Elk Hunt in Alaska, Raspberry Island

Flatbow drew a tag for Raspberry Island (near Kodiak). I'm going along to help him out and maybe get a chance at a black tail. He is hoping to take a bull with a bow. I will be a much better help if I can get a decent bugle on by the time we go. Any tips and tactics anyone can share? The bulls will be in the midst of the rut when we get there. Its a mid October hunt. I need to pick a call (what one?) and am looking for some tips on how to use it. He had good beta on the Island, but if someone else has been there and done that we welcome the input.

Thanks!

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elknut

Have a quick look at the above then pick up one or two of his dvds, you'll nail it down pretty quick.


http://stores.elknut.com/dvds/

Bugling bulls and beyond vol1 will give you the 6 basic sounds by Cows and Bulls, then take it from there.

I'm glad that Matt is going along on this trip and happy that he is willing to try to call for me. I would like to use my recurve the first few days of the hunt and if I could set up 100 yards in front of his calling position it would really improve the chances. We have 7 days of hunting, we want to put meat in the freezer so won't rule out the rifle after a bit. Hopefully have some time left to archery hunt deer. Waited 14 years for this tag, should be a fun trip!

Billy

AndyB said:

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=elknut

Have a quick look at the above then pick up one or two of his dvds, you'll nail it down pretty quick.


http://stores.elknut.com/dvds/

Bugling bulls and beyond vol1 will give you the 6 basic sounds by Cows and Bulls, then take it from there.

Click to expand...

Sent you guys a pm

realunlucky said:

Sent you guys a pm

Click to expand...

Thanks! Billy and I welcome the help!

Cant wait to see pictures from the island. Elk in alaska is surely a unique experience I've yet to have!

Are there brown bears there? What are the logistics of this hunt? 14 years, sounds like a good tag? Is there a high density of Elk on Rasp Is?

Nick Muche said:

Are there brown bears there? What are the logistics of this hunt? 14 years, sounds like a good tag? Is there a high density of Elk on Rasp Is?

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Billy is running the logistics, but basically drive to Homer, Ferry to Kodiak, float plane/Beaver to Raspberry. Yes bear are there, taking shotgun, bear fence, the works. I'm unsure of the density. Billy has been getting good beta so it will be interesting to see what the Island holds.

Pretty spectacular place to go for my first elk hunt!

I have been applying for this permit for 14 years. it is usually split into 3 hunts. Oct 1-12, bull. Oct 11-22, bull. Oct 23-Nov 23, cow. this year there were 8 bull permits in each of the bull hunts and 20 cow permits in the cow hunt. the brown bear used to be a registration hunt but is now on a draw. after Oct. 1 the deer season becomes 'any' deer, limit 3.

herd

Raspberry Island is small compared to Kodiak Island. Maybe 15 miles in overall length, at it's widest 7 miles. Last year some hunters counted the main elk herd going over a ridge single file. They counted 156 elk. There is a smaller group, 25-30 elk, on the east end on Native corporation land. I've been told the main herd stays on the 4-7 miles of the Federal land on the west end of the island.

Flatbow said:

I have been applying for this permit for 14 years. it is usually split into 3 hunts. Oct 1-12, bull. Oct 11-22, bull. Oct 23-Nov 23, cow. this year there were 8 bull permits in each of the bull hunts and 20 cow permits in the cow hunt. the brown bear used to be a registration hunt but is now on a draw. after Oct. 1 the deer season becomes 'any' deer, limit 3.

Click to expand...

I drew that hunt way back in 1997. We went in by boat, hunted the north west area, saw very few elk, the area was overrun with guys on ATV's driving cross country, very disappointing to see when you spend hours hiking into a good looking valley only to have some yahoo on an ATV come cruising through. I hope they have eliminated that issue. On the way out we did circle the island by boat, glassing hard and we did see a bunch of elk on the side of the highest, most isolated peak that is observable from the east side channel.

Mike

Someone told Billy about a video of someone hunting the Island. I did some searching and found it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DoT0sW_3awM

Looks like a cool spot to spend a few days.. : )

That looks like a tough hunt with them all herded up together. Seems like a all or nothing type deal

Raspberry looks really cool! Or maybe just different, I don't know. Anyway glad you're going with him High country, billy extended an invite my way a while back but I'll be chasing elk down here around then. Your island looks a lot more open, and around 1500 feet shorter... You guys'll have fun, get a monster! Looking forward to pics and words on the whole experience.
Josh

We head out tonight! 5hr drive south, 12hr ferry ride, and then a quick jump in a Beaver. I am excited to say the least!
Thanks to realunlucky and others who reached out to help us out!

Best of luck!

