Off Grid Alaska

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Ip to 51k acres. Moving East. Not good. 
 

Heard another old timer just lost her place. 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 7/3/2022 at 9:15 AM, Judge Roybeanbag said:

It was a good trip.  Seattle to Ketchikan, a few days there, took a ferry to Juneau, spent a few days there, another ferry to Haines, rented a car, drove to Fairbanks and then took the train to Anchorage.  Would like to do it again.  

Y’all saw a lot of country. The roads are much better now. Nearly everything is paved. You’ll find some 10 to 100 miles stretches of dirt highway still, but it’s getting rare. 

[Chewbacca 7777]

Ip to 51k acres. Moving East. Not good. 
 
Heard another old timer just lost her place. 

I feel for you, man. I know what it's like watching the wind and the fire direction, hoping and praying it doesn't come your way. That feeling of helplessness sucks ass.

[Chewbacca 7777]

Ip to 51k acres. Moving East. Not good. 
 
Heard another old timer just lost her place. 

I feel for you, man. I know what it's like watching the wind and the fire direction, hoping and praying it doesn't come your way. That feeling of helplessness sucks ass.

[Gatorubet 30235]

Update? Or did you burn up?

[mooseoutfront 3643]

3 hours ago, Gatorubet said:

Update? Or did you burn up?

Fire up to 63k acres. Spent the last couple of days hauling the irreplaceable shit out of the cabin and hauling water to the cabin. Fire has been heading right for us. Thought it might jump the river and be on our side yesterday, but the planes, helicopters and fire fighters beat it back. If you look at the map my cabin is about 3 miles east from that big bend on Highway 3 heading south. 
 

Now it’s just a waiting game. If the shit hits the fan I’ll load up the few things I have left to transport out, get the dog in the truck, spend as much time as I can dousing the cabin with the water I’ve hauled in then bug out. 

[orange dream 1250]

DO NOT FORGET THE SHIT STICK

For real though, good luck and hopefully the worst won't occur.

[Brisketexan 105123]

Good luck, Moose.

[Carl Spackler 3482]

Fingers crossed . . .

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Fire moving south again due to a favorable wind. 
 

Downgraded from GO to SET. Seemed to have dodged a bullet for now. 
 

Thanks for the positive waves

[Hate 20108]

Are you and the wife going to sleep in shifts or is there some sort of warning system?  Stay safe!

[hookemATL 11724]

Thinking of you and yours. All my hope that the winds stay favorable for you🤘

I went through a pretty traumatic experience during the Bastrop County Complex Fires in 2011 (fuck that summer). One of the main ignition points was very close to my folks place and we all went full code red getting stuff out of the house and loading up all the animals and just praying the wind did not turn. It was just luck/fate/whatever that the way the fire went took it away from the house/land. We ended up not losing much (shoutout to Fire Dept that cut a hell of a fire line with a big motherfucking backhoe) but our neighbors across the easement barely got out before it vaporized their house and out buildings. It was shitty. Do not recommend. 
 

 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Since it’s calmed a bit here are a couple of pics...from a tanker pilot out of the base my wife is working at in Fairbanks. Rex Bridge in lower left corner crossing the Nenana River. You can see that big bend in the road I referenced on the map to the south just past the bridge. 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

From the gravel pit where people were stashing their shit. 

[Gatorubet 30235]

59 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

 

That south turn - glad for you.  Sucks for your neighbors. 

[shadow_operative2.0 15973]

He does have that one neighbor he hates though... 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

15 hours ago, Hate said:

Are you and the wife going to sleep in shifts or is there some sort of warning system?  Stay safe!

Wife is working for Forestry in Fairbanks. I’ve been prepping solo at the cabin.  If the fire were to jump the river in the middle of the night, Forestry would come through with their sirens on letting people know new shit has come to light. 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On a positive note, next spring the burned area will produce a shit load of morel mushrooms.

People will make a good little side income harvesting them. I think you can get $50 per pound for them from the wholesalers. 

[Lurch 5930]

From the gravel pit where people were stashing their shit. 

