New to Anchorage! Help!

[808Alaska]

Howzit everyone! im new to the small game hunting around here and me and my brother would like to try it out. we wanted to try and go for hare first then possibly some ptarmigan. I was wondering what kind of guns would be good for a beginner. and also is it possible to use regular .22 & .177 hmr rifels for small game? Also if anybody knows of a good place to go in the anchorage bowl area? I already got the regulations and the map from DOFAG i just need some in depth advice about everything else. thanks in advance i appreciate it!

Any advice about small game helps, thanks!

[mainer_in_ak]

welcome to AK

Well, im a little bothered that in the week you've posted this question nobody has given you some advice on where to go. It's kind of selfish and you'll have to get used to it. Your caliber choices are great. I do recomend that you get out of the anchorage area and go north. a small snow machine will serve you well. you should be on the look out for a use yamaha bravo, skidoo elan, or ski doo tundra/skandic. You should be able to pick one up for around 1500 give or take. find a small creek up north that has signs of a trail system, dont go alone and have a good set of snowshoes too. look for varying elevation on the maps. you could also do a multiple purpose trip and set an ice fishing shack up and do both, small game and fishing. again, good luck and stay the hell out of the anchorage area, its worth the gas money. you must have tools to get off the road system: boat/atv for summer and fall, and a snow machine for winter.

[catchfish]

Just need feet

I also would like to let you know that not all hunting needs to be accessed by a 4-wheeler, or snowmachine, I have both at home and never really use either for hunting as much as I use my two feet. In the winter I have exclusively hunted this year by foot out of Anchorage. These things may be nice but they are not neccessity. You may have to try more public places at times but they will often still produce if you put in the effort. I made 4 trips up the mountain before I had any success with ptarmi this winter and the last two trips have returned with birds, and I'll go to knik everyonce in awhile for a rabbit and pretty much always come back with at least one. To me this is often as fulfilling as limiting out. I also duck hunt each fall, and have not used a boat, or wheeler yet to get anywhere I have had times where I wish I had but I can still get to ducks using my own two feet.

[Rick P]

Well, im a little bothered that in the week you've posted this question nobody has given you some advice on where to go. It's kind of selfish and you'll have to get used to it. Your caliber choices are great. I do recomend that you get out of the anchorage area and go north. a small snow machine will serve you well. you should be on the look out for a use yamaha bravo, skidoo elan, or ski doo tundra/skandic. You should be able to pick one up for around 1500 give or take. find a small creek up north that has signs of a trail system, dont go alone and have a good set of snowshoes too. look for varying elevation on the maps. you could also do a multiple purpose trip and set an ice fishing shack up and do both, small game and fishing. again, good luck and stay the hell out of the anchorage area, its worth the gas money. you must have tools to get off the road system: boat/atv for summer and fall, and a snow machine for winter.

Well I'm rather offended a newbie snot is calling the long term membership selfish. Maybe we get tired of answering the same 4 questions. Perhaps we feel folks are best suited when they use the search button at the top of every forum and actually do some of there own research. I know for me I simply don't hit the small game area often and this is the first I've seen of this post. It also bothers me that you feel he has to spend several thousand dollars on gear to hunt small game when all you need is your feet, a sling shot, cheap rifle/shotgun or bow and the proper licencing. If your so generous why don't you take the man out hunting? I have taken more than one newbie from this site hunting or fishing. In fact I run a free fly fishing seminar every spring because I'm such a self centered *******. And the height of selfishness I'm giving a custom long bow to a kid I've never met, who cant afford a bow and has no father to teach him to make one. Yep we are all rather selfish aren't we!?!

[Rick P]

808Alaska

Best thing is to get educated, this site is a great resource and the search function will help you find the information you need fast. .22lr and .177 are both good small game choices. Since you seem to be looking for general help here's some tips.

1) Slow down, biggest mistake I see is folks who walk right past game(or fly by on a machine) because they were walking at a hiking gate. You want to sneak through the woods.
2) Look around and pause frequently.
3) Shapes are easier to pick out in heavy cover than actual game. Look for the general shape or outline of game rather than looking for a rabbit, this sidesteps there natural camo.
4) Think like the game you chase if there's no food, water or cover there will be no critters.
5) Look for tracks and game runs one of my favorite spots looks like a rabbit freeway runs through the middle of it.
6) Whenever possible go with someone more experienced and actually listen to what they say.
7) Don't put great expectations on yourself, you didn't ride a bike overnight hunting takes practice.
8) Put in the range time needed to be proficient with your firearm, cant count how many times I've seen folks fail at the "hunt of a life time" because they never learned to shoot.
9) Always be prepared for the worse.
10) Spend as much time afield as you can....practie......practice......practice and learn from what you've seen while practicing.

[mainer_in_ak]

Well I'm rather offended a newbie snot is calling the long term membership selfish. Maybe we get tired of answering the same 4 questions. Perhaps we feel folks are best suited when they use the search button at the top of every forum and actually do some of there own research. I know for me I simply don't hit the small game area often and this is the first I've seen of this post. It also bothers me that you feel he has to spend several thousand dollars on gear to hunt small game when all you need is your feet, a sling shot, cheap rifle/shotgun or bow and the proper licencing. If your so generous why don't you take the man out hunting? I have taken more than one newbie from this site hunting or fishing. In fact I run a free fly fishing seminar every spring because I'm such a self centered *******. And the height of selfishness I'm giving a custom long bow to a kid I've never met, who cant afford a bow and has no father to teach him to make one. Yep we are all rather selfish aren't we!?!

To this disgruntled man:
I would be pleased to take this new young man hunting but I cannot. I'm on my third one-year tour out here in Iraq. When I am home I too take quite a few young kids and adults on alot of my trips. I've always been a giver and find it to be very rewarding to hear someone thank me for helping them get outdoors on a great trip. Some of your assumptions are very blantant and out of context. My intentions were to simply give the new member (who you refer to as a "newbie") a couple of tips considering that no one hadn't. I'm sure after your self-rightous threads the young man must now "see the light". When did a ski doo tundra ever cost several thousand dollars? I'm certain that a used Grumman/outboard or atv, and a 90's Tundra would realistically run about three thousand or less. I'm not implying that he has to have both, they are just good tools to have for a multitude of hunting/fishing trips. I've always enjoyed the outdoors with much less than that when I was young. So when you type "we folks", are you the voice for everybody? I'll let you get back to your soap opera drama guy. This "newbie snot" has to go put on my 50 pounds of gear/bullets and head out on a mission.

[aknater]

Are you kidding me?

With the exception of the advice you both gave, which was good advice from two different perspectives, neither one of you should have said the things you did!!! You're both adding fuel to a fire that shouldn't exist! It's embarrassing for the rest of us! KNOCK IT OFF!!!

[mainer_in_ak]

pm sent your way aknater, you are very right.

[rimfirematt]

Im assuming the other 808 guy on here is your brother. He Pm'd me. I responded with some spots and suggestions. Is he sharing the wealth or what?

How have you guys done so far?

[AK Ray]

What I find really funny is that when this question was posted there already were two threads that answered the question(s) right on the front page.

Which round for small game by the other 808 guy.

And Matt's awesome thread How to Hunt the Alaska Hare

[AKRDGRUNNER]

If Military

If military, check out the natural resources folks in DPW on Fort Richardson. There is plenty of small game opportunities (shotgun). Get with them on the rules (there are a few) in addition to ADF&G rules. Its close, you can walk, and there is game.

my .02 worth