Ready for hunting season

We are moving into the peak of silver salmon season and the fish are starting to show in Valley rivers. For more information on that topic, I’ll refer you to Andy Couch’s column in this edition. We are also moving into the beginning of hunting season.

I’ll talk about that.

In game management unit 14, archery moose, brown/grizzly bear, caribou, Dall sheep, and wolves all become legal to harvest Sunday. Check the current hunting regulation booklet for which subunit or permit hunts allow the harvest. Black bear have no closed season. Grouse, ptarmigan, and snowshoe hares also open in sections of unit 14, or were never closed. Again, check the regulation book for details.

I started thinking about the evolution of electronic hunting gear recently when I was chasing details on getting an old compass repaired or replaced. Back about 1973, I bought an upper end Silva brand compass for finding my way around while hunting and fishing in Alaska. That compass also saw service in the backwoods of Maine and the mountains of Georgia over the years. That 41-year-old compass finally gave up the ghost. Silva has a lifetime warrantee and when I contacted them, I was told to send the old compass in, probably for replacement. I guess it’s cheaper nowadays to replace rather than repair.

I got that compass back before GPS and things like the STOP satellite tracking and reporting systems came into use. Back then, you had to know how to read a compass and topographic map, in unison, to find your way around in the backcountry. Now cell or satellite phones and VHF or aviation band radios, in conjunction with GPS coordinates, almost guarantee the ability of staying in touch with civilization and calling for assistance in the event of an injury or problem.

The last “remote” hunt I made, back in 2008 I believe, saw Gnarly Dan and I, along with two nonresident friends, about 35 miles up the Teklanika River on a riverboat moose hunt. I had brought a gadget along that allowed me to recharge my cell phone from a couple of AA lithium batteries, just in case. I forgot the 12-volt phone charger in the truck or I could have simply used the boat’s electrical system plug-in for a recharge.

I didn’t honestly think there would be any need for a cell phone that remote, simply because I didn’t think there were any cell towers in the vicinity. One of our nonresident friends relied heavily on his cell phone for his work and, even though this was a “vacation,” he still felt the need to stay in touch. As it turned out, we had great cell phone reception at our campsite and virtually anywhere we hunted along the river. I took advantage and called home a few times just to check in.

My friend ended up totally using up my two lithium batteries in recharging his phone over the 10-day hunt. I had an assortment of plug-ins which fit different cell phones and one of those worked with his system.

He really did talk that much!

I recently found that little portable charger in my rummaging through hunting gear to get ready for the coming season and, naturally, none of the plug-ins fit my current cell phone. I’ve been trying to see if I can locate an adapter that fits my phone but no luck so far, although I’ve still got a few local stores to check. Even though that charger is only six years old, it’s already “old technology” and I wouldn’t be surprised I’ll have to replace it with a newer and more modern unit.

Back in the 70’s, along with a compass having declination correction capabilities, one needed a good topographic map to navigate in the bush. Most of the newer GPS units have the maps included in the software programming. I have a unit in my riverboat which is already about ten years old which shows one’s current location on a map of local rivers. The maps are crude compared to what’s available today, but it works far better than just looking around and hoping to see a familiar landmark on the river.

This technology is great and is fun to work with. I’m amazed at what one can do with one of the new smartphones: GPS navigation, photo and video capability, Internet connectivity, and, oh yes, being able to make a phone call. But learn the basics of backcountry navigation.

Batteries don’t last forever!

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.