DG719 - Research

[Stogey]

My hunting partner and I both drew the DG719 tags. We're pretty excited, although inexperienced. So, we've spent the past week researching the area, the herd(s), the terrain, and goat hunting in general.

Below are some links, tidbits and facts that I've compiled.

Anyone who has hunted this? Any additional pieces of info would be great!

Awesome story! Very funny stuff, and maybe a little sobering:
http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/mag..._from_hell.htm

The only thread on DG719 that my bud found in the archives:
http://www.outdoorsdirectory.com/akf...ting/61124.htm

I resurrected this thread from 2006:
http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/...ead.php?t=8721

[Stogey]

Unit 13 Biologist

Biologist is out of Glenallen
GMU 11, 13
Bob Tobey ([email protected])
ADF&G/Wildlife Conservation
P.O. Box 47
Glennallen, AK 99588-0047
(907) 822-3461 phone
(907) 822-3811 fax

[Stogey]

Harvest Summary

1997, 20 hunters, 6 goats taken
Transportation for successful hunters: 2 used highway vehicles, 2 boated in, 1 flew, 1 used a horse.
Time in field: 2.8 days for successful, 5.7 for unsuccessful.
When: September
1998, 16 hunters, 5 goats
Transportation for successful hunters: 3 used vehicles, 2 flew.
Time in field: 3 days in field for successful, unsuccessful 5.3 days in field.
When: 3 goats in August, 2 in September

1993-2007 Summary Data:
Reports Billy Nanny Hunted
2007 24 3 1 13
2006 25 1 0 14
2005 25 2 1 14
2004 25 5 2 12
2003 25 5 3 13
2002 25 3 1 9
2001 25 3 1 17
2000 25 2 1 11
1999 23 7 0 10
1998 25 3 1 13
1997 23 4 0 10
1996 24 3 2 16
1995 25 3 1 7
1994 25 1 1 12
1993 24 3 0 15

Weeks .. Critters Taken
10-16 Aug 12
17-24 Aug 12
25-31 Aug 10
1-7 Sep 6
8-14 Sep 13
14-20 Sep 10

[Loomis]

Stogey my buddy and I also drew this tag, and I also dont know much about the area. Ive got a few calls and emails in I'll let you know if I find anything interesting.

[Stogey]

Hope

I was hoping to find at least one more that drew the tag.

Thanks for the reply.

[akprideinvegas]

wow. my hunting partner and myself drew the tag too... dg719. we will be out aug 28-sept 8... so i have pretty much found the same info posted as well.... if i find anything new i will add it to this post. thanks guys

[kaboku68]

Glennallen Airservices/Pippen Lake Trail

You folks might be better off checking with the Glennallen-based airservices.

They know where they have dropped off clients in the past. Many of the hunters who have drawn this permit will take trails over to Tonsina Lake or to Greyling via the Pippen lake trail.
I know that if I had enough money that I would do a flyout to Twin Lakes or to the East side of Klutina Glacier. You can also fly to the top parts of Twin lakes from flight services in Valdez. They know this country pretty well.

Tobey and Becky can give you some generalized support. I would nicely call Harley McMahan about ideas.

I know that if I had a fourwheeler that i would pay Ahtna for the access and go on the Pippen lake trail that goes by Manker Creek and probably hunt the West side of Tonsina Lake-that is how I would do it.

Since we have 7 (minimum) of the 25 permit winners on here it would be interesting to see what people are going to do. I am one of them.

I annually hunt a certain area and because a very dedicated hunter got old and caught bear fever I swapped hunting areas with him. I will go in and actually spot from the ground and lay in caches in July. I will go in for real in September. I hunt solo and that is crazy but that is me.

Sincerely,

Thomas

[Kay9Cop]

Whatever you do, don't try to hunt it from the road. My wife and I drew last year and hunted from the road. We ran into two other hunters who were also hunting from the road. Neither of us saw any sheep the entire week we were there. I would definitely recommend a Glenallen based transporter.

[Stogey]

7 of 25 (28%)

Seems that the AOD crowd has at least 28% of the issued tags. That's awesome!

Hopefully everyone posts their after-trip reports. It would be interesting to see who went where and how they managed.

Good luck to all!

Rob

[Stogey]

Whatever you do, don't try to hunt it from the road. My wife and I drew last year and hunted from the road. We ran into two other hunters who were also hunting from the road. Neither of us saw any sheep the entire week we were there. I would definitely recommend a Glenallen based transporter.

Would you care to elaborate more on your hunt?
I see from your post that you didn't see any sheep, how about any goats? Bears? Anything of fur?
How was the climbing from the roadside access?

Thanks for the post, feel free to share any other insight!

[kaboku68]

Dg719

Goats are a distance from either side of the road. Once in a while a nanny and a kid will show up but they are pretty rare.

You need to get a minimum of 10 miles off of the highway. This isn't like happy valley either but devil's club and steep inclines and declines.

Many people talk about walking up the Tsaina and then going over the top of the hanging glacier to Tonsina glacier where there are a couple of goats. This is not as a high percentage game as flying in which should be your number one option.

You should only walk in if you have paid for aerial scouting which is often frowned upon by the purists but it is the legitimate reason why guides and non-residents do as well as they do. I can tell you that I do not expect any competition from anybody on this forum. There are a low density of goats where I am going but there are goats and I know where they are.


sincerely,

Thomas

[Matt]

I know it's not the same area, but what about DG718?

[kaboku68]

Meekins!

Go with Meekins!

Or you can get a whitewater raft float down the Nelchina which can be dangerous use a small outboard to go up to Tazlina Glacier, march in 10 miles and maybe you might get a shot.

Sincerely,

Thomas

[Chisana]

Meekins is the best bet for someone hoping to get a 718/719 goat. He knows the area very well and runs a very good flight service. For those who may have hunted sheep in these areas I think it would be easier to kill a billy in there than a ram.

[Kay9Cop]

My bad, I had sheep on the brain and said sheep when I meant goat. My wife and I drew DG 719 last year.

When doing research, the biologist told me you could see goats from the road and it was just a matter of glassing the slopes. I conversed with a local, through this board, who also said he had seen goats from the road. He was very helpful and gave me several ideas that helped to get me 3 to 5 miles off the road. However, we never saw a goat.

I regret not flying out and hate that I feel like I wasted a draw. We never saw anything with fur the entire week.