Howard and Vern met in Houston at a sportsman show. Howard had been on a Canadian Goat hunt a few years earlier but had not been successful. Now he wanted to settle the score and maybe even add a Moose to the hunt if he had time. Howard felt like the time for a strenuous Goat hunt was passing him by, but he really wanted to give it one last try. A Goat hunt in rugged mountains can be tough but with the right outfitter it can be a great adventure. The hunter must be in reasonably good condition. Howard flew into Yakutat, where he got his Goat permit, and then took the charter plane to the hunting camp in Icy Bay. He arrived on October 22. All of the required paperwork was completed and his gun checked to make sure it was still dead on. The plan was to hike into pristine country and hunt a canyon where we harvested two great Goats last year. One went over ten inches and the other a fantastic 11 inch monster. Both scored well enough to make the record book. The first day the plan was to survey the Goat country and determine if it would be necessary to pack in a spike camp. With luck, sometimes good trophies are taken on the first trip into this canyon. No one had been into this Goat haven this year. Anticipation was running high and rain was steadily falling the next morning when the hunters left camp. The route to the Goat habitat followed a stream that was nearly two feet deep with a lot of deeper pools. It had to be crossed multiple times over more than four miles. Good progress was made but the rain was steady and even getting heavier. By the time the destination was reached the creek had risen noticeably. After glassing for a couple of hours a nice billy was spotted on a nearby ridge but there didn’t appear to be any way to make a stalk without being seen. Garrett and Howard moved to within 500 yards but just couldn’t get any closer. This is not the shot that is normally taken by a client. After a short discussion, Howard felt confident that he could make the shot, Garrett agreed. It was now or never! Howard put his rifle over a pack to steady the shot and squeezed off a round. The bullet hit the animal perfectly, but as is so often the case the Goat just absorbed the shot and started downhill. It took another shot to keep him down for good. Everyone was elated! Pictures were taken, the Goat was skinned for a life sized mount, and the meat was butchered and distributed into the packs. Now it should be a little easier going back down the mountain. What wasn’t anticipated was that the water in the creek would have risen so much. Garrett took the heaviest load. On the way down he went under for a good dunking a couple of times. By the time they were safely back at the main camp they were exhausted and freezing from the cold water. Needless to say they all took the next day off to recoup from their successful adventure. Like they say, it’s not an adventure until there’s some excitement and a little danger involved.

Now it was time for Howard to get a Moose tag and try his luck in the swamps. Hunting Moose requires an early start so Garrett and Howard were off before daybreak. Garrett had a plan and knew where several good bulls were hanging out. As they hiked into one of the many Moose pastures, Garrett located an impressive old bull that he’d seen earlier in the season. This was an old bull whose horns had reached their maximum size and he was now going down hill. However, as is so often the case, the old bull’s horns were more massive and were putting on extra long abnormal tines. This was a great bull that Garrett wanted some lucky hunter to harvest. Howard was more than willing so they started the stalk to get as close as possible. There were twelve Moose in the field with two of them being great bulls. Howard really wanted the old bull. With one well placed shot the moose staggered and fell. Wow, Howard had taken a nine and a half inch Billy and a great Moose by the third day of the hunt. Not all our hunts go this well. However, Howard knew when he arrived what he wanted. He was willing to let the guides do their job and was more than willing to take their advice. It was a great experience for all of us.

All of the activity in the Salmon hole made a change of camp necessary before they could continue hunting for Brown Bear. The next day they set up in Garrett’s bear hole. It’s his favorite Brown Bear feeding area. Traditionally camp is set up and the hunters walk a short distance each afternoon to a log jam. The bears come out late in the evening to feed and usually continue through the night. The hunting technique requires one to snuggle into a spot in the log jam and sit silently and motionlessly for long hours waiting for the bears to come out and feed. Needless to say it tests your patience and your nerves to have these large predators within twelve yards at night when you can just barely make them out. If you’ve never heard a carnivore tare flesh and crunch bones at close range, you’ve missed one of hunting’s great thrills. Eduardo will never forget his long night in the log jam! H was rewarded with a great bear that squared out at 9 foot 4 inches.

