# 5 day backpacking trip. Squirrel for dinner!.



## msturm (Sep 18, 2019)

For the last 5 days I have been in the backcountry accessible only by plane or boat trying my damndest to kill a black bear. (no luck on that front!). Over the last five days I have hiked over 40 miles, seen some pretty awesome sights, found some interesting things and generally had a great time.

While I did not manage to fill the freezer full of black bear sausage and rendered bear fat, I was able to use my flip daily to add to my calorie count. To my ration of freeze dried food I was able to add a bit of meat to the pot each day by keeping a slingshot and a pocket full of steel handy. ( This is the reason I got into slingshots to begin with). So most of the days went like this...

Wake up before sunup, eat a protein bar, hike 2 or three miles to the glassing spot, glass for an hour or until I got bored and then move to the next. I would repeat this until sundown then head back to camp in the fading light, for a large dinner, a pipe, whisky and sleep.

During many of my glassing sits, squirrels would be running their mouths in the trees while I was trying to focus on glassing for bears, or as my students call it, looking for raisins in the oatmeal, (in the summer it is called looking for raisins in the salad). The squirrels and their location-identifying-racket had to go. As they fell from the trees, into the bag they went for the evening dinner pot. I got a total of 4 on this trip. I thought to take my camera out for the last squirrel as I remembered this forum and as my slingshot had gotten all the action on the trip. I had hoped a bear would be the highlight but alas, squirrels were there to fill the belly and the hunting urge. I figured it would be worth a picture.

Each night I had a squirrel with my freeze dried chicken and rice, or with my can of chef boyardee ravoili, Fire cooked squirrel is pretty good stuff!!

Here are a bunch of pictures from my adventure.

Ugly Duckling and 1/2 steel is good medicine for squirrels. Fun fact: I nearly threw the ugly duckling into the wood stove due to a lousy staining job. I'm glad I hung onto this turd.









The view from one of my many bear glassing lookouts. Fun fact: I spent about 13 hours a day hiking and glassing and over this 5 day trip I saw 1 bear! ONLY ONE! I had him broadside at 310 yards, but I stalked into about 150 yards and while setting up for my shot he winded me and disappeared. Such is big game hunting. 









A tree who's middle years were vigorous, deep in the boreal rainforest. Fun fact: I am a tree nerd. I build bows, knowing wood is important. 









A cottonwood stump turned to coal over the millenia, found in the tidal flats. Fun fact: There are many native communities that gather coal from areas such as this all summer while it is dry and store it to use as fuel for winter heating.









My go to (above zero) backpacking setup is a nylon hammock with a bugnet, a 10degree down underquilt and a 0degree sleeping bag. The 300 win. mag. is good Bear medicine. Fun fact: My pops is a gunsmith and this firearm is a 1938 Czech manufactured Mauser he bored out to shoot 300 Winchester magnum rounds. It obviously has a new synthetic stock which makes it lighter, but adds to the recoil. I got this gun for christmas when I was 11. LOL!









Another stream to cross, another source of water. There is still plenty of snow in the mountains. This is only 500 feet above sea level and there is a foot of snow in places. Temps at night were in the low 20's fahrenheit. Fun Fact: As a kid my brother and I thought it would be best to develop an immunity to giardia (Beaver fever) through exposure. That never really worked out. I filter my water. 









Somethings are worth the additional weight! Be very careful not to burn the bottom or the entire thing is ruined. Fun fact: When cooking on a small concentrated gas flame it is impossible not to burn the bottom! (zoom in on the glowing red rim of the bottom of the can) Take my advice... Eat it cold!









Wolverines abound! I actually found this guy after about a mile of tracking these fresh prints. Fun fact: Wolverines are the biggest and most aggressive of the weasel family here in AK and are the most sought after pelt during trapping season in these parts. I was able to track this one to a tree he was hiding in. I could smell him...strongly... and hear him rummaging around in there. I did not approach closer than about 50 yards. Next trapping season I have an idea for a certain tree with a 330. 









I Hope you enjoyed all the pictures and a brief follow along on my trip. MANY more to come as my summer comes with many free days afield with a slingshot in my back pocket!


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## mattwalt (Jan 5, 2017)

Nice!

That rifle a CZ? Fantastic gun if it is.


