August 30, 2009---Cordova, AK

Brian, myself and of course MAC head out of Whitter on the Alaska ferry, we stop in Valdez and then head to Cordova. Yale Metzger meets us with his boat and we head out to Aurora Packing Company Cannery outside Cordova, it was built in 1946 to process halibut, salmon, crab and shrimp and closed in 1965. Yale and his wife Susan have owned it a couple of years are fixing it up for a summer retreat.

 

August 31, 2009---Aurora Packing Company Cannery

We head up the hill behind the cannery to scout our hunting area and see a few birds on the lake, also a few bears. We leave the decoys and some other gear so we can head up the next day.

 

September 1,2009---Aurora Packing Company Cannery

This is a gentleman's hunt since the birds usually fly when the tide changes we don't have to be there at the crack of dawn and get to sleep in and have breakfast. Back up the hill to the lake and have a few birds fly over but the rain has started and life is a little miserable, even MAC is shivering and soaked. We get a couple of ducks but the excitement of the day is when Yale gets a black bear. Even better the action is recorded by 59th Parallel Productions to show on Alaska Outdoors that airs on Fox in Alaska. 

 

September 2, 2009---Aurora Packing Company Cannery

About the same as far as the hunting goes, lots of high birds not many shots. Oh well that's hunting. Had a great time and saw some new country and met some new people. Life is good!!!!

 

September 11, 2009---Delta Junction

Back to Delta for a Crane hunt, we have hunted the guided fields for the last few years with mixed results, but this year we have an in and a friend of Wayne's knows some people in Delta and they put us in a field that is just covered with cranes. They get up and move a little and I figure they are gone based on our past experiences. Much to my surprise they get up and come back to us. We are allowed three  cranes and three shots later I have three on the ground. For you folks that know me real well this is a statement of how close these birds are. MAC has a little problem getting these large birds but once he figures out that he can drag them by the neck he is ok. We also had a tragedy in the field, one of our hunters had his old lab with for what he figured would be his last hunt as he was having problems getting around-well it was his last hunt as he had a stroke in the field and died that night. Tough night for all.

 

September 12, 2009---Delta Junction

What a few hours makes as  the birds do not come back to the field and our hunt turns out like most of our other hunts in Delta. Just proves the theory that if the birds aren't there you get very few shots. But this was still the best trip I have ever had to Delta and look forward till next year.

 

October 15, 2009---Blue Sky Outfitters, McLennan, Alberta

Back hunting with Kevin for the 5th year in a row, this year we Brian and I are joined by a group that bought the hunt at the Alaska Waterfowl Dinner  (Grant  & Scott) plus Scott's dad Steve and one of our Cold Bay Hunting Club buddies Hal. We have a blast. Dustin is our guide this year and he puts a lot of effort into getting us some geese but our first day is a little slow as far as geese go but the ducks came in ok.

 

October 16, 2009---Blue Sky Outfitters, McLennan, Alberta

The geese are just not here like they have been in the past but the ducks are making up for it with great numbers of mallards and pintails. We have our limit a little later than normal but it is only because some of our shooters are trying to keep the shell manufactures in business. If we had hit all the birds we shot at we would have had a truck full of ducks. Dustin kept count of our birds and when he said we had two to go it took over an hour to get them. It took a lot of shots to get these last few ducks.

 

October 17, 2009---Blue Sky Outfitters, McLennan, Alberta

Nail some more ducks this morning and also get a few geese. This was just another great trip to Patti and Kevin's Alberta get away. Lucked out and got to see Cody and Kate that were supposed to be in school but came up to help the folks for the week end. Look forward to  next year and decided 3 days is just not enough. I sold my trailer so will have to look at a better tent than I have now.