I want to party with the Vette driver

[Surly Bevo 24908]

37 minutes ago, Lurch said:

I want to party with the Vette driver

So Alaska....that's where Rocko is.

[Schulz2.0 28951]

1 hour ago, mooseoutfront said:

On a positive note, next spring the burned area will produce a shit load of morel mushrooms.

People will make a good little side income harvesting them. I think you can get $50 per pound for them from the wholesalers. 

A guy I work with in Colorado goes after them in the Colorado mountains. He just collects them to eat. Apparently out here its mainly Asians hunting for mushrooms. His wife is Japanese so if they're out collecting and see a group of Asians, she'll hide until they leave so as not to giveaway their spots. Random white dude in the woods doesn't arouse their suspicion.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

23 hours ago, Schulz2.0 said:

A guy I work with in Colorado goes after them in the Colorado mountains. He just collects them to eat. Apparently out here its mainly Asians hunting for mushrooms. His wife is Japanese so if they're out collecting and see a group of Asians, she'll hide until they leave so as not to giveaway their spots. Random white dude in the woods doesn't arouse their suspicion.

That’s hilarious because the exact same thing happens here. There will be groups of 20 or more Asian women out there collecting. 
 

We collect to eat too. My wife dries them for winter use. 
 

I make a killer morel cream sauce with fresh spinach and bacon that we usually serve over gnocchi. Great winter dish. 

[Biff Tannen 45681]

2 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

I make a killer morel cream sauce with fresh spinach and bacon that we usually serve over gnocchi. Great winter dish. 

Recipe?

[Kennythetiger 9381]

GPS location?  

[NOMAAA 1696]

Fan freaking tastic read. Props. Stay safe

[mooseoutfront 3643]

6 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Recipe?

Reconstitute 12 to 20 dried morels. Retain the liquid and cook a standard package of gnocchi in the mushroom water. Add some more water if you need to. 
 

Dice two strips of bacon and render until crispy. Remove and reserve bacon bits. Add a little olive oil to bacon grease Dice up the morels and a couple cloves of garlic and sauté until cooked down. 
 

Add 1 pint heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste and reduce by 1/3. Throw the bacon bits back in and a couple of handfuls of spinach and stir constantly until spinach is wilted and sauce reaches desired consistency. 
 

Spoon sauce over gnocchi, hit it with a little parmesan and go to town. 

[686 3449]

Fantastic thread, I just found it last night and read everything up to now. A couple questions:

Do you mix any fat with the moose when you’re grinding it for burger?

Do you dry any into jerky?

What loads are you shooting from your 270 and what do you limit your shooting range to on moose?

Do you hunt close to the house or have to drive out a ways?

Do you get a subsistence moose permit or do you have to draw a tag? I think Rinella was discussing some really controversial legislation on tag allocation amongst Alaskans that was proposed last year - would/did it affect you?

Would you rather shoot a cow or a bull and is the meat any different between the two?

Thanks for posting!

[mooseoutfront 3643]

18 hours ago, 686 said:

Fantastic thread, I just found it last night and read everything up to now. A couple questions:

Do you mix any fat with the moose when you’re grinding it for burger?

Do you dry any into jerky?

What loads are you shooting from your 270 and what do you limit your shooting range to on moose?

Do you hunt close to the house or have to drive out a ways?

Do you get a subsistence moose permit or do you have to draw a tag? I think Rinella was discussing some really controversial legislation on tag allocation amongst Alaskans that was proposed last year - would/did it affect you?

Would you rather shoot a cow or a bull and is the meat any different between the two?

Thanks for posting!

We mix burger 80/20 with beef fat.  Sausage is 60/40.

We try to do a little jerky each year.  Making jerky takes a lot of room.  We only have a 400 square foot cabin, so we only do one or maybe two batches.  We focus on roasts, burger, and sausage.

I use 150 grain bullets, anything that stays together.  You don't want ballistic tip or anything like that.  You want the bullet to retain as much of it's weight until it hits vitals if you are going for a heart/lung shot.  I'm a fairly good shot with my 270 up to 300 yards, so I usually go for a neck shot.  Basically around where it joins the body.  The bullet breaks the neck at kills the animal immediately...DRT.

