Hello Back Country Pilots,
Does anyone have experience landing near or on the Canning or Colville Rivers in Alaska? Rob and I are planning on a flight up there in early August. Anyway I plan to hunt caribou/wolves and was wondering about landing areas. Lat-Long coordinates would be great. The logistics of fuel is a challenge too. Thanks in advance!
James

James

I flew into the Canning River for a sheep hunt in 1982. We got two nice sheep and were even stalked by a brown bear while packing out our sheep.

We flew a C185 out of Circle (on the Yukon River), stashed fuel along the way and then landed on a gravel bar on the Canning. It has been a long time since that hunt and I could not pinpoint on a map either our fuel stash or the gravel bar that we landed on. The gravel bar was at a confluence of where another stream joined the Canning.

This hunt was perhaps the most beautiful of the many sheep hunts that I have gone on over the years. It was in August and the fall colors were already in their full splendor. We even got a foot of snow one night, but at that time of the year, it melted fast in the intense sunshine the following day.

You should have a great hunt, and should be able to locate some Caribou. I seriously doubt that you will see any wolves. The wolves are out there, but they are almost impossible to spot from the ground (and you will not be able to find them from the air without fresh snow to locate their tracks). Most people that go after wolves in Alaska either trap them or hunt them by airplane during the winter time with special permit. And, I'm not sure the wolf pelts would be very good at that time of the year anyway. I've always seen a lot of bears on my hunts, but rarely wolves.

Thanks Nizina,
I'm still looking for some specific landing coordinates for the Canning or Colville Rivers in AK. I've got a few on my map, but just want some extra options. Anyway I've got my modified "enviro flow" gas cans for my fuel stash too. Now I just got to get the weather and caribou to cooperate too. Any information is greatly appreciated.

James
Spokane

Kayaked the Nigu, Etuvlik, and Colville Rivers two years ago. My advice is, flying-wise, to get your facts on landing together. The natives had (then) closed almost all backcountry airstrips. Needed to get EXPENSIVE and, generally not available anyhow, permits. The natives really don't like us as we have caused all of their problems.

Would be a great trip, but get your ducks in order well in advance.

Steve

James,

There are many good gravel bars on the Canning. They change with every season as well, though there are some well used strips there. Well used means well hunted, as well. The last poster has a good point: find out what the land ownership patterns are, and stay on the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge lands. That obviates the necessity for permits. Contact the refuge headquarters in Fairbanks for land ownership maps.

I would be careful cacheing gas in plastic cans out there. As Nizina said, there are LOTS of brown bears in that country, and brown bears LOVE plastic cans. If you cache plastic cans out there, DO NOT place yourself in a position where you HAVE to have the gas contained therein....you may be dissapointed. Metal cans would be my choice for caching in bear country. Alternatively, put a small electric fence around your gas cache.

As Nizina said, closest fuel may be Circle City, and you DEFINITELY want to check on availability BEFORE you get there. One of the 135 operators in Fort Yukon may also sell you some gas, but they're in and out at that time of year. They're also the best source of information on landing sites. Kirk Sweetsir is the expert on that part of the world--give him a call, he's a great guy and very helpful: http://www.yukonair.com/. I don't know if Kirk will sell you gas or not. He has bulk tanks in FYU.

MTV

MTV

mtv wrote:James,
I would be careful cacheing gas in plastic cans out there. As Nizina said, there are LOTS of brown bears in that country, and brown bears LOVE plastic cans. If you cache plastic cans out there, DO NOT place yourself in a position where you HAVE to have the gas contained therein....you may be dissapointed. Metal cans would be my choice for caching in bear country. Alternatively, put a small electric fence around your gas cache.

James

MTV is certainly right about bears and plastic fuel containers. If I leave them out at my homestead, I can count on the bears getting to them eventually. But they generally won't mess with metal containers. And they also love snowmachine and ATV seats and tires. The little bear below had already bitten the plastic jug and I lost 5 gals of diesel. So I just left the jug out and he came back in a couple of days and started playing with the jug again:

Looks like bear smorgasbord to me if the bears don't eat them watch out for static ele. also camouflage them if u hide them. Lots of folks, guides, hunters etc, up there that would help themselves if they find it.

Backcountry Pilots,

Thanks for the information on the Canning River in Alaska. As far as the gas goes, I hope to stash it in the back of my friends locked pickup truck parked at either the Happy Valley or Galbraith Lake Airstips. This could change, and I plan on being "rigidly flexible". The guys on the Alaska Hunting Forum have been great too. Anyway thanks, and I'm really looking forward to the trip!

James