all of that, I do have some great news for all of you who are worried about the polar bears.
First off, they are getting their issue of ice as we speak. Not to worry, there's plenty to go around.
Now for all of you who wondered what would become of the polar bears should it really warm up and melt all of their ice. They would surely all starve, right?
Good news!!
Should all the ice disappear, the seals and walrus's would be having to wander up on those warm beaches to sun themselves. Guess what those endangered polar bears would do?Yep, they would just sneak down to the beach and eat all the nice fat critters they needed.
While I worked in the Arctic (several years),the ice flows melted out a few miles. The poor old endangered polar bears came ashore and done what all good hunters do. They simply began to move inland up to 200 - 300 miles, and hunt caribou, muskoxen, moose, and anything else they wanted. Much like all of those black and grizzly bears.
The village of Fort Yukon, which is way South on the Yukon River, had to shoot a polar bear that came to town.So, as you can see, those old white bears are not about to starve as long as they have a brain, unlike some of those poor uninformed " critter huggers".
Those folks use the " Global Warming" scare as a platform to launch their "animal rights" B.S.
Do I know everything? NO!
My Dad was a Predator Control Officer most of his life. I might add that no one in Tehama County was ever attacked by a mountain lion.
The coyotes weren't allowed to kill off everything below them in the food chain.
I remember how many gray and red foxes there used to be. I remember how many of the "ground" nesting birds, like the pheasants, quail. ducks, etc., that there used to be.
The last time I was down there, I was hard pressed to see any sign of most of them.
I hear the foxes are now endangered.
Those poor old mountain lions are few and far between?? Actually, there are as thick as the hair on a deers back. Should you be able to find a deer.
So much for my old soap box.I think I'll go out and have my evening tea on the deck. It's only 5 below out there, with global warming of course.
I would like any input from you all, about all of this. I know you have been sold a lot of pure old "bunk" about this stuff.
I started this out with an attempt to bring some humor out of it all, but the more I wrote, the less funny things seemed to get.
Sorry about that!Bubba

Comments ?

2008-10-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

It's obvious that I haven't gotten any comments on my blog site in quite a while.I haven't been able to get this problem solved. Folks have e-mailed me stating that they have tried.
So, go ahead and use my personal e-mail address.
Which is " oldbearhunter@alaska.net"
I do enjoy reading your comments. At least, it encourages me to keep up this site.
Thanks, Bubba

Wake Up America

2008-10-11T13:05:00.000-08:00

American Socialism??

I would like to start this out by saying that I was raised as a Democrat. My Father’s old Democratic party has all but been replaced by a Far-Left organization that has little to do
with the old Party.
I consider myself to be an average “flag-waving” American who still believes America is the only force in the world that still stands against the socialistic, and freedom- hater factions that run rampant today.
Recently I watched several people in a political rally that were not only very angry; they were also begging John McCain to stop the socialism from taking over America.
It looked to me like just another bunch of those “strange” folks that live everywhere among us who think the sky is falling.
I was amused, but didn’t really give it much thought.
Since then I began to think about what has taken place in the last few months.
Then I remember what Khrushchev once said. “I will take over America without fireing a shot.”
I will never forget that statement. It has often haunted me that it could be done.
The more I thought about all of this, it began to be very clear what was taking place right here in our country. It sent chills up my spine and brought a very deep concern that something very Un-American was close to fulfilling that promise.
I don’t consider myself to be one of those “Nuts” who cry fear every time they don’t like something.
Most of you who know me, know I don’t usually jump on every wagon that comes down the street. This time I am jumping, and jumping hard.
Call me what you like! Think that I too, have gone over the edge.
My friends, I am scared for our way of life more than any time in my 65 years. I have seen a lot of policies come and go. I have seen a lot of mistakes made by our Government.
I know that it is not run very well a lot of the time, and a lot of us don’t trust them as far as we could throw them.
Most of us would just as soon keep them out of our daily lives as much as possible.
Having said all of that, I’m going to write some controversial things that may or may not upset you. Whether or not you agree with me is up to you, but I have to get this off of my chest because it is bothering me more than I can stand.
I don’t want all of this to go down without saying a thing.
AS WE ALL KNOW, America is now in a crisis that will change our way of life forever. 911 changed our lives forever also. I felt it then and I danged well feel it now.
I have begun to try to understand what has happened in the last few days.
I watched the Government being “forced” to pass laws against the theme of our Constitution. I saw many in Washington vote against the bill from both parties.
I wondered why some of the Democrats voted against it.
Now the Government is considering having to “Nationalize” the banking system in America.
No, they don’t want to do it but they feel that something has to be done to save our economy, and the fall of the stock market.
IF THEY DO THAT, IT WILL BE A TERRIBLE STEP TOWARDS A SOCIALISTIC FORM OF GOVERNMENT!!
No American should sit back and say nothing about this!!
I want you to think about this next part with an open mind.
First, our financial leaders all agree that all of this “economy” problem started with the fall of the Housing Market.
The Housing Market went down due, in large, to the sub-prime crunch where folks were loaned mortgage money that had no way of paying it back.
The rates went up and defaults took place.
Then Fanny and Freddie emerged with some CEO’s who had been cooking the books for several years. Barney Frank (left wing congressman watch-dog), along with others testified that Freddy-Fanny were in good shape Top that off with ACORN helping to push these “ridiculous” loans along.
Now ACORN is cooking the voter registration in many states trying to fraudulently
win the election, and have been doing so for several elections.
There are three Freddie-Fanny executives who were instrumental in the fall.
All three are now on the election committee of Obama. (Franklin,Tim,Jim) If you want their names, look them up!
Several of our Left-Wing politicians were in charge of “watch-dogging” Freddy-Fanny.
They now are a part of the crowd in charge of trying to fix the problem! (Wolves guarding the flock)
I promise you that they are scurrying around trying to cover their tracks.
When I began to understand all of this, I began to see how it all started four years ago, when the left took over control of Congress.
I know that these are not all of the issues.
Four years ago we were strong financially, and gas was $2.30 a gallon.
Since Congress is the one that runs our Government (not the President), guess who is responsible for the fall of America?? Could it not be the Democratic Congress?
In 2006, McCain tried to pass a bill to stop the fall of Freddy-Fanny by tighter regulation, but it was voted down by the Left Congress.
This brings us to Obama.
It certainly is no secret who he has been associating with. Other than that, who is he?
He has promised America with a Government based “Health Plan” that will be “far better than McCain’s “privatized” plan. (Socialized health care?)
Do you realize that if he is successful in being elected President, WE WILL HAVE A LEFT-WINGED PRESIDENT BACKED UP BY A LEFT-WINGED CONGRESS!!
No American should be happy with Obama, Pelosy, Reid, Franks, Ayers, running America. The worse thing is they will have ABSOLUTE CONTROL of America!
With the Government in control of the BANKING system, guess where all of that leaves you and I?
Khrushchev’s statement doesn’t sound so far-fetched now, does it?
Looking back at the last four years, it isn’t hard to see how all of the pieces of the puzzle fits into place.
Now Obama has stepped up in position to tell America that it is the fault of the Bush Administration. He has blamed everything on “someone else”, and he is going to bring “change”. God help us all at the “change” we may get!
He is now in position to take advantage of the situation to get elected.
The Socialistic Left has been laying this ground work for years.
Now, with the fear of America’s economy, and with people having lost everything they have worked so hard to get and save.
Now with all of the pain we have been through.
Now during our darkest moment of American history, Obama is trying to step in and take over our country with a Left-Wing Socialistic form of government.
I am very afraid! I’m not mad as some are! I am scared to death that we are on the brink of loosing our country to the worst possible kind of enemy that our founding Fathers tried to keep us from.
IT IS TIME TO WAKE-UP and help fight this attempt to take over our country!
I don’t care what political party you belong to. I don’t care if you believe any of this.
It is on your shoulders to look for yourself and make up your own mind.
.
Quote, “All that it takes for evil to prevail, is for good men to sit and do NOTHING”?
Let it never be said that “I” didn’t try to stop this down-fall of America.
I figured I had to say what I could.
After the election it will be much too late. If we loose, it will be too late to stop the process. Then you will hear that it was all caused by the Bush Administration, and more Socialistic measures will be needed to control the problems.
The Obama Administration will have all the answers, and you will all have to go along with it.
Democracy around the world will fall!
Please pass this along, please. I don’t claim to have all of the answers, but I have enough sense to see what’s coming down if we sit quietly and do nothing
I am an old timer, but my grand kids will suffer beyond anything than I can imagine if we do nothing.

George “Bubba” Hunt
oldbearhunter@alaska.net

Of Women and Moose

2008-09-06T21:26:00.000-08:00

Well, sports fans, she beat me again!I would have been fine on opening day of bow season if that tiny limb would not have moved over in my arrow path.The deflection send my arrow flying off into never land, never to be seen again. The bull moose took the incident in stride by simply trotting off into the brush. The whole thing left me near tears.I spent the next ten days tromping through deep, wet brush and head high wet grass, in pursuit of bones. I never got close enough again to shoot an arrow at anything.
We set up camp in the mountains not far from home for rifle season on Aug. 20th.While we were out scouting one evening I managed to drop my cell phone in a muddy trail not far from camp.We drove the Prowler back to the area and found the phone nestling nicely in the mud. I was glad to have it back.
As we were turning around to head back up the trail, a big bull moose stepped out on a ridge not 30 yards from us.He had big beautiful horns that were still in full velvet, and three brow tines. It takes a mature bull to have the three brow tines which are one of the rules necessary to be legal.We watched him for several minutes before heading back to camp.I would have loved to been the one to bag him, but as fate sometimes grabs you, it wasn't to happen.
Opening morning we were out at the crack of dawn heading back down the same trail. We hadn't gone a quarter of a mile when a nice young bull crossed the trail. He was nice but not quite big enough to be legal.Five minutes later old Rackatula, ( the name I gave the big bull), ran across the trail and stopped not 100 yards from us.He just stood there looking dumb. He didn't stand for long because my little Owner let the air out of him with a well placed round through the shoulder.
My hopes of bagging him went down the drain. The sun had not even came up yet and she was tagged out.I was able to drive the Prowler right up to the downed bull and bag him up and was back in camp before sun up.It never goes that easy. Usually it takes days of rain, mud and pain to get a moose.
The next morning Paul Frome, Lin and I went back out to look for a bull for Paul.We never found anything shootable and were back in camp just as Paul's wife, Charlene, came into camp to bring us a batch of freshly cooked cinnamon rolls.I was standing there munching on a roll when Paul tapped me on the shoulder and pointed into the brush.Not 80 yards away was a nice bull moose feeding along not paying any attention to us who were talking loud.How often does that happen? It didn't take long to glass the bull and see he was legal to take.Paul dropped him there right next to camp. Paul was beginning to think this moose hunting was nothing.
This little five day hunt was done while waiting for the regular hunting season to open in the Caribou Hills, where we hunt on Native Land.
We have been hunting there for 15 years. In other words we were just out play-hunting for a few days before we really went to moose camp.
We cut up the two moose and re-packed our supplies for the "real" moose hunt on Aug. 25th.
I set up a big nice comfortable camp. We have the big Alpinelite Camper on my 4x4 dually.I also set up a 10x20 foot canopy, a fire stove that doubles as a BBQ pit.I have a pressurized water pump set up to transfer water into the camper. It also doubles as a nice water hose for filling coffee pots etc.We set up a micro-wave on one of the tables outside along with another propane stove that we use to make coffee out under the canopy.It is really a nice set-up. No matter how hard it rains, we still have a fire going and a dry place to sit and enjoy the view.
I am up at 0430, and it only takes a minute to turn on the lights and throw a log on the fireplace, which is still burning.I then throw some sweet rolls in the micro-wave and get the water heating for coffee.By the time everyone is dressed, the chow is ready.
We have a quick snack before going out on the trail.We eat breakfast at about 0900, when we get back to camp from the morning hunt. Then Lin brings on the bacon, eggs, blueberry hot cakes etc.
My big mistake came when Paul and I walked up on two large bulls early one morning.They were feeding along and had no idea we were there. One bull was not but about 45 to 48 inches wide. He was not the 50 inches that were necessary to be legal. The other bull was far bigger, but did not have the three brow tines to be legal. Yet I new he was at least 50 inches wide, which would still have been enough to be legal under the 50 inch rule.
I have a personal rule that I live by, which I won't shoot a moose unless I can see the three brow tines.It is far easier to shoot under the three brow tine rule. It is very hard to judge a moose that you THINK is 50 inches wide.
A lot of hunters shoot moose that don't pass the 50 inch rule and get busted. I have been judging moose horns for over 40 years, and I still don't feel confident enough to make the call. A 50 inch moose looks to be 60 inches wide. I just won't take the chance.I let the big bull walk because it did not have the three brow tines.I don't know any hunter that wouldn't have shot him, but I won't.
Paul hunted with us for 10 days, and then had to leave to go back to Oregon.
The wolves and three big grizzly bears moved into our valley. One of the bears that I call, "Monstro", was one of the three. His foot print was 12 inches wide and 16 inches long. He's easily one of the top few bears alive.His twin brother was also hanging around a couple of miles away.I've watched them grow from cubs. Now they are two of the biggest, meanest critters around.They absolutely have no fear of anyone. If you happen to run into one of them on the trail, you will be the one who backs up and leaves.
The other two bears were the average 1000 pound rascals that foot prints ran about 8-9 inches wide.I don't really like being out there around them. Those critters are hard to kill. It usually takes several shots to put one down. They can run 60 feet a second. It isn't kool to have one charge. They are on you before you have time to get a shot off.
I have been lucky and not stupid as some are. I never walk alone. If one does charge, at least one of us should be able to shoot while the bear chews on the other.I try to stay out of places where my visibility is low, and always stay alert.
When one of us has a bull down, we post a guard to watch for bears while the others work on the field dressing of the moose.I teach "Bear Safety Seminars" all over the country, and I certainly practice bear safety in the woods.There is no worse way to die as being ripped apart by an angry bear.
I was up early on Sept. 5th. to find our mountain socked in with fog.
I went back to bed to find the fog lifting a half an hour later.I got back up and Lin got up to drive me up to the high country.
We were going up high to get away from the wolves and bears.
Two miles from camp I spotted a bull standing by the side of the trail. He had just came down from the high country.I stepped out as he ran down across a swamp and up the side of a ridge. He was about two hundred yards away when he made the mistake of stopping to look at an old ornery moose hunter. One 300 grain Nosler Accubond slug turned him upside down. I guessed he didn't understand what a 375 H&H Magnum could reach that far. Bad mistake!
It took me an hour to saw a trail down the ridge to get my 4-wheeler to him.Lin and I bagged him up and was soon back in camp.
The next morning we broke camp and brought him back to our log house over looking the Kenai River.
God has blessed us once again. We have all 4 freezers full of salmon, moose, and frozen berries that we picked at moose camp.We have our 10 cords of wood all stacked and soon will be ready for the long, cold, Alaskan nights that are sure to come.
Lin's bull is far larger than mine. I'm sure I'll hear about it a million times before spring. I know she has called everyone she knows already.
Oh well, it's hard to find a good looking cook up in those hills. It's sure a lot better than those old smelly moose hunting guys I used to hunt with.
I guess there's always next year.
Bubba n Lin, walking the "Wilderness Trail".

Rolling Along

2008-07-08T20:41:00.000-08:00

Summer has finally turned up on the Kenai Peninsula. At least what ever we will get of it.
So far it has been a few warm days and rain. Lots and lots of rain. It seems almost like the old August monsoons.Actually it really does feel like August so far.I hope not, because it could bring on the chill of fall.Everything has been out of touch with normal, whatever that is.
I am on schedule with my summer projects.
My old fish netting partner and I ran the Gill net this year again. We caught our limits along with several family members showing up to use our net. I think all of us caught around 140 salmon in 5 days.I've been smoking the remainder of last years catch that was in the freezer.I now have a bunch of smoked salmon, sealed and in the freezer too. I never canned any this summer because we still have several cases left over.
This year everything went perfect on the beach. We once again used our winch to pull our net and put it back out.We also used our vacuum sealer and had the fish in the freezer in 20 minutes out of the water.
Everyone stopped by again to admire our fish processing operation.
I just finished splitting and stacking 10 cords of firewood for the winter, that will surely come.
August 10th is opening day for moose hunting with bow and arrow. I have stayed practiced up and ready.My arrows group inside a 4 inch circle at 40 yards. I still can hit a small pie plate at 60 yards, which I don't plan on having to do. I plan on no more than 45 yards on a shot. I'll just sneak closer if I have to do it. I don't believe in long shots due to wounding animals. It's not that I can't do it, it's just not something that I want to do.I also try to discourage anyone else from doing the long shots. I won't hunt with those who try those things.
For those who are interested, I shoot a Diamond Black Ice Bow set at 70 pounds. I use Carbon Express arrows with 125 grain Muzzy broad heads. It is a combination that is deadly on big game.
This summer has been the best lake fishing that I can remember.We have caught a bunch of Arctic Char up to 3 pounds. The rainbows are equally as big and the land-locked silver salmon also have run 2-3 pounds. I'm to a place where I could easily eat something else besides fish.Not to worry! I'll soon be munching on moose back strap.
The old grizz has been by a few times. but my electric fence has worked very well too. No more smears on my glass door from his big old wet nose.The first time he touched the fence, he managed to leave a large deposit scattered across my yard. Dirty rascal!Better cleaning up that than having him inside my kitchen.
This year has brought on more bear maulings than ever. Joggers, fishermen, a lady picking mushrooms, a girl riding a bike, and it goes on and on. Many, many maulings and even more close calls. We have far too many bears.Every night it seems like the local police respond to bear problems down town.I guess that is living in Alaska. The problem is too many new-comers bullying around in the woods with no respect for anything. Bears don't "bully" very well.
Tomorrow I'll begin to put my camping stuff together for moose camp. Can't wait!!
Bubba n Lin Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail"

Sleepless on Shadow Mountain

2008-06-01T23:19:00.000-08:00

Some of my readers have been wondering what has happened to me. Well, I guess it should be what "hasn't" happened.
The last blog had me entering into black bear baiting season.I did in fact go out and put up my tree stand and chained my bait barrel to a tree 20 yards from my stand.I had great visions of large black bears providing a nice target for my new bow.
There always seems to be things crop up to throw a monkey wrench into a fine black bear hunt.This year the things that cropped up weighed half a ton and had those 6 inch claws. They look much like grizzly bears, sound like grizzly bears and certainly smelled just like old nasty, fish-eating, grizzly bears. When the grizzly bears come in to eat at the bait barrel, the black bears stay far away. They know that they too, are food for grizzly bears.
Since it is not legal to bait the grizzly bears having one or two feeding at your bait station always winds up in a long sit in a tree until they are done eating. Hopefully they leave when they are done, although sometimes they decide to have a long nap.
I have tried to reason with the grizz. I have asked them to leave so I can come down and go home. I have told them I was cold and needed to get out of the tree before dark. I reminded them that I wasn't prepared to spend the night up in a tree again.When all of those things failed, I tried calling them some names that isn't fit to print. I even called them "BAD BEAR"!None of those things seemed to do much good.
After a few of those experiences, it only makes sense to remove the stand and bait barrel, which I did.We still bagged a few bears, but not by baiting.
Last week I came in at dark, which was about midnight. My neighbors Carillian Bear dog was involved in a slug-fest with a 4 year old grizz in my yard.
All I wanted to do was drag my poor old tired carcass into the house and put it to bed. But nooo!Couldn't get out of my truck until the slug-fest was over. Not safe to get involved in that mess!!After "forever", they managed to take it down to the alder thicket so I could dismount and get inside.
Night before last the bear returned to knock over my garbage can. There wasn't anything but paint cans and trash, certainly nothing a bear might want to eat. I expect he saw the can and decided to kick it over to give me something to do. Dirt Ball!!
What he did do was even more remarkable. The rascal ate 30 ponds of chicken manure that I had bought to plant my garden with. He has no pride!
He then went next door and proceeded to nose around.
My neighbor gal has to be the bravest human I have ever known. She poured dishwater on the bear while he was digging around in her yard just a few feet below her deck. The bear did leave for a while and then came back. She poured some more on him and he left. I guess he didn't really want a bath.
Her dog then fought the bruin back through my yard and down the hill again. By then it was 0300 when the war was finally over.
We never like to kill the bears and we always try everything to drive them away before they break into our houses.
Recently a big grizz broke into a home up river. The elderly couple didn't hear the bear break the kitchen door, as they were asleep upstairs. I guess they weren't wearing those hearing crutches.
I understand the dead-bolt lock was knocked 20 feet from the door after the bear hit it.It tore up a few things in the kitchen, then strolled back outside, and off into the night.They were lucky. Several local folks have already been mauled this spring.
I installed an electric fence across at the bottom of my stairs. He won't be smearing his big nasty nose on my sliding glass kitchen door again.I do worry about all of the little kids in the neighborhood though.
Hopefully it will be quiet tonight.
I did take an evening to go fishing this week. We caught a couple of limits of arctic char. They are the best fish to eat in Alaska.
The king salmon are showing up in the river along with all the tourists. The old rat(fish) race is about on.
I am planning on taking my boat to one of those high-mountain lakes this week for some more char fishing, and maybe even a black bear. Hopefully the black bear's big old smelly cousin will stay out of camp.Then... maybe they won't?Oh well!

