Posted on 10/08/2006 9:14:38 AM PDT by Bear_Slayer
I am looking to do a road trip into and through as much of Alaska as possible, with the goal of exploring for relocation purposes.
I would like to ferry my truck/camper from Seattle to Homer then travel up through Glenallen, Tok, Fairbanks, and further north following the Pipeline Corridor.
I'm looking for information regarding the following:
Ferry boat resources to avoid Canada, entirely
What to expect for roads, stopping places (I want to avoid tourist places.)
Friendliness of various villages, and peoples along the way.
Opportunities for labor employment along the way.
Any other info you can offer that is helpful.
1). Get a copy of Mile Post. Great reference.
2). The Alaskan Maritime Highway starts in Bellingham, so head up I-5 north of Seattle about 2 hours.
3). Shot for Rem 870 slug guns and a nice .338 for the little lady :)
First, stay off the cruise ships, they are a floating definition of industrial tourism at it's worst. Take the state ferry system instead, they go the same places that the cruise ships go with much more flexibility in scheduling and at considerably less cost. Less chance of ruining your vacation with a case of norwalk virus!
I would recommend a loop of the road system to see Anchorage, Fairbanks, Denali and the Kenai peninsula. As far as off the roads and away from the rest of the tourists, nothing beats a trip to Katami/KIng Salmon for wildlife and fishing or to Dillingham for hunting season. Any fly-out fishing on the Alaska peninsula will be the best you will ever experience, bar none!
They say to remove the front site.
That way it won't hurt as much when the Bear shoves it up your...
Shoot him between the eyes, bullet enters brain and he drops like a rock. A round or two in the chest, his lungs collapse, he no longer moves oxygen, brain hypoxia causes unconsciousness in 60 seconds or so--better have some distance here. The brain shot drops him the quickest; no contest.
Best advice I have heard yet. Thanks. Can you tell me about Kokiak Island? Fishing and hunting? And finally, how would you defend against/shoot a bear?
The only problem with shooting a charging grizzly in the head, is that when their head is dropped down while running, bullets can easily bounce off since it isn't hitting perpendicular to the skull plate. I've been told that their skull is very thick, and hard to penetrate especially at an angle.
Regarding a lung/heart shot, don't they have a very low heart-rate to begin with, making them tough to drop immediately?
Any of you who might know about grizzly hunting, feel free to chime in with advice or knowledge.
I'm by no means an expert, but IMHO, the best line of defense against any bear is to be knowledgeable of them, and the area you are in. Generally speaking, grizzlies will do their best to avoid people (i.e. hold a conversation while hiking, or wear bells) and most attacks occur when people stumble upon them, get spooked, run away, and the bear's instinctive reaction is to chase them as prey. If you stumble upon one, you stop, and slowly back up the same way you came.
A sidearm may be nice for comfort, and I plan on having one too (you can't have too many), but the reality of being able to draw, cock, and stay calm enough to fire a kill shot when one is charging you from 50 yards at 30+ mph, is slim to none.
As far as Bear protection, I have a custom "Co-Pilot .50Alaskan" manufactured by Wild West Guns in Anchorage. Basically, a Marlin 1895 45/70 re-chambered to .50 cal and modified to break down for travel. Shoots 450 grains of .50cal semijacketed lead at 2100fps.
Never shoot a bear in the head! they have thick, sloped skulls that will deflect a bullet. Neck, chest, or shoulder shots are much more effective in that you break the front legs down. Bears will not run too far in that circumstance (either away or toward you).
Cattle have thick skulls too. Ever see them ram each other when two bulls are fighting? Anyway, the point here is I have seen several of these beasts drop like a stone with one shot from a .22 between the eyes. I know a bear also has a thick skull and there is a chance for a ricochet, but we are talking about a large caliber round to the skull. I choose to be armed to enhance my chances for survival even if it only increases by 10%.
Only if you are going to wear a "cow" bell. IIRC, there have been studies showing the little "jingle" bells that some wear are too melodic and are not noticed by the bears, no difference than bird sounds.
Really? Thats pretty interesting and I haven't heard that.