I've done the whole moose camp thing and it's tough work.  I basically camp everyday in my normal life so I've taken the easier route when it comes to hunting.  I'm a meat hunter.  I really couldn't care less about trophy antlers, so me and the wife road hunt.  Road hunting is legal here as long as the bull meets game management unit restrictions where you are hunting, you don't shoot from your vehicle, and you don't shoot across a roadway.

As an Alaskan resident I get a moose harvest ticket with my hunting license.  There are all types of hunts up here.  You can put in for draw tags, subsistence, etc.  It's just me and my wife, so one moose a year fills the freezer for us.  I've killed a caribou, but I'm not that fond of caribou meat.  Has a weird taste to me.  So I don't really concern myself with the regulations when it comes to other species of animals besides moose and the politics involved in all the subsistence native shit.

I don't shoot cows.  They produce the next generation.  I go for young bulls.  I think they taste better.  The moose pics I posted in the first page of this thread were of the biggest bull I've ever shot.  He was killed 200 ft off the highway.  Moose is very mild compared to venison.  The only real difference in meat is shooting a bull in full rut or a really old moose.  With all the testosterone flowing at that time the meat can be pretty gamy.  Plus they roll around in the cow's urine they are chasing at the time and run themselves crazy during the rut.  By far the most dangerous animal in the woods is a bull moose in full rut.  They attack vehicles and will fuck you up when they've got pussy on the brain.

[686 3449]

Very interesting - thanks!

You’ll have to excuse my ignorance on a lot of this: A buddy and I have been looking at doing a caribou hunt up there. I would prefer moose, but the logistics of shipping moose meat back is difficult, whereas caribou meat can fit as checked baggage.

One of the areas we were looking at operates in the northwest out of Kotzebue, but apparently “the native” (tribal)? lobby has recently gotten some of the northwest closed to all but subsistence hunters. I’m guessing that’s part of what you’re mentioning - Alaska seems very different than the lower 48 in regards to native/tribal hunting rights. (In the lower 48 tribes generally have special rights on reservations, not outside the reservations)

What’s really weird to me is that the regs I’ve seen don’t seem to mention the tribes specifically in the subsistence sections, but that’s what it seems to be about.

Is that your impression?

Is there a lot of friction between the tribes and non-tribal?

Why is the term “native” used up there instead of “tribal”? Or is the term not really referring to tribes, just folks that have been there for a long time?

I’ve spent a fair amount of time reading about relations, history, and current dynamics with the plains Indians of the lower 48, and it seems like Alaska has a different and maybe more dynamic situation going on currently. (Even though we had a lower 48 tribal rights case reach the Supreme Court last year).

Any other thoughts to explain the dynamic?

Confusing situation.

Thanks for posting!

[mooseoutfront 3643]

2 hours ago, 686 said:

Very interesting - thanks!

You’ll have to excuse my ignorance on a lot of this: A buddy and I have been looking at doing a caribou hunt up there. I would prefer moose, but the logistics of shipping moose meat back is difficult, whereas caribou meat can fit as checked baggage.

One of the areas we were looking at operates in the northwest out of Kotzebue, but apparently “the native” (tribal)? lobby has recently gotten some of the northwest closed to all but subsistence hunters. I’m guessing that’s part of what you’re mentioning - Alaska seems very different than the lower 48 in regards to native/tribal hunting rights. (In the lower 48 tribes generally have special rights on reservations, not outside the reservations)

What’s really weird to me is that the regs I’ve seen don’t seem to mention the tribes specifically in the subsistence sections, but that’s what it seems to be about.

Is that your impression?

Is there a lot of friction between the tribes and non-tribal?

Why is the term “native” used up there instead of “tribal”? Or is the term not really referring to tribes, just folks that have been there for a long time?

I’ve spent a fair amount of time reading about relations, history, and current dynamics with the plains Indians of the lower 48, and it seems like Alaska has a different and maybe more dynamic situation going on currently. (Even though we had a lower 48 tribal rights case reach the Supreme Court last year).