Oh, What to Do?

2008-05-11T10:56:00.000-08:00

The one thing we never have to face is something to do.
This week started out in our first spring invasion of the clam beach.The tides were well below the neccessary -2 tide level. Actually it was down below the -5 level for several days.That makes for several hundred yards of exposed clam beds.
We planned on staying the 6 days but stayed only to dig 4 days. I got tired of shelling clams.We dig for 2 hours and get two 5 gal. buckets nearly full of the razor and red-neck clams.Before you ask, the red-neck clams have nothing to do with being a red-neck.They have long red necks.
My hands are both trying to recover from the cuts and sore finger nails neccessary to wrestle with the clams.They don't especially want to be yanked out of their little sandy holes. So they begin to dig as soon as you make your first shovel full of sand.The big red-necks can't dig nearly as fast as those speedy razors.The older I get the more those razors escape.
As in most places, the druggies seem to congragate on beaches. They build big fires and disrupt everything with their loud boom-box noises. I can't hear any music in it, only those big loud booms of some sort. I can't yet figure out what is in all of that noise, but it must be something to keep them all in time with what ever is going on??
At 1:30 AM they drove past my camper and hit it with a 15 foot long log that they had picked up down on the beach.I suppose that they couldn't figure out how a log that long might hang out far enough to hit something.
I jumped out of bed, got dressed, grabbed my 40 Glock along with a clip or two, lept on my 4 wheeler, and drove down to confront the jerks.Probably not the smartest thing to do.
There were about 20 or so idiots standing around the fire. I guess I took them by suprise, or they had been bullying so long that they never expected to see a mad old geezer come screeching into their camp on a 4-wheeler.They probably thought I was crazy and thought that I might start shooting up the place.
Well, I probably WAS crazy to do it, but I did manage to chew for a while. They kept saying how sorry they were and I let them know things would be different next time it happened.I then made my escape before they moved into the mad-mode.I'm sure once they figured it out, they were hot about it.I had no more trouble out of them.
On a lighter side...yesterday I put up my two tree stands. It was in a nice dense thicket of alders, spruce, and hardwoods.
I chained my 50 gal. bait barrel to a stump and poured in some oat-corn-molasses.Bears love anything with molasses in it. They will come for miles to eat it.It never is kool to put a bait barrel in thick brush because it is hard to see if old bear is eating before you approach the tree stand. The worst thing is a big old grizz may be who is eating instead of the black bear that you are hoping to see.
There seems to be a good supply of grizz in that area, so I know very well what I'll be having to deal with. No, I don't like it much, but if I am going to bait black bears, the grizz will just have to be shooshed, somehow.
Sometimes they are hungry enough to not shoosh very well. Then you stay up in the tree stand until they leave.I have heard about hunters having to spend the night up in a tree waiting for them to leave. Then there is always the old grizz who decides to have a nap after eating the molasses.( It seems like I spent the night in a tree on May 2nd, 1986, with a few injuries from shooting a grizz with an arrow. Now I'm getting back into one of those same positions?? Not too clever, huh?)No, I'm not in to going over and slapping his head to wake him up.I probably will find it in my heart to say some nasty things to him in a very loud manner. I don't have a plan after that.
By the way, night before last a grizz came strolling through our yard looking for grub. I expect it was one of the garbage bears that live here. They are the lazy ones that would rather rip garbage than hunt for some real food.We always keep our garbage out of reach so as not to attracked them. My neighbors Carillian Bear dog ran the bruin off. It will be back sooner or later.
I much rather have the bear than some druggie hanging around. Bears, at least have some sense.I'll be checking on my bait station in a few days. I'll keep you all posted.

Hey out There!

2008-03-31T16:44:00.000-08:00

I haven't heard much out of you all in quite a spell. I never know if anyone is still reading this stuff.
Click the comments button once in a while and let me have it! Otherwise I get to thinking I'm talking to myself again. I've been trying to stop doing that so much.
Bubba

Tragedy

2008-03-20T20:58:00.000-08:00

I am writing this story with a lot of personal pain. I wouldn’t even write about this tragedy, but the newspapers and TV stations have never gotten the facts straight.
This isn’t an article that most should read due to the graphic circumstances.

Saturday morning my Grand Nephew, Frank Hunt 26, and his wife Christina 31, were sleeping in due to being up quite late watching videos. They do family things every Friday night with the kids.
Christina had a couple of kids from a previous marriage. Her oldest son was living with his dad out of state.
Frank and Christina had two little boys, Frankie 7 and Ryan 4.
Her 13 year old daughter, Judy, was also still living with them.
The girl’s bedroom, along with the boy’s room, was in the front end of their trailer house. The dinning room and kitchen were near the middle area.
Down the hall there was a bathroom and the master bed room at the end.
At approximately 9:30 AM the smoke alarm went off about the time one of the boys came running into the bedroom to wake Frank and Christina. Their bedroom door had only been open a few inches. The smoke alarm was going off, but not making much noise. Frank had changed the batteries only two week before.
Frank and Christina jumped out of bed. Christina yelled for Frank to go get Judy out of her room.
Judy was screaming for them to get her out of there.
Frank tried to get down the hall but ran into a wall of flames, burning embers, and black smoke. He stumbled into the bathroom and almost fell into the shower tub. The trailer was completely black with smoke almost to the floor.
He finally managed to find and break the bathroom window with his hand, and dive out onto the snow. He ran to the door of the entry way near the front of the trailer and was in the process of kicking down the locked metal door, when a passer by stopped and assisted him.
Once inside, they kicked down the door that went into the front room. They were met by another wall of flames. He received a burn on his shoulder, hands, feet, and his hair was singed.
He was unable to rescue his daughter through the front room.
They ran around the end of the trailer to a window that went into his daughter’s bedroom. The room was filled with fire and smoke, and it was too late.
They then proceeded to the rear of the trailer expecting to find his wife and boys outside. He figured they should be outside by then. When he got to the back of the trailer the master bedroom was fully engulfed in flames. She had not been able to get the little boys out before she was over come by the smoke.
Frank was left standing in the snow with his underwear burned half off. He had heard his family die and was unable to do anything to save them.
I doubt if he will ever recover from this tragedy. His burns will heal, but he never will.
I can only imagine the ten thousand times he will ask himself if he could have done something differently.
I have thought a lot about it, and I would have done the same thing in that circumstance.
The Fire Chief told him he was a walking miracle to have made it out.
We are glad he did, but I don’t think he will understand it for many years to come.
No human should ever have to go through what Frank did. It was as bad as it could get.
The fire had started in the front room, according to the fire inspectors, although they couldn’t figure out just what had started the fire.
Christina had told her dad, in a phone conversation two weeks earlier, that she could smell rubber burning but couldn’t find out where it was coming from. It may have been the electric connections where the lamp was plugged in.

The media has told the story that Frank was uninjured, and was the only survivor due to jumping out the window, leaving his family behind. They made him look like some coward who bailed out and let his family die.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
He had done what any of us would have done. It is just that the trailer had literally exploded in less than a minute.
He was left without his family and not even clothes on his back.

I understand that there is a fund set up at the Alaska USA Credit Union in Soldotna, Alaska 99669, if anyone would like to contribute.

The family would like to express our deepest gratitude to the man who stopped by and helped Frank. They said that there’s not enough ways to thank him for stepping in and giving a hand when it was needed so desperately. If it wasn’t for him Frank would likely have been killed too.

Frank was born in Red Bluff, California, and grew up in Alaska.

George “Bubba” Hunt

A little Pinching of the Ear

2008-02-09T12:33:00.000-09:00

It has been below zero for longer than I can remember. It's probably not been over a month or so, but the older I get the harder it is to remember.
First we had the snows. Miles and miles of snow. So much that I got tired of plowing the stuff.Then some one turned off the snow switch and turned on the cold switch. Must have been that old "Global Warming" rascal. I'd like to hang him by his precious parts until frozen!
As a matter of fact it has been too cold to go ice fishing. If you can believe that!!The ice hole freezes up faster than one can keep breaking up the ice.I know that I could fish inside of the hut, but I can't see the mountains and stuff from inside.
The view is half the fun.Catching and releasing fish is just a little chore that gets your hands cold. Yeah, I have the propane heater to keep warm with but I'd much rather be outside.Today it got all the way up to + 5 degrees, but the wind came up and is blowing like it was it's last chance to blow!That wind can be much worse than the below zero temps.I know, whine, whine, whine!
Got my new Black Ice Bow all tuned up. What a name, huh?
My Home-Boys wonder what an old codger, who's about to turn 65 in March, is doing shooting a 70 pound compound bow.I guess they know that the last two things I killed in 1986 were bears. It almost retired me when I whacked that old grizzly, and in turn, he "tuned" me up.
I guess I've also forgotten about the pain, and I'm finally getting over the bad dreams. Haven't had one in a couple of months. I suppose that I'll wind up getting out there and getting some more bad experiences to shore up the dreams.
My little Owner is finally getting over me spending the grand for my bow, I think. She claims that she doesn't remember how much she paid for me, but it was far too much.
I can always figure out how aggrevated she is by the way she cuts my hair. It is clear by the amount of force she exerts on my ears when she wants me to turn my head.
She cut my hair this morning and both of my ears are still sore. I guess she needs a little more time to get over the bow.
I haven't said anything about those nice carbon arrows that I could use. They run about $125 bucks a dozen.I'll keep quiet on that issue for a while. At least until my ears get over the pain of being pinched and yanked on.
I sure will be glad when spring gets here. It will be a lot better when I can go outside to pout, and not get so blasted cold!
Poor Old Bubba

TV on the Ice

2008-01-20T20:27:00.000-09:00

I seldom spend much time huddled in front of the old tube, but yesterday was as kool as it gets.
My old fishing partner, Sid, and I decided that it was time to hit Spirit Lake for some ice fishing.I loaded up my track rig and drove to the drop off point, where we would have to track in for the last four miles to the lake.
It was a nice day with the temp around 15 above and a bit overcast. We didn't care if it did snow. Snow never is a deciding factor when it comes to ice fishing.
The four mile trail was covered in about 30 minutes and we were out on the ice for another mile.Normally we fish in a protected cove on the south end of the lake to escape from the wind. The wind can blow out the propane heater, which isn't kool. We didn't have a problem from the wind either.
We always park the track rig to block any wind that may come up, and hide behind it. If it is too windy we get in the ground blind. Which ever the case is, we have no intention of getting cold.
Usually I use my fish finder to look for fish, but yesterday Sid brought his infrared fish camera.We dropped the camera down almost to the bottom, and watched for fish to come by our baits.That has to have been the best reality TV I have ever seen. It was a hoot to watch those trout and silver salmon come by and find the baits.
The screen was about a 10 inch picture and in the clear water the fish were easily seen. We got a bigger kick out of fish watching than we did catching the fish.
I don't know how many we released, but we only kept three for dinner. They all ran about 2 pounds each. We released a couple of rainbows that most fishermen would die for.I am sure I ate the silver salmon that would have won the fish derby. Oh well!
We usually don't keep any of the ranbows. Not that they aren't good to eat, but they aren't nearly as good as the land-locked salmon. We don't take a bunch home either. We only take enough for a meal. Should we want more to eat, it's all about going back and getting the fresh ones. Fresh is always better than frozen. I have a freezer full of halibut and sockeye fillets, so I can be picky when it come to fresh fish in the winter. Besides, it just gives me an excuse to go fishing. Tough, huh?
In case you were wondering, no, I didn't fall down the ice hole this time!!
This week, when I can get off of jury duty, we will be going out into the moose hunting woods to look for wolves and cut more burls. Lin says she needs more burls to make bowls.We know where some nice burls are growing from our traveling in moose season.
Burls grow on the sides of birch and spruce trees. We simply saw them off, dry, and hollow them out. It's a bit of a job, but they sure make nice bowls. Some are full of little "birdseye knots" and are gorgeous.It beats sitting home watching the tube. Unless it's fish watching of course.
Town folks go to the opera. We go out just to hear the wolves howl. Personally wolves howling is much nicer than hearing some opera singer's shrill screaming which sounds like a pig with it's head caught under a fence, or bellering like a bullfrog in a rain barrel.
I don't suppose that the city dwellers would think much of watching fish either.How much fun could fish watching be??
I would guess it may be as good as watching soaps. Whatever "soaps" are!

Paying Those Aweful Dues

2008-01-06T13:46:00.000-09:00

It always gets my goat to get caught up in minor things that should go unnoticed. I don't go looking to get got, but I do get my share of totally getting whacked. It usually comes at the worst possible time. No, it always comes at the worst possible time.
Take, for an example New Years Eve. My wife had been bugging me to get the cob web off of the little flood light globe in the ceiling. Not such a tough duty, except it was 32 feet up to the ceiling in the front room.Instead of going out in the frozen storage shed and getting the extension rod, I decided to wet a towel and throw it up there.Surely I could hit that cob web. It was hanging down three feet!
It took a couple of tosses to hit the lamp, and then I managed to wrap the wet towel around the lamp.I don't know how many years of tossing it would have taken to be able to wrap a wet towel around a lamp globe 32 feet up in the ceiling.I managed to do it in three tosses.
Pam, from next door, showed up about then to see my miracle. She thought it was quite funny from the way she was acting.
I don't mind bringing joy to someones heart, but my dinner guests were due to show up at any minute. They were to be there for several hours due to it being New Years Eve. I know they would have seen the towel hanging up there.
My little normally sane wife found it in her heart to remind me how stupid it was to be throwing wet towels at the ceiling.She also reminded me how many weeks she had been trying to get me to get that web.
I dashed out to the shed, grabbed that frozen extension rod, and ran up the stairs. I knew it would be closer up the stairs. I actually was able to grab the wet towel the first try. Just before it caught on fire from the hot lamp shade.
Pam's husband, Wade, showed up with his extension rod to save me about then. He was in his t-shirt, and it looked like boxer shorts. It may have been some sort of Bermuda shorts. He was also in his tennis shoes. Not bad considering it was about zero outside and a foot of fresh snow.I guess he's still grateful that I whacked that big grizz that was tearing up his freezer. I think he thinks he owes me.Not really, they are just good friends and best neighbors.
My guests showed up in the next minute. I made it with a whole minute to spare!
My first fishing trip to Hidden Lake was a flop.
The ice was still too thin to be driving on, so Tom and I walked out about 200 yards and set up. Tom had managed to break the thermocouple on the propane heater. I don't do well at 10 above with no heater. I did manage to tape the plunger down on the heater and get it to work. It took me two hours to get it done.
You have no idea how cold my fingers got in two hours on a frozen lake.The fish had their mouths wired shut also. They must have been on some sort of weird diet.
Yesterday, I took my brother, Gibby and his grandson fishing. We had never fished Stormy Lake, but they wanted to try to catch some northern pike. I don't really care for pike, but it was something to do.Those pike must have been on the same diet as the lake trout in Hidden Lake.It was an enjoyable day anyways, until we got ready to leave.
I had drilled many holes through the ice for fishing. I also drilled one close to my track rig. It was the hole that I put my fish finder in.That way I could plug the finder into the power in the rig.
When we were done fishing and I was busy putting the gear back into the rig, I managed to step into that hole.The ice was about 18 inches thick. My boot slipped down the hole and into that nice cool water.Actually my foot went on down until I bottomed out with my whole leg down the hole. It was only an 8 inch wide hole. I don't know how my whole leg managed to fit down it, but fit down it did.
That was no big deal in itself. I have stepped in those holes before. The big deal was I couldn't get my boot back up out of that hole. All of a sudden, the hole that my whole leg fit into wasn't now big enough to allow my boot to come out of.I can tell you from experience, that while your foot is in ice water, is no time to try to figure out how the hole was suddenly too small.
Trying to remain calm was out the door!!
The only thing that saved me was Gibby reached down the hole and grabbed the top of the boot while I pulled enough to slip my foot out of the boot. I had saved my boot!I poured the water out of my boot and put it back on my nice cold foot.
It didn't take long to drive the track rig the mile back to where the trucks were parked.I would have liked to have taken off the wet bibs, but the zipper down at the foot was frozen stuck, as well as the whole leg of the bibs was also frozen stiff.It did thaw out in the hour drive back home.
Lin wasn't too sympathetic. She kept up with, "The old mountain man got his little foot stuck in an ice hole"!!"How dumb is that"?? " Didn't even catch a fish"!
The next time we go fishing I'm going to drill a lot of holes for her so she will have a nice selection to choose from.
We are having so much fun, I can hardly stand it!!

The Cold Man Cometh Again

2007-12-20T16:40:00.000-09:00

Darkness has come to the Kenai Peninsula once again. Along with the darkness, a bit of chilly.The sun may have came up this morning, but due to the blizzard, it wasn't making much of an appearance.I think it was suppose to arrive at ten something, and exit around three something. It's three and does seem to be getting a bit darker outside.
I managed to take a "heat gun" and thaw the door handles out on my track rig. They stayed thawed for a couple of seconds, then froze solid again. It looks like I'll be bringing the doors inside for the night, and letting all of the moisture drip out of those locks.
My little owner will have a few things to say about those doors being inside dripping on the floor. She has all three million of her Santa's' standing on and in every corner of the house. She collects few things, but those Santa's' are something she can't pass up.There surely must be room enough for my doors among those Santa's.
I went down the hill and cut her a tree, packed it back, and put it up. It wasn't quite what she was looking for, so back out in the sub-zero went old Bubba with axe in hand.This time I walked and looked hard for such a tree that she would like. Finally I found one growing on a steep hillside. It was almost to the bottom of the mountain. I dreaded cutting it but it was so cold that I couldn't bear to argue with myself for long.
The pack back up the hill almost killed me, although it was hard to feel the pain with everything that I owned frozen.She accepted the tree. The look in her eye told me that she probably wouldn't have cut it.
The tree was about 12 feet tall when it was on the stand. The only small problem was it had a little dog-leg near the bottom of the trunk, which caused it to lean a bit. Hardly noticeable, but she could see it.
After I got all of the lights on it, using a tall ladder, she had a more serious look in her eye.The tree looked OK from most angles except one side and she didn't like it.So, I took the saws-all and whacked it off about 3 feet to get above the dog-leg.Now it stands fairly straight, except only about 8 feet tall.
She likes real tall trees, but this one will work for this year.Next year I'm cutting one 32 feet tall. That's how far it is to the ceiling. Don't know yet how I'll get it through the french doors in front, but I figure it out some how. I have a year to work on it!!
Some idiot once said that it gets too cold to snow.Well, it started snowing at 5 below zero today and it has warmed all the way up to 5 above, and still snowing. I guess that white stuff IS snow. I know I'll be out plowing in the morning if we want to go anywhere.Must be that old "Global Warming" taking place.
It has been below cold for a week and the lakes are getting a good start on an ice pack. Can't wait till it will hold my track rig.
This time of the year is awkward. It's too early to ice fish and too late to water fish. Boring as heck!!
It's the time when we put up our camping stuff and drag out our ice fishing gear.
I've been bragging about that new ice hut that's on sale down at the fish store. Lin has been sympathetic, but hasn't conceded that it is something we need.I think I'll surprise her with a new ice hut for Christmas! I have already surprised her with a new Garmin GPS complete with a topo map of the whole state of Alaska. She desperately needs it for running the swamps during moose season.
Only fear of too many surprises for her has prevented me from purchasing the ice hut for her.It seems like I can faintly remember threats last year when this subject came up. I vaguely remember something about me sleeping in it if I did.?? Naw, must be my old memory slipping a bit.