I've never worn bells, but I always try to keep a good converstion when travelling in 'bear country'.
LOL, border agents do take it seriously, as they should! Funny story - several years ago, I traveled with my parents and son to Niagara Falls, Ont. My dad was driving and he's a little hard of hearing. We approached the border, and he headed for the short line in the French speaking/firearms to declare lane. As I speak some French, I saw the error, I was directing him to change lanes, in vain. An avid hunter, he misunderstood, and kept answering 'yes', when the border agent asked if he had any firearms to declare, and I tried from the back seat to remind him he didn't have any weapons with him. We were asked to pull to the side and another official came over. Again, it was misunderstood. Finally, I asked the official if I could get out (they were 'very' official) and he also got out, and they searched the trunk and I explained to the still stern, not amused official that he is a little hard of hearing and misunderstood which lane to choose. The official 'suggested' sternly that I drive through customs next time, and I did.
bringing guns into canada:
been in and out a few times recently with firearms in canada. absolutely no hassle. last time, the guy didnt even open the gun case, just waved me thru after i paid the , i think $30 fee. before that the only thing the guy said was "man thats a nice gun, what kind of scope u got on it?"
honestly, easier than getting them back in to US.
so the slam on canada isnt right.
cept for the pistole, of course. but if u need a weapon in alaska, its gonna be a rifle or 12g. dont even think about trying to stop a big bear with a handgun. been done, but not a high percentage shot.
and i have a 454 casul i sometimes bring to alaska.
No thanks! The show sucked. I'm sure the fictional town does also.
I lived in Alaska twice for a total of ten years. The first time, I lived (and graduated from high school) in the Southeast. It's a beautiful place. Don't take a car and then travel on the Alaska Marine Highway. That's the ferry system that goes up the southeast panhandle. Stop in as many of the towns in the Southeast as you have time to. Ketchikan, Sitka, Juneau, are all wonderful destinations. To me, they're more like the "real" Alaska. The isolation contributes to that feeling.
If you go up through the Alaska Highway (I've done that four times), be prepared for damage to your car. Cracked windshields are common, holes in gas tanks, suspension, etc. It is a wilderness road for much of the distance. The scenery is absolutely spectacular. Nothing can describe it. Photographs don't do it justice.
The Kenai Peninsula is beautiful-well worth visiting. Fairbanks is less scenic, more rustic. Anchorage is fairly large and has all the modern conveniences. It makes a good place to stay for sightseeing, but you'll want to get out of there to experience the outlying areas. There's good fishing, hiking, camping, etc. near Palmer, Wasilla, Willow, and Talkeetna.
Alaska is one of the few places you can go nowadays and actually find solitude. To me that's the most valuable thing about it. You'll be surprised by the numbers of people who go to visit there and end up selling their house and almost everything they own to move to Alaska and be a part of it.
I spent the last three years living in AB, Canada. I took care of all the paperwork so I could buy a 12 ga to hunt waterfowl. That was a headache, but when I brought my deer rifle into the country, I didn't even have to take it out.
I moved to AK a few weeks ago, and all I had to show was my declaration for my rifle. I didn't have to take it out, or even show the case. I sold my 12 ga though, before I left Canada. I didn't want to deal with all the paperwork and hassles for an 870 (since it was purchased in Canada).
I drove the highway from Edmonton, AB to Anchorage, just about a month ago now. Tented it the whole way to save money. The drive was awesome, and the leaves were spectacular. I was pretty weighted down, but had no problems at all- not even a flat or cracked windshield. The road was pretty good overall.
Oddly enough, I didn't see any wildlife at all after I crossed into AK.
You are correct that photos don't do it justice, and as far as I am concerned it was a 1-way highway.
Yah, I've heard the same...that you need to break the muscle/skeletal machine that is moving them at you..ie hit the shoulder or hip with something big enough to crush it.
Fairbanks is NOT like Seattle. It's about the size of a small city anywhere else. Yes, in summer it has tourists, as most any place in AK does, except out in the bush.
Book your ferry trip ASAP as the military tends to have mass exodus after school ends in late May. Ferries book and fill early.
Appologies if this is repeated advice.
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