Any other thoughts to explain the dynamic?

Confusing situation.

Thanks for posting!

Native up here means indigenous people or tribal and there is tons of animosity between the native population and the general public.  

I will probably get skewered by some for saying this, but I have never had a positive experience with a native.  I've had neutral experiences with them, but the vast majority have been negative to very negative.  Natives are openly racist towards all non-natives.  Black, brown, or white it doesn't matter.  They blame everyone else for all their problems and bad behavior.  Drunkenness, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, or their current situation is all the fault of whomever is standing in front of them at the time.

The only time I've ever pulled a pistol on someone was when I was in Anchorage for training.  I was walking to the back to the Captain Cook hotel from dinner and a group of about 10 drunk, drugged out natives tried to get money out of me.  It starts off with can I bum a cig?  Then it goes to do you have a dollar?  When I said no to the money request the whole group started heading my way.  I pulled the pistol and pointed it right at the dude who's turn it was to ask the questions I guess.  They started in with their get the fuck out of our state white boy bullshit, but they all backed the fuck up and sat back down. This was about 2 blocks from the Anchorage Police Station.

Basically it's political suicide to say anything negative about the natives, but they can shit all over anyone they want with no repercussions.

[sidis 9828]

17 minutes ago, mooseoutfront said:

Native up here means indigenous people or tribal and there is tons of animosity between the native population and the general public.  

I will probably get skewered by some for saying this, but I have never had a positive experience with a native.  I've had neutral experiences with them, but the vast majority have been negative to very negative.  Natives are openly racist towards all non-natives.  Black, brown, or white it doesn't matter.  They blame everyone else for all their problems and bad behavior.  Drunkenness, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, or their current situation is all the fault of whomever is standing in front of them at the time.

The only time I've ever pulled a pistol on someone was when I was in Anchorage for training.  I was walking to the back to the Captain Cook hotel from dinner and a group of about 10 drunk, drugged out natives tried to get money out of me.  It starts off with can I bum a cig?  Then it goes to do you have a dollar?  When I said no to the money request the whole group started heading my way.  I pulled the pistol and pointed it right at the dude who's turn it was to ask the questions I guess.  They started in with their get the fuck out of our state white boy bullshit, but they all backed the fuck up and sat back down. This was about 2 blocks from the Anchorage Police Station.

Basically it's political suicide to say anything negative about the natives, but they can shit all over anyone they want with no repercussions.

but in all seriousness, that sucks and is annoying.  it is an impossible dynamic but shitheads acting like shitheads is just shitty.

[DalTxHornFan 3101]

1 hour ago, mooseoutfront said:

Native up here means indigenous people or tribal and there is tons of animosity between the native population and the general public.  

I will probably get skewered by some for saying this, but I have never had a positive experience with a native.  I've had neutral experiences with them, but the vast majority have been negative to very negative.  Natives are openly racist towards all non-natives.  Black, brown, or white it doesn't matter.  They blame everyone else for all their problems and bad behavior.  Drunkenness, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, or their current situation is all the fault of whomever is standing in front of them at the time.

The only time I've ever pulled a pistol on someone was when I was in Anchorage for training.  I was walking to the back to the Captain Cook hotel from dinner and a group of about 10 drunk, drugged out natives tried to get money out of me.  It starts off with can I bum a cig?  Then it goes to do you have a dollar?  When I said no to the money request the whole group started heading my way.  I pulled the pistol and pointed it right at the dude who's turn it was to ask the questions I guess.  They started in with their get the fuck out of our state white boy bullshit, but they all backed the fuck up and sat back down. This was about 2 blocks from the Anchorage Police Station.

Basically it's political suicide to say anything negative about the natives, but they can shit all over anyone they want with no repercussions.

