Iraq service men. Updated Jan 6th.

[Matt in AK]

Dave, et al...

Ouch.  I'm bleeding.  Someone get that blade out of my spine.  I sacrifice my sanity (what little is leftoevr after 18 years of marital bliss) for a tour at the Five-Sided Puzzle Palace and accusations of malingering abound.   :wink:   I'd go back to Alaska in half a heartbeat if only my wife were smart enough to leave me.  Hell, I'd go back to the Middle-East again to get out of the Pentagon.

As for fe352v8 being first on the list for Spring '06...I'll wrassle him for it in a salmon stream on Kodiak for the privilege and the last one 'et by the bears wins.  If I don't show fe352v8 can start without me.  Dave -- I'll be there for Spring '06.  You won't turn me in if I'm AWOL will ya.

fe352v8 -- shoot me a PM and I'll fill ya in on some Elmo vicinity hunting info.

Matt

[Daveinthebush]

I forgot you were coming up.  Of course your on the list.   Too many snowflakes hitting me on the head. :oops:

Don't let me forget!

[Daveinthebush]

Well ran the new Ford into the ditch Monday on the way to work.  Only one major dent besides my pride and wallet.  Back is going to need time to recover too.

So I had an offer for a little grease for baiting and went to pick it up tonight.  I ended up with 50-55 gallons.  What does one do with 50+ gallons of grease in 5 gallon jugs.  :shock:  It took a minute to figure out but there was a large hole in the snowbank where I dug an archery target out.  So I dug it a little bigger and burried the stuff under 5 feet of snow and plugged the hole up.  Should be good.   :grin:

I called Scott the other night and mentioned I needed a flipper rest for the new stick bow.  He had one in the mail today Priority Mail next day.  Nice guy!

A little over a month till bear season.

[Daveinthebush]

Well the boat is almost in the water.  I just have to lay on 3-4 inchs of ice to wash the bottom and wax it.  Everything else is done: oil changes, plugs, filters, electronics, gear, raft.....

No baiting permits yet....they are in the mail.

Still 3-4 feet of snow on the ground and no green for the bears to even consider eating.  The nights have been in the 20's so not much snow melting.

Next weekend is treestand construction. :idea:

I found a real easy way to make ladders.  I found a bed frame made of angle iron.  Cut it into 2 foot pieces.  Clamped two  2x6's together and made a circular cas cut where I wanted the steps.  Seperated them and hammered the angle iron into the cuts.  Secure each step with one 3" screw into the 2x6 and done.  Stong steps that won't come out. :grin:

[Daveinthebush]

Well since Fish and Game closed down my baiting area so I had to relocate the stands in Jack Bay.

I found a spot just down about 1/2 mile from the closed area but it was in a small cove but fairly open water.  So I took out 112 pounds of railroad rails, 50 feet of 5/8 braided polyester rope and a bouy.  I planted it in about 23 feet of water and tied the boat up.  I think it will be fine.

I threw the treestand over the side of the boat as the tide would transport the wooden structure to shore.  I them took 2 loads of gear to shore in the raft.  

I found a spot in about 60 yards from shore and set up the stand and the bait.  I forgot some hardware for the stand so it is there but a little wobbly.  I planned for a 18-20 yard shot.

Everything seems fine and next time I take bait out I will anchor the stand better.  The guys will be here in a little over a month.

Hopefully I can get one more stand in next week.

[Matt in AK]

Thanks for the update.  It's fun checking in to see how things are coming along.

[Daveinthebush]

Well my first guest is arriving on Saturday.  He should, barring bad weather make it here in the morning.

We have rebaited the stands and one is looking really promising.  We only put out 35 pounds of food and nothing else.  A bear tore the area up 8' x 10' down to the roots digging around.  I hope it is not a grizzly.

The other stand has well established trails leading to it and is still being hit after taking 2 bears off of the stand.  

