F-Troop Est. 1968

Friday:

Leaddog shows up to commence another year of the FAMHC, but typhoon winds hinders any field activities. 35mph plus sustained winds say don’t leave the camp! Polecat arrives, and the two sit and grin at each other.

Saturday:

With a good crew now assembled, a hunt from the west towards camp is planned. Drivers are driven to their points, watchers are placed including now the Polecat. Much sign is seen at he starting point, a scrape to black earth is observed. Three drivers, Leaddog, Toucher and Lindy start and pushes absolutely nothing that they know of to the awaiting watchers. Leaddog finds the Polecat in the correct spot, as noticed by the new clearing that could support a Chinook Helo landing. Toucher and Lindy finds Steven and a second hunt is planned closer to Camp, with the usual results.

Sunday:

A hunt of the whole Bunny Hill is planned, watches manned yet again with the Polecat in the Notch….”Is this the Notch?!”…..Steven not too far down below. Leaddog, Toucher and Robba hits their routes and off they go! Minutes into the drive four does run right into Polecat, who finally gets to see what an Adirondack deer looks like again in the hair! Leaddog sees a mule dash out of sight into the drive towards the Notch, Toucher sees yet another up top….Robba then sees running (flying) tracks heading down the ridge, with leaves still on fire showing the way it ran. All meet for part two, and the next hunt begins, but now with a twist! Robba claims a buck with tiny horns is seen which walked practically up to him and bedded down 50 feet away staring at him. Apparently the two are trying to teach each other their language as Robba and the mule have a most interesting conversation for over half an hour! (whats deer words for “aaaaaaple?’)

Steven comes around the end of the mountain to the two and interrupts the lovefest….

Everybody sees a deer or four! BTW, the two bucks were not the same, and neither were worthy of placement on the walls.

Next week….The Great Alaskan Adventure is planned, four days of stumbling around the Happy Hunting Grounds! Stay tuned!

Saturday!

Does the cart come before the buck or after?

The crew is ready for the woods, including two of three new trainees referred to as “DIT’s”….Dildos In Training! Since it’s opening weekend, and conditions are fairly good it has been determined that the buck cart that has been stashed in a secret far away location, over 15 years ago should now be “recovered”. Polecat shanghais his single “volunteer” to assist in said recovery, the Toucher! Figuring that this hunt is the usual shakedown hunt of the season, no true hunt is planned. Watchers are stationed below, and are on their own……Leaddog with the DIT’s Nick and Jamie (handles to be earned) follows Polecat and the Toucher as the two go up high and over the top with sort of plans set for some type of hunt on the way out. The buck cart recovery duo is last seen heading down the legendary Chilkoot Pass to where hopefully the buckcart was last stashed. Leaddog shows the DIT’s some local territory, and places them on a watch up high until word is heard from the recovery team.

Excitement is heard, as the two finds their target and now ensues on the long pull UP the mountain before going DOWN the other side back towards beer. In reality only one is pulling, Toucher now has both the buckcart and the bell! Leaddog decides that another plan should be implemented, and directs the newbies to go left of the Hooter Ponds along Hooter Ridge to Camp Valley with Leaddog topping the Ridge to Camp Valley. Much sign is seen up top, and hopefully Leaddog will see the DIT’s down below after their exploratory trek. Steven is found down below, and the DIT’s makes it to Camp Valley, who are both surprised to see Toucher and his prize….the buckcart!

What to do next?!

Leaddog and Steven holds quick council, gets jiggy and instructs the Toucher (who now has three under his bell) to put them on watch, one near the Old Hunting Camp and the other down where Junior The Flatlander got his magnificent 16 pointer. Steven goes left on Camp Knob to the base, with Leaddog going on the top and towards the newbie watchers. Both veteran drivers sees much sign, and as both gets close to Jamie, the first watcher four shots ring out like the 16″ guns on the battleship Missouri!
Seconds pass, and Jamie declares “The Buck is Down”! Proper language will be discussed for next time, as “Brown is Down” is the proper verbiage! It appears the rogue not planned hunt worked in fine fashion! A fine 5 pointer (almost six) was on the ground, Jamies first hunt ever! Go figure! By the way, a 45-70 was the rifle of choice, forty seven birds fell out of the trees with apparent heart attacks and anything with four legs fell right over! Toucher is instructed to bring the buckcart back up the hill for retrieval, and all converge to assist!

Polecat ran to the barn…..

Sunday!

Half the Bunny Hill is hit, and that was it!

Pictures will be up as soon as Digger fixes a few issues with the site…stay tuned!

Wood was split and stacked. Meat was burned and eaten. Much beer and other libations were consumed.

 

Leaddog arrives Thursday night to beat the forecasted 5 to 10″ of snow that is to fall upon the Happy Hunting Grounds…upon awakening a snowless world greets him. Rain, snow and sleet (snrain) is creating miserable conditions, but a recon is still in order. Looking for the Big Bad Mean Ol’ Bear, two does are seen not too far away from camp. Nothing follows…..

