Alaska Wildfowl Adventures – New Website & New Hunts!
Hi Everyone,
I am happy to announce the launch of our new website and some exciting new hunts we are offering!!!
First our new website includes much more information and some fun new features.
Archive for May, 2009
Valdez – First Spring Trip
- Male Willow Ptarmigan
Valdez – First Spring Trip
Our Alaska summers are short enough we try not take advantage of every free weekend we get. So we packed up and head south to Valdez for our first trip of the summer season. It was hardly considered summer in Alaska, it being only May 07. All the lakes are still frozen and lots of snow left in the mountain pass.
Our goal was to catch some shrimp for the freezer and if we were lucky put some bear meat in the freezer also.
We had an amazing ride down. What we had planned on being a quick ride, about 6 hours, took us upward of 10 hours. And it was not because of bad road condition, but the constant wildlife we saw on the trip. We started off early in the morning, picking up Corey at 5:00am. By the time we were in Valdez we had taken pictures and lots of video footage of displaying ptarmigan, caribou, moose, goldeneye eagles and bald eagles.
Last Day of Ptarmigan in Interior Alaska
Rock Ptarmigan
We always try to get out for the last day of ptarmigan here in Fairbanks. My hope every year is to harvest a couple nice male willow ptarmigan. This late in the season they have brown heads and white bodies. I think it is their coolest color phase. In Fairbanks the season stays open until April 30th, later than most places. This gives a chance to harvest these birds in this plumage.
I generally get one each season, but had no luck this year. We did get a great rock ptarmigan, which is more rare in Alaska. They are much smaller and live above tree line. Compared to willows living a lower elevations, general at the start of the tree line. This was a great breeding male, he had huge eye combs.
