Good day of hunting

Richard Flanders · 04-04-2010, 12:20 AM

Today was a gorgeous spring day here in Interior Alaska and I just had to go out to my favorite ptarmigan hole for some snowshoe hunting with my 28ga Repro. What a lot of work. The birds cooperated though.

I've added a picture of ptarmigan claws to show how long they are compared to other 'grouse'. Must be they use them to claw through snow and such for food, though I've never seen them eat anything but leaves and buds. You can see the feathers that make up their 'winter shoes' for walking on snow also.

Richard Flanders · 04-04-2010, 02:07 AM

Here's a pic of the hillside I hunt them on. You find them in the bushes. They live on the willow buds and leaves, mostly buds it seems from looking at their crops. The snow is deep and heavy this time of year so it's a real workout.

Ben Yarian · 04-04-2010, 09:13 AM

Richard, I realy enjoy the pictures you post. What a beutyfull country you live in.

Ben

Labowner · 04-04-2010, 09:17 AM

Looks like you had a great day for it. I have friends in Quebec that invited me up for a Ptarmigan hunt on snow machines which I regret not being able to make.

Autumn Daze · 04-04-2010, 09:31 AM

Rich,Fantastic pictures! Congratulations on a fine hunt.Thanks for posting them...

C.O.B. · 04-04-2010, 08:31 PM

Rich your probably the only person in the PGCA that uses a plane to bird hunt with, while the rest of us rely on assorted breeds of pointing dogs

Great pictures by the way.

Dean Romig · 04-04-2010, 10:29 PM

Rich, what is the length of the ptarmigan season in Alaska?... or is it determined by zone?

Richard Flanders · 04-05-2010, 01:34 AM

The ptarmigan season varies around the state. Where I'm hunting here it's aug10-feb 28 with a limit of 20/day, 40in possession, then mar1-apr30 at 5/day and 10 in possession. The plane is pretty handy for this bird hunting. I'm not sure a dog could do much in that deep snow. They're good for spring ice fishing also. I've been out the past 3 weekends and have done well, including today when we caught 3 between 31"-40" and came home with 16 fish. This picture is from last weekend and we got one this size today. After the long winter up here folks really get out and play this time of year.

Dean Romig · 04-05-2010, 05:41 AM

Nice pike! M-mm, there's nothing as good as pickled pickerel or pike. What do you do with yours?

Richard Flanders · 04-05-2010, 10:42 AM

I filet/freeze and pan fry them with a breading mix of Progresso + garlic powder + dill. The winter caught pike are hard to beat, much better than summer pike. They're good baked as a roast also, as long as you take the skin off somehow. I have around 35# of filets from the past 3 weekends and hopefully we're not done yet. Here's a pic of Sundays fishing party and one of the fish cleaning carnage. I was pretty busy fileting fish. I have been doing well with a herring on a large treble hook, but the guy who really caught them was using an orange daredevil like spoon with a single shrimp on the hook. Definitely have to try that one. He caught a 35" and a 40" in 10minutes with that setup.... The ice is 36" thick, thinner than last year by 6".