Tundra Dummies

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Erik in AK

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For those of you intending to hunt the Haul Road (in case you weren't already aware) it is ILLEGAL to drive out onto the tundra.

On, or about, Wednesday 6 Sep, a group of hunters from one of our esteemed military installations walked in the five miles to hunt with rifles. They were even approced by a Trooper as they were about to depart. The Trooper told me he warned them of how much work was involved should they connect. They made it out and killed 3 bulls at 5.1 miles (this is about the only rule they didn't break).

Overwhelmed by the prospect of lugging three big animals back to the road they decided to walk out and drive back to the kill site. The first truck, a gray Ford made it nearly 3 miles before bogging down up to the axles. The situation at this point, evidently, wasn't bad enough to suit them so they decided to make it worse by sending the second, and only remaining truck to unstick the first. Truck #2, a red Dodge, made it about 500 yards before getting stuck. Truck #2 is visible from the road and is at this moment all the rage on CB channel 19.

These guys are in deep doo doo (as they should be) from the State, the BLM and probably the military. In this case, stupidity, while not immediately painful, will prove to be very costly. They are facing multiple fines for game law violations-primarily wanton waste (they left the hide on one of the bulls for 3 days....Mmmm tasty!). The BLM will be weighing in soon as to how the trucks get off the tundra and these guys will foot the bill. They will also probably pay for the costs of the damage assessment and reclamation. The conservative estimate is many thousands of dollars. I know what they make and this will hurt for a long time.

This is not heresay. I spoke with the owners of the two trucks and the Trooper. The pics were taken by the Alyeska helo pilot who picked them up.

I'm sure this will end up in the papers and these clowns have given all of us who hunt a black eye.....
When you come up here to hunt PLEASE act responsibly!!!
DO NOT leave your vehicle in the roadway
DO NOT park just below the crest of a hill
DO NOT interfere with someone else's stalk
DO NOT use survey stakes for firewood
DO NOT take a dump in the few pull outs available--dig a cat hole and bury it
DO NOT come up here unprepared--that means spare tires, tools, tow strap, emergency kit, tire plugs/fixaflat etc. spare gas, enough food and water
DO NOT assume that the DOT or Alyeska will bail you out for being unprepared
DO NOT hunt the pipeline right of way without a R.U.G. (a free pass from Alyeska)
DO NOT camp or park on the right of way
DO NOT block the pipeline access gates--you may park and camp to the side

Finally
DO remember that the semi's have the right of way on the Dalton
 

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fulldraw

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I'm guessing were gonna be seeing more and more of this kind of stupidity in the years to come....
 

Matt

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It seems to get worse and worse up there. I just can't imagine that haul road hunt lasting too much longer.
 

BrownBear

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Hang em high.

Give them 24 hours to get their trucks out. Fine them again if they make any more mess while they're doing it.

If the rest of us have to foot any part of the bill for an agency to get the trucks out, confiscate the trucks and sell them at auction to recover the costs. Let those suckers continue making payments on their toys for the next five to seven years as a constant reminder of their stupidity.

I don't EVEN want to know who they are.
 

EricL

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slope

slope

Brother and I came out of Happy Valley on the 7th. We were going to do the hike in. After about half a mile we both decided that there was no way we would be able to pack out 2 animals!! We went to plan "B". Drove down to Happy Valley and spoke to Ralph with Deltana Outfitters. Even though they were packing up and preparing to head out, they flew us in. We ended up taking 2 nice bulls the first morning of hunting. I can't even imagine what these guys were thinking trying to drive their trucks across the tundra!! Were they not thinking with every step on the tundra: "how are we going to get the meat out?" Erik, what MP were these trucks at? I don't recall seeing the one that is visible.
Other than these guys, I didn't see anything that upset me as far as hunters goes...After reading some of the earlier posts, I kind of kept an eye out. Didn't really see any of the issues others had reported seeing. But we do have a freezer full of meat!! Eric
 

Bill F

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Not sure what the military or hunters has to do with dumb folks- they are everywhere.

My hunting partner this year just got back from Iraq- couldn't ask for a better ethical hunter.

Was invited to spend the past couple of days in a camp with other warriors this weekend- great group of folks - wouldn't hesitate to share mother nature with any of these guys.
 

H_I_L_L_B_I_L_L_Y

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Erik in AK where do you work?

Erik in AK where do you work?

I would like you and eveyone else on this board to post where they work so when someone screws up we can lump you and others in their rightful group. Im with you all on throw the book at them but dont lump all military in with these idiots.
 