The ground work was laid for Randy Rau’s Mountain Goat hunt in August when he stopped at our booth in Fort Worth at the Texas Trophy Hunter’s Extravaganza. He was after a special animal for his trophy room and wanted to bring his father Ron to experience Alaska’s true wilderness in a wild part of the state that is often called “The Lost Coast”. Here the mountains rise from their base higher than any mountains in the world. The hunt for the elusive Mountain Goat is done on private land that backs up against the Mt. Saint Elias Wrangell National Park. There are 70 miles of coastline to hunt so the Goats rarely see people and most of them die of old age and natural causes.Randy and Ron arrived into Yakutat on October 11. Randy picked up his Goat permit at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and headed directly out to the hunting camp in Icy Bay, a short flight of about forty minutes. The first two days were spent fishing for Silver Salmon and hunting waterfowl. On the afternoon of the second day, with the waterfowl specimens securely wrapped and in the freezer, Randy and the crew were off scouting for a trophy Goat. It wasn’t long before Garrett had a nice Billy spotted on the mountain. They studied the terrain and planned their stalk for the next morning. It was just a mile away but the route up was going to be challenging. This looked to be a hunt that they could complete in a day so they decided to save time and not pack a spike camp up the mountain. Everyone was excited that evening as they anticipated the coming days hunt.

The team was off early the next morning with high expectations. The climb was steep but the route through the trees was fairly good. When they reached timberline the shale made the going a little rougher. The climb up had taken twice as long as they’d planned. To make things more difficult the big Billy had moved over one ridge and time was getting away from them to complete the hunt and get back down while it was still light. Finally they topped out and were able to survey their situation. They located another decent Goat that was much closer than the record book Goat that was on the next ridge. They were tired and decided to take the closer Goat and hope to make it off of the mountain before dark. The final stalk was made and Randy executed an impressive shot at over 400 yards. He was using a .378 Weatherby that had been necked down. The going was tough getting to the Goat and the photos were taking up even more time. They dressed out the Goat and Randy and his dad each took a load to help out. Going down was a little easier but everyone had to be cautious not to slip and sprain an ankle or dislocate a knee. When they were half way down and into the timber it was obvious that they couldn’t make it out before dark. So, the safe thing to do was to pick out a good level spot and find an area that offered some protection. They snuggled up together and spread the Goat hide over them for additional warmth.

Three happy guys arrived at the bottom of the mountain the next morning. The going had been tough but the rewards were more than worth it. Randy and Ron headed back to Fort Worth with a prized Mountain Goat that had excellent horns and a hide with long magnificent winter hair. It was the trophy of a life time.

BROWN BEAR – The giant Alaska Brown Bear is the only Alaska trophy that world renowned hunters include on their list of the “World’s Top 10 Trophies”. On “The Lost Coast” there is an abundance of food in the form of succulent plants, a wide variety of berries, and huge runs of Salmon that return to the rivers and streams to spawn in the summer and fall. As a result our Brown Bear get a lot of protein and can reach sizes of 10 foot squared. The best time to hunt Brown Bear is during September when the large runs of Silver Salmon return to the rivers and streams around Icy Bay. October and November is also good because the fishermen have left the rivers. As a result, the airplane traffic is down and the area has quieted. This is the time when the big Brown Bear move about more freely and begin to gorge themselves on the remaining Salmon to get ready for hibernation that begins in late November and December.

ALASKA PENINSULA BROWN BEAR – Brown Bear hunting is conducted on the Alaska Peninsula during even numbered years in the spring and during odd numbered years in the fall. The season lasts three weeks each year and hunters are not required to draw for permits as they are for the Kodiak Island hunt. For the discriminating hunter that wants a realistic chance for a 10 foot Brown Bear, the Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak Island are the only places in the world where this is likely. To put one of these monster Brown Bear on the ground is an awesome experience.

ALASKA/YUKON MOOSE – Alaska Moose hunting on “The Lost Coast” of southeastern Alaska is a great experience. The hunts are conducted on private land on both sides of Icy Bay. The hunting is conducted on over 70 miles of coast line on an exclusive hunting lease where resident hunters are not allowed. The property fronts the ocean and is bounded in the back by the Wrangell Saint Elias National Park. This is perhaps the only privately managed Alaska/Yukon Moose herd in the world. The genetics from Yakutat to Cordova are some of the best in the world. The bulls can produce some huge racks that measure over 70 inches. One was taken on the property several years ago that measured 73 ½ inches and another produced last year that measured 72 inches. At this time the herd is being strictly managed to increase the trophy quality and the seasonal kill is limited to 6 trophy bulls.

MOUNTAIN GOAT – Pursue the elusive pure white Mountain Goat that inhabits the foot hills of the Saint Elias Mountains of Alaska. Hunt them in October and November when their winter hair is eight inches long and they are migrating down from their lofty peaks to lower levels after the first snow fall. Mountain Goat Hunting is done on private property and only a few Goats have been taken over the last 10 years. As a result these Mountain Goats will often make the record book. This private property backs up against the Wrangell Saint Elias National Park which is an ideal situation for producing big Mountain Goats.