Bad Boy Grizzly

2007-11-09T19:44:00.000-09:00

These are a couple of pictures of Joe Mandurano and I. Joe is the one riding the bear.

I have more pictures and a DVD if anyone is interested. I can e-mail the pictures or the DVD is $10. Let me know if anyone is interested.

Bubba Hunt "Walking The Wilderness Trail".

Over at Last

2007-11-05T18:57:00.000-09:00

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November 03, 2007
It's Over At Last
Many nights a year we have bears of all sizes and types come through our yard. 99% of the time they nose around for a while looking for something to eat. We keep our garbage put up and leave nothing for them to eat, so they wander off back into the woods. We have never had a problem with them. We don't have a dog because we like for the moose and bears to come through. It's a nice thing to know that they still can roam freely here without causing any undo stir. That's the way we want it.The problem is some of the folks on the mountain are lazy and don't haul their garbage off regularly. They leave too much out for hungry bears to get into. Soon the bears learn how easy it is to get garbage than berries or fish. They get acclimated to human food and loose their fear of humans.
That is basically the problem we had this week. As I have stated, a big grizzly has been hitting our next door neighbors freezer that was kept under the deck. It was not either of us that caused the big bear to learn that freezers were full of food. It had been trained to scrounge on human food and garbage.
The fact of the matter is the bear had lost normal fear of humans, and was determined to raid what ever he could.This old boar was about 900-1000 pounds and the most awesome, and horribly intimidating bear I have ever seen.I was able to drive over, get out of my truck and either shoosh him, or shine my light on him. He would leave and usually stay gone the rest of the night.He would wander off down the road and tear into another neighbors freezer.Most of the people on the mountain keep their freezers outside in a shed or under the decks.
I have two freezers in my shed and two more on my deck near my kitchen sliding door.We have never had a problem. We have always kept our garbage locked up, so as to not attracted the bears. We don't mind for the bears to stay down in the yard, but we don't want them on the porch rubbing their big wet noses on the sliding glass door.For 15 years we have had no problem with the bears, and have enjoyed finding their tracks in the yard when they came through.
This last week has been very stressful. The big grizzly boar had been hitting the next door neighbors freezer every night.Every night the neighbor gal would call me and say the bear was chomping food right under her feet in the freezer.Her husband was out of state, and she was alone with two little kids. She had nothing more than a piece of glass of her sliding door between her and the bear. It scares me just to think of how bad of a situation it was. That's why I would go over and try to run the bear off. She bought a new freezer and we put it in her shed. We moved most of the meat into the new freezer. If we could have had one more day, we would have all of the food transferred to the new freezer, and then maybe no more bear problems.Or then maybe the bear would have broken down the glass door. It was a scenario I personally could not live with.
I had called the local Fish and Game officials, and state troopers and told them of the graveness of the situation. I had called almost everyday requesting assistance on what to do. I asked them to put a live-trap cage out and catch the bear before bad things happened. They had put the traps out before. I also told them I wasn't going to allow the bear to hurt anyone if I could help it. They had a lot of advice, but stated that they weren't going to camp in the driveway to stop the bear. They also told me if I had to "let the air" out of the bear, then go ahead and do it. They all said that I was to skin the bear and give them the head and hide.
I explained many times that it wasn't my responsibility to manage bear problems. They told me that they were too busy to deal with these problems. These bear problems occur every night and they could no way cover them all.The real problem is we have far too many grizzly bears here.
I can't even say how many bear-people encounters we have in a week.The Fish and Game experts fail to even try to manage the bear population. They just let the "Defense of Life and Property" clause of the law regulate how many bears are killed due to people encounters.This is a sorry way to manage bears.They were causing me to have to make those life and death decisions for this big mean bear.
This bear was not afraid of anything, including me.I was able to run him off for 4 nights. Usually after I got the call at 2:00 AM. I would have to get dressed and drive next door and do my best to shoosh the bear away. It was a very dangerous thing to do. Every night I put my life on the line in a very ugly situation. I didn't like it at all. If I had just one more day, maybe we could have had the freezer moved. Unfortunately it didn't work out that way.
Last night I took a friend, with nerves of steel to back me up. I had told him that the bear was beginning to resist being shooshed, and I was afraid he was going to charge me in the dark. I am no "chicken", but I do know how to read bear posturing and body language. I am no stranger to dealing with bears either.
It is almost impossible to stop a bear of this size at close range. It was a very dangerous place to be in.
The bear came in at 11:30 PM, walked over to the freezer and flipped it over as if it were a pancake. He ripped off the door and proceeded to rip up the food.We stepped out of the truck and the bear took a mouth full of food and wandered over to the brush.
Every night for a week, the bear would leave and not come back. Instead he would hit others freezers in the neighborhood.I figured he was gone for the night.
We got out of the truck with our guns, and walked down the drive way. We were going to turn the freezer back upright and put the frozen food back inside.This time it was different. When we were about ten yards from the freezer, the big bear came out of the brush, quickly covered 20 yards and was within 25 yards of us.
It was plain that he was going to fight us for the food. He roared and put his massive head down for the charge, as I have seen bears do many times. It was no question what was coming down.At that time it wasn't about the freezer, it was about the impending blood-curdling roar and charge. It had become a life or death situation which would take instantaneous reflects, nerves, and skill that few could handle.
I'm not boasting, but most fail under those circumstances, badly. Those are the ones with dismembered body parts.
We turned and I fired my 375 magnum, with a 300 grain bullet, hitting the bear in the neck. A split second later followed a slug from my partner, Joe Mandurano's shotgun, into the chest.The bear let out a blood-curdling roar, spun around and headed over the bank towards the river.We hurried back to the truck which was parked 40 yards away.
We would have had no chance to make a run for it. At that distance the bear would have easily overtaken us, slammed us to the ground, where we both would have died in a bloody mess.This time we were lucky.
I called the State Troopers and notified them of what had gone down. I also told them we would skin the bear in the morning, if we could find him.
This morning we found the big bear dead at the edge of the yard.We had done the job that they had failed to do all week, and I was not happy about it.
I could only think what would have happened if the gal had returned at dark with the kids, and the bear was at the freezer eating. I know that I could not have lived with myself.I hated to get put into that sort of problem, but it is now over.
We stood under two hours of interrogation by a Fish and Wildlife Investigator today. He was a nice guy just doing his job. When it was over, we were not cited for breaking the law.
A lot of local folks came by to thank us for ridding the mountain of a dangerous bear that had become far too acclimated to people. Now the kids can walk the dark roads to the bus stop. This time of the year it dark when they catch the bus.
The skin and head was turned over to the Fish and Wildlife Investigator, and the carcass was donated to a local trapper.
Personally, I am sad about putting down such a noble creature. I am relieved, but I do feel bad about it all.I know I was blessed with safety and very lucky to be here. Still, I wished it had turned out differently.It's just one of the hassles of life.
Tonight I will sleep a bunch easier. The fact remains that there are several more grizzly bears in the neighbor hood.Hopefully they will make it to hibernation without any more problems.
The bear squared at 9 feet, which puts him in the very large club. I green measured his skull at 31 inches. That is enough for the top of the record book. If that was important.
Bubba n Lin Hunt, "Walking The Wilderness Trail"

Ain't Over Yet

2007-10-31T14:32:00.000-08:00

The bear stayed away for three nights, then at 0300 this morning, it made a big mess out of the neighbors freezer.It had to happen during a miserable rain storm with the wind blowing hard.I knew when the phone rang, it was going to get ugly again.
We picked up dozens of packages of frozen food that was rolled in sand and mud. The door of the freezer was also as muddy as it could get.We stood watch for an hour, but as usual a no-show.
The gal next door called the local Fish and Fin who were sympathetic. They don't seem much interested.
The bear or most likely bears, hit others last night scattering garbage and things down the street.It looks like a large boar and a large sow with a big cub are the ones guilty of the terror attacks. All three have been seen at different times ripping things up. The sow slammed the side of a friends pick up a couple of nights ago, scaring the snot out of him. He was coming down the driveway as she was leaving. I guess she didn't want to move over.
The boar operates independently of the sow and cub. They seem to be competing to see how much stuff they can break in to. The whole situation is a mess. Once the bears learn that they can find food by breaking into things, they will always be a problem.
Some say "The bears were here first". Well, I have been here for a lot more years than these outlaws. I try to live in harmony with them and for the most part we get along very well. However they sometimes get lazy, like a lot of two-legged critters that I know. I'm going to stand guard every night until we have their freezer moved.
I've heard that the Fish n Fin used to dump bad bears here on the Peninsula, that were causing trouble elsewhere.I do know we have more bear maulings here than the rest of the state combined. It does look like we have a nice gene-pool of nasty critters. Although the local authorities won't admit it, we have far too many bears here than anywhere else. We really don't have than much growth, but things are expanding slowly.Something has to "give" soon.
What we need is some factual bear management, which we don't have. We haven't had a bear season in many years because a dozen or so of bears are killed by folks protecting their property each year.So we now have an over abundance of bears.
Don't mistake me for one who thinks we should kill all of the bears. Some of you will surely try to pin that on me.Read other blogs and you should figure that out.
I just know things are out of order right now with no relief in sight.Until then, I will spend some sleepless nights doing what the local experts won't do!I could just sit quietly like most, but I know that the freezer next door is ten feet away from the sliding door on the kitchen. Inside is a gal with three little kids that I happen to think the world of.If the freezer is moved, as hopefully it will be today, I wonder what a hungry 1000 pound bear will do??
Personally I don't like the odds.

Here We Go, Again!!

2007-10-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

This the time of a year when the salmon are gone from the streams. The berries have fallen, and the first snows have came.The nights are usually in the 20's with occasional snow and rain showers. Just a nasty time.
With all of that, the bears are out scratching for a few more bites of something before bedtime.Some of the local bears have developed a rather effective way of topping off before things get really locked up with ice. They simply come to visit at dark and grab garbage cans, pies out cooling, or my favorite moose stew.
I have heard the dogs barking the last few nights. They usually never bark at moose or anything else. They do raise cane when the bears are in the hood. I knew it wouldn't be long before we got hit again.
I tried to ignore the tell-tale barks, hoping it was something else. Well, it wasn't, Lin heard a ker-thunk on the deck night before last. She couldn't get me awake enough to go check. She did go check. Not Kool!!
The next morning the bird feeder was completely empty. She had put bread and bird seed out for the birds.I told her it probably was one of the critters coming to visit.I don't think she actually believed me.
Yesterday my neighbor lady called and said a bear had broken into the folks down the ridges garage, and ate 100 pounds of dog food. It was nice enough to leave two large deposits in the yard.
I knew it was coming!
Just after dark last night my phone rang and the gal next door was a bit worried. Her husband was off at work for a week, leaving her there with their three little kids.She proceeded to say that a bear was outside eating on something.
Lin and I grabbed the guns, lights, and drove over there.The grizz had opened their freezer, dragged out a dozen packages of frozen meat, and was chomping on it. Most of the folks on the mountain have freezers outside, including me.The bear scooted off into the brush and hid.
The neighbor gal said if I used a little "stealth", I could probably sneak over and catch him.I told her that I wasn't into a little "stealth" with a hungry bear trying to eat. I don't try to sneak up on a feeding bear in the middle of the night! Not chicken, just not real stupid either!
I called the Troopers and told them about the bear. They were busy and didn't seem to care much. I told them I was going to take a few steps if the bear kept up with the stealing. They reminded me to turn the head and hide into the Fish and Game if I whacked the bear. It's not bear season unless it is destroying property.
Once a bear starts breaking into things it has crossed the line of being a bad problem.
Tonight I will park over there and wait to see if the rascal comes back. I don't want to whack him, but I don't know if it will stay "scared off".It is never safe to try to shoosh a grizz. We'll see if he will shoosh again. Dealing with a grizz in close quarters is very risky at best, and I don't like having to do it.It's a call I'll have to make tonight. We can't afford to let that critter break into their house.
I noticed that it had walked in front of my house last night. Those big foot prints weren't there yesterday.It probably will come by and break into my house while I'm over guarding the neighbors.We'll see.
Bubba n Lin, walking "The Wilderness Trail"

Oh Well

2007-10-18T14:56:00.000-08:00

I write about a lot of things. It comes from my way of life, experiences, and opinions.I will never think that everything I say will be accepted by everyone. That is kool. I am different than some. Not just a tad, but real different.
I live a life style that has disappeared a hundred years ago in the lower 48, for the most part.
That's the reason I live here in the last frontier. I wouldn't change it for anything.
We still hold on to the old family values.
We still hang on to the pioneer spirit.
We still hang on to the belief that most folks are honest and have a good heart.
We still believe that a persons word is good and can be depended on.
We still believe in respecting others ideas and opinions.
We still live a faith based life, and respect others rights to believe in what they choose.
We respect the land and it's wildlife. We put wild game in our freezers, and work hard to see that the balance between man and beast is not disrupted to where wild life is in jeopardy.
Our life-style is very close to nature and we co-exist in a natural-peaceful manner.
Most eco-nuts have no clue how the real world can co-exist with nature. I suppose that they are so removed from reality, that all they know is what some air-head has told them.Yet, they have the right to their opinions too.
I know that those who believe in nothing,in fact, automaticly believe in the forces of darkness. Those are the bravest souls around. They gamble on eternity as if it will never affect them. Some will find out much too late.The bad part is...they can't change anything at that point.
When I brag on my Creator, it always gets a raise out of them. I guess it tends to make them a bit nervous to think that there may be a real Heaven, or possibly a real hell. Since they reject the first plan, the thought of a real hot-place makes them a tad squeemish. It's still their choice. Be it far from me to persuade them any differently.
It does make me sad to get comments from them attacking me for what I believe.I guess when that old ticker stops, we both will know who was right.
Until then, I plan on writng about my daily challenges and dumb mistakes.I will continue to share my personal experiences and sometime humorous events that we all experience, but never talk about.I will continue to share the lessons I learn and some of my own "made up" sayings, or bits of wit.
Here is one.. :telling my wife she can't do something, is like throwing a t-bone at a hungry hound".
Here's one I learned years ago.." telling her to shut up, is like throwing a fire-cracker into a hen house."I doubt if I ever would get away with something like that!
One "commenter" wrote that I was just a scared little boy. When it comes to my little "owner", I do have a bunch of good old common sense!
On the same hand, I spent the night in the wilderness with a wounded grizzly that I shot with an arrow. The next day, they bandaged up my wounds, and I skinned the bear. His hide is on my wall, my hide isn't on his.
Yep, I was scared. Still have bad dreams about it!
Keep those comments coming. I'm encouraged by the positive ones and not much bothered by the negative.
George"Bubba"Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail".

Environment??

2007-10-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

Recently I had a reader ask if I was concerned about the environment, and If I was concerned about how I would leave the wildlife for my descendants.
Well, the fact about the "environment issue" is the sportsmen are among the most "environment conscious" clan of Americans.
How could anyone who loves the wild critters as much as we do, possibly want to decimate them.
We put millions of sportsmen dollars into developing habitat, and managing wildlife in a responsible manner.We realize that the future of wildlife depends on proper management.
My Father was a Government Trapper in Northern California for decades. He was paid to keep the predator population in order to protect livestock, and to allow the smaller critters to be able to live.
You will find that in the early 1970's, the poor old mountain lion was in danger of becoming extinct. Actually the mountain lion had a very healthy population at that time.
Since that time it has been protected, and now has over-populated the Western states.
The years since then has produced generations of cats that have lost their natural fear of man to the point of not having much of a fear at all.Actually the big cats have began to view people as food in many cases.
My Father kept the coyote and mountain lion populations down to a place where sheep and cattlemen could raise their herds, and still make a living.
Today, the coyote population in California is so rampant that they have all but wiped out smaller animals.
There used to be a healthy population of red and grey foxes. Now they are all but gone.The lands where I could still hunt pheasant, quail and cottontail, are all but barren.
By not managing the predator population has all but destroyed what should have been protected.
The problem came when The California Dept. of Fish and Game gave in to the pressure of special interest "Environmental Groups", and let them influence the management of the wildlife in California.
In other words, fish and game management is influenced by people who know very little about managing the fish and game.
Most of them, who don't happen to see the "nocturnal" mountain lion, when they are in the outdoors, believe the lions surely must be in danger.
In fact "they" are the ones in danger when they take their nature walks, thanks to the over abundance of the lions.
I don't usually beat this drum, but it does kind of tick me off when a California Politician, instead of addressing his own issues, tries to make laws to control Alaska's wolves.
I wonder what, do you suppose, would happen to Alaska's moose and caribou population, should we not control our healthy population of wolves and bears?
I also wonder how the outsiders would feel watching a cow moose die slowly due to being ham-strung by wolves.
I'm not against wolves, I just have the sense to know that they too, need managed in order to keep the healthy populations of everything else in line.
There's always two or three sides to everything.
I noticed when I was in Hollywood, on the Jay Leno show, everyone was very interested in ANWAR.
I will say this about that...for some reason they had never heard the truth...when they did, it left them with a lot more questions.
Most of them felt that they had been bamboozled by people who had never been there.
I have been there. I have spent two years in the Arctic, and I've been in Alaska since 1969.
I know what's there, and how the oil companies protect the oil fields with very STRICT rules.
I expect I'll get hate mail from some of these air-heads.
I'm a big boy, I can take it.
I'm also a former elected member of Interior Alaska's Fish and Game Advisory Board.
I don't claim to know it all, but I do claim to have some plain old "common sense", which seems to be uncommon these days.
Bubba Hunt, oldbearhunter@alaska.net

Reflections of Fall

2007-09-25T20:36:00.000-08:00

If I had to pick a favorite season, it would be Fall.I do enjoy all of the others, but Fall is harvest time.
It is when the crops have to be brought in and the firewood has to be stacked.
It is when all of the wild creatures prepare for the long, cold, darkness of winter.
It is when the hustle bustle rush of summer begins to wind down to the slow, crawl of survival, through the endless frozen nights of the arctic winter.
It is the sound of a loon at sunset on an unnamed lake.
It is the sound of the clashing of horns of the moose and caribou.
It is the howls of a pack of wolves on a night hunt.
It is the song of a flock of geese preparing for their long flight south.
It is the splash of a dying salmon having spawned in the river of their birth.
It is a time when both man and beast have to change their daily routines in order to be ready for the challenges ahead.
It is a time when I look back on what has been accomplished and what more I yet have to do to be ready for the blowing snow, and the bitter, cold, darkness, of an Alaskan winter.
The camper will need parked and covered where it won't be in the way of snow removal.
The plow will need put back on the Polaris ATV.
The snow blower will need fueled and the oil changed.
The vehicles will need winterized.
The studded tires will need put back on, with winter-grade oil in the engines.
All of the outside equipment has to be put away before it is buried in a blanket of white.
Fall is the time when the hand of the Master Painter makes a stroke with His brush; spreading the reds and golds across the landscape, in the splendor that only He could accomplish.
How could one look at the beauty of Fall and not "believe"?
Fall is the time we get together and give thanks for all we have been blessed with.
It is a time when we reflect on family and friends and pitch in to help those not quite ready for winter.
It is a time I make sure that my freezers are full of moose, salmon, halibut, clams, frozen berries, and all of the other things the land has provided.
This winter we are once again blessed.
Last year at this time I was near death with three plugged arteries in my heart.
Thank God for the Doctors at Sequoia Hospital in Redwood City, California.
This Fall I am especially thankful for another year.
This Fall I am also thankful for my readers and their comments.
Your e-mails and encouragements inspire me to keep on sharing our Alaskan experience.
Thanks to you all!
Bubba n Lin Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail"

