My First Alaskan Deer

I was able to shoot my first Sitka Blacktail Deer in Alaska yesterday. He’s only a spike, but I absolutely worked my butt off to shoot him so I’m darn proud of him. We hiked 2 hours and 1,500 feet of elevation to the hunting spot. After glassing the entire area for several hours we didn’t have a deer within 3/4 of a mile of us. When we started to leave, we saw this deer at probably 600-700 yards out bedded down next to a brush line. We circled around the ridge behind him and got within 100 yards and confirmed he was a buck. I dropped down prone and before I could get on him, he took off in the brush and showed himself a couple of times for a second at around 100 and 140 yards. He popped out again at 200 and I let him have it. He ran about 80 yards over a rise, down into a deep ravine, and up the other side. When he got about 50 yards up the other side, he fell and rolled down into the stream at the bottom. Since we were in a bad area if a bear showed up (there was bear scat on the trail coming in), I gutted him quickly and we got out of Dodge. My son and his buddy (another Coast Guard swimmer) took turns carrying the deer out for me. Those young men are absolute beasts compared to me and they really hooked me up.
As I said before, I worked my big *** off for this deer and by the time we got down out of the mountains I was almost totally spent. This was the most physically demanding hunting I have ever done, and the most fun and rewarding. This little guy will proudly hang on my wall with my other bucks. Even though he is the smallest, he definitely has the best story.



How about this for service from a guide.

Here are a couple of views of the area we were hunting. The photos don't do this beautiful country justice.

Simply outstanding Grizz!! Fine job and a memory for life.

Glad you could hang in there with the young pups. congrats.

Great job. Memories of a life time with son.

Looks like a great trip.

Looks like you had an awesome hunt. This is a hunt I have often thought of doing. If you don't mind sharing, what was your total cost?

Awesome!

My annual hunting/14 day fishing license and one deer tag were $315.00. You have some different options with airfare, but flying direct from DFW to Anchorage and then to Kodiak was around $1,100.00 or so round trip I believe. The land is just public land with no fees, and I didn't use a professional guide so there were no other fees. I'm also staying with my son so I'm not having to pay for a place to stay. It definitely pays to have someone who knows the area. I would have had no idea of where to go or how to get there. All things considered, my trip is not representative of the average Alaskan hunting trip, I'm just very fortunate to have the circumstances I have.
If you get into some of the other animals like Kodiak bears, elk, buffalo, or caribou, the tags are more expensive. With at least the bears you have to go through a professional guide but I'm not sure about the others.

Outstanding!!! What a great trip and memory to share with your son. A trophy is what it means to you and that's one to be proud of

Congratulations on a terrific hunt. The best of times, glad the youngsters were there to help.

Congrats. Looks like a fun trip!

Congrats Grizz! What did that Sitka weigh?

congratulations!

I bet he's good eating tonight!

Cool adventure!

Thank you sir. We didn't have a scale available, but I would estimate he weighed about 90 pounds field dressed.

That is awesome!

Nice job man!

Spike or not, you got hunt Alaska and kill a deer. Few people will ever get to say that. Congrats!

Good Stuff and with your Son
Congratulations Sir

Very cool! Congratulations on a successful hunt.

Nice, congrats to ya!

Thanks for the kind words guys. Based on the work put in and the fact it was all with my son, I couldn't be more proud if it was a book deer.

Looked like a great hunt. Congrats on your deer and great memories.

Deans

Great times making great memories....

good job, not always about the trophy, but the memories and fellowship

Great story and photos. Thanks for sharing

X2 that is an awesome accomplishment in Alaska

Looks like a heck of a time Mr Grizz, even better in that country with your son You and your son can also say you saw a "Grizz" every day too

Good pictures