I just now need my new radio and treestands to arrive.  How can the girlfriend send cookies from NY faster than Priority Mail from Minn? :roll:

[fe352v8]

Dave,

Thanks for the update, good luck with the hunt, and thanks again.

life is no joke but funny things happen

jon

[Daveinthebush]

One GI is here and were off to the airport to pick up another.  We will be heading out to the cabin by noon.  

We rebaited yesterday and have 2 active stands, new Gorilla treestands in place and ready to go.  Just have to pick up some last minute thoughts at the store and go.

We will be back either on Friday night or Saturday.

Dave

THis is fun guys!

[Matt in AK]

Best of luck to ya and don't be stingy with that camera :wink:

Hope they put a couple big ones down.

[ButlerFord45]

Well the best laid plans of mice and oft do go awry!

I knew the USPS would not accept my "package" but I wasn't prepared for UPS, FedEx and DHL refusing it as well.  I tried all of my old tricks and found that my tricks were like me, old.   You can't get to commercial pilots any more, all the military pilots I know are retired or "ROAD" which is even worse.  My neighbor that owns a trucking company that was sending 3-4 trucks per week to Seattle lost the contract and is now traveling to FLA.
The best I was able to do would have been Elmendorf(sp) on the 18th or 19th.  So as I type this I raise a glass of a special run of 15 year old Makers Mark to you every one.

God Bless You
Thank You
May you be 2 Days in Heaven before the devil knows your dead.

(Oh! and as an aside, the delivery girl would have been the best looking armament specialist I think I've ever seen!  :wink: )

[Daveinthebush]

I have Matt in AK coming up this spring. He tried once with me back in about 04 but I was not running a bait station then.  His dad and son went salmon fishing with me that fall too. I know he really does not want to leave Washinton D.C. to hunt here again. :roll:

Matt was kind enough to send me an American flag that flew over Iraq last year while he was there.

There was supposed to be another soldier from Flordia but I have not been able to contact his daughter in several months.  

My own son is going to come along too this year.  His first black bear hunt with a bow.  He has about 38+ whitetails under his belt so this ought to be fun for him.  

Should be a good year.  I have seven treestands, a video camera, digital camera and a good helper again.

Can't wait till may!

[Matt in AK]

Spent three hours commuting to and from DC today :x .  Three bleepin' hours.  I think I can manage to tear my way away from here for a few days with Daveinthebush chasin' bears.

Butler Ford -- I'll bring a bottle of Makers Mark and we'll drink a toast to you, your missus, and your boys.

[Daveinthebush]

Well Matt and my son are arriving on May the 27th to hunt black bears.  My old area is open again and was not hunted last year.  I also learned that we can use permanent stand and leave them up year round.  So time to start checking the dump for construction materials for stands. I have six chain-on so I should have enough.

[scout34]

Daveinthebush, you have given me one heck of a daydream.

I'm a 19D platoon sergeant with A trp, 1-10 Cavalry in Al Hilla, Iraq.  We're about 4 k's south of Babylon.

I'm 4 months into my second tour here, and both time and funds are short.  I'll have to PCS about 90 days after I get back, my wife will have to quit her job and we don't even know where we're going yet.  I'm trying for AK, but my wife is from TX and thinks the Arctic Circle starts at Dallas  :grin: .

It may take a few years to take you up on your offer, but I'll do my best to get there.  Even if I don't, please know how much I appreciate it.  In the meantime, I will be doing all that I can to make you proud of us.


SFC Sean Brack
1st Platoon (Trunkmonkeys)
Apache Troop (Apaches on the Warpath!)
1st Squadron, 10th Cavalry (Ready and Forward)

[Daveinthebush]

Glad that you are on the forum.  It has been a pleasure to do this.  Things may change as last week I was ambushed, hog tied and married within four days. I still am having a hard time realizing what happened.  I will still be hunting and fishing but have to take care of some priorities first.  Such as going to Texas to move the wife up here and building a larger home to accomidate the wife.  

Keep in touch with the forum and keep safe.