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Thorne River |
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The 2008 season is
here!
Book your vacation now while prime
dates are still available.
Call us at 800-720-3468
NEW for 2008:
Kayak and Photograph Tours
Experience
our small group kayak and photo tours and enjoy the cultural
and scenic adventures that locals experience every day.
Learn more about the Island before your visit - the
Ultimate CD of Prince of Wales Island
Whether you're planning your once in a life time Alaskan vacation or the yearly
adventure with the guys,
we're here to help you get the most out of your Alaskan Experience!
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Thorne River |
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World-class, year round fresh water fishing for steelhead, rainbow,
cutthroat and Dolly’s
in our miles and miles of streams, rivers and secluded bays.
Salt water ocean fishing for salmon, halibut, snapper, lingcod or rock fish.
No combat fishing! And breath taking scenery with an abundance of fish.
World-class bear hunting in old growth wilderness.
View wildlife such as eagles, whales and sea lions.
Kayak and Photo Tours
Where else but Prince
of Wales Island!
Click
here to learn more about our beautiful Island
Contact us at:
mazigrace at gmail dot com
Or call 800-720-3468
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Home
Remote fishing in abundance! |
Skiff and boat rentals available |
| Prince of Wales is Game Management Unit 2
This includes Prince of Wales Island and all islands west of the center lines of Clarence Strait and Kashevarof Passage, south and east of the center lines of Sumner Strait and east of the longitude of the westernmost point of Warren Island. |
Black Bear limits:
non-residents: one (1)- September 1st- June 30th
Deer limits: residents and non-residents: four (4) bucks - August 1st to December 31st Wolf limits: residents and non-residents: five (5) wolves - December 1st to March 31st |
| Word of Caution: Shooting
from the highway is prohibited. Motorized vehicles are not permitted
to herd game animals. "Robo deer" is in operation! Don't
be fooled!
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Black Bear: 70 - 350 lbs. 35 - 175 lbs. carcass weight |
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June, July, August and September. E-mail us to reserve your dates |
Sitka
black-tailed deer are small, stocky and short-faced
as are members of the mule deer groups. They are reddish-brown during
the summer and dark brownish-gray in winter. Their average weight
of adults in early fall is about 80 pounds for does and 120 pounds for
bucks. It is estimated that there are between 350,000 and 400,000
Sitka black-tailed deer in Alaska.
It's a native to the coastal rain
forests of Southeast Alaska and northern coastal British Columbia.
They are an important source of nutritious, lean meat for many Alaskans,
especially in Southeast Alaska. An adult provides about 50 pounds
of meat.
A doe will breed during her second
year yielding a fawn annually until she is 10 to 12 years old. Fawns
are born in late spring. During the summer and early fall, the deer
forage and accumulate fat that will help them through the winter and early
spring. The breeding season, or rut, peaks during November.
In winter, old forest growth and low elevations provides an excellent winter habitat for them to congregate. As the snow melts in early spring, the deer move to the higher elevations and begin feeding on leafy vegetables and shrubs. During the winter months they eat fine twigs of blueberry bushes, bunchberry and trailing bramble.
Deer populations fluctuate considerable
depending on the severity of the winter. Many deer die of starvation
during long, cold winters. They are also prey to wolves and black
bears.
Black
Bear in Southeast Alaska stand two to three feet
at the shoulders and are about five feet from nose to tail, being the smallest
of North American bears. Males are usually larger than the females.
And average male can weigh in at 180 - 200 pounds in the spring.
They are considerably heavier in the fall prior to their hibernation.
Black bears are easily distinguished from the brown bear by their straight facial profile. They lack that shoulder hump and their claws are seldom over 1 1/2 inches long. They have an outstanding sense of smell and usually smell you before they see you.
The black bear inhabits most of the forested areas of Alaska and depending on the season, they may be found from sea level to alpine area. In Southeast Alaska, black bears are the traditional subsistence food. They are hunted for their hides, trophies and a good source of food.
Bears usually mature at age three to six and breed every two to three years. Mating occurs in June and July. Other than that activity, bears are quite solitary, except for when a sow has cubs.
Cubs are born in dens after a gestation period of about seven months. Born blind and nearly hairless they weigh under a pound. When they come out of the den in May, they may weight up to five pounds. Two cups per litter are the most common, although triplets have been spotted quite often. The cubs remain with their mother through their first winter and sometimes even a second.