Moose Camp 2007

2007-09-23T23:06:00.000-08:00

I got back from Carson City Nevada, after three days of filming of my step-daughter's wedding at 10 PM August 19th.
My camper was already loaded and my Prowler was hooked up on the trailer.Moose season was opening the next morning and I had to be in camp.
I was up before day break and out on the trail.Day light found me miles back on a muddy trail with a lot of places where the water, in the many mud holes, was 2 feet deep.
Thick brush and timber were my companion. Neither were as bad as the head-high bear grass that grew everywhere. Visibility was down to the bumper of my ATV most of the time.I rode standing up most of the time so I could see over the grass.
The reason the grass is called "bear grass", is because they use it to stalk moose and moose hunters. They don't need to see their prey to stalk it. It always gives me a nice feeling when I'm walking or riding through the stuff.
Lin was coming to camp in a couple of days. She was driving her mother from Carson City back to San Fran, but for now I was on my own.
I don't hear like I could when I was a youngster, even with the hearing aids. That isn't kool in bear country.It keeps me a bit on edge. Top that off with glasses splattered with rain and mud, and it gets down to good old unsafe for a old codger to be poking around out there.
Bears sometimes will blow or chomp their teeth when they are mad about something. It usually isn't a good practice to overlook such warnings, provided that you "hear" them.
The best time for the big bulls to be seen was just before dark. I knew if I was going to bag one, I would have to be out there till pitch dark.Many nights found me miles back in those ugly swamps, and muddy trails far after it was safe.I knew if I got stuck or broke down, I couldn't walk out.
The worse part was I really couldn't call for help because I wouldn't be able to tell anyone where I was. I did carry my GPS, but it could only tell me the direction and position.Lin didn't have a GPS in camp to co-ordinate my location. Luckily I didn't have to use the thing.
Lin also wasn't able to go out on the trail due to her back problem. She had just gotten an epidural spine shot in San Fran., and had doctor's orders to not do anything.
My brother, Gibby, and his wife Linda, came in to camp with us the second week. It was good to have a hunting partner.Their first evening in camp, I drove them out to the muddy trail that I had been pounding for a week. Ten minutes later, Linda shot a nice bull. I hadn't even SEEN a shootable bull all week!!It was so close to camp that I went and got my ATV trailer, winched it in, and drove back to camp with the whole moose in back.
We saw several big bulls just before dark, but we couldn't make out how big the horns were. The law says 50 inches wide or more, or three brow tines. I learned long ago that if you can't be sure, you just don't shoot. I have let a lot of big moose go free because I wasn't "sure" enough to pull the trigger.One evening a very big bull and a cow ran almost through camp, but Lin and Linda weren't able to see the horns well enough to make a shot.
Gibby and Linda had to go back to work on the 10th. of Sept., which left me to hunt alone again.
The last couple of weeks of moose season is mostly restricted to no vehicle travel for moose hunting.That rather stupid law left me with having to walk from camp.
I had hung two tree-stands a quarter of a mile from camp so I'd have a way to get up out of the way of the bears. It also allowed me to be able to see over the tall grass.Many wet, cold mornings found me walking through the grass and heavy brush, before it was light enough to be doing it. It's just one of those things that you have to do if you want your winter's meat.
My tree-stands and camp were in a natural moose pass. It was a brushy, timbered ridge surrounded on three sides with swamps. We had taken several moose there in the passed years.This year was to be different.
The land was owned by the University of Alaska. For reasons known only to them, they decided to bring in helicopters and do some sort of seismic work the last week of moose season.Needless to say, they drove every moose out of our area. Since I couldn't drive, it left me hanging in tree-stands for days with the moose over on the next swamp.
My brother and I always share all expenses and meat, so half a moose is plenty for Lin and I.We did get skunked, but Lin and I had a chance to pick a lot of wild currants, rose hips, and crow berries.
During one berry picking event, I was walking on a large pile of logs picking currants, that had grown up between the logs. The bears get the easy ones and are too lazy to climb up on the log piles.
I was coming down off of the logs when I stepped between the logs where the ground was supposed to be. WRONG!!It was a deep hole instead. I fell down on to a log that had a branch sticking up. The limb broke and jabbed into my back below my ribs. If I had not been wearing a shirt and vest, it would have penetrated my back and left me in a real mess. I can't afford to cut or scratch myself due to the blood thinners that I take for my three nice stints in my heart.I bleed very badly. We were way back in the hills when that happened. It was the only day that neither of us had our cell phones.
I'm still wimping around about my sore back.I still have a chance to go back out in the late season, but I don't know whether I will or not.Mean while I'll just lay around and lick my wounds and dream about next year.

Bubba Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail"

Just Curious

2007-08-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

I noticed that I haven't gotten much in the way of "comments" in a long while. I was wondering if anyone is reading this smutt??
If not, I may shut down this blog site.
It would be kool if someone would respond once in a while.
Bubba

Turning Leaves

2007-07-27T23:47:00.000-08:00

It seems like summer just got here and now I noticed that the birch leaves are beginning to turn already.
We have had a busy couple of weeks playing with the fish. My poor old freezer is full of salmon. Actually all of my three freezers are full. Moose season is less than a month away and I'm not sure where I'm going to put 700 lbs of moose meat.
I've been knocking the arctic char dead at Dolly Varden lake and Cooper Lake. Cooper Lake is by far the most scenic lake I have ever seen.
Today I loaded up ammo for my 375 H&H and Lin's 300 Win. Mag. The camper is loaded and the ATV's are ready. I have moose fever!
My neighbor called and let me know that a grizz has been wandering around the alders just below my yard. I just went out and locked the door on the shed to keep him out of my freezers. He'll probably just rip off the door. If I hear him up to it, I'll let the air out of him. Hopefully he won't come back up on my porch and raid my garbage can. He has a habit of not putting things back in the can once he has removed goodies. I'll let the air out of him for that too.I guess that's the price I pay for living in such a place where I'm not necessarily at the top of the food chain.Actually, the skeeters, gnats, and bears are ahead of me, along with those crazy tourists that are lined up on both sides of the river for miles. I've never seen such an infestation of wanna-be fishermen. It's a wonder the bears don't get more of them than they do, and they have already grabbed several of them.
I just finished a DVD of several fishing and clamming trips.
If any of you are interested, send me an e-mail at oldbearhunter@alaska.net, and I'll send you one. They cost me $12 to produce and ship.
Well, it is getting dark now. The sun goes down at 10:30 tonight and will be dark until about 3:30 AM.It won't be long until the old "Cold Man Cometh".
I am looking forward to the snows. My wood pile is full and I'm ready for harvest time. Fall is by far my favorite time of the year. Mostly, the first frost will drive all of those hoards of flatlanders back down to what ever rock they crawled out from under.
I'll take the solitude of a frozen lake any day.

George"Bubba"Hunt, walking "The Wilderness Trail".

The Unforgiving Sea

2007-07-16T23:16:00.000-08:00

I will never know why things go bad in a run of things. It seems like it really does turn ugly for days at a time.
This last week a big charter boat sank out of Homer where we go fishing. Luckily another boat was close enough to pick up everyone. Saturday another large charter boat went down in the same area. Yesterday a charter boat went down out of Seward. The crew was picked up in time also.
Yesterday I went along on as a deck hand on the 27 feet Sea Sport that we almost rolled over in a big wave last week.When we reached our fishing grounds about 30 miles out of Homer, we were making a turn and hit something that was submerged.
We were in 140 feet of water. None of us saw what we hit, but it destroyed the large propeller, which caused a bad vibration in the main drive.We had a small 10 hp outboard kicker for trolling, but it wasn't much power to push a big boat.We did manage to catch our limits of halibut before heading back towards Homer.
The main engine could only run at about 5 miles per hour due to the vibration.The only thing in our favor was the tide was coming in, which help push the boat towards Homer. The bad thing was that we had two rocky points to get around before we had any bays that we could run in to, in case the wind came up. The cripple prop would not have been enough help to keep us out of the rocks if the wind did start to blow.
With all of those good things, the fog dropped in and we could see only a short distance. It was a strange feeling being out in the ocean and not being able to tell which direction was what. I knew that Homer was North by North-East. I also knew the tide was flowing North. There were a lot of rocky points and rocky islands between us and Homer harbor, and it wasn't a straight line. My partner and I conceiled our concerns so as not to scare the others on board. We both knew it was going to be a long day.
We were one of the lucky boats with radar and an elite GPS system. We heard several "MAY-DAYS" from boats that were lost in the fog. The Coast Guard was out trying to find boats all afternoon.
The GPS lead us through the dense fog, around the rocky points and right into the boat harbor. It took us all afternoon to make the 30 miles back to safety, but we did.
I guess the thing that bothers me most is the fact that bad things are out there submerged under the waves. Things that cannot be seen and things that can sink a boat in 5 minutes.I don't like not being in control of bad things. I know boats travel out there everyday, and make it back safely.It's a game of chance. Most of the time it's fine, but sometimes it's not.
The 39 degree water is as unforgiving as an ex wife.
I am suppose to be going back out in a few days. Between now and then I'll be doing a little soul-searching. I made it out twice. I wonder if I can do it again??

Sometimes The Bear Gets You...

2007-07-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

By some miracle I'm still here to spread my Bubba style smut.
Most of my adventures leave me scratching my head on how I managed to get away with a close brush with bad stuff. Some times it's a mad grizz, and sometimes it's a mad black bear. This time it was a 15 feet roller 4 miles off the coast.
The wind was supposed to be out of the south-east, not south-west. The south-east wind would have been an off-shore breeze that would not have messed up the waves. However a south-west wind would kick up some bad rollers that can go from nothing, to 20 feet in a minute.The wind switched so fast that it caught us in a place where we had no cove to run in to to get out of the surf. Heading to shore would have meant running into the rocks of vertical cliffs and sure death. The 39 degree water is fed by glaciers, and about 5 minutes is all it takes to stop your heart. Ugly thought, huh?
The big roller hit so fast that it turned the boat almost up-side down. It unloaded everything on the left side of the boat against the other wall. Including me and everything in the refrigerator. Luckily the Captain was not thrown from his seat. The second roller was almost as bad.We had to turn back into the rollers and head back out to sea.
It took a half hour to work our way behind an island where we were able to get into better waters, and work our way back towards shore.
We were in a 27 feet Sea Sport, which is as about as good a boat as there is. Any lesser boat would not have made it through the bad water, and neither would we.
Once I got my pants cleaned up, we did manage to catch our 2-day limits of nice big halibut and rock fish.Other than that little skirmish with an angry sea, we had a really nice trip.
We spent the night anchored in a beautiful bay surrounded by steep mountains with bears playing on the green hillsides.
I couldn't count the number of whales that we seen. One big fellow rolled so close to the boat that when he blew the air out of his head, it scared the snot out of me. I guess I'm getting a bit skittish in my old age.
These little adventure happen to those who live a bit far out on the edge.I doubt if I'll die with my boots off as some may do. I can't stand the thought of cold feet!
Just another day in paradise.
Bubba Hunt, walking the "Wilderness Trail".

Salmon on the Ice

2007-06-28T22:07:00.000-08:00

Just got back from the beach. My old fishing partner, Sid, and I caught our year supply of salmon in 5 days. We could have been done sooner, but we were having so much fun that we dragged it out as long as possible.
Our limit was 70 salmon. We had it down to an art. We used a wench to pull the net in from the bay. I had my pressurized water hose to wash the fillets. I had my generator and small freezer set up and used my ATV to haul the fish in from the beach. The salmon went from the salt water to the vacuum sealer and into the freezer in about 20 minutes. Can't get much fresher than that.
Everyone stopped by our camp to admire our set up. The camp was a big 10X20 feet tent complete with microwave oven , nice bunks, and running water. The sand on the beach was deep enough to keep our campers home, but our tent camp was as comfortable as home. The surf and sunsets were spectacular.
I did manage to get a nice tan, along with a fine sun burn. Other than that, it was one more adventure added to our long list of fun things we do up here in Alaska.
Early next week we will be halibut fishing out of Seward. We will be going out for an over night trip to Prince William Sound. We will bring back rock bass, halibut and some 60 pound ling cod. Maybe even a bear.
It is only a couple of months until moose camp.The big Caribou Hills fire has burned off a hundred square miles of my hunting range, but it has only driven the moose closer to my second moose hunting grounds. The moose should be concentrated in my camping area.Sigh...all the work will soon begin. I did build a boom with a wench on the back of my ATV, so I won't have to pick up those 200 pound moose hind quarters. Other than Lin and I, I haven't invented anything to eat all of that fine moose meat.
Tis a dirty job, but someone has to do it!
I have noticed my comments section has been a bit bleak lately. Anyone still out there??

A Sad State of Affairs

2007-06-09T22:29:00.000-08:00

Summer is here in Alaska. We wait all year for this kool time. The only bad part is the sun. It is 10 PM and it won't set for two more hours. Then it comes up almost where it went down. Picture this.. the sun sets in the north, across the Kenai River. It doesn't get dark because the sun doesn't stay down for more than an hour. So it is kind of sundown for a while. Then it comes up almost where it went down, and is shining in my eyes while I'm trying to get some sleep.
The sun doesn't go overhead. It kind of circles the sky and then dips below the horizon. It actually shines on all sides of the house during it's circle. It takes a bit of getting use to. I don't sleep well when the sun is shining. Most of the time I get back up and get busy. I guess what this all means is I can fish 24 hours a day. Tough deal huh??
I can hear the wheels grinding. You are thinking how dark it is in the winter. Most outsiders think of six months of darkness. Not here! In the shortest days of December, the sun comes up at about 10 AM, and sets around 3 PM.Not a long day by no means, but still a day.
Up north where I spent 2 years in the oil fields of the arctic, things do get dark. I can remember only too well that the sun set in October and didn't come up till March. That much darkness makes folks weird. I may have stayed up there too long from the looks of things??
The sun will be going down a little earlier by August. Then I'll be able to get some sleep. Until then, you'll probably be getting some strange blogs from a "spun" old fisherman. Also watch out for the lies. I will be telling a lot of them the squirrelier I get. Dang!! I may have already gotten off to an earlier start than normal.
I guess I'm just scratching for someone to feel sorry for me. A sad state of affairs to say the least!!

One More Bad Thing

2007-06-08T09:24:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, when I was complaining about bad things, I forgot to share one of the worse.It happened when I was dumping briquettes into the barbecue pit. I had forgotten that I had dropped the 25 pound bag of briquettes and caused a 6 inch rip in the side of the bag.While I was pouring out the briquettes, I was holding the bag under my right arm, and digging out the briquettes with my left hand. So far everything is kool. The rip in the bag was dumping a cup of black briquette dust out of the rip.The dumping of the dust was nothing much except it was dumping down my right leg. That should have been fairly easy to just dust off my leg. The real problem came because I was wearing my favorite Carhart bibs that are open on each side just a little. That "little" was just enough to catch that cup of dust, sending it careening down the inside of my Carharts. The sad results were a black leg, along with everything else. I wound up with most of the dust in my shoe.Little "Precious" found the incident quite humorous to say the least. I just can't wait until she tells everyone she knows. It will be twice as bad as it was, and it was bad enough!!

Sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you

2007-06-07T22:12:00.000-08:00

I don't know if I'm the only one that has days of bad stuff happening to me, but it does. This week has been special.I don't go around looking to get into bad situations, but those ill-fated circumstances have been on my trail like an old biting dog.
It started when I failed to drag my dirty clothes down the stairs to the laundry room.My darling little Owner dashed to the rail and flang my skivvies at me as I was cutting across the front room heading for the kitchen. All I could think of was the hot espresso I was about to create. Some how she made a ringer on the top of my head. I don't know how she was able to pull that off, but she did.The incident was followed by a round of malicious belly laughs. followed by one of those warnings about picking up after myself.
The other remarkable thing happened as I finished eating a banana down by the barbecue pit. I usually just toss the peel over the bank where the squirrels can eat the thing.Picture this... old Bubba sitting with his back to the drop-off, tossing the banana peel over his shoulder, thirty feet to it's intended destination. Sounds easy huh? Well, I had strung a clothes line at the edge also. Don't ask how I managed to hang the banana peel on the clothes line, but there is where it was hanging.She asked, in a sincere tone, if I was drying banana peels on the line.I just answered that I was aggravating those squirrels.
Yesterday, I convinced her to go trolling at the lake. Normally I skunk most of my fishing partners, but yesterday was once again special.She caught ALL of the fish. Not only all of them, but she even let me use her pole with the big flashers, while she read her book. I made a couple of passes through my favorite hole, and still didn't catch anything. She took the pole back and had a fish on in 30 seconds. I baited up and dropped my line back into the water. I told her that it was "ON"! ( the big fish derby)I was about to catch the next fish! No sooner than "ON" was out of my mouth, she smiled and said, "Yep it IS on", as she began reeling in another fish.
Worse yet, we had more than enough fish caught, so there was no point in catching any more. I tried in vain to get her to release fish so I could at least take one home that I had caught. She would have no part in releasing anything. Once she has the upper hand, she keeps on baring down until I'm reduced to ashes.I was totally skunked!!The rest of the day all she would say was the number fish she caught. No matter what I said, she would just blurt out the number.
No, I'm not going to tell how many she caught. It is painful enough already.
I suppose I shouldn't tell this part, but I had agreed to help her clean all of the rooms in the downstairs, if she beat me fishing.
My hands are sore! Not from fishing, but scrubbing. Sometimes I learn slow, but I "do" learn.I have at least one more day of cleaning, and then I may go fishing again.Before you ask, she is not going!

Someone Needs Willy

2007-05-11T21:34:00.000-08:00

I have a small problem with an unwanted guest named Willy the Weasel.
He showed up one winter dressed in his coat of white, with his little black tipped tail and nose. At that time he was an ermine, but a weasel none-the-less.( weasel in the summer, and ermine in the winter) We thought he was so cute.
He made a home under my wood pile for a while, until I hauled off most of his house. He also got into trouble down the road at my neighbors place. It seems that he killed a chicken and was trying to drag the dead critter through a hole in the fence about the size of a hard ball. I guess he couldn't figure out why a chicken wouldn't fit through such a small hole that he could get through.
His favorite pass-time is raiding the bird feeder on the porch. Everytime Lin puts feed out for the birds, old Willy shows up for his hand-out. He's not much for bird seed, but the bread and everything else gets packed to his house.This spring I found that he had taken up residence in one of my storage sheds. That dirty little rascal didn't have the common decency to go out side to take care of business. He was outside all of the time and it would seem that he would at least give me the common courtesy to not foul my shed. But not Willy!
He takes spells where he disappears for a few days at a time. I suppose he is down the street casing out the chicken house again.My neighbor borrowed a trap to catch Willy, but has failed so far. Willy does have a problem though. That problem is me! Lin found his little calling cards on our deck. Now she is thinking of placing her hands around his little neck and squeezing firmly until he is in full respiratory arrest.I am about to set a trap for Willy and end his reign of terror. A black bear broke into my shed a few years ago, and helped himself to all of my frozen clams, hamburger, and fish. He also chewed up a half dozen cans of coke to wash down all of the booty. The next day found the bruin in "bear heaven".
Presently old Willy is getting close to weasel heaven if someone doesn't adopt the nasty little rascal.
This week the grizzly bears have been killing chickens, turkeys, and ripping up garbage cans all over town. There has been dozens of bear reports. I guess the long winter has prevented the grass from growing on time and the salmon are not in the river yet, so the bears are having a hard time finding something to eat. People are also having to shoot them to prevent getting mauled.
Maybe a bear will come by and catch Willy. The only problem with that is I will have them on my deck again too.I have found big wet smears on my sliding glass door in the kitchen where the bears have rubbed their big noses.
If anyone out there has any idea on what I should do with Willy, please feel free to voice your opinion.I will even arrange the adoption papers if you like.