At the end of each hunting season (usually a sheep hunt) I have been posting the pic heavy story. Usually it is on a traditional bowsite (Leatherwall) but this Aug. I did my first here as it was not a true bowhunt. (Alaska, Wrangell Mountain Dall sheep hunt). As for this elk hunt, it would be easy to let it lie. But, as there have been a few to contact me already as to the results I feel I have to reply even though this will be one hard story to write.
I had been putting in for Raspberry elk for 14 years. When I drew this year I was more excited about this hunt than my annual sheep hunt ( I plan my whole year around that). My long time hunting partner could not go because of a surgery his wife was having. I had talked Matt into coming as a third as I thought it would be easier to pack out with 3 vs 2. With my partner out Matt made it still a go. At least the trip was not canceled. I had asked a dozen people to go, trying to get that 3rd one on board. (they were lucky they did not!) When the day came to leave the weather in the Gulf had been horrible and the State ferry was delayed. We should have arrived in Kodiak noon on the 10th with a flight to Raspberry at 3 pm the same day. With the ships weather delay we would not make it to Kodiak till 6 pm or later and would overnight in Kodiak and hope that the next day we could fit into the busy air taxi schedule. As this was not a direct sailing from Homer to Kodiak but a stop in Port Lions on the way, I got the bright idea of jumping off in Port Lions with our gear and have the plane pick us up there. Port Lions is halfway between Kodiak and Raspberry Island. The air taxi and us would still be on schedule, everything is great! As we were already at the dock when the change of plan was made it was a mad RUSH to get all our gear off the ship and onto the dock. The ship sailed away and the plane picked us up and delivered us to Raspberry Island. You do not know the meaning of LOW until you have been dropped off in the Gulf of Alaska in Oct. knowing that a major storm is on it's way and as you watch your plane depart realize that you do not have a shelter with you. Or SAT phone. The last thing I picked up before getting Matt was the SAT phone so it was behind the truck seat and not in any gear bag. My Kifaru tipi had fallen behind a large cooler and in the mad haste to get our gear off the ship was overlooked in its hidden place. I cannot begin to tell how bad I felt for putting Matt into this position. I had two tarps with me that proved to be leaky (they are now designated wood tarps) and we took our gear up into the old growth and did the best we could to make a shelter. Matt did great in stringing the tarps while I got busy cutting firewood. The first night went ok but could not leave to go hunt without somehow getting a shelter. I had signals on the beach made of cut up discarded yellow rain gear and had even scratched an SOS into the beach. We spent 2 days hoping a plane would come over or a boat would come into the bay. The third night the storm hit. It was a good one. I have been working the Gulf between Kodiak and Homer since '95 so I have an idea of what wind feels like. It blew an easy 60 knots with higher gusts. The early evening it snowed hard but later turned to very heavy rain. Kodiak reported 3", I had been guessing that much or more the next morning. The scary part about our shelter under the trees was the limbs raining down on our tarps. Was afraid that one would not fall and hit horizontally but would spear us. So glad it was ony a 14-16 hour storm instead of a couple of days as I have ridden out before. Having lost 3 days trying to get someones attention we decide (I) we had to hunt. Left a detailed message on a stake at the beach in a zip loc and started to climb the mountain. Halfway up looked down and saw smoke in the trees not far up the beach from our camp. Went down and found 2 young hunters in camp after packing their first load of elk back 3 1/2 miles. They had a SAT phone so were able to arrange to have the air charter get into my truck and then deliver us the tipi and phone. Knowing that it was going to take these two stapping youths 4 days to pack their elk the hard realization that my hunt was over set in. It was the 4th day when we got shelter. We did not have time enough left to pack one out unless it was near camp over the first ridge. The last couple of nights in the tipi were comfy and Matt and I got in some nice day hikes. The island is much tougher than I had imagined. All these years of traveling by and looking at all that open 'meadow' that I thought was knee high grass was actually chest high salmon berry, raspberry, rose, and devils club. A nasty mix on a steep grade that goes up 2/3 of the way before thinning out. The first ridge being 1600 ft., then a half mile wide valley that was boggy and wet, and thicker than the hill side. And then a second ridge 2000 ft. to get over before getting into the elk 'honey hole'. The other hard realization of this trip was that I am not as tough as I want to be. Nearing 62, my daily 30 min. weight training and 6 mile walks will have to be doubled if I want to try this again. Hunting sheep is easier. Pictures to follow soon....

Sorry to hear this. Excited to see the pictures though

It was a great adventure and Billy felt a heavy responsibility as he has met my 3 kiddos and wife. The tarps were not fun, the weather was extreme and if given time it would been an uncomfortable experience, but baring the one night we were never in danger of surviving. At least IMO. If the weather had been better and if we had the tent we would have had a pretty good shot. It was discouraging though to spend a half hour flying over the island on the way out and not see a single elk. I think its a hunt that requires a lot more time and glassing than we were able to make happen, and having a boat that allows you to change approaches would be a BIG help. If a guy does a fly in being prepared to spike camp in heavy bear country is a game you have to be mentally prepared to do, either that or beat brush in the dark.

Billy is tougher than he thinks is and if we would have had the tent on day 1, it just might be a whole different story. Next time we need some guy to go over the week before we do and film a DR Trimmer commercial and clean that place up! : )

Sorry to hear about your misadventure especially after waiting for 14 years. Looking forward to the pics!