When they emerge from hibernation, they eat freshly-sprouted green vegetation like skunk cabbage. But they will also eat most anything they encounter, including winter-killed animals, newborn moose calves or deer fawns. As the summer approaches they feed on salmon where available and berries and insects. Bears are extremely powerful and can be dangerous to humans. They should be treated with respect, especially when cubs are present.
During hibernation, which usually lasts seven to eight months, they winter over in rock cavities, hollow trees or self-made caves. Sometimes they just sleep on the ground.
Regulations prohibit taking cubs or a sow with cubs. Bait for hunting is restricted. No part of any bear may be bought or sold.
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Click here for more information |
The other suggestion is to have your hide fleshed and dried. Then roll it and use a duffel bag. Better yet, we have found that RubberMaid's Extra Large Action Packers work great. They don't leak and you can check them as just another piece of luggage. Be aware that if it exceeds 70 pounds you will have to pay for extra baggage. Also take extra plastic bags and tape with you in case you are subject to a random search.
Consider donating any unwanted meat to the local residents. This will limit your weight for shipping.
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We still have some dates available for the 2008 season. Click here for more information |
Family Favorite Salmon Loaf
Serves 6
1 pint canned Salmon
3 cups bread crumbs
4 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
dash cayenne
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 cup grated onion
2 tablespoons butter
2 eggs
3/4 cup salmon liquid from can or milk added to make correct measurement
Drain and flake Salmon, reserving liquid. Mix well and place in
well greased loaf pan. Combine egg and liquid.
Pour over salmon mixture
Bake in oven at 350 45 minutes or until loaf is firm in center
Unmold on a hot platter and serve with sauce
Crush saltine crackers. Drain and flake Salmon.
Add all ingredients together.
Form patties and fry in hot frying pan with olive oil until browned
on both sides.
| Jim Zumbo from Outdoor Life Magazine notes
his pick for the top five "Best Bear Hunts" in the US:
Alaska's Island Bears Alaska has far more black bears than any other state or Canadian province, with up to a quarter-million animals roaming our largest state. My choice for a fun, economical hunt is to rent a vehicle on Prince of Wales Island, and spot-and-stalk bears along the island's more than 2,000 miles of logging roads. This island, the third biggest in the U.S., offers diverse country, from rain forests to clear-cuts to open alpine country. Bears roam everywhere, and hunters typically have good success. Prince of Wales is receiving more interest from bear hunters and pressure is increasing every year, but there's plenty of room and bears to go around. A number of B&Bs, lodges and motels offer accommodations. You can ferry your vehicle over, but it's cheaper to rent one on the Island. Editor's Note: Prince of Wales has 1500 miles on it's road system, plus with now more than 100 miles of pavement, linking you to the major communities. Turnouts along the side of the road provide a short walk to local fishing holes. |
Here's another article written by Roy Ferguson
from the Denver Post:
Here's to a Prince of a road trip - Go north to Alaska where the fishing and scenery are fine.
Alaskan Southeaster Magazine:
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We still have a few good dates available. Don't miss out on the experience of a life time. |
If you are fishing in salmon spawning areas or where there are bear tracks, then you increase the risk of running into a bear. Avoid setting up your camp site along salmon streams and bear trails. Fish from a boat or island or channel instead. If you fish during the heat of the day bears are less active. Make a lot of noise to keep the bears from entering your area. They are more afraid of you but you must respect them. Should a bear approach you, stop fishing. Cut your line or give it slack if you have a fish on your line and don't let the fish splash on the end of your line.
After you catch a fish, keep it in the water, preferably away from the bank, until you are ready to leave. Clean it when you get home. If it is necessary to clean the fish on the shore, do it in moving water and away from your campsite. Toss remains into fast currents. Use dumpsters when available and keep fish in a bear-proof container.
Store food, bait and garbage in bear-proof containers, locked in a vehicle or elevated sack. Change your fish-smelling clothes before sleeping in your camp. Put them in a bear-proof container, not your tent.
Never feed the bears. Don't approach a bear or try to reclaim a fish from one. Never throw rocks or run from a bear. If the need arises that you must kill the bear in self defense, you are safe under Alaska law, provided you did not tempt the bear to attack. If a bear is attracted to your camp site or fishing spot because of improperly stored fish, bait or garbage, you are at fault.