Just a Little Different

2007-04-19T21:51:00.000-08:00

I get e-mails asking how I get away with doing some of the tough trips back into the bush having had cancer and three stints put in my heart last winter.I guess it may be said that some of us are a little "different".What I mean by that can be summed up in what my old fishing partner,Sid, done just today.He drove himself 70 miles down the Peninsula to where I have been camped all week at the beach. Then he proceeded to dig clams with his clam shovel and bucket. Two hours later he cleaned his clams and drove himself back to Soldotna. Normally that's not such a dramatic stunt, but he is 67 and just three weeks ago he had a cancerous kidney removed. Most old geezers would have slowed up a bit, but not him.Five years ago I bagged the biggest moose of my life just two weeks after cancer surgery. I had 30 staples in my belly and had to tie a pillow to my stomach to be able to drive my dually with the camper. The 60 mile road was very rough and every bump could be counted in tears. My wife was driving the 4-runner pulling the atv trailer. So far she has had three spinal surgeries, but she refuses to let pain keep her out of camp.It took both of us old gimps to be able to butcher the 1200 lb. moose and load it into the trailer.If pain dictated what we were going to do, we wouldn't get much done. I guess my greatest peeve is young healthy couch potatoes sitting on their over-stuffed backsides with their faces pinned to the plasma tube, wasting time that can never be reclaimed. OK, I'll get off of my soap box!This week Lin and I camped on the beach. The tides were low and perfect for getting our years supply of clams.We dug big razor clams and the big redneck clams. The razors were an inch thick, 2 inches wide, and up to 7 inches long. The rednecks were as big as a large fist.Love my clam chowder! Lin has several ways to cook the critters and all of them are molicious!This Saturday Sid and I are building a new guill-net. It will be 60 feet long and 12 feet deep. We will put it in Cook Inlet in June and catch our 75 salmon in about three days if things are slow. It could take only one day if things get out of hand.I take my vaccum sealer machine and freezer to fish camp . We clean the salmon, seal them up and have them in the freezer within 20 minutes.Lin has many receipes for salmon;baked, barbequed, salmon patties, salmon chowder, smoked,canned, and dozens more.Some of you have asked where we live. Well, it's on the Kenai River 4 miles upstream from Soldotna, on the Kenai Peninsula. It is 150 miles from Anchorage, across the Turnigan Arm.While I'm at it...rain, snow, darkness of winter, icy roads, blizzards,pain, or just plain cold, never are in the equation of whether or not we are planning to go have an adventure. I should also mention that I called my Cardiac Doctor from the beach this week and rescheduled my appointment for two more weeks. It was about to interfere with a minus 5 clam tide, and I just could not let that happen!! Yeah, maybe just a tad "different"!

Spring Fever

2007-04-12T16:59:00.000-08:00

Here it is almost mid-April and spring has shown some signs of being around the corner. It has been below freezing for so long that I can hardly remember when it was above.I have been told that my memory is so bad that I can't remember half of the things she sends me to the store to get, unless it's sporting goods.Anyways, it finally warmed up and things are now in pud muddles ( mud puddles).This is the time I take the studs off of the vehicles, which I did. It snowed last night and is supposed to snow more this next week to show me that I made another stupid mistake again.My most memorable event came when I was laying under the back of my truck. The ground was still frozen and I placed a piece of plywood down to keep me off of the ice. The only problem was that a small stream was running under the plywood and down the driveway. When I rolled over to put the floor-jack under the axle, the plywood flexed down allowing the small stream to flood my nice dry plywood. That event triggered the "ice water down the neck" reflex, causing me to jump. It's not easy to jump up while laying on your back under a truck, but jump I did!My head hit the end of the spring shackle, which is made of really hard steel. I raised my hand to rub the knot on my head and it hit the tail-pipe, which caused a ton of dirt to fall into my eyes. I then rolled over to wipe the dirt out of my eyes and banged the fender which caused a fist full of snow to fall down my neck.I crawled up the steps of the house and into the bathroom to wash the crud out of my eyes. My dear little wife had it in her heart to sympathize with me by saying,"It looks like things are going well, Hon"!Believe it or not, I did manage to get the job done with only a few more sad events.Presently I'm packing the camper for the low tides next week. We will be sneaking off to our secret beach to dig those big razor clams. We'll be camping for five days on the beach just above the high tide line. Clamming is one of our favorite passtimes, and something we do a lot during the summer. We are getting an early start this year.Soon we'll be cruising a remote lake looking for bears on the beach, and then fishing for lake trout in the upper Kasilof River. Then it's set-net time for salmon in June, followed by fishing the Kenai River in July.Somewhere in there, we will need to spend a few days cruising Prince William Sound for rock fish and halibut.Then in August it's moose season with a month camped out in the mountains. I guess I should mention the week we'll be spending over on the Alaskan Peninsula in September wacking a couple of grizz.Sometimes I get sooo bored!

Alaska Fish Hunting

2007-03-18T19:49:00.000-08:00

Most outdoorsman either go fishing or hunting. Some of us do both at the same time.Before you conclude that I have spent too much time out in the cold this winter and possibly froze what brain I have left, allow me to clear up that statement.First of all, I'm having a lot of trouble with the "global warming" theory. I have been stomping around Alaska since the spring of 69, and this has been the longest dad-blasted cold snap that I can remember.It is supposed to be getting a tad warmer on the Kenai this time of the year. However it reminds me of all of the years I lived in Fairbanks and Tok Junction. I can't even remember the last time it was above freezing. That's normal in the Interior of Alaska, but not here.I guess I shouldn't complain because the ice is 3-4 feet thick, which means I'll be ice fishing a lot longer than normal.I really do miss trolling in real water though.Having said that, I have had to make some serious adjustments.I have been fishing a beautiful lake in the Kenai mountains since December. It is full of rainbows, kokanee, and some very large lake trout. Needless to say, I have developed a fine taste for lake trout.Many days I have sat on a bucket stareing down into 150 feet of water beneath the thick ice. Some days the fish are there and some days they are off visiting other fish relatives somewhere in another part of the 3 mile long lake.Usually the temperature is hanging somewhere in the single digits above or worse, below zero.I have found that the old "hindermost parts" were not insulated enough to keep from freezing and almost sticking to the old bucket.All of those painful circumstances caused me to come up with a few ingenious things to help stack the odds a little more in my favor.I bought a nice "Hummingbird" fish finder for my boat. Since a boat doesn't work well on a frozen lake, I adapted it to work for ice fishing.It wasn't really that hard of a thing to do. I simply mounted the transducer, which is the gismo that goes in the water, on a metal yard stick. Then I made a power cord to plug in the cigarette lighter outlet. The power-head, which is what the fish is displayed on, sits on one of my camera tripods. All of this stuff sits out there on the ice next to the ice hole.With all of my fancy high-tech fish finding stuff I can see the fish that are down under the ice. Sounds simple huh?Not really, unless I just happen to be where the fish are. Usually I'm looking at a vacant bottom, or just seeing small fish.I can't say that I'm any more clever than the local run-of-the-mill fisherman, I just don't particularly like frozen hands, feet and every thing else I own.So...I drive around the lake with all of my gadgets in the truck. I stop jump out, drill a hole in the ice, drop the transducer down the hole, and see if any fish are down there. I simply hunt for the fish. When I see the big lake trout down there, I drill a couple of more holes and get after them.The only real problems are the transducer has to be below the ice, and the power-head display has to be kept warm with a propane heater. Otherwise it freezes up and dies.I have also conquered that problem by using one of my moose hunting ground blinds with the heater inside.Should you venture to Alaska some winter and happen to see a camo ground blind out on a wind-blown frozen lake, please drop by. You will find old Bubba sitting in an easy chair with his feet in front of a propane heater watching his fish finder, while sipping on a steaming cup of blueberry tea. I may even have some of Lin's oatmeal and raisin cookies that I will share. Unless you are one of those who "asks me what I'm doing"!!!

Just Another Day

2007-02-26T19:58:00.000-09:00

The first thing I heard this morning was my little wife saying, "It looks like another month of bad, freezing weather."I raised one eye-lid and mistakingly asked, "How do you come to that conclusion?"She said, "I just seen an old whiskered ground hog."I knew it was going to be a special day.I had managed to get out and do a lot of ice fishing and wolf hunting this winter. It had kept the "cabin fever" pretty much in check. It had been below zero for weeks and weeks, after months of snow stacking up everywhere. Lin went fishing with me whenever it wasn't too cold, but lately it had been too cold for anyone with brains to be out there. That fact excludes me most of the time.The bad part is she has been exposed to the "cabin fever" virus more than I was, and it has left me walking on tip toes much of the time.Today started out with the door bell ringing before I was out of the tub.It seems that the old lady from over by the main road, came for a visit. She has a bad habit of showing up unannounced more than often.She also does not drive, and is forever flagging folks down, pressuring them to buy her cigarettes while they are in town. It's very hard to get passed with her standing in the middle of the road. Actually, if you don't stop, she'll be found under your car and not in it.Today she was on a special mission. All she wanted was someone to haul her to town for some shopping. It wasn't, "Could we haul her to town" the next time we went. It was haul her to town now!I got dressed and yelled down to Lin, "Hon, I'm coming down stairs without any clothes on, so if someone is down there, they had better run and hide.It was the old "nude Bubba trick."I went on to say that I was going to the laundry room to get my clothes out of the dryer. Lin yelled back, "Your clothes are not in the dryer!"I yelled back, "I'm coming down anyways."The old gal ( she's really not that old) ran into the downstairs bathroom, and then came out and was standing looking out the front door waving her arms around and still gabbing.I sneaked down the stairs and then went on down to my office in the basement.I called the next door neighbor and requested that his wife call Lin and see if that would break up the party.Well, it didn't, so I called Lin's Mother in California and had her to call and interupt the conversation.That second call worked fine. The only problem was the old gal went next door to hassle them.The next time I see my next door neighbor I'll have to convince them that I did not send her over there.I'm sure she will spread the story throughout the neighborhood how she managed to escape from the old perverts house over on the hill.This is the most fun I've had in months, and I didn't even have to leave home to do it.In spite of popular opinion, I'm not really an old Troll. I just don't care for the old "high pressure tactic", especially when it's below zero outside.I must warn readers to "not try this at home!" It can only
be done by trained professionals, and old Trolls of course.:)

Sometimes It Just Doesn't Work

2007-01-17T19:50:00.000-09:00

Today I took the bi-weekly trip to town to get the mail.On the way back I stopped in at the local sporting goods store to check on what might be on sale. I found a really nice ice fishing hut that was camo, and it would double as a nice hunting blind too.The price was right and it stirred up a deep desire to buy the thing. After all, I could use it in the winter and in the summer.I managed to contain myself long enough to get away from it before it reached over and grabbed me and begged to take it home.I'm still rideing high on the new set of tracks for my 4-wheeler. About $4,000 worth! The new machine was $10 grand.Some thing down inside caused me to have a bit of fear on what my Owner may have to say about me dragging more toys home.So, I decided to test the waters with only a small item. I found an electronic predator call that was on sale too.I also decided to buy it for her to justify the purchase.When I got home, I opened the door and said, " Hon I'm home , and I got the mail as well as bought you a new predator call that was on sale".Her response was, "What in the heck am I going to do with a predator call"?I immediately said, "Well, you can use it when we go out looking for wolves and coyotes."She responded with, " You old goat, you bought it for you, and tried to justify it by saying that it was for me."She also said, "Besides, you know I don't like getting cold out there waiting for some scroungy coyote to come strolling along."I said,"Well Hon, I can go back and buy the ground blind for you to sit in so you won't get cold. It's on sale too!"That's when I knew I may have pushed the subject a bit too far!I can't print exactly what she had to say, but I don't think the ground blind would fit where she said she would put it?It's been below zero for the last month. I don't cherrish the idea of sleeping out in my track rig until spring.Maybe I'll pass on the ground blind for a while. She has convinced me that she doesn't need any more gifts.So much for being Mr. Nice Guy.

Quiet Places of the Wilderness

2007-01-12T20:55:00.000-09:00

We just went through a month of sub-zero temperatures along with a couple of feet of snow.However today it was 35 above. Can you believe that? 30 below to 35 above in 24 hours!It didn't take me long to get on the line looking for a fishing partner. My neighbor, Tom, is usually always ready to jump and run at a minutes notice. That's just what we done.I keep my truck hooked up to the trailer with my Arctic Cat track rig loaded. I keep my fishing gear in the box in back. The poles, auger, propane heater, chairs, are all in the box. All we do is make a thermos of coffee and throw a couple of sandwhiches together, and we are off. I have this procedure down to a couple of minutes.We also have our survival gear in case something goes bad. We never have had to use it, but this country doesn't give second chances. With our gear we could easily spend a night or two out on the ice. I have good cell phone coverage and several friends that could come and rescue us if things got nasty. I even carry a GPS. I could call in the location, and a copter can come straight to us if some one was really injured.Planning for the "what if's" is what saves our bacon much of the time. I would never even THINK of going out without the gear to keep us through an arctic night.Today, the wind wasn't blowing but we had mostly clouds covering the sun. The propane heater kept us toasty. I was able to wear a down vest over my wool shirt without having to put on my big coat.I brought my video camera and got some nice shots of turning loose a couple of big rainbows.Actually we released every thing we caught. Just being out there on the frozen lake was enough. No one was there but us and the cry of an eagle on a distant ridge. The snow on the lake showed the tracks of several wolves, coyotes, and fox. Late in the afternoon an old trapper stopped by for a visit. He was checking out a couple of wolf kills. The wolves had killed four moose in the last week. They had only returned to the moose kills one time to eat before killing again. That is only one of the reasons that I don't like those wanton predators.The trapper was soon off down the lake on his snow machine, leaving us in the quiet solitude of the wilderness.Some folks enjoy the crouds and the company of the hoards of city dwellers. Then there are a few of us who would much rather hear the cry of an eagle or the howl of a coyote on the prowl. I'll take the cold crisp wind of an alpine valley over the smell of car exhaust any day.I would much rather watch a cow and calf moose feeding in a willow thicket than a soap opera.Life is pretty much what you make of it. I suppose most folks are satisfied with the rut of the city-urban life-style.To each his own.The pioneer spirit is pretty much gone in the lower states. The old days and the old ways are just parts of some distant history. Then there is Alaska...and the pioneer spirit is a part of every day life.I came to "The Great Land" in 1969. I only wished I'd have done it sooner.
Bubba Hunt, "walking the wilderness trail".I would appreciate your comments

The Run Around

2007-01-02T20:22:00.000-09:00

I'll bet that I'm not the only bone-head that has had a "run around" to end all run arounds.The only reason I'm going to share this mess is that it probably happens to a lot of folks.Recently I ordered a nice photo,fax,scanner,printer from good old Dell. It was a Christmas present for my wife who just had gotten a nice lap-top from Dell.All of my computors are Dell, and I like them much better than any of the others I have had.However this time I thought I would NEVER get the new stuff to work. I have a wireless system and a DSL for my computors.The new printer was a wireless unit so Lin could use it any where in the house.The only problem was I couldn't seem to get the wireless card programmed.After a full day of monkeying with it, I decided to call the Dell tech to help me.I had no idea that Dell's techs are in the south pacific. I am not prejudice by any means, but I have a very hard time understanding some of those folks.It took forever to get them to answer the phone, and when they did, I explained what my problem was.Once I spent an hour trying to communicate my needs, the tech said that I needed to talk to some one in tech-support.I told him that was who I thought he was. He said no, but he would give me another number to call,but first he would give me a "case number". I promply called the new number, went through all of the options, and was put on hold for another half an hour.I jumped through all of the new set of hoops, and was told that I still needed to talk to someone else, but first I needed a new "case number".You may think I'm exaggerating, but I jumped through all of the new hoops again and was given more new "case numbers". I wound up with six "case numbers" before I got someone who could communicate with me.He was a nice chap who was able to help me down-load the datta I needed to make the wireless work. The only problem was now the new printer would not power-up.The nice tech said he would send me a new replacement, which should take only a few days. He was nice enough to give me a "case number", and his name so I could call back.I now had seven case numbers!Today I got the new printer. I called the tech, who was not available, but the new tech informed me that I needed to talk to a different department. But first, of course he would give me a case number to expedite the process. I immediately thanked him for the new number and called the number he gave me . It was the first number I had been given??Back to square one!This process went on all day. I now am the proud owner of 14 case numbers, but I did finally get a tech to help program my system. It works great!You would think my troubles were over. Not so!! I still have a dead printer sitting here in front of me that needs to be shipped back.All I now really needed was a "shipping slip" to stick on the box. Simple, huh?Well, I just completed 3 more hours talking to everyone in Manilla, and I have 6 more case numbers.The last chap, that I waited 30 minutes to get to talk to, informed me that I was going to have to call back during regular working hours tomorrow. However he would give me a "case number" to expedite the process.Tomorrow I will get back after this mess. I don't know how many "case numbers" that I'll wind up with.I'll let you all know how it turns out, but first let me give you a "case number", so you won't forget

Frozen Wilderness

2006-12-15T22:52:00.000-09:00

The morning broke clear and crisp on the frozen ice of Spirit Lake. A bald eagle watched us fish from his perch in a spruce tree 75 yards away. Suddenly there was a swoosh of wings and we were one less fish.The eagle had slipped in and stolen one of our rainbows that we had placed on the ice next to our fishing holes.We had been catching and releasing fish for several hours. Most of the time we take home only 4 fish each. We never take more than we will eat at one meal. It's not that frozen rainbows and silver salmon ( cokanee) aren't good, it's just that when we want fresh fish, we go fishing.I learned years ago that if you are invited out to breakfast in the winter, you had better dress warm. It means that you are about to partake in some fresh-cooked trout out on some frozen lake.Early cold weather has frozen the lakes a month earlier this year. As soon as I got back from the cardiac unit in Redwood City, California, I was loading my Arctic Cat Prowler getting ready. Since I have tracks, cab, heater, etc on the Cat, I'm set up to do some back-woods hunting and fishing in comfort.I always take a propane tank, double propane burner heater, lunch, hot tea and anything else I decide.We believe in having a good time no matter what the weather decides to do.The wind is the only thing that can make things nasty. We usually hang a tarp on the side of the Cat, and set up out of the wind.I don't like to use my ground blind because it blocks the view, and we enjoy watching moose, eagles and what ever else comes to visit.The trail into Spirit Lake is about 3 miles, and then another mile over the ice to our favorite fishing place.Today I had my neighbor Tom with me. My other fishing partner, Sid, is planning on another fishing trip in a few days.Don't know if I can make it a "few days". Tom and I probably will slip out there again this week-end after I get my Christmas tree cut.If you are wondering, I don't go if it is below 20 degrees. It's just too much trouble to keep the ice from freezing in our fishing holes. The ice yesterday was a good two feet thick and plenty thick enough to drive across.I don't care for thin ice. I don't EVEN want to think about breaking through the ice miles back in the bush.That would probably ruin an otherwise fine day. Just another day in paradise.

