Ptarmigan hunting Alaskan style

[Richard Flanders]

Well, it was a gorgeous day to go out snowshoeing but the birds eluded me for the first time. My little lake had few tracks around it so I landed in the river bed below the lake where there was some recent tracks and had a good day of it. I flushed one bird three times and never got a shot. Of course when I took off and had a look up river there were 10x as many tracks further up than I hunted.... next time I guess. Some fellows who were in hunting wolves stopped by for a chat on their snogos - no wolves in sight either it seems. Pics in order:
1. The Alaska Range where I'm headed from a bit south of town
2. In the mountains and coming into the Wood River. I'm headed for the turn to the left that is the furthest up the river you can see from here.
3. "Wood River International" The snow was great for landing but on takeoff was sticky and sugary. I don't think I would have made it out of my little lake had I landed up there.
4. Looking downriver from under the wing.
5. Looking across the Wood River to the north - this is some nice country
6. lots of critters like the brush. There were tracks from moose, lynx, ptarmigan, ermine, and various mice.
7. Good pic of ptarmigan tracks and wing marks from a takeoff