Friday... Monday... it's photo day

[Richard Flanders]

I just spent six days camped on a river bank 35mi south of Fairbanks in hopes of a big bull moose walking by. No such luck but what a great time. Record temps and lots of sunshine. When I wasn't walking the gravel bars in search of cool rocks to take home I was mostly sitting in my chair in the sun reading and scanning for incoming moose. There were some, but all cows and calves. What a great time! On the way home yesterday I happened upon a pack of wolves chasing three moose. As I flew over and circled the moose in the rear stopped to face them down - big mistake - while the others made good their escape and the four rear guard wolves moved up to help with the kill. Next flite down I'll check to see if they were successful. Thousands of hours in the air and I have never witnessed this show before and likely never will again. I love this place!

Yesterday morning a ruffie came screaming across the river low level and whizzed by me just 6ft off my shoulder and landed 30ft behind me in the woods and pranced around like he owned the place. Fortunately for him it took me way too long to fetch the .22 from the plane and he made his escape. I was looking forward to ruffie stir fry.....

[Bindlestiff]

I am green with envy! What a place to hunt; and I like your style too. That looks like great fun!

[Mills]

Beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing

[Eldon Goddard]

Is that an 86 Winchester?

[Dean Romig]

Those are some beautiful pictures Richard.

I was on my way to grouse camp today back in on the gravel roads in Vermont and locked up the brakes and did a "bat turn". because I had spotted a bull and cow hock-deep in a smallish beaver pond. The bull appeared to be about 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 years old and I called my friend who has a moose permit for the area. Season opens Oct. 1 and I just might be rewarded with some meat if Jason is lucky.

[Richard Flanders]

Eldon: That is indeed an 1887-vintage '86 Winchester .45-90 that is my go to hunting rifle. I walked into an Anchorage gun store many years ago and told the owner I was looking for a nice 1886 Winchester in .45-90 with a rifle length octagonal bbl with a good bore, an ivory front bead, nice wood, and a tang sight and he went into the back and brought out just that and I've been shooting it ever since. For moose I generally cast 400gr bullets which really do the job. For longer shots on smaller game like caribou I cast 300gr bullets that are more proper for the twist rate and shoot more accurately at long range.

I also have it's cousin in a model 1885 high-wall in .45-90 of the same age. It's a good shooter also.

[Eldon Goddard]

My favorite John Browning design. I am glad to see it doing what it was intended to do.

[George Lang]

Glad to see those 86's still being used. Should expect it from a group such as ours. My own 1886 hunters are 45-70 and 33 WCF. Great pics, looks like a good way to spend a day.

[Bob Hardison]

Richard: Looks like you are having too much fun and I'm jealous. Thanks for sharing and good for you. Bob

[OLD GEEZER]

Richard: I'm waiting on those geese to get here. I have a 34 inch Parker 10 ga. With hammers that has to be broken in. Great photo's and I get home sick for Alaska when its hunting season. Thomas