Still Kicking

2006-12-08T18:45:00.000-09:00

Just got back from SFO. It didn't take the Doc's at Sequoia Hosp. in Redwood City very long to take care of business.I am now the proud owner of three new stents. I was lucky again dodging three bullets.So far the medication is not working too hot, but I'm doing some experimenting with it.Since I got the three "medicated" stents, I have found that they too are killing folks. Hopefully I will be one of the lucky ones. The Doc's said the risk was worth the benefits. We'll see!I'm not going to let it slow me down much. I hear the ice is three feet thick and the fish are hungry. Soon as I get over this California Crud ( flu ), I'm headed for the lake. I'd already be gone, but my old fishing cronies are afraid to catch the crud from me.Thanks to all of you that were praying for me. Your e-mails are always encouragingBubba

A Little "Yankin" of the Chain

2006-11-05T12:51:00.000-09:00

Most of the time I try to write about happy things because I believe humor can be found in most every situation.Today I'm inspired to change the tone a bit.I have too many friends who have forgotten how to live.Some are over 60 like me, and some are not even 40.When I was a kid I thought that when I got "over the hill" I would probably stop going out, and kick back and take it easy.That is what most folks done that I knew. My Dad was getting ready to go on a bear hunt when he passed away. He wasn't about to slow down and hang it up.I have learned, to my amazement, that "slowing down" doesn't have to be the case. For all of you youngsters I have some news for you. When the years seem to be catching up on you, it doesn't have anything to do with your desire to hunt, fish, hike, play football, or anything else.I can almost hear the old codgers saying, " Yeah, but I can't walk very far, or my old legs are too shakey."Another excuse is," My old arthritis is too bad for me to do anything."Some old gassers have told me that I probably didn't have any "ailments" to slow me down.Well, I had to have surgery to have cancer cut out. It took me almost three years to get things half way back to normal. Every morning I have to massage my hands to get them loosened up from arthritis, so I can tie my shoes. I've got a pinched nerve between my shoulder blades that is driving me nuts. I guess packing moose quarters hasn't helped it much.It would be easy to waste space on pain. We all have our share, and when the old carcass gets more years on it, it only gets worse. How you handle it is what's makes the difference.It's all too easy to let pain make you get "old" in your head. It's all too easy to sit back and give in to it. Once you do, it's all over for you. Once you let pain slow you down, it also slows your metabalism, and once that happens everythings comes to a screeching halt. Once you become "inactive", you sign your "death warrent".Too many folks retire, set down, become inactive and are dead in a year. They work all of their lives to be able to kick-back, and the "kicking-back" slows them down. The pounds pack on, the circulation slows down, the muscles began to weaken, and soon life gets soo tired.Life is much too short anyway. Why waste time making excuses on why you have decided to grab the old recliner, instead of getting out and doing what you USED to do?I erased the word "CAN'T" from my vocabulary many years ago. If you are hanging out with a bunch of "can't" people, it's time you had a big change of friends.If you have been reading my posts, you'll soon see than instead of slowing down, I have just rigged up my atv with tracks. In a couple of days I'll be out there hunting wolves with another old geezer who hasn't given up.Right now I'm counting the days until the lakes freeze up so I can get out there and yank those rainbows and silver salmon out of the ice. I can do it and I'm going to do it. Yeah, old "pain" will tag along, but he will have to wait to torment me. I have always been as stubborn as a mule, and I refuse to let this "body" dictate what I'm doing.Today it's zero out side. I am pre-heating my atv and truck. As soon as I'm done with this blog, I'm getting out there and loading the atv on the trailer, in case I may need to go play.I will never croak in a hospital, and the thought of an old-age home scares me worse than a mad grizz. Besides, if I was in a rest home, I would be driving all of the others nuts "talking" about bear hunting.One old codger I know was a truck driver most of his life. I hate to visit with him because all he talks about is a "run" he made 50 years ago. He drives me nuts trying to carry on a conversation. I know that I would be as bad as him if I didn't contain myself.I tell youngsters that I have a 40 year handicap. I am a 23 year old in a 63 year olds body. As far as I'm concerned they can stuff that 40 years. My mind and attitude is still 23. My outlook, goals,and dreams are as eternal as my spirit.As I wrote in my book, "The Wilderness Trail", " My Heart belongs to my Family, My Soul belongs to my GOD, and My SPIRIT belongs to the wind and the wilderness.I, as you, don't know when our number is up, but I'll tell you one thing...I'll have my hunting boots on!

Bad Things Happen

2006-11-04T21:01:00.000-09:00

Last week I got the new set of tracks for my Arctic Cat Prowler. My sweet little owner finally gave her approval.I had mentioned how happy I would be if I had tracks to go ice fishing this winter.Being the clever rascal that I am, I didn't do what I usually do, which is look sad until she came through.That approach had worn out years ago. Instead I just mentioned it in passing and spent hours on the web looking for a nice set of tracks.Being the sensitive gal that she is, she let it ride for a couple of weeks. Then one evening she said, " Well I guess if you want those tracks, you'd better get them ordered before winter is over."It wouldn't have been possible to contain the glee, but I really did try. It was probably over-shadowed by the way I dove down the stairs to get to my computor. I don't think I hit more than two of the steps.She yelled down," If you break your neck, the tracks won't do you much good."The tracks arrived a couple of days ago and I used my neighbors shop to install them.The first bad thing to happened was I drove the machine into the shop only a couple of feet inside of the door.That wasn't so bad because I had plenty of room. The problem came when I set up the light pole, with the two 500 watt lamps in that 2 feet of space. That even wasn't too bad. The problem came when I tried to slip between the lamp post and the front of my machine. It seems that the hook on the wench caught on the front of my trousers, holding me firmly. The lamps were at my back-side with a full 1000 watts of power.Have you ever tried to back up to two 500 watt lamps? Well, there I was, hung up on a wench hook with my "hind-end" toasting. Since the wench cable was rated for 3000 lbs, there wasn't much danger of breaking it, so with a great lunge I managed to rip off one of my pockets.The event ended with a little dance and the dropping of the trousers.I barely got my pants back up when my neighbor returned and asked how I was doing.My reply was, " Not too hot". I told him what I had done, which was a mistake. It seemed to bring a lot of joy to his heart.I wasn't able to really look at my machine with the tracks on it, because it was dark. I did drive it home and parked it in front of the house.The next morning it was 6 above zero. I went to the window to admire my work and couldn't see the machine very well. I walked out on the porch wearing little more than my shorts and slippers to have a quick look.You guessed it! The door locked behind me. I'm glad that I live in a wooded area where no one could see me. It may have looked strange for an old geezer running around looking for the spare house key, wearing little more than his pelt.I also made the mistake of telling my brother, Gib about it. He also seemed to get some enjoyment out of my miss-adventure.I don't run around looking for bad things, but sometimes they still seem to catch me at moments when I least expect them.I thanked my little Honey for the tracks, and told her that I would consider them my Christmas and next Birthday present.She always has a way of saying the nicest things..." Consider it to be all of your next 20 years of Christmas and Birthday presents."How Kool is that!! I don't have to shake presents for the next 20 years!

The Predator

2006-10-13T18:56:00.000-08:00

Some where in the pre-dawn darkness a hunter begins to stir. It is the opening day of season, and he has been waiting all year for this moment. His rifle has been sighted in and his ammunition has been loaded down to a tenth of a grain of powder. He has studied the charts and knows exactly where to put the bullet. He has gone over the stalk and the trigger squeeze a thousand times in his mind.
He has spent the extra money for the best camo and scent blockers. He has taken every precaution to prepare everything possible in his favor. He is ready.
He puts on his day-pack, shoulders his rifle and slips off into the darkness. Now he is one with the wilderness.
Every sound, every movement will be tested. He will be aware of the direction of every early morning whisp of wind. He will carefully choose every step that is taken, while watching for sticks or rocks that may move and make a sound. He has become as wild as the quarry that he seeks. He has given in to the instincts of the predator, and become the hunter.
Most people never have a desire to go into the woods to hunt. Most people would rather take pictures than shoot an animal. I certainly don’t have a problem with that. Everyone has their own way of looking at nature, however there are a percentage of us who enjoy hunting. We not only enjoy hunting, but we are driven by the passion for it. It is an obsession for some of us as much as we don’t like to admit it. It’s hard to concentrate on anything else. It has caused a lot of heartaches for those who live in the same house with us, too much of the time. Those who don’t have the passion can never understand why we act the way we do. I really don’t think that we fully understand those forces inside us, which seem to drive us into the wilderness, with all of the passion that it does.
It is only recently, after 63 years, that I have begun to understand it myself.
I have often thought that it was putting meat in the freezer that motivated us. That was a good idea, but it wasn’t all of the answer. I have thought that it was the love of the wilderness that kept us going out there. I think we can all agree that we do love to be in the woods as much as we can. That was also a good thought, but it still wasn’t all of the answer. I have tried to justify it by saying that it was the challenge of the hunt and the desire of trying to out-wit the game, but I knew that too, wasn’t enough.
I have come to the conclusion that in the hearts of some civilized people lives an active, driven, predator instinct. Maybe it is there in most people, but in some of us, it's a very strong, dominating force.
It isn’t something we can turn on or off at will. It isn’t something that we can talk about very easily, but it is something we have to deal with all of the time.
I have had times when it has hard to concentrate on my job, or doing simple chores around the house. Every moment that I could spare was either hunting, reading about it, or watching it on TV. I don’t say this with a sense of pride, because it has been a real problem for me.
I have tried to put it aside long enough to at least socialize with other people. The problem I had was all of the people that I would invite over for a BBQ were hunters too, and that was all we could talk about.
My wife is an avid hunter, but not as obsessed as I am. She likes to talk about it too, but not all of the time. I am lucky to have a wife who likes to hunt, but not all of you hunters out there can claim that.
Some how we must deal with that critter inside and not completely let it run our lives. Some how we must find a way to be able to focus on something else at least part of the time.
While you are trying to get a grip on yourself, I think I will go check out the scope on my rifle, because it's only 11 months until moose camp!
Bubba Hunt, yep, that IS my real last name.:o)

Old Man Winter Cometh

2006-10-07T20:15:00.000-08:00

This morning A nice bull was standing in my driveway. I tried a few grunts and he ran like a whipped dog. I suppose a bigger bull had just finished tuning him up. Then again, he may have been tormented by one of the neighborhood grizzly bears.
We seem to have an abundance of them.
My next door neighbor hasn't had any more bears tearing up his yard lately, but it isn't over yet either.
I'm having 6 cords of wood delivered in a couple of weeks. I just can't wait to get busy splitting that stuff. Stacking is also a hassle, and I'm not crazy about that either.
I can't complain though with the price of Propane as high as it always is.
The rains have been going on for weeks and the snow line keeps creeping down the mountains.
There is a crispness in the air and the darkness is a little longer each day. Winter is as sure as the growing darkness.
I have been working feverishly getting things put away and covered up before the snows bury them for the winter.
Winter in Alaska is cruel and painful. Vehicles have to be pre-heated before driving. Ice on the roads makes a challenge out of just going to town. Darkness has a negative effect on people who aren't use to it.
You would think that staying indoors would be best due to the cold, but that isn't the case. We must stay outside and busy as much as possible or fall prey to cabin fever, which is depression at it's worst.
Lin and I stay on-the-go with our "winter projects". When we are home, it's a big fire in the fireplace with the lights low and the outside lights on to watch the snow swirling across our mountain. We have learned to enjoy the long dark winter nights as much as the long summer days.
Most folks think we have "total darkness" in the winter. Let me clear that up... The sun comes up at about 10:AM and goes down at around 3:PM on our shortest day.
However, up in Fairbanks and the Interior of Alaska, they have 23 hours of darkness in the winter. On the Arctic Slope, where I worked for two years, the sun goes down about now and doesn't come back up until April. That is a long night!
We have three freezers full of moose, salmon, clams, and wild berries canned.
I'll be changing over to studded tires in a few days and when I get that dadblasted wood put up, I'll be ready.
It's a bit different than Northern California where I was raised, but it is as close to the frontier life-style as I could get. Some of us thrive in the old "pioneer ways", and the tougher it gets, the more we grin.
I told an old California friend that I had to put salve on my teeth and gums in the winter. He was goofy enough to ask me why. I told him that it keeps them from cracking and freezing due to the amount of grinning. He went on to ask me why I grinned so much. I told him it was better than bawling and having those tears freeze on my whiskers. Chipping off all of those "ice-tears" is un"bear"able when it's 30 below!
I decided when I was young to live my dreams. I was determined to live in a land where I could be close to nature. I didn't want to have to wait for 50 weeks a year to get out and spend two weeks in the wilderness.
My yard is "wilderness". I have to look out of the window to see what kind of a critter is sleeping next to my truck, before I go out to get into it. I get a bit nervous when I hear a mad cow moose snort, or a grizzly sow "blowing through her nose," as I walk down the stairs.
A couple of months ago I was relaxing in my lawn chair, while tending to the BBQ. I was also catching a few "rays." Suddenly I was in the shade!! I opened up my eyes only to look up and see the bottom side of a cow moose walking slowly passed. She was courteous enough to not kick me over, but not concerned enough to keep from scaring the snot out of me. The little calf stopped long enough to sniff my ear, and I was frozen in time. The last thing I needed was to scare him, and have his big mamma kick me into the next water drainage.
There's never a dull moment!

Another Day in Paradise

2006-09-30T18:49:00.000-08:00

I hope tonight will be a bit quieter than last night.About 10 PM last night my neighbor lady called and said a big bear was ripping up her yard. Her husband was on the "Arctic Slope" for his week hitch. I grabbed my shot gun and jumped into my truck. I drove over and ran the bear off. It had torn up her garbage cans, knocked over a ladder and made a big mess out of everything. I'm glad it didn't break the sliding glass door with her and her three small children inside.The bear came back and tore up everything in sight, but didn't break into the house.Today I gave her my shot gun which was full of OO Buck shot followed with slugs. I instructed her not to shoot unless it broke the glass door.In an hour I will go over and watch for a couple of hours to make sure the bear doesn't come back to do more damage. I have no intention of letting the critter do more damage. The local Fish& Game was contacted this morning and notified of the bear. They offered to write my neighbor a ticket for having garbage cans out where the bear could get into them. What are they supposed to do, bring them into the kitchen??Well, I have a couple of things I could say about that...When I was on the Fish& Game Advisory Board we done things much differently.We have a DL&P policy up here where it states that you can kill a critter in "defence of life and property".A bear broke into my shed a few years ago, and ripped the door from my freezer, eating my frozen meat supply along with a six-pack of coke.The next evening the bear went to "Bear Heaven".Well see how things go tonight.

Moose Camp 2006

2006-09-23T19:47:00.000-08:00

Another moose season has come and gone. It was a lot different this year.
I must concede my "moose getting" ability to my little wife.
She got lucky on day 2 and shot a nice young bull. I roamed the hills for weeks and only managed to get into a bunch of trouble with huge bears and wolves.
We were lucky to get back home with no injuries.
This year the wolves have taken over. In an area where moose are usually quite abundant, wolf packs ruled. We heard a pack pull down a cow moose. She bawled for almost an hour before they finally killed her. I tried to get there to whack a wolf or two, but they were down in a big swamp where I couldn't get. I'll never forget the sounds and now my wife is a worse wolf-hater than I am. I suppose we don't "hate" wolves, we just don't particularly like the way they do business.
My feelings come from many years of dealing with moose and wolves. I saw a cow moose standing in the middle of the Tok River during the mid 80's. She had big chunks of skin and flesh missing from her hind quarters. She was standing up to her belly in the water at 30 below. Ice was hanging from her legs and sides. The wolf pack was laying on the bank waiting for her to weaken and fall.
I know, it is the way nature sometimes works, but I have found the wolf to be a wanton killer. They take down animals every chance they get whether they eat or not.
Wolf lovers overlook the facts for reasons that I can only imagine. I have only been dealing with them since 1969, so I guess it doesn't make me any sort of an expert.
This year I had wolves trailing me as I hiked the brushy ridges. No they didn't attack me, but I kept a close watch to make sure they didn't sneak up on me.
Two of the griz had tracks that measured 16 inch long by 10 inch wide. There were four big griz working the watershed along with at least 10 black bears.
My wife and Sister-in-law had black bears come into camp twice. Once they were playing cards by the fire and a bear came in and "woofed" at them.
All in all it was a very enjoyable moose camp. Lots of good nights around the camp fire and a time to visit with my brother, Gib, and his wife Linda. We always have a blast, but this year was special.
The weather was torrents of rain and wind. Mud was deep and a lot of water was standing everywhere. It kept me out of some good hunting areas where I usually killed moose.
I installed a cab on my Arctic Cat Prowler, with doors, wipers, heater, running lights, and two batteries. It worked very well, keeping us dry and warm. It was a lot easier to get Lin to go out on the trail. It kept the "skeeters" out too.
Only 11 more months till moose season. Can't wait!!

It Ain't Fair

2006-08-22T18:45:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to take a little camping trip for a few days before the main trip to moose camp. It was only about 25 miles from home and it would get us ready for the big event.
The first couple of days before opening day, we set up camp and were out late and early doing some scouting.
It was raining cats and dogs so Lin decided to stay in camp while I took a little cruise. A few hundred yards from camp I found a nice bull chomping veggies in a creek. I called Lin and she drove down to see him. I'm not sure why the bull stood around with that loud music blaring, but he did. She was also singing at the top of her lungs as she watched him, even saying "Hi" to him. He was so engrossed that he stumbled and fell into the creek.
I always sneak along keeping as quiet as possible and how she gets away with THAT, is something I'll never understand??
The first day was uneventful with a hoard of "road hunters" rumbling up and down the road like a bunch of lost ants.
The second morning broke with a fresh coat of frost and the crisp bite of moose season in the air.
We were out early and had not seen much. Just before we were back to camp she insisted that I take a ride up a skid trail that only went a quarter of a mile. Rather than deny the futile trip, I gave in and drove up the muddy trail. Half way was a big mud bog. I drove on through it so she wouldn't have a reason to pout.
The end of the road was soon in view and I was looking for a place to turn around when she said, "BULL"! I looked off to our right and sure enough there was a yearling bull standing there.
Why he was just "standing" there looking dumb, is another mystery.
We got out and I glassed him to be sure he was legal, and he certainly was.
Lin grabbed her 300 Mag., chambered a round; and dropped him with one well-placed shot through the ticker.
I hooked on to him with my Arctic Cat Prowler, and pulled him out to the trail where we field dressed him and winched him up into the trailer.
I am very careful during "field dressing", not to cut anything dangerous, such as the main stomach. However she was boasting about how she had me skunked, and I was paying too much attention to her ranting, that I made a careless move with my knife blade. The sad result was a three inch slash in the ponch, which exploded with an enormous spray of green stuff. Needless to say, since I was bent over the ponch, it sprayed my face a nice bright green. I couldn't even "see" through my glasses.
Instead of being the sweet little helpful wife and getting me a piece of paper towel, she found it in her heart to roll with laughter.
Picture this, poor old Bubba can't even see, and all she can do is carry on with that volley of bouts of ridiculous belly laughs. The reason I said "volley", is because every time she would try to help, she would go down again holding her stomach with another five minutes of joy.
Finally, I can't say how long it was, she got me something to wipe my glasses clear enough to see.
I hadn't brought any water, so it was much later before I was able to wash my face.
I am glad I didn't have my mouth open when it happened...then again I may have...That could be the reason for my attitude the rest of the day. Lunch did taste kind of funny that day.
I wish the story stopped there, but it hasn't! She has called everyone under the sun to brag about how she skunked me, and the knife incident gets bigger every time she tells it.
Aren't some things suppose to be kept secret between hunting partners?
The only reason I'm giving this up is I wanted you to hear it from me, instead of hearing it from her.
We will be off for a month in a couple of days. It is our annual moose camp. I will be trying hard to protect my "moose calling" reputation.
Her last words today were, "I don't teach moose calling seminars, or compete in World Champion Moose calling contests. I don't even get invited to do moose calls on the Jay Leno Show. I just go out there and bring home the winters meat".
It's going to be a long cold winter if I don't score.

