Step into the world of Remi Warren and crew as he walks you through a late season 2020 hunt.
THE PLAN: 8 Day Sitka Blacktail hunt in Kodiak, Alaska
TERRAIN: Steep mountains rising out of the ocean.
WEATHER CONDITIONS: Rough seas, high wind, below freezing temps, wintery mix of rain, snow, sleet, and sunshine.
DISTANCE COVERED: 180 miles by boat in rough seas. 42 miles on foot through the mountains.
SUCCESSES & CHALLENGES:
The water was rough and we constantly needed to find a new sheltered bay between hunting. It provided a solid mode of transport and a warm cabin but was a rough ride. We got weathered out of some better spots early in the trip. I found success in the bad weather on day three but the last day cleared a bit and it was on the animals wete out in the fresh snow and we brought home a lot of meat!
We not only got deer but a limit of tanners (snow crab). We feasted like kings, fresh crab, venison, and even some fresh cod. I caught a good cod with a hand line one evening that we fileted for dinner.
The days were short and the nights were long. The middle of winter there is not a lot of daylight in Alaska, so the long cold nights seemed to drag on for a while. Most the day was spent in the dark. When the sun did peak out though there was no better site to be had!
GEAR TAKEN: 6″ Controller Fillet Knife , Exo-Mod kit in blaze orange, Truss Multi-Tool.
The Controller worked great for filleting fish and butchering deer. The Exo-Mod was a perfect workhorse knife for field processing. Also the saw came in handy for the ribs. The Truss was a great addition for anything that came up needed fixed or as a pair of plier dealing with hooks in toothy fish in the near dark.
MEMORABLE MOMENTS:
On the last night the sky cleared and the northern lights were cool but the bioluminecence in the water stole the show. The waves lit up with flashes of green and the back of the prop wash looked like a vortex of fireworks as the glow-in-the dark alge exploded in a light show. One of the most incredible displays in nature that you just have to see to fully grasp. No image or video could ever do it justice.
A highlight was actually not hunting deer but hunting an emperor goose with my dad. He held a coveted tag and was the main reason we traveled so far to such a remote part of the world for an adventure in the rough ocean of Alaska in the middle of of winter. Definitely a trip to remember.
3 WORDS TO DESCRIBE THE EXPERIENCE: Dark, Rough, Beautiful.
Remi has been hunting his entire life and is passionate about sharing his knowledge and adventures with others. Remi is a hunting guide, host of Apex Predator, co-host of Solo Hunters, and field editor for Western Hunter Magazine and Elk Hunter Magazine.