Alaska Hunting Lore

[Michael Strahan]

Hi folks,

Lots of new folks here these days and I thought it would be nice to start a thread on tips and tricks you've learned for hunting in Alaska. What I'm talking about are little shortcuts and tips you may have learned from native elders, or other Alaskans; things that help you on your hunt.

I'll start with a little trick I learned a while back to help stabilize a tent in high winds. Take about six inches of bungee cord and tie-wrap it to itself into a loop through the tiedowns on your tent. Secure your parachute cord for tiedowns through this bungee, and the bungee gives just a little during high winds, which keeps the rainfly from ripping.

How about your ideas?

-Mike

 

[Brian M]

comfort food

comfort food

This certainly isn't a survival tip, but something that definitely makes the campsite more enjoyable when weight allows.

Far better than marshmallows over a fire is buiscuts over a fire. Buy the small buttermilk buscuits that come in a roll (the "Grands" or Jumbo size ones don't work nearly as well - far too doughy as they don't cook through as quickly). Using a basic cooking stick, wrap the buscuit as thin as possible over the stick, pulling it tight as you do so. Be sure to stick the dough to itself at both ends, otherwise it will come unraveled as you cook it. Rotate slowly over coals as you would with a marshmellow, taking great care to cook it slowly so as to cook all the way through. When done, pull off the stick and fill the hollow center with either honey or sqeeze butter. I promise you, you have never had a better buicut than one cooked over a campfire! This has been a favorite of ours for many years.

On a side note, you can also cook the cinammon rolls that come in the tubes over a fire. For this, though, you need to use a Y stick, and braid the dough in-between the forks. When done you can drizzle the frosting over the flat part created by roasting it on the Y.

Here's a pic:

 

[Grizzly1]

Dang those look good BM!

I do something similar with small trout, char ect.

Gut your fish and leave the head on. Season well, take a well sharpened stick and insert it through the mouth and impale the fish in the tail section. cut little willow sticks and thread the belly opening closed. Slowly roast over a glowing bed of coals till done. Dress with fresh sqweezed lemon and butter.

Learn as many knots as possible, they are almost as valuable as duct tape.

 

[gogoalie]

Wormwood, Willow Bark, Spurce needles & Labrador Tea...

Wormwood, Willow Bark, Spurce needles & Labrador Tea...

All work as medicine in the field, you can use Wormwood & willow bark for a pain reliever, the spruce needles you can grind up or throw on a fire & use that as a cough suppressant, & the Labrador tea you can use as a libation should you run out of coffee...

 

[Akres]

Never use bark in your cooking fire. Especially cottonwood bark. BAD NEWS will result.

 

[blackfoot]

Drying Clothes

Drying Clothes

Many people I know had never heard of this, although I thought it was common knowledge. To dry your wet clothes after a day of hunting hard, put them at the bottom of your sleeping bag overnight. It works even when it is single digit temperatures.

 

[Michael Strahan]

Keeping warm

Keeping warm

Keep a stocking cap in your sleeping bag. Wear it at night and you'll sleep a LOT warmer.

 

[Dan K]

Assuming you have something to burn and you're in need of a fire in a hurry (-20 and wet) use a highway emergency flair. Rain wont put it out and it WILL ignite wet wood.
Dan

 

[Targetman]

trash bags and vaseline cotton balls

trash bags and vaseline cotton balls

Trash bags serve you well when in a wet situation. The best way I gave found to wear one as poncho is to take a corner of the closed end and cut a slot down the side about 4 inches or so. You can then pull the bag over your head and use the hole to peak out of. The corner of the bag rests on your head. Personally, I use the heavy 3mm contractor bags.

If you take a 100% cotton ball and saturate it with vaseline you will get an excellent fire starter. I carry several of these pre-made in a small container. When you pull one out to use, simply spread out the cotton and make it "fluffy". Now all it takes is a spark from a flint and steel, a lighter, or match and the cotton ball will burn for 5-15 minutes. It will last long enough to start a fire if you have dry kindling.

 

[gogoalie]

Wet leaves...

Wet leaves...

When I run out of toilet tissue or forget to put them in my day pack... (Sorry I couldn't resist!!!)

 

[Grizzly1]

This tip works well for plastic tarp set up if high winds are expected (most of the time). I rarely use the grommets as a tie point, instead take a rock or piece of wood about the size of a quarter or so and place it on the tarp near the tie down point, then wrap the tarp around it and twist it tight, it should make/look like a nice little purse or bundle. Take your rope, PC ect. and snugly tie it around the base of the rock then to your anchor. If done properly the tarp won't tear at your tie point under the extreme stress of high winds, unlike grommets which often rip out.

 

[Akres]

Carry corn chips (especially Fritos brand) for survival emergencies. You can eat them frozen, thawed or crushed. They are light weight. They will start a fire almost as fast as diesel fuel. The oil in the chips will burn a long time.

 

[Snyd]

Don't gut the bull, (moose that is) unless you like slipping around in a gut pile. Skin one side, cut off the quarters, back strap, neck and rib meat- bag it- role him over and do the same. Then gut the bull, get the shank meat, tenderoins and heart and liver if you want. Cut the head off somewhere along the line. If you happen to have the quipment and muscle to be able to do a traditional gut and quarter job that's great but otherwise this method works great. Did my sheep the same way this year, why gut it when your gonna debone it anyway?

 

[fisherman19]

fire starters

fire starters

I am rather new here but I do have a trick.....to start a fire with only one match....Take 2 dozen cotten balls and gobb them up with vasaline. Put them in a baggy and then in to your survival kit. They will light first time all the time. Even with flint and steal.

 

[longrange]

fire starter

fire starter

Here is another way to start a quick fire. When drying your clothes at home, keep the dryer lint from the loads of clothes and keep this in a ziplock bag. It is very lightweight and completely free.

 

[ak_huntinMomma]

to go along with that

to go along with that

I also like to collect the dryer lint....BUT what I do is take the cardboard roll from a used up roll of paper towels or toilet paper and stuff that chock full of dryer lint........makes your own 'log' fire starter.........pretty damm handy!!!

 

[Brian M]

Momma - That is a fantastic idea! Thanks...I'll use that one for sure.

-Brian

 

[MT3006]

Dryer lint and wax

Dryer lint and wax

I take the dryer lint and cardboard rolls one step further by collecting the lint, packing it in the cardboard and then dipping it over and over into melted wax to build a layer up. I cover half of the roll in the wax and leave half out. Be careful with the wax I learned a good lesson about it a few years ago. Easy to start and they burn for quite a while. I usually carry two. I know someone who does the whole thing, the wax seals the cardboard against moisture but when lit it melts and acts like a hot candle.

I also second the Frito idea. They burn very hot.

MT3006

 

[AK-AZ HUNTS]

try this one use the very finest steel wool you can find (WD-40 is optinnal to use as a additive) best fire starter around .best to keep stored in a plastic baggy, water tends to rust the steel wool with in a day or so