Poor Old(DEAD) Bubba

2006-08-13T10:17:00.000-08:00

Have you ever noticed how people sometimes get "locked-up" on things, and seem to stay that way for days??
My poor little Owner has had several bouts with the "locked-up" syndrome.
Her latest lock-up came recently concerning how much money I have spent on preparing for moose camp.
She said nothing when I spent a ton of money on iron for building my new atv trailer, which I had to have to haul my new atv.( which costed another ton of money). She kepy quiet when I ordered a heater, electric wipers, extra battery, running lights, etc. for the atv.
She even said nothing when I spent $2,200.00 on electric jacks for my camper.
However, I ordered a new winch for my new atv, which was a small fortune, she had enough!!
Now she is firmly locked-up. She can only say one word!! No matter if I ask her a question; say nice cute things to her, or make any statement about anything. The word is "DEAD".
Today I complimented on her cute little self, and her answer was "DEAD".
I would say," It looks like it's going to be a nice day". Her answer was "DEAD!"
I don't know how long she will be locked-up, but right now I have come to the conclusion that my spending spree is now dead. Otherwise I my soon be dead.
We have soo much fun???( This may be my last post-I still need some ammo and a gun rack for my atv.)

The Wilderness Trail

2006-07-10T10:33:00.001-08:00

Well, I thought I would put in an exert from my book for those who haven't read it.

Quiet Places
One late August evening in 1972 I climbed a low ridge above our sheep camp in the Alaska Range. We were camped in a high mountain pass. It was above timberline and the only thing that grew up that high was the thick alder brush. When I first got to the top of the ridge the sun was just going down and not a critter could be seen. I could see for several miles up and down the pass, and the high glacier peaks across the valley.
I sat there enjoying the pristine wilderness before me, reflecting on God’s great ability to create such a beautiful jewel. The sun going down had spread long shadows across the valley and the only sunlight left was a splash on the peaks. A light breeze had begun to blow through the pass and I knew the temperature would soon begin to drop. I couldn’t think of any place on earth where I would rather be. The whisper of the wind; the smell of the alpine valley, and the quietness of the wilderness brought a feeling that God was there with me. It was an experience I had never had before.
Just before I got up to leave, I noticed that several caribou and moose appeared in the valley below. I also saw a big grizzly walk out of an alder thicket above me. They had been bedded down in the alders all during the day and now in the late evening; they had stood up and began feeding. I had no idea they were anywhere around. Several big rams also appeared in a meadow high above me across the valley. I could hardly believe my eyes. If I had left ten minutes earlier, I would have missed the whole show.
Since that day I learned that there’s a lot more to see in the wilderness than meets the eye. Sometimes we miss all that’s there because we get in too much of a hurry. Sometimes we need to slow down, and be quiet. Sometimes we need to listen instead of talking so much. There is much to be said about the quietness of an alpine meadow or a lake in the wilds. There’s a lot that can be said about the honking horns and disrespectful drivers of the city. There’s a lot that can be said about the pushing and shoving in the malls and the smell of exhaust fumes. It is enough to make me long for the “quiet places”. Personally, I don’t think I could survive without my “quiet time”. It is where I get in touch with my Creator. It is where I rejuvenate my soul and clear my mind. It is where I find out, once again, who I am and “whose I am”. It is where I find peace. It is the place that I find the strength to live in this world and yet be a part of another.
Unfortunately most people will not have a clue about what I’m writing about. It’s hard to explain in words, so you must feel it inside. Unless you have been there you may not understand, but take my word for it and try it for yourself. You will never be quite the same again.
I suppose that a lot of town folks don’t venture far out of town because they are afraid of what’s out there. I can’t even imagine living like that. Most folks live out their lives in what I call a “quiet desperation”. Every day is much the same as any other day. I believe that a “rut” is a grave with both ends kicked out. Why some people choose to live a life of boredom, is because they don’t know any better way to live. I have always felt that when my life was coming to an end, I didn’t want to wish that I could have done something differently.
I remember as a kid, I heard the old folks say that they wished that they could have done things differently, but now they were too old to do it. I made up my mind that I was going to get out there and “live” an adventure every day. I wasn’t going to get old and wish I had moved to Alaska and lived my dream. I wasn’t going to wait until I was too old to walk the mountains and follow my dreams up into the clouds. I have been lucky.
I have followed the dall rams into the clouds. I have hunted the grizzly with a bow and arrow. I have hung the big moose horns on my wall. I have built my dream log lodge overlooking the Kenai River. I was lucky and found a wife who shares these same dreams. I have found that a mountain kid can live in peace in this unsettled world. I have come to know that “happiness” is a result of pursuing your dreams.
It has been said that a person can live without much food or water. They can live without warm clothes or the basic comforts of a home, but they can’t live long without hope.
I look back on my life and see a little kid with a head full of dreams, and a heart full of hope. My dreams have been as big as I could imagine them, and the anticipation of adventures, have been beyond description. I have made mistakes as everyone has. I have struggled, and gone through lean times. I have battled long months with the pain of cancer and won, and I have suffered personal loss that cut my heart out.
I have seen the mountains beyond the mountains, and I know what’s there. I have the seen the wild creatures living in their pristine valleys. I have felt the warm rain drops on my face and had snow storms surround me with a soft, blanket of white. I have stood in the Alpenglow of an Arctic sunset, and I have bathed in the warm glow of the midnight sun.
I have seen the caribou herds that were scattered for miles across the arctic tundra, and watched a big bull moose through the fog, in an early morning lake. I have walked in the footsteps of the ancient Trappers and the Mountain Men, and I have hiked the unnamed trails of the Alaskan wilderness. I have reached up to touch the Northern Lights and in doing so, I touched the face of God.
Somehow, I managed to hang on to the wide-eyed enthusiasm of a kid. I have been lucky enough to live the adventure that most people can only dream about. The only thing I would have done differently is “bought a better pair of boots”.
I suppose that the average person would be satisfied sitting in their recliner and watching the outdoor channels on the television. They seem satisfied just looking out of the window at the rest of the world and wondering what is really going on out there. Then there are a few of us that would rather be “in” the adventure than just watching it go by. I like watching it snow, but I would much rather be out playing in it. I enjoy watching a good hunting movie, but I would much rather be out there doing it for myself. I never have been much of a “spectator”, when I could be in the game.
Just because I turned 61 this year, doesn’t mean that I have to slow down on my activities. I will slow down when they scatter my ashes in the Alaskan outback. Some of us will never be satisfied unless we are in the thick of it. I guess I’m a bit different than most folks. My priorities have been born in the mountains, my Soul belongs to my God, my Heart belongs to my Family, and my Spirit belongs to the Wind and the Wilderness.

Fried Clams and WHAT?

2006-06-25T22:25:00.000-08:00

It seems that the older I get, the less I am able to hear. Yeah, I wear those little electronic devises that plug into my head. They are suppose to make things easier to hear. I wonder sometimes if they contribute to worse hearing because when I take them out, things get awfully quiet.
Last night I was wearing the little critters while talking to my owner. She has been down in Redwood City goo gooing over her new grand daughter.
I was bragging about the salmon I had cooked for supper. She had loaded up most of the clams I had dug recently, and hauled them down there with her. It seems that her Mother has a passion for clams.
She exclaimed that her Mother and her were having clams and porn-on-the-cob, for supper. I immediately said, "Clams and porn for supper"?? "Maybe I should have been down there too"!! She quickly spouted back," Clams and corn, you deaf old goat"!!
I told her how relieved I was, because I was having trouble understanding how one could get porn-on-the-cob.
She went on to say something to the effect that I was getting worse. I don't think it was necessarily about my hearing either.
Other than loosing my hearing, going blind, can't remember anything, etc., I'm doing just fine.
Bad things always happen when she leaves me to my own resources.
I wonder what trouble I'll get in to tomorrow??

Salmon in the Freezer!!

2006-06-21T21:38:00.000-08:00

I have been quiet lately due to running a set net in Cook Inlet.
My fishing partner and I caught 69 red salmon and one king in four days.
For those who don't know what a set-net is... It is a gill-net that salmon swim into and tangle their gills and can't get loose.
We put a metal stake out in the tidal flats at low tide, tie on a 15 ft. Rope attached to a big buoy.
We then tie a pulley to the stake and run a rope back to another stake and pulley on the bank, creating and endless loop of rope. We then tie a 60X10 ft. gill net to the line. This allows us to pull the net in when it fills with salmon.
It was my first time to use a net, and it will be done for years to come. It is a quick way to get our fish supply in so we can get ready for moose season.
I had my freezer set up in camp along with a vacuum-sealer. In less than 30 minutes the salmon went from the sea into the freezer.
Later on I will catch salmon down in the Kenai River below my house using a fishing pole. Just for some fun.
Monday I'm going back to the beach and dig the big razor and red-neck clams. The limit is 60 clams, which fills a 5 gal. Bucket.
Sigh...Wish I had something to do...So boring!
In two months we will be in moose camp, high in the Caribou Hills. We will be there for a month.
My brother, his wife and son-in-law will be joining us.
Last year we harvested three large bull moose, which will last each family for a year. We believe it much better than beef, with very low fat and no "growth hormones".
I suppose this pioneer life-style sounds a bit primitive to city dwellers. I know folks in California who won't buy anything unless it comes from the local store. The thought of harvesting their own food is not only unnecessary, but it can't be fit to eat.
What they don't know probably will hurt them.

Bubba and the set-net

2006-06-11T20:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I have been busy with a "Bear Safety- Moose Calling" seminar.
We packed the house out last night. I was doing some training for the locals for the North American Moose Foundation banquet next week end. I'm holding a moose calling contest for the state championship at the banquet.
Tomorrow my fishing partner and I are beginning to set up camp on the beach . We are running an anchor out about 600 feet at low tide. It will have a pully and a loop of rope tied back up on the beach near camp. We will be able to pull the set net, which will be floating, from the bank, to remove the salmon. A few family members will be coming down to get their supply of salmon.
I'm really looking forward to fish camp. We will run the set net for about a week. By then we'll have several hundred salmon caught. We are allowed 35 fish each, and more if a family has kids. I'm also doing a video documentary of the event for anyone interested. It's just one more kool thing we get to do up here each year. I'll also be digging more big clams at low tide.
Moose season is less than 3 months away. I"m also getting ready for that.
The king salmon are running in the Kenai River below my house. I'll play with a fishing pole when I have all of my fish in the freezer. Right now I have a problem of where to put more fish. I have three big freezers and they are still full of moose, salmon, halibut and clams from last year. Guess I'll be giving more meat away this summer. Such a hassle, huh?
I suppose that most folks like the safety of the suburbs of California. Most folks can't handle the stress of a long move, and being far away from old friends.
Then there are the adventurers who long for the land of the wilderness. Folks who have to live an adventure every day and can't stand growing old without living their dream. A "rut" is a grave with both ends kicked out.
Too soon we wake up and our health has left us inable to walk the wilderness trails. Too late to do what we always wanted to do and we find that our lives have been stamped out just like a cookie cutter. We were just like so many others.
I am kicking on 64 my next birthday. I came to the North Land when I was 26. My only regret was I waited so long. I have lived the life of adventure that most only dream about and I'm a long way from slowing up. It's a dirty job, but some one has to do it.

Shake it Bubba !!

2006-05-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

While sitting down for supper tonight, I took a can of coke and proceeded to pop the cap. Lin was putting the ribs on the table and not paying much attention to what I was doing. She seldom pays much attention to what I'm doing!
I mentioned that I had been using a couple of cans of spray paint to do some camo painting on my track-rig. I mentioned that I had to walk around for 20 minutes shaking those cans of paint before I could use them. It seems that the cans have a little ball-bearing inside that is used to help stir-up the paint as it is shaken. I hate having to shake those cans of paint!
I also had a can of coke that I was sipping on as I painted.
Isn't kind of funny how one gets into a mode of, say, shaking a can?
She boomed out in a loud voice, " I asked you what that wet stuff was all over the porch, and you said it must be water! Now I'll have to wash that sticky coke off of the porch!"
I tried to tell her that habits were hard to break. She blurted back, " You certainly have a full-time job dealing with all of them."
I didn't have the heart to tell her it wasn't the first time I had shaken the coke. How could I possibly confess that it had taken an hour to get that sticky coke off the wet paint on the rig.
She just never is sympathetic about things like this.

Justification

2006-04-17T20:47:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it becomes necessary to be able to put forth a few good reasons why a feller should purchase a few toys. Especially when others just can't seem to understand why you need foolish items.
For me it was first a nice 4-wheeler. I was clever enough to get it with a snow plow so I could keep the driveway clear during those winter blizzards. No one wants to get snowed in and possibly starve or freeze to death when the fuel oil man can't get in to fill the tank.
Think about that! It is no doubt a safety issue! Frozen hands and feet from having to shovel snow. Everyone knows shoveling snow causes many fatal heart attacks each winter.
Now I have an AATV,( amphibious all terrain vehicle). I bought it to use during moose season.
At 63 years of age, I don't need to be packing 150 lbs of moose meat. Besides, it provides for a nice ride into and out of the woods. It is also safe because it keeps me inside away from those mean old bears that want to steal my meat. To say nothing about keeping the rain off of my poor old head, which keeps me from getting sick.
I know very well that I save more in Doctor bills to cover the payments of the rig. I also would much rather be out playing in the mud than sitting in a Doctor's office waiting to get pills that are sure to make me sicker.
Recently I wasn't feeling well, so I went to the Doctor to get some pills to cure me. Soon I had other symptoms and was even sicker. The good old Doctor gave me more pills to make the second set of symptoms get better. Well, soon I had some worse symptoms. He gave me yet some more pills to heal the last symptoms. It wasn't long before I had yet a different set of ugly symptoms in which I was given some more pills to take care of those too. Guess what??
Yeah, I was almost "pilled" to death. The only thing that saved me was I had so many symptoms that the good old Doc. ran out of pills to cover the new symptoms.
By then I finally tossed all of the pills in the garbage.
In a few days I was feeling fine. It turns out that all I needed was a big bowl of ham-hocks and beans to get the old digestive system moving along.
I said all of that to say this...If I had been out playing with my atv's, I wouldn't have gotten so stoved up and feeling sick. I am convinced that staying outside and active will stop most all of the things that make us sickly. It only makes sense to own atv's to keep us alive.
I use mine to haul wood up the hill, get the paper, chase mean dogs, go fishing and for just out playing. All of those reasons are plenty of justification to go out and buy your own.
You can either pay the Doctor, or pay those small atv payments.
I don't know what the cost of a divorce is now days, but as I heard one comedian say recently, " I just love the smell of a new ( ATV) wife."

Bubba and The Hospital Rules??

2006-04-01T16:22:00.000-09:00

A couple of years ago I had to spend a week in the local hospital getting my innards sewed back together from a prison injury.
It was one long difficult trip. I almost starved to death, and the infection almost killed me.
The first day I was presented with a big bowl on my tray which looked like it could contain food. It was covered with a lid to hide the contents. My high hopes were soon deflated by a bowl of brown colored juice of some sort. I think they called it "broth".
Day number two was no better as was days three and four.
The "Dungeon Master,"( nurse), came in and asked me if there was any gas yet. I sheepishly said, " No, so far I'm vapor-locked".She proceeded to tell me that I wasn't going home until I had a BM.
I told her that there was no way that could happen by only eating that dad-blasted "broth". I asked her how much of that stuff would it take to produce anything.
I was instructed to get up and walk as much as I could to help the process along. I must have dragged that IV stand a hundred miles up and down that hall. I even challenged another old codger to a IV stand race. He looked at me with a frown and hobbled off down the hall.
During one trip I passed the door of an old lady that was operated on the same day that I was, and she let out a rap so loud that I almost stumbled over my IV stand.
The nurse at the end of the hall yelled down and said, "Bubba, was that you?" I told her that I only wished that I could rip one that loud. I told her that I couldn't do that good in good health, let alone with a belly full of stitches.
Finally on day six they brought me some real food. By then I told them that I was so weak from starvation that I doubted if I would ever be able to pass gas. They brought me a cup of good old prune juice about every hour on day six, and by that night the war was on.
I told the Head Nurse that I had been thrown out of the house many times due to gas, but this was the first time that I couldn't get thrown out until I dunnit!!
None of this makes much sense to me.
Recently I told my wife that I wasn't really guilty of gas, but the older I get, the smaller I get, so all I was actually doing was "vaporizing". She wasn't impressed by my explanation. She simply said that the next time I decided to vaporize, I could do it standing out on the porch.
It's snowing today and I have a real chill in my old bones.

Bubba and Buck(Green) Teeth Johnson

2006-03-20T14:28:00.000-09:00

Most mountain kids didn't really fit in the big town High School very well. The only class I did feel at home in was the "Future Farmers of America". It was mostly made up of ranch kids and I felt a little more accepted by them.
Like all of the FFA kids, I developed a taste for "Skoal". Skoal is a wintergreen flavored chewing tobbacco. Like all groups of kids we had one who was the worst moocher that ever lived. His name was Buck Teeth Johnson. I don't remember what his real name was , but I couldn't print it if I did remember.
He had a habit of grabbing cokes out of our hands and taking big swiggs before we could get it back.
One ill-fated day I decided to break him of the practice. I had drank all of the coke and still had half of a cup of ice. I used it for a while as a spittoon. I think there must have been a half a cup of tobbacco juice in the cup.
I can see the wheels turning in your mind...No I didn't offer him a drink, but the jerk grabbed it out of my hand and turned it up. He then proceeded to vomit all over the street. It was followed by a long bout of foul words that I can't print. I almost had to break his face to shut him up.
Most normal people would have stopped mooching about then, but not old Buck Teeth.
He also had a habit of bumming big pinches of Skoal. That practice went on as long as I could could remember.
Since I had a chore of milking the family cow each morning, it wasn't long before I came up with a final cure for old Buck Teeth. I picked up a fist full of dried cow manure and crumbled it into a half of can of Skoal. It was about a good 50-50 mix.
The next day Buck Teeth came bumming a chew. I always carried the can in my shirt pocket, and he would always grab it out and help himself to a big chew.
This time I told him that I had another can in my hip pocket, and encouraged him to just keep the can.
He was glad and didn't seem to notice the difference. That has lot to say about the taste of Skoal, doesn't it!!!
The only difference was it turned old Buck Teeth's teeth kind of a greenish color. Didn't do much for his breath either.
Usually Skoal would turn our teeth a bit brownish, but certainly not cow-poop green.
It took him a couple of days before someone, who couldn't stand it any longer, finally told him what I had done.
I had to carry a baseball bat around for weeks.
By the way..I graduated to Copenhagen Snuff after I got out of High School.
I just happen to have a can in my shirt pocket if you would like a little pinch.
Just hav'n fun!!( that really did happen)

Jowls???

2006-03-11T08:48:00.000-09:00

It seems that a lot of folks don't know what "jowls" are.
They are small slabs of bacon that are taken from the jaw-area of a fat pig, instead of the ribs.
Now, everyone knows! I'll bet you woke up this morning wondering what "jowls" were.
If you stick with me, you'll be wearing silk shorts.