A family friend got kilt in Anchorage week before last while fishing with his wife.  The perp bummed a cigarette from the deceased and then asked him for help with his fishing technique -- apparently unsuccessfully:

Anchorage, Alaska (KINY) - An Anchorage grand jury this week returned an indictment charging a 17-year-old with multiple charges, including murder.

https://www.kinyradio.com/news/news-of-the-north/anchorage-teen-indicted-for-june-murder-assaults/Anchorage teen indicted on murder, manslaughter, assault charges

[686 3449]

Native up here means indigenous people or tribal and there is tons of animosity between the native population and the general public.  
I will probably get skewered by some for saying this, but I have never had a positive experience with a native.  I've had neutral experiences with them, but the vast majority have been negative to very negative.  Natives are openly racist towards all non-natives.  Black, brown, or white it doesn't matter.  They blame everyone else for all their problems and bad behavior.  Drunkenness, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, or their current situation is all the fault of whomever is standing in front of them at the time.
The only time I've ever pulled a pistol on someone was when I was in Anchorage for training.  I was walking to the back to the Captain Cook hotel from dinner and a group of about 10 drunk, drugged out natives tried to get money out of me.  It starts off with can I bum a cig?  Then it goes to do you have a dollar?  When I said no to the money request the whole group started heading my way.  I pulled the pistol and pointed it right at the dude who's turn it was to ask the questions I guess.  They started in with their get the fuck out of our state white boy bullshit, but they all backed the fuck up and sat back down. This was about 2 blocks from the Anchorage Police Station.
Basically it's political suicide to say anything negative about the natives, but they can shit all over anyone they want with no repercussions.

Thanks for being straight about it. It is very hard to read news stories and commentary on things up there and understand what is actually going on, since no one (understandably) wants to print anything negative about Native Americans. I’ve spent a fair amount of time around reservation land in the lower 48, and managing relationships/boundaries/rights is always going to be difficult; and to some degree rightly because of the mistakes/illegal acts/total war/genocide/evil committed against the tribes/Nations for decades/centuries. I don’t know the history with the Alaska tribes, but I’m pretty familiar with how things went for the plains tribes. It’s a tough situation. I think as Nations/groups of people we are still coming to terms with it and figuring out how to go forward.

(Side note - once I asked a Dutch colleague how they talk about WWII with Germans (we were doing business in Germany on a VE anniversary or something), and he just said “We don’t. No one talks about the war!” (Just like Monty python said))

The story I referred to around Kotzebue basically sounds to me like the natives don’t want anyone else allowed into the areas they like to hunt, (even through its not legally theirs - it’s Federally owned land) and at the moment I think, got a commission to grant that request (which is now being legally challenged). But no article I could find just said “the natives want to exclude non-natives from these areas, even though it’s federally owned.” You kinda have to read between the lines.

I don’t understand the provenance of how we acquired Alaska from the Russians and if they “legally” acquired it from the natives or what so I’ll have to go down that rabbit trail now…

[TwiceHorn 31457]

I don't believe that there are (m)any reservations in Alaska.  By the time of statehood, that notion was largely discredited.

But they still get "special treatment" from the Bureau of Indian Affairs and got land allotments that they themselves selected. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Native_Claims_Settlement_Act

They weren't mistreated in the wholesale fashion that contiguous-US natives were.  But statehood and "western" modernity still fucked up their way of life.

Edited July 13, 2022 by TwiceHorn

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

Dillingham AK has to be the most depressing place on earth.

[Grade of D as in David 13253]

6 hours ago, DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt said:

Dillingham AK has to be the most depressing place on earth.

So I guess you've never been to college station

[DefinitelyNotHollywoodColt 12301]

5 hours ago, Grade of D as in David said:

So I guess you've never been to college station

Twice. Both times my face broke out in a rash. I'm allergic to that shithole.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Fireweed

[Gatorubet 30235]

On 7/12/2022 at 5:13 PM, mooseoutfront said:

Native up here means indigenous people or tribal and there is tons of animosity between the native population and the general public.  

I will probably get skewered by some for saying this, but I have never had a positive experience with a native.  I've had neutral experiences with them, but the vast majority have been negative to very negative.  Natives are openly racist towards all non-natives.  Black, brown, or white it doesn't matter.  They blame everyone else for all their problems and bad behavior.  Drunkenness, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, or their current situation is all the fault of whomever is standing in front of them at the time.