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## Royleonard (Jun 30, 2017)

Excellent stuff Thanks for the fun facts and photos.


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## devils son in law (Sep 2, 2014)

Awesome! I've never seen a Wolverine in the wild, but I'm thinking 50 feet is a good distance. I've encountered a few Badgers and those buggers look like they can put up a fight.

I agree on the pressurized gas stoves, it's hard to get them set low enough to just heat a meal, but they're great for boiling water. I prefer an alcohol stove with a simmer ring.


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## SJAaz (Apr 30, 2019)

Mauser action ! still the mainstay for most bolt actions. Great pics. I was trying to think of your handle all week. Even went to the members list. Which proved useless cause I forgot the name anyway.

Anyway, good luck to ya and nice post.


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## dogcatchersito (Jun 6, 2012)

Yes, these are the post I wait for. Your Chronicles feel like I am literally there.

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## MOJAVE MO (Apr 11, 2018)

Man I am exhausted. Fantastic trip! That for bringing us along!

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## Grandpa Pete (May 2, 2013)

Great story, filled with information and beautiful photographs. I wish more forum members would follow your lead and document their adventures. I have shot a few black bears in my day and I have spent a lot of days hunting when I didn't see one critter larger than a squirrel or a fools hen grouse. Sometimes I would collect them using my .22 pistol but that would scare off any big game in the area. I wish I had been into slingshots back then.

Thanks for you post...enjoyed it.

GP


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## SLING-N-SHOT (Jun 5, 2018)

Great post and epic trip, thanks for sharing

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## Winnie (Nov 10, 2010)

Sweet Emsturm! You're living the life that I wish I was. I truly enjoyed your post.


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## romanljc (May 26, 2014)

That's awesome I hope you post more Adventures like this most of us dream about taking trips up there great stuff .


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## Ibojoe (Mar 13, 2016)

Yes sir thanks for taking the us along. It’s almost like being there. Keep the adventures coming buddy Awesome rifle!


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## hoggy (Apr 17, 2017)

cool, bbq squirrel. that's not ugly, it's character and camouflage. that sleeping thingy setup is cool too.


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## msturm (Sep 18, 2019)

hoggy said:


> that sleeping thingy setup is cool too.


My father calls it the bear burrito. But it is warm, I sleep well in it, and it saves me almost two pounds of pack weight when compared to my MSR "ultralight" tent and a sleeping pad.


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## SJAaz (Apr 30, 2019)

I'll bet that 30 cal. belted mag. with synthetic stock would rattle an eleven year old's teeth! LOL


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## msturm (Sep 18, 2019)

SJAaz said:


> I'll bet that 30 cal. belted mag. with synthetic stock would rattle an eleven year old's teeth! LOL


Oh buddy did it! I was scared of it until I was 20, I shot a light load 308 for most of my high school years.


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

How many extra band sets, pouches or other slingshot accessories did you take in case of breakage, and about how many rounds of ammo ?

Great report, great photos, I loved it.

wll


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## msturm (Sep 18, 2019)

wll said:


> How many extra band sets, pouches or other slingshot accessories did you take in case of breakage, and about how many rounds of ammo ?
> 
> Great report, great photos, I loved it.
> 
> wll


 Hey wII Great questions. As for extra band sets, pouches and accessories I took zero. If I broke a band no big deal. As for ammo I took one standard handfull. Maybe 20. I returned with one half a standard hand full. lol. I don't know exact numbers. This was not a slingshot specific trip so I didn't go prepared to do any heavy slinging. It is, as it will be for the rest of the big game hunting seasons, a casual, useful and entertaining companion. Now come late fall early winter when only small game is open... Then I turn into a over prepped slingin' fool!


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

msturm said:


> wll said:
> 
> 
> > How many extra band sets, pouches or other slingshot accessories did you take in case of breakage, and about how many rounds of ammo ?
> ...


Great response, a handful of ammo .. I wish one day I will have the confidence to take one handful of ammo ... as it is now I carry about a coffee can full ;- )

Thank again for the response and the telling of your trip.

wll


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## Pebble Shooter (Mar 29, 2014)

Excellent photographs, thanks!


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

msturm said:


> SJAaz said:
> 
> 
> > I'll bet that 30 cal. belted mag. with synthetic stock would rattle an eleven year old's teeth! LOL
> ...


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Beautiful scenery


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