TILT

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I say learn and laugh real hard.
Sorry they are wasting air but we all need them to joke
and be glad we are not like them.
 

Gulkana Rafting

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Stupid is as stupid does!

Stupid is as stupid does!

Eric this is too funny. No one should think that this picking on any one group. Do you think their wives were pleased?
 

Erik in AK

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Hillbilly,
I'm a retired Air Force Master Sergeant, so I'm more than qualified to levy critcism against Air Force people who do publically stupid things that bring, if not outright discredit, negative attention to the service that I still love.

Currently I work as a pipeline security officer at Pump Station 4 and I'm duty right now, so every DO NOT I posted I saw.

Eric L, the red Dodge was stuck friday night between the road and pipeline 2 miles north of the Kuparuk River, just north of pipeline mile marker 126
 

wildog

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Wow those guys are really stuck!

Wow those guys are really stuck!

Erik in AK,
I thought the Air Force guys were the smartest of the DOD services...
No trees to hook on to or anything. Doesn't the Tundra freeze and snow over? Couldn't you haul those things out with a snow cat then? I guess that they would be frozen in deep then. That's going to be a big tow bill though if they aren't a permanent part of the landscape. I'm sure their wives are thrilled with the results of that outing.
Thanks Eric for that story, it's funny but it's not. Now since you are on duty get back to watching the tundra!
 

BrownBear

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It results in more terrain tearing, but we carry 50 pound Danforth anchors for bogs without trees. Attach it to the end of your winch cable, jump up and down on the crossbar to drive in the flukes, and it holds well enough to winch a truck out of most substrates. We also carry 100 ft of 3/4" Sampson braid in case more reach is needed for the anchor.

It would sure beat hiring some kind of giant tundra buggy or helicopter, or taking the chance of them freezing in for the winter. Sure would hate for them to get shot up if there's a chance they'll be sold at auction to cover costs. Look like nice trucks, but every passing hunter is going to have to resist the temptation to put a round in them out of disgust for the owners.
 

Shoot2Kill

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Good grief...

Good grief...

I nearly spewed my Monday AM coffee all over my computer this morning when I saw those pictures. You have got to be kidding me. What on earth would possess someone to be so completely ignorant! It wasn't good enough to just get one stuck, might as well get them both stuck huh? And shooting 3 bulls 5 miles in? Did they get any of the meat out or was it all wasted?


I can't even begin to imagine what was going through their heads as soon as they realized what a world of chit they were in. I hope they are hung out to dry.

Please keep us updated on the aftermath of this...thanks for the post Erik.
 

stevelyn

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I remember when I was stationed at Ft. Aint....er Wainwright years ago that the 6th ID Commander prohibited travel on the Haul Road past Coldfoot.
Unenforceable unless you went up there and did something stupid. However there never seemed to be a shortage of stupid people and more than a few Article 15s were handed out.

I imagine the prohibition had a lot to do with idiot GIs going up the road and either commiting a F&G violation, doing one of the DON'Ts, or otherwise doing something else that placed themselves or others at risk.

They should have set those trucks on fire and let them burn in place.
 

AlaskaCub

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Some guys do some really stupid stuff! I remember a couple/three years ago when 3 guys from wainwright did the 5 mile hike in mid September with snow on the ground and had no compass or GPS. It snowed a foot or so , there was no visibility and they couldn't figure out which way was out! Meddac out of Ft. Wainwright,the state troopers as well as Alyeaska were performing a search for them. "Some men you just cant reach!"
 

AkHunter45

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How dumb is that?? Military or not, that is just plain stupid and more than likely, very expensive too.
 

H_I_L_L_B_I_L_L_Y

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erik

erik

Im not saying we dont have our idiots but the military bashing that goes on this board is excessive. Im sure that there are just as many morons around fairbanks that are not militarty.
 

Mkay

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Cross Country Tundra Driving

Cross Country Tundra Driving

Just imagine if they had shot'em across the Sag river; "Earl, Nobody's lookin,raise the windows and gun it!"
 

Stogey

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R.u.g.

R.u.g.

DO NOT hunt the pipeline right of way without a R.U.G. (a free pass from Alyeska)

This is one little tid-bit that needs to be better highlighted. I have looked through the regs (didn't find, not saying it isn't in there).

Fortuneately, the Security guy was real understanding when mentioning that a RUG was required, and how to get it.

Short story - if hunting the pipeline, get the RUG, takes about 5 minutes or so per person. One can get the RUG at any pump station and a few odd places around the various cities. Maybe others can fill in the various places to get a RUG other than a pump station.
 
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