Bubba and the "SMOKED PIG JOWLS"

2006-03-10T20:29:00.000-09:00

Last week my owner and I were lumbering through the "meat counter" at the local grocery store, when low and behold, I spotted a fresh supply of smoked jowls.
This was the first time I had seen jowls in a lot of years.
I excitedly yelled, "Look Hon, they have jowls!" I went on to rant and rave about how good they were in a big pot of beans.
She picked up two packages of them and off we went. I don't think she had ever seen them before, but my enthusiasm must have convinced her that they were a prize worth having.
A couple of days ago she put the big cast-iron pot on the top of the fireplace, dumped in a ton of beans along with a slab of the jowls. She threw in a fist full of garlic and stoked up the fire.
It wasn't long before the whole house was filled with the smell of those stinky smoked jowls and beans. I would have thought that the jowls wouldn't be much different than the ham-hocks that she usually used. Not so!!
I was informed that this would be twice that she would cook jowls. The first time and the last time.
I ate a big bait of them and they took affect just about bed-time. I almost wound up sleeping in the basement! She was no happy camper!
Today I went outside and got the big pot of jowls and beans. She had put them on the porch and they were frozen solid. I managed to cut off a big chunk with a knife, and put them on the stove to heat them up. That stunt was met with a loud volley of "bad smelling jowls" insults.
I had to finish heating them in the micro-wave to cut down the time of smelling up the house again.
While I ate my prize, she wandered around the house with a can of that smelly "room deodorant", spraying it all over the place. It was better than me eating outside, which was the other option.
She is now threatening to take the other package back to the store. This is what happens when one weds a city girl.
I shared this to inform the fellers that when they decide to take a wife, to be sure to find out how they feel about jowls before they take the big plunge.
By the way, those old jowls and beans were good, and in case you were wondering...I have the old basement warmed up for a long winter nights rest. :{
It just doesn't get much better than this!

What's in a name?

2006-02-14T19:27:00.000-09:00

If you think I would let a little thing like a "Broken Butt" stop me from going ice fishing, think again!!
I didn't say it was without some obvious pain, butt I wasn't to miss another trip to the lake.
Today I loaded up my gear, ice auger and headed to the drop off place where I was to meet Sid.
I have driven the route a gillion times, butt this was the first time I cut the corner at the intersection of the Spur Highway. My outside dual on the left rear hit the cement curb, tossing the rear of my truck into the air along with the sad remains of my poor old tail-bone. The event ended with a sharp downward slam onto the truck seat followed by a heart- wrenching stab of pain that was indescribable.
Once I had wiped the tears from my eyes, I smiled and thought things could be worse. Sure enough in a short while things certainly got worse.
I crawled into Sid's Argo atv. and we were off down the 5 mile trail to the lake.
What once was nice soft snow was now a solid frozen trail of lumps and bumps that defies description. It had been raining for days and now had dropped into the low 20's and everything was locked up tight.
The seat in the Argo was only wide enough for two people to sit. The only restitution I had was to roll over on one cheek to keep the bad place from absorbing the jolts of the rough trail. Five miles is a long ways to punish the only cheek that I could use, butt it was a lot better than what was second best!
We managed to catch our limits of fish and it was a nice crisp, sunny afternoon. Even with all of the pain, it was a trip that won't soon be forgotten.
I decided to re-name the lake from "Spirit Lake" to "Broke Butt Lake", to commemorate the trip that will forever be burned into my unforgettable adventures.
I also may re-name my home from "Shadow Mountain Lodge", to "Broke Butt Mountain Lodge"because that was the place of my ill-fated fall.
I had named the Lodge after Lin, whose pet-name is "Shadow". She hasn't taken to the name change very well so far. I don't think she likes the idea of "Shadow" being replaced with the likes of "Broke Butt". The only problem is, she knows where I sleep.

No Humor Yet

2006-02-13T11:39:00.000-09:00

I always try to find something humorous about most bad things that happen to me.
This time I haven't come up with anything funny about the last bad event.
Last week I defied gravity and gained 10 feet in elevation without any effort from me. Some have said it was a true miracle.
The unfortunate incident took place when I decided to go out in the frozen darkness and start my vehicle. I needed to warm it up before we took the daily trip to the Post Office.
I slipped on my boots, without putting on my coat, because I was only going to be outside for a minute. I then started down the 10 steps of my porch.
The really ugly thing about all of this is that I had just been out there sweeping all of the snow off of those mean steps. I knew there was a thin layer of ice on each step. However it had snowed a few more flakes on the steps hiding that thin little layer of ice.
Being in a bit of a hurry, not having a coat on, I bravely hit the first step with my right foot.
That is where the miracle took place. Instead of simply falling down the steps on my rear-end, I know that I went straight up in the air at least 10 feet before I came down on the very top step. I think I done at least two complete spins in mid-air before I came down exactly on my poor old tail-bone. Another miracle is I was able to hit each of the ten frozen steps and the frozen ground on exactly the same damaged area. If I didn't already know that there were only ten steps, I would have sworn that it was 50 feet down those stairs.
Well, so far it has costed me a fishing trip last week. I had to tell Sid, my old fishing partner, about the incident. He was able to contain a chuckle, although I could hear it in the tone of his voice. He offered the use of a tire inner-tube with a hole in the middle to comfort me. I know very well he was doing his best to contain a very large belly-laugh.
He was helpful though, to inform me that the third day would be the worse. I thanked him for the encouragement.
It has been a week and things still ain't much better. There... I knew you were concerned!!
Sid has invited me on another fishing trip for tomorrow. I am going to ride that bouncy Argo 5 miles back into a frozen lake to catch some slimy fish!
Picture this...Old Bubba runs to get the pole that is jerking with a fish on the line, and slips on the ice falling on his poor old broken butt.
What would you do??
This may turn into a GOOD BYE blog. I likely couldn't live through an event such as that!!
I'm digging a big hole in the ice for Sid to shove me down in case I do fall. I know I couldn't ride all of the miles back to the truck on that Argo!!
I'm amazed how many of my friends find my miss-step to be something that brings a big smile to their unconcerned faces.
Am I missing something here? As hard as I have tried to find something funny about all of this, I have come up empty. Actually, I find it kind of a sore subject.

Tustumena 200 Sled Dog Race

2006-02-05T16:29:00.000-09:00

I just finished producing the DVD of the 2006 Tustumena Sled Dog Race. It is 55 minutes long.
It covers the start, mushers coming into Rocky's, and the finish line. I also have the awards banquet.
I have a few interviews at the Vet. Check-in and some the day of the race.
I think it is a fairly good production for my first "cold weather" project. I learned a lot about frozen camera equipment and how to keep them from freezing up.
If you would like a copy, let me know.

A Little Humor Hear(here)

2006-01-23T16:28:00.000-09:00

The other morning I told my Owner (Wife), that I almost "took" my batteries.
She looked at me in the usual way when she knows I'm about to say something totally ridiculous.
She asked, "What in heck are you trying to say this time?"She knew something was up and didn't want to "bite"like a dog and leave herself open to a few belly laughs from me.
I went on to say that every night I always take the batteries out of my hearing aids, and set them on the the bathroom counter next to my vitamins.
She responded, " Yeah and I'm getting a bit tired of knocking them off onto the floor and having to crawl around looking for them."
I went on to say that I opened all of my vitamins bottles and put each vitamin in a little pile so I could put them all in my hand, and throw them into my mouth at one time. I would then mix up some fiber in a glass of water, and use it to wash down the handful of vitamins.
The only problem was I was doing all of this without putting on my glasses.
The only thing to stop this was the taste of something "cold" in my mouth. I knew that the vitamins usually weren't that cold.
I spit out the hand full of vitamins to find that I had almost swallowed the hearing aid batteries.
Personally, I believe this could happen to anyone and that's why I'm sharing this miss-adventure.
I had to get a kleen-x so she could wipe the tears from her precious little eyes. No, she wasn't crying, she was recovering from severe stomach pain caused from a lengthy bout of laughter.
My stomach felt fine.
There is a moral to this, but I can't remember what it was???

Adventures of Bubba-4

2006-01-05T13:30:00.000-09:00

Got my trusty old Mac back, now I can make more movies.
Last week I hit the lake again. My neighbor, his brother and their four little kids showed up. Not one of the kids was over six. They kept me baiting hooks all afternoon. Every one of them caught a bunch of fish. I believe they went home with at least 30 silvers and rainbows.
I returned a couple of days later with Sid, my usual fishing partner. It was a memorable day.
I drilled the holes and set up the heater before I dropped a line. I done it so I would be ready when the fish started. The only mistake I made was involved in a pee after I dropped the first bait.
I should have known better than that!! As luck would have it, just as soon as I was busy, the pole dove almost into the hole. I yelled at Sid, who scrambled to grab it. I don't know why he found it in his heart to hand me the pole, because I certainly wasn't done. I did try to pull the fish out of the hole, which was a major mistake with a fish that big. I can say with all honesty, that it was the biggest rainbow I have ever seen come out of that lake. It almost wouldn't fit in the ice-hole. My efforts to pull it out with one hand full of clothes, ended up with a sharp "snap" of the line. If I had been thinking, I could have grabbed the ice-spoon and maybe landed the big fish. I wasn't "thinking" and managed to loose the biggest fish that I probably will ever hook in that lake. I know it was at least 5 pounds.
I know there must be a moral to this story, but I'll let you figure it out.

Adventures of Bubba-3

2005-12-28T22:06:00.000-09:00

For those of you who fish, today would have been a kool experience.
I loaded my Hydro-Traxx, ATV and headed in to Spirit Lake today. My old dog ( fishing partner), Ron Holloway went with me.
The ice was a good 18 inches thick which always makes me happy. The Hydro-Traxx will float 1000 lbs. if it has to, but I don't like for it to "have to".
Ron and I have a special place on the lake to fish. It only takes a couple of minutes to drill the holes with the power auger. I park the rig to block the wind and set up a nice propane heater.
Today I didn't have time to set the heater up until we were almost ready to leave.
I tried using two poles but the fish were biting so fast that I couldn't use both poles.
I don't know how many fish I released. I wound up having to take some home due to them swallowing the hook so deep that it would have killed them.
Ron caught the big fish of the day with a 2 1/2 pound rainbow. Most of the fish are land-locked silver salmon that run about a pound.
I'll be going in there every day or so until spring.
Some of my nephews run in there with their snow machines. It only takes them a few minutes to make it. I prefer to use the old Hydro-Traxx, because I can take my chairs, heaters, lunch, auger, and all of the rest of the gear. I like a nice comfortable ride better than a fast dash. Besides, my rig has a roof and soft, spring-loaded seats. An old feller needs a few comforts.
Just havin' fun.

Adventures of Bubba-2

2005-12-22T20:13:00.000-09:00

A few years ago, while working along the pipeline, I had the misfortune to stay at another one of those little out-of-the way places. I was with one of my working partners.
We had to try-up for a few days while testing the fiber-optic controllers, and it was during the long-dark winter.
It was also far from anywhere and we were lucky to have a place to stay at best. The little log motel was located a couple of hundred yards from the restaurant. The first night, my partner's toilet managed to get plugged up. He called the Manager, who wore a dirty Donald Duck t-shirt, to get the toilet unplugged. Soon the cook showed, up in his equally nasty t-shirt, and apron, ( with big greasy splotches) with the plunger in hand. After several hard plunges, the cook managed to free the plug, and went back to the restaurant to attend his cooking duties.
I'm not so persnickety that I would let something like that bother me too much. My partner, on the other hand, got a bit squeamish. He was sure the nasty cook had not washed his nasty hands, because he didn't seem like one to wash anything.
I did eat the evening meal, which wasn't really that bad. Nasty maybe, but not that bad. My partner was hardly able to eat anything.
I requested that the cook make us some sandwiches in the morning, as we weren't going to make it back until late that next night. He proceeded to make the sandwiches right then, so he wouldn't be under so much pressure the next morning. We were the only ones there, so I didn't know where the "pressure" was coming from??
I ordered ham and cheese and my partner ordered peanut butter and jelly. He didn't think the cook could mess-up a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. He was right!! The cook did make my ham and cheese, and threw in some lettuce with big slices of tomatoes. By the next day, the tomatoes had oozed all over the bread, turning both pieces of bread to a sloppy mess.
We lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for three more days.
Today, I can hardly look a peanut butter and jelly sandwich in the face, much less eat one of the things.
Oh well, just havin' fun.

Adventures of Bubba

2005-12-20T10:48:00.000-09:00

While I'm waiting to get my book ,"The Wilderness Trail", re-published, I thought I would share a few adventures of the past. I'm a firm believer that it is possible to find a little humor in most every ridiculous thing that happens.
Having said that...A few years ago I was working on the fiber-optic controls for the Trans Alaskan Pipeline. Since we were doing a lot of traveling, we found ourselves having to bunk in many different places. Some of the places were fairly "modern", but some were a bit crude.
I remember one place, and I can't give up where it was located, was a special place. They had opened up the hotel for us to stay in because it was in the "winter", and only the cafe was open.
It was a nice thing for them to do and we were grateful.
The cook was a big sour-faced lad. They didn't have a waitress, so he would yell out in a booming voice to get our orders.
The last morning I was up early and down to the dining room. I hadn't slept very well and probably a bit "sour" myself. Being yelled at wasn't something I really needed.
He yelled at me, "Want breakfast?" He didn't say it like most do, instead he "growled it out"in a thundering blast. I thundered back at him, "Yea, I'll take BRAINS AND EGGS."
He looked at me with a puzzled expression on his face and said, "Got no brains."
(Good answer!!) I paused a moment, and looked at him before I answered. Then I said, "I was afraid of that."
"Just give me some scrambled eggs and a side of French toast."
He stood there for a minute watching two others, who were trying to eat, choking on their food.
I'm sure he did figure out what I had done to him because it flustered him so badly that I never did get my French toast.
I watched him cook my breakfast to be sure he didn't spit in it. I never did go back to that place, mostly because I made the mistake of telling that story to ONE of the Locals who spread it all over town.
Just havin' Fun.

Jay Leno and Bubba

2005-12-18T10:26:00.000-09:00

Just Havin Fun

2005-12-14T16:58:00.000-09:00

Got my last case of books on the way. It will be the last of the old original copies that I get.
The new version should be out in a couple of months.
I'm doing a "Book Signing" at the Soldotna Trustworthy Store as soon as the books get here. Probably around the first week of January.
I'm getting ready to load up my "track rig" and go ice fishing in a couple of days.
While I'm on the subject...I have a message for you old Gassers.
It seems that people are always asking me when I will "slow up." Well, I'll be 63 this March, and I have no intention to slow up on anything!! I still like doing all of the things that I did when I was 20 years old. I just don't get them done quite as fast as I could back then. BUT, they still get done. It makes me sick to see people stop doing all the things they like to do just because they get over 50. I'm not "over the hill", but I may very well be above timber line. I also would much better be "over the hill" than "under it."
Don't complain about how the old bones are stiff, or joints are sore. I didn't say that I am "pain free", but I'm not about to give-in to it! Yea, I had a bout with cancer 4 years ago. I was only out of the hospital a couple of weeks when I killed the biggest moose of my life. The doctor told me that I couldn't lift anything heavier than a gallon of milk. Well, I told him that was about what my 375 Magnum weighed. My little wife skinned, cut up, and packed it 50 yards to the truck.
That little 110 lb. gal is tougher than most men.
I suppose that I could give-in to the sore bones, but it will be when they scatter my "OLD" ashes in the Alaskan outback.
Until then, I'll keep on keeping on and let all of you old gassers get old at 40.
My Dad died the day he was planning to go on a bear hunt. Unfortunately, I know a lot of men who have resolved to sit on the couch before they out of their 30's. What a waste!! I'll be going to some of their funerals.
So much for my soap box!!

12-13-05

2005-12-12T23:41:00.000-09:00

Of course Comp USA couldn't fix my old Mac lap-top, and they sent it off to the Mac. Fac.
I'm not shut completely down though. I plugged my burner into my old Dell, and it is kicking out some good stuff.
I presently can reproduce the DVD's of the audition of "moose calling" that I sent to Leno, and a seminar on "Bear Safety".
I done several seminars on bear encounters this summer and had my book, "The Wilderness Trail" on hand for those who might want one. It worked really well. I was able to help a lot of folks to understand bears enough to be able to get out of an encounter with out getting chewed on MOST of the time. Nothing works all of the time because bears, just like humans, have their "bad days" when they can be unhappy about every thing. It is during those days that they may dissect anything they come up on.
I'm making a DVD about moose calling this fall. My DVD will cover several ways to skin, gut, and cut up the moose. It will cover how to keep the meat clean and how to get it cooled down asap. I'll be talking about how long to hang the meat for the weather conditions.
I'm also doing an instructional video on all of the ways to clean, cut up, and get salmon ready fcr the freezer. It will cover smoking, filleting, preparing for canning, barbecuing etc. I will also have recipes for salmon burgers, chowder, and several ways to grill.
I'm also doing an instructional DVD on digging, cleaning, canning and freezing clams.
If anyone has an interest in some of these DVD's, shoot me an e-mail, and I'll put you on the list.

12-11-05

2005-12-11T19:06:00.000-09:00

Well, heck, this is my first whack at the blogging thing.
Today my Mac lap-top turned toes up and I had to send it to town to get looked at. I use the thing for editing my DVD's. I have a ton of folks wanting my DVD that I made for Jay Leno this summer. It was on calling moose. It was only 3 minutes long. I intend on doing a longer DVD this winter on how moose calling actually works, and when to do it.
It looks like a lot of people are interested in how it's done. I'm not the worlds best caller, but I have been doing it for 40 years or so.
It certainly worked good this year. We got three nice bulls. One was so close that it was shoot or get stepped on. Luckily it was a legal bull.
I have had a lot of folks ask me how I got on the Jay Leno show. Well, it was by doing moose calls at the North American Moose Foundation convention last year at Park City Utah. I competed for the world champion moose caller. They got too busy auctioning off hunting trips to have the finals, so I wasn't able to win the thing. I did have the Canadians beat though.
Last July the producer of the Tonight Show called the Moose Foundation and asked if they knew anyone who could call moose. The Moose foundation gave them my number.
The producer, Steve Ridgeway called me and asked if I would be interested in coming down and doing it on the show. He requested that I make a DVD and send it to him.
I made the DVD and they liked it enough to invite me to L.A. to appear on the show on 11-30-05.
They picked me up at LAX in a long black lemo, and gave me a tour of Tensile Town. They put me up in the Universal Sheridan Hotel. The next day they took me to the Universal Studio to rehearse. I had my own dressing room with my name on a plax. Kool stuff!!
Jay Leno came to my dressing room to visit for a half hour after rehearsal.
I was the first one on stage to try to "impress Ed Asner".
Jay Leno asked me what I was going to do to impress Ed, and I told him that I was going to do a love-sick cow moose call. I had a gallon bucket, and a squeeze bottle full of water.
Ed Asner asked me what was in the bottle, and I told him PEE.
I explained that when cow moose were rutting, they bawled, squalled, groaned and peed.
He asked what I would do if he responded. It almost threw me, I wasn't expecting that out of Ed.
After the crowd stopped laughing, I told Ed that I didn't care what he did as long as he was "Impressed".
He asked me to go ahead, and I raised the bottle up over my head and began peeing in the bucket. I then let out two long, quivering cow bawls.
I had water all over the stage, and had to clean it up.
The next contestant came on to do his dance routine and Ed told him to watch out, because Bubba had left some moose pee all over the stage.
It was a hoot, and they gave me a check for $300 for coming down. They also paid all of my expenses.
That evening I flew to Jackson Hole, Wyoming to attend this years Moose Convention. I wound up having to do that moose call three times at the convention and two times on live radio at KJAX Radio. This week I had an hour interview on KCRM Radio in Kenai. Busy-busy!!

Jay Leno

2005-12-10T17:40:00.000-09:00

If you watched Jay Leno on November 30th you will have seen Bubba. He was there to Impress Ed Asner. Bubba did a love sick female moose call. And Ed Asner was impressed!
If you missed it e-mail Bubba to buy a copy of his Moose Call dvd.