Saturday:
The rangers are shanghaied by Polecat in order to get a “check the box” hunt in, and all are forced to hunt to the elusive Fire Rock in the back country. Not the Fire Ring, nor Toucher’s Rock(s), or the 15 other watches with a “rock” name of some sort. Two drivers are sent out and around, with three others hitting the “ridge” to the Fire Rock. Much sign is encountered by the two lower drivers, and the three up above are encountering the now matured woods since the last visit to this area. Toucher encounters something big on the ridge, which is using the wind to determine it’s exit strategy. Touch gets a quick glance at the beast, before it exits the area in front of Leaddog only 100 feet from the Fire Rock. Other tracks are accompanying said beast which splits as usual, the doe one way….and perhaps the buck? Robba gets into the mix and all retreats from the area with Polecat now satisfied on his check the box moment! 😉

Sunday: Lindy’s Birthday Buck!
A return to the Bunny Hill is to be performed, as it has been “resting” for some time. Lindy and Probie has the whole Notch to themselves, which is a big responsibility. Polecat goes on what could be considered a watch down below, with Toucher, Leaddog, Digger and Robba setting up and getting ready to perform the drive. As all gets ready to rumble, shots are heard for the Notch. The declaration “Brown is down” comes from Lindy, before any driver makes a step! Since the only way back to camp is in the direction of the drive, it is to be completed. Five minutes into the drive a rather large mule is kicked from atop by Toucher, which runs in front of Leaddog the Bear Hunter down towards Digger and Robba. It must be said if Steven where on his watch he may have seen the beast, as nothing but a larger body was observed by the two top drivers. It as always, seems to have vanished…..

Back to the kill….A nice eight pointer is down within rock throwing distance from Lindy’s watch! All converge and field activities commence, and the drag downhill to the yapping, talking, whining, yelling, salty Polecat (Spike Jr) is started. Piewhore and Polecat gets two vehicles and picks up the Rangers and said mule.

 

This is the usually scheduled week where several Rangers takes time off and spends five days hunting mules during the “Great Alaskan Adventure”! Since “other” things are keeping the gang from assembling at the Happy Hunting Grounds, it’s apparent that Leaddog will be solo….again. If one recounts the events of last year, a blizzard kept Leaddog in camp for almost two days. Things were a bit better this year…..

Wednesday:
Leaddog arrives at camp to begin a five day assault on the hills. After getting camp open, and things set for the week there still is time to get into the woods. Suiting up for a long sit at a spot where a mule has been patterned Leaddog heads to a “certain spot” not too far away from camp. Leaving at precisely 2:00 at crawl was completed to the watch, and the wait begins. At one hour and thirty two minutes into the hunt….the Alaskan Adventure is over. Sitting for under an hour, in a very stoic atmosphere Leaddog hears noise coming from left behind! A mule is walking less than 75 feet from the watch, and upon showing himself one shot is fired at the mule sporting horns! The mule runs towards the Red Painted Trail, two more shots are let loose…..just because. Waiting a few minutes Leaddog goes to the spot and finds blood! He’s hit! And the sun is now in setting mode, with about 45 minutes of light left. Gathering gear, the chase is on and hopefully not for long. Finding a now growing trail of blood all looks good that it may not be long before it’s found…which it was after about 100 yards of tracking. A nice eight pointer is down, and so is the setting sun. What to do now?! Dressing the mule at sunset, and dragging it away from the kill site to avoid critters from finding it Leaddog returns to camp in the dark. Calls for assistance are made with no help coming until Friday….

It must be mentioned that Leaddog receives the coveted “Solo Kill Badge”, which only until now one member has received – the lost ranger “Raven” (Jerry).

Thursday:
After a restless night of sleep, due to the constant fear that the Big ‘ol Mean Bear or Yotes will find the said downed mule Leaddog heads out with rope and a come along to hang the mule until help arrives. Finding the mule intact it is with some trouble the mule is in the air, now out of reach from critters. Polecat arrives later, a meal is consumed and plans to remove said beast are made for the following day.

Friday:
The two gets the buck cart and heads to retrieve the mule. It must be conveyed that what is considered a “Trail” from the kill site is in an area that even mules will avoid, and so will the gang in the future! After several hours of encountering rocks, ruts, blowdowns and backbreaking hummocks the mule is back to camp where it is weighed (135lbs), skinned and quartered. Leaddog will further process the mule upon return to home.

Saturday:
With one mule now under their belt, a crew of six hits the western bunny hill, with Leaddog now looking for a bear for the Toucher….It is an unusual day, as no rain or snow has been seen in days. The woods are like walking in the proverbial bowl of cornflakes, it is in fact so noisy that drivers could be heard and not seen! All mill about to attempt to push something to one another, with no results. The leaves are so dry and thick that the red squirrels are tunneling beneath with their headlamps on!

Sunday:
Disgusted with conditions, the crew performs their Environmentally Conserved duty to let the woods be and not to scare “THE MONSTER TEN POINTER” as caught on the camera only 200 feet away on Thursday night. Note that this photo also caught the lights from camp, as Polecat and Leaddog were eating dinner that night! PLUS, being the stewards of the woods that we are, we decided that if a bullet were to hit a rock and cause sparks, it may have resulted in a forest fire! That’s our excuse and we’re sticking to it!

Hopefully photos will be added……