This is my favorite season of the year. Although my food gathering years are over these pictures chronicle a time and events that hold some of the fondest memories for me. Fall time in Central Alaska on the Yukon in the 60's and 70's are the place and time.
After the 10 or so cords of wood were piled by the house in Tanana I would load the boat with many gallons of gas
for the outboard, a lot of good food and my birthday wacky cake that would be survival gear as well as celebratory chocolate goodness.We would use the cabin at Kokrine Hills for our base camp, but our final destination was miles up the Nowitna river-a place of beauty as well as a virtual garden of Eden for moose, bear, ducks and fish. The picture above was taken way up the river where Mark shot the families winter meat supply.
We would set up camp on a river bank near a likely moose crossing. about 100 miles from home and play, hunt and fish. The best memories are the camping. cooking fish, ducks and tender cuts of moose over an open fire. It is some of our families fondest times. I took my brother and his family, Another time my parents and our family. Visitors from the States. We never went home empty handed. .
I convinced there will be Fall trips in heaven. Without the need to kill animals and with the opportunity to enjoy God's Creation. Memories now are pretty satisfying -until then.
Moose meat is delicious as well as one of the healthiest meats to eat.
3 comments:
some memories are still being made...just reduced a moose to freezer pkgs a couple days ago.
Jay
Great post Dad! Wacky cake, and the green Nowitna river. Brings back fond memories for me and I know a ton more for you.
BTW- Happy Birthday again.
Love,
Matt
Man, those are some big quarters hanging in that picture!! I remember Bob Mitchell recounting the story of when Mark shot that moose with your 375 H&H. BOOM!...pause...'Its in the water!!', he shouts...now the work begins!
Do you remember the spread on that moose? It looks like an incredible rack. I imagine you left most of the heads where they lay, right?
Thanks for passing down this hunting heritage that you instilled in my Dad. Ever since we were little I remember and cherish every year that we spent out in the Alaskan wilderness. On this recent hunting trip with my Father-in-Law, I was reminded that the bounty of the hunt almost always goes beyond the chase of your targeted game animal. Fellowship, struggle, toiling in the wind, rain, harsh conditions, bonding, it all comes together to make why we do it so special.
I realize that a successful fall hunting season was a definite need and that you were blessed with large game animals year after year for the other 7 hungry mouths at home, and growing up I'm sure it helped with our never over-abundant family finances (which we never even knew about).
Now, we can honestly say that our hunting is more of a recreation than a need for meat, but when Nicole harvested her first Alaskan big game animal, it was incredible to share that experience with her and I hope to pass the fall hunting tradition down to a 4th generation and can tell my kids about how their great grandfather worked in the remote Alaskan mission field and hunted up the Nowitna where many only dream of now.
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