Of ATVs and hunting

My memory is slipping. This column marks the beginning of either my 12th or 13th year of writing a weekly column about things outdoors for the Frontiersman. I’m just as surprised as you are that I have lasted this long.

Since Andy Couch is out on the rivers almost daily guiding clients to coho salmon bag limits, hopefully I’ll defer to his knowledge and comments in his column about fishing around the Valley this week. That, and the fact that we have yet to even get the riverboat in the water this year. I probably shouldn’t say that, but hey, what is, is! Several things have kept us from launching to date, but I hope to rectify that in the next few days.

Something I did manage to do was take a half-day ATV trip with Gnarly Dan and Gentle Ben last week looking for access into some areas for a bow hunting moose trip in a couple of weeks. I learned two things: first, there was no access to where we had hoped to end up; and, second, after 25 years of faithful service with virtually no significant maintenance costs, my 1988-vintage ATV suffered its first major breakdown.

I think I tore up one of the front auto-locking hubs in the four-by-four configuration, but the mechanic working on the repair will find out for sure. I was able to slowly drive the machine out from the point of “injury” back to where the trucks were parked, about four miles. Even though damaged, this little machine kept plugging along.

The problem with this age machine isn’t the repairing, it’s finding the parts to make the repair. I called around and was told the hub had been discontinued by the manufacturer. So now we’re talking used parts. That’s fine with me, but even finding the used parts can be a challenge. I went on eBay and found some stuff, but not being well-versed in ATV mechanics, I didn’t know what all was necessary in the way of seals, bearings, housings, etc., to totally replace a hub. And then there was the question of right or left hub — does it matter? That’s why I want someone who knows what they’re doing to fix my machine.

As it turns out, the mechanic doing the repair had a parts machine similar to mine in his storage yard. The parts machine isn’t exactly the same, it’s a few years newer and has a larger engine, but a lot of the parts, including those needed for this repair, will interchange. I am now the proud owner of one functional ATV, once the repairs are done, and a second parts machine. If I decide to sell my 1988 ATV, it will be an all-or-nothing package deal.

Regarding the moose hunting trip, I bowed out because my machine won’t be ready in time to make the archery season.

After that, I plan to focus on helping my wife try to get her antlerless moose on her permit and then try for a Unit 13 caribou on my drawing permit. Both of these hunts will require the use of the ATV, or possibly a snowmachine on the caribou hunt.

Regarding caribou hunting in GMU 13, I received an ADF&G emergency order dated July 30 that impacts Nelchina caribou bag limits in Unit 13. According to the EO, effective at 12:01 a.m., Aug. 11, the bag limit for hunts CC001, RC566 and DC480-483 will change from either-sex caribou to bulls-only animals.

Quoting from the EO: “The emergency order allows hunters participating in the Copper Basin Community Subsistence Harvest caribou hunt (CC001) and the Tier I Subsistence (RC566) hunt to take caribou of either sex for one day, on Aug. 10. After that date, all Unit 13 state permits (including the drawing permit hunts, DC480-483) will be restricted to the harvest of bulls only.”

The EO states that the season harvest quota for the Nelchina herd is 2,500 caribou, consisting of 2,200 bulls and 300 cows. ADF&G anticipates the Aug. 10 cow harvest for subsistence, along with the federal subsistence permit harvest, will be sufficient to achieve the cow harvest quota. Deep winter snows and a late spring are responsible for the reduced quotas.

All caribou hunters are encouraged to check the Nelchina caribou hotline at (907) 267-2304 or the community harvest hotline at (907) 822-6789 before hunting for updates on harvest numbers and any additional emergency closures.

Howard Delo is a retired fisheries biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. You can leave him a message by emailing sports@frontiersman.com.