COASTAL BLACK BEAR – Enjoy an easy hunt in the Spring for the monster Coastal Black Bear that can be found along the shoreline coves and meadows filling themselves with beach grass. Black Bear hunting can also be done on stands where we pattern the Black Bear and can select the larger record book boars. These are spectacular Coastal Black Bear that can measure to an awesome 8 foot square. Since beginning the hunting operation, on the private property in Icy Bay, the success rate has been 100% on spring hunts. During the 2010 season the average Black Bear measured slightly over 7 foot squared. Several were over 575 pounds.

They began their preparation by shooting thousands of rounds through Red Rider BB guns at duct tape covered Ping Pong balls.
As the snow melted in Yakutat and the hunt neared Garrett and I, along with our crew, flew to Icy Bay. There had been a lot of snow during the winter and the struggles of the Moose were evident as we found many Willow Trees stripped of their bark up to the eight foot level. The bears were comfy in their dens and only a few were already out and moving about. The stands were put up and the conditioning process was started to get the Black Bear motivated to visit the hunting sites.

Finally D Day arrived and Jonathan flew down from Anchorage. From Yakutat he flew out to the hunting camp and was treated to awesome views of Mt. St. Elias and coastline. Jonathan couldn’t hunt that day since he’d flown in a small airplane. (Alaska law doesn’t permit hunting on the same day you’ve been airborne, for most big game animals.) The anticipation grew as he unpacked and went out to make sure the .243 rifle was still dead on. It was! One of the guides suggested that Jonathan could shoot his .338 and after several shots he decided to go with the larger caliber. I was a little dubious but I didn’t want to interfere with his decision. Jonathan could hardly sleep that night but finally a new day arrived and the hunt could begin. Garrett drove him out to the “Garden of Eden” and they quietly snuck into the stand. I can only guess at the level of adrenalin that was flowing through his body when a magnificent boar first came into view. This was a great trophy Black Bear that would go well over 6 foot square. He had a perfect spring hide with a thick raven black luxurious coat without a blemish. The excitement was intense as Garrett filmed and let the bear settle down. He talked with Jonathan and they both steadied themselves while they waited for the perfect broadside lung shot. When the moment came it is almost anti climatic as Jonathan squeezed the shot off. The bullet entered the chest cavity and took off the top of the heart as it passed through both lungs. The big boar ran 30 yards and collapsed. What a shot and what a Black Bear! When the hide was fleshed it was spread out on the ground. Without touching it or stretching the hide it squared out at 6 foot 9 inches. The skull measured over 19 inches and will qualify for the record book. What a beginning for a young hunter! Jonathan was elated! He’d set quite a standard for Zale to follow.

Zale finished school and flew to Yakutat on May 27. The spring in Yakutat was one of the best ever so he was also privileged to get a great view of Mount Saint Elias and the Lost Coast. Excitement ran high as Zale practiced shooting with the .243 Remington. We were all anticipating the hunt and wanted him to take a nice bear. We’d been watching a big boar in a different stand that would fill the bill but we hadn’t seen him for a couple of days. We were a little worried that he’d hooked up with a sow as the breeding season was now in full swing. Zale and Garrett went to the stand on the 28th but the boar was no where to be found.  Zale got to experience how cold a stand can be when you’ve sat there for 4 or 5 hours. We were all disappointed and a little concerned. The next evening they went back to the same stand. What a surprise! They were only on the stand for five minutes when a new boar came in. This Black Bear was a GIANT! He had undoubtedly kicked out the other boar and had taken over the territory. Now it was Garrett’s turn to be nervous as he’d never taken a bear for himself that went this large.  He steadied himself and talked Zale through the possible shot placements while he filmed the incredibly big boar. When he gave the go ahead, Zale held steady and placed the 90 grain .243 bullet right in the bread basket taking out both lungs. The big boar ran about 50 feet and keeled over. When I arrived at the site Zale nearly knocked me over as he ran and leaped four feet through the air to give me a big bear hug. Let me tell you the excitement ran through the camp like wild fire. I’ve been involved in outfitting for well over 250 Black Bear and this is the biggest bear I’ve ever seen taken. When the hide was fleshed and spread out on the ground it measured 7 feet 6 inches square without being stretched or touched. The skull will most likely measure over 21 inches and go well into the record book. Zale is still excited and is now talking about hunting for a 10 foot Brown Bear.

Of course, now you know what Grandpa is in for! The boys have two great Trophy Black Bear that have to be mounted. Oh Yes, Zale is pushing for a life sized mount! I think I’ve created two monsters! Now they’re talking Africa! And Goliath? He outsmarted us and won this round!