sign from the beach fringe on up the side of the hill.  Kurt and I saw a deer near the base of the ridge, but could not get a shot.  A little later, I saw two – one went uphill, and the one following it went downhill.  I decided to follow the first one up the hill and have Kurt walk down about 75 yards parallell to my ascent so if I could get above the deer, it might run into Kurt.
 
When I got up a few hundred feet, I saw movement below.  Then a deer. All I could see was the back, and saw it was a big deer.  Could not see the head but sensed it was a buck.  I quickly tried 3 offhand shots with the 30-30, and the deer didn’t flinch.  I was in a hurry because I was worried the deer was going to go around a rock and out of sight, which it eventually did, and I never saw it again.  Of course I went down to that point and saw no sign of hitting the deer, and when I didn’t hear Kurt shoot, I knew we’d lost our chance.
 
Kurt and I got split up at this point, and we both headed down to the beach, hunting alone along the way down.  Didn’t see any more deer but lots of fresh scat.  I got to the beach first, and the wind had shifted and the tide was just flooding up under the boat and rocking it back and forth.  I thought I’d better get it off shore so it didn’t get beat up, so I pushed it out enough to start, then pulled up the anchor and untied the shoreline from the anchor.  I tacked back and forth for about 5 minutes when I saw Kurt coming down the beach.  The wind and surf were now too large to pick him up where we’d anchored, so I tried to get into a stream mouth to get out of the wind enough to pick him up.  It was too shallow in there, so we ended up waiting for the tide to rise under us enough to get out and finally did.  Lots of sealions in the shallows there like there were last week, and still mouthy, barking at us and not really wanting to get out of our
way.    Another good day in the woods.

–
Mark Stopha
Alaska Wild Salmon Company
4455 N. Douglas Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801
www.GoodSalmon.com

Went hunting today, even though weatherman was calling for a gale.  It’s just too nice not to at least take a look.  Sunny and about freezing.  Turns out the water was fine and I made it to our spot on the back of our home Douglas Island.  Temperature was about freezing and no snow so the traction was superb and you can walk all day when the temp is like that and no rain.  Saw a humpback whale out in Stephens Passage on the way, then perhaps a hundred gulls hovering out in the middle of the Pass.  And several dozen mouthy sea lions along the beach.  So, lots of some kind of feed out there.

Hiked all day and didn’t see any deer and didn’t “feel” any in the area, either.  Might be early for this spot.  Did see some fairly fresh pellets occasionally.  I had a march of about a mile back to the skiff, and when I turned the corner at the point I could see lots of beach and thought I was high and dry.  But when I came in in the morning, I’d moved down the beach, passing on my first choice for what I thought was a better spot, and lucky I did.  When I finally got to the skiff it was still anchored in deep water. 

I was pretty tired and it was so nice I just sat on the beach.  I’d only drank maybe a cup of water from my quart bottle, so I slowly drank the rest and enjoyed the sun.  I almost took a nap the beach fringe was so dry and the sun so warm and my knees pretty tired.  After about a half hour I pulled the line tied to the driftwood on the beach that was tied on the other end to the anchor, and headed home.  It was kind of lumpy on the way home, but just a swell from all the wind we’ve been having.

Near Outer Point, I saw a crab buoy in water in shouldn’t be – too deep.  I pulled the buoy and the pot and turns out it was someone we knew, so I called them and let them know we had the pot and they could pick it up.  It was a light pot with no weight and in almost exactly the same spot I’ve found gear at other times. The current seems to always take it there.

–
Mark Stopha
Alaska Wild Salmon Company
4455 N. Douglas Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801
www.GoodSalmon.com

FINALLY got the Sea Lion in the water this weekend. Kurt and Ben helped, with Kurt launching his skiff in case we had trouble and needed a tow. I got the tow truck to move the boat from the lot to Douglas Harbor, and we launced it without a hitch. Started the engine, and saw that the water pump was working fine. Untied and headed out into the channel with Ben onboard and Kurt riding herd in the skiff. Some of the wiring was not done or done right for the gauges and tachometer, and I got almost all of those working on Sunday.

Went to the cabin on Thursday and no crab. Reset the pot as I forgot bait but still some left in the pot. Most of the cabins on Horse Is. are now empty, with only 2 other boats in the anchorages. Most of the blueberries are gone, and the leaves left have turned from green to yellow. One good storm and many more should drop.

went down to the Kenai River with Todd to visit a friend I had not seen for 30 years until I had breakfast with him and his wife on a stop in Juneau on their way to Minnesota via the ferry. He has run Beaver Creek Cabins for a decade and guides fishing out of there as well. We had planned our trip many weeks ago, and despite the flood warnings, we went down as the trip was more about getting together than fishing.

We fished on Sat and did not catch any thing. As it was my first time to the river, it will be interesting to see what it looks like when it’s not at or near flood stage. All the way down and back from Anchorage, the river got nearer the road level as you moved north, upstream, and I could see it wouldn’t take much more for the river to cross the road in places.

Keith and Jane were great hosts, and we had a comfortable cabin. We just watched football on Sunday before driving back to Anchorage. I think they had one more day of guests and then the season would be over. They both looked like they were a bit weary after an every-day-is-a-workday for the past 5 months, and were looking forward to some much deserved down time. I remember feeling the same way after a long stretch trolling – glad to be doing what I was doing, but glad when it was over, too.

We plan to go back down for sockeye fishing next summer.

–
Mark Stopha
Alaska Wild Salmon Company
4455 N. Douglas Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801
www.GoodSalmon.com

Went to the cabin after work on Thurs and picked berries on Friday.  Even got lost on our little island, and came out on the Douglas side after wandering through some new country and even saw a deer.  It was blowing on the beach, and I decided I’d better stay another day and hope for calmer seas.  I picked a few chicken of the woods mushrooms to try, and spent the evening picking leaves and stems from the berries. The mushrooms were okay – not fantastic, but edible.  Then the floodgates opened on Friday night – man, did it rain.  Flat calm this morning on the ride back, but now just pouring again.  Fixed Sara’s lawn mower, listened to the Mississippi State – Auburn game (State won), and packed fish today.  One whale watching trip tomorrow as the season winds down. 

–
Mark Stopha
Alaska Wild Salmon Company
4455 N. Douglas Hwy
Juneau, AK 99801
www.GoodSalmon.com