The only time I've ever pulled a pistol on someone was when I was in Anchorage for training.  I was walking to the back to the Captain Cook hotel from dinner and a group of about 10 drunk, drugged out natives tried to get money out of me.  It starts off with can I bum a cig?  Then it goes to do you have a dollar?  When I said no to the money request the whole group started heading my way.  I pulled the pistol and pointed it right at the dude who's turn it was to ask the questions I guess.  They started in with their get the fuck out of our state white boy bullshit, but they all backed the fuck up and sat back down. This was about 2 blocks from the Anchorage Police Station.

Basically it's political suicide to say anything negative about the natives, but they can shit all over anyone they want with no repercussions.

Did you tell them you’d give them a cigarette if they let you laugh with their wives?

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Went out the Stampede trail to the Savage River this weekend. Saw Denali.

[Sandman 3403]

On 7/12/2022 at 5:13 PM, mooseoutfront said:

Native up here means indigenous people or tribal and there is tons of animosity between the native population and the general public.  

I will probably get skewered by some for saying this, but I have never had a positive experience with a native.  I've had neutral experiences with them, but the vast majority have been negative to very negative.  Natives are openly racist towards all non-natives.  Black, brown, or white it doesn't matter.  They blame everyone else for all their problems and bad behavior.  Drunkenness, drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, or their current situation is all the fault of whomever is standing in front of them at the time.

The only time I've ever pulled a pistol on someone was when I was in Anchorage for training.  I was walking to the back to the Captain Cook hotel from dinner and a group of about 10 drunk, drugged out natives tried to get money out of me.  It starts off with can I bum a cig?  Then it goes to do you have a dollar?  When I said no to the money request the whole group started heading my way.  I pulled the pistol and pointed it right at the dude who's turn it was to ask the questions I guess.  They started in with their get the fuck out of our state white boy bullshit, but they all backed the fuck up and sat back down. This was about 2 blocks from the Anchorage Police Station.

Basically it's political suicide to say anything negative about the natives, but they can shit all over anyone they want with no repercussions.

My buddy was stationed in Alaksa (Fairbanks) for years while in the Army. He loved it but he said the exact same thing about the natives. 

[kevwun 15783]

Only been in one reservation town.  We drove through Anadarko, Ok a few years ago and it was probably the most depressing place that I have even been in the US.

[ztejas 43421]

On 7/21/2022 at 12:19 AM, mooseoutfront said:

Fireweed

What kind of potions can you make out of this?

[mooseoutfront 3643]

On 7/25/2022 at 10:30 AM, ztejas said:

What kind of potions can you make out of this?

I’ve really only seen it as a jelly or honey. The honey is good. Never had the jelly. 
 

It has medicinal value too. I think one of it’s main properties is in the holistic treatment of an enlarged prostate. Labrador tea grows wild all over the area I live. Chaga grows on the trees. Lot’s of holistic teas are made with all three. 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

Oh…

It snowed here today at elevation. Termination dust it’s called. Termination of summer. 
 

Winter is coming. Hopefully the cooler air will get down to y’all soon. 

[kibbles 70]

I am beginning to think we live completely different lives.   Spent a few days at wonder lake back in 03.   Wonderous.  Thanks for the tales.

[Biff Tannen 45681]

12 hours ago, mooseoutfront said:

Oh…

It snowed here today at elevation. Termination dust it’s called. Termination of summer. 
 

Winter is coming. Hopefully the cooler air will get down to y’all soon. 

Please send it. For the love of Gaia. 

[mooseoutfront 3643]

[Guest]

I mean yeah, Alaska seems ok if you're into unspoiled wilderness with dramatic landscapes and mountain ranges.

But really, have you ever seen the beauty in central Texas that is I-35 through New Braunfels?



There too, I have seen Denali, as well as Tahoe and Yukon all at the same time.

[mooseoutfront 3643]

First bear sign I’ve seen around the cabin all summer. This is a little guy. Mom probably kicked him out recently. Time for him to learn how to make it on his own.