Self-guided Moose & Caribou Hunting in Alaska: Episode 4 – Finding Big Bulls & Hunting Ptarmigan

After an incredibly challenging day butchering and packing out the two caribou bulls, Ian Harford and Steve Wild spend the day glassing for signs of moose and try their hand at ptarmigan hunting with an air rifle.

Welcome to Self-Guided Hunting in Alaska on Team Wild TV.

It’s the morning of day four in the magnificent Alaskan Wilderness. As the team await the arrival of their bush pilot, Cole to begin transporting the meat that they harvested the previous day, the team decide to take it a bit easier today. The plan is to spend some time glassing the surrounding valleys for signs of moose. They notice a lot of ptarmigan flying around nearby and decide to also try their hand at hunting with an Airgun, the Air Arms S510 TDR.

There are rock ptarmigan scurrying around everywhere, Ian is fairly confident that he’ll be able to successfully harvest a few and cook up some fresh game. After some time, Ian is unable to spot any in a suitable and safe shooting position. Ian heads back to camp to help with the daily chores.

Keeping water supplies topped up is at the top of the priority list. Luckily the team have a number of tools for the task at hand. They use a bladder to collect water from the stream behind, which is decanted into the Katadyn Base Camp System that filters drinking water through a gravity system. Whilst the water is crystal clear, there’s a distinct possibility of picking up a virus or parasites if you drink it directly from source, so it’s always best to use a filter.

With the daily chores complete it’s time to head back out into the stunning Alaskan surroundings and glass the valley for any signs of moose. As they scan the area, James the cameraman took a turn with the Hawke Endurance binoculars and spots a beautiful moose in the distance. Although moose season doesn’t start until the following day, it is still promising to know there is activity nearby.

Before long Cole lands his aircraft and it’s all hands on deck to get the Super Cub loaded up and ready to go. Once he’s assessed the weights of the various bags and packages, Cole sets about loading the plane. It’s critical to ensure everything is loaded correctly in the right place and getting this process right requires a lifetime of experience.

Cole heads out to a local airstrip to drop the first load and will return to collect Mark and the rest of his gear before switching to the larger Maule M5 for the long trip back into town. The team return to glassing and enjoy what’s turning out to be an enjoyable and relaxing day. Cole soon returns as Ian and Steve bid farewell to Mark.

With the valley to themselves, Ian and Steve have another attempt at hunting the ptarmigan, this time with Steve keeping watch and backing Ian up with the rifle in case of any predators. This area is perfect for ptarmigan with plenty of dense cover and insects to feed on. Ian can hear them, but can’t quite pinpoint their location. He moves as carefully as possible through the brush, stopping periodically to scan the undergrowth with the binoculars. It’s just a matter of perseverance. Their patience pays off and they see a covey of birds in a shootable position. However, Ian’s shot deflects off a small branch and the covey fly to safety.

It’s not long before Ian and Steve are back up on the ridge, scouring the slopes for a giant bull moose. It’s a team effort as Steve scans the slopes, pointing out shapes and shadows for Ian to investigate with the Hawke Endurance ED spotting scope. They’ve not yet found their holy grail, but as they continue to take in the magnificence of Alaska, Ian and Steve can’t think of anywhere else in the world they would rather be.

Self-Guided Hunting in Alaska is proudly sponsored by

Realtree Global - www.realtree.com/global-hunting

Deerhunter Clothing - www.deerhunter.eu/en

Hawke Optics – www.uk.hawkeoptics.com
Ian is using:

Sauer 404 Synchro XTC in 300. WIN – https://www.sauer.de/en/products/bolt-action-rifles/sauer-404/sauer-404-synchro-xtc/features.html

The Air Arms S510 TDR - https://www.air-arms.co.uk/showroom_product/s510-tdr

Hawke Airmax 4-12x40 AMX Scope - https://uk.hawkeoptics.com/endurance-30-wa-sf-6-24x50-lr-dot-16x.html

Hawke Endurance Binoculars with Extra-low Dispersion glass - https://uk.hawkeoptics.com/endurance-8x42-binocular-black.html

Hawke Endurance ED Spotting Scope - https://uk.hawkeoptics.com/endurance-ed-20-60x85-spotting-scope.html

Deerhunter Cumberland Outfit - https://www.deerhunter.eu/en/collection/product/cumberland-pro-jacket-5680/category_pathway-12

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