Day 1 - Fly In
Day 2 - Hike to High Country
Day 3 - First Hunt
Day 4 - Stupid Mistakes
Day 5 - It all comes together - sort of
Day 6 - Rainy Camp Day
Day 7- Goat Hunting Again
Day 8- Goats Everywhere!
Day 9- Fly out day
Day 10- POW Island hunt rained out
Day 11- First Blacktail Hunt on POW Island
Day 12- Blacktail Action! - Last Day

 Goats 1999 - Day by Day
 

The weather was still not cooperating but we were going anyway. We strapped up for the long hike through the jungle for the upper elevations. For anyone but goat hunters, this hike would have been brutal - but after our hunt in the mountains it was actually fun.

We climbed up 2500 vertical feet to a place that only Johnnie knew about. We set up our ultralight camp and headed out to hunt deer. This was my first time hunting blacktails, I had been in mule deer country and of course, whitetails, but these creatures were much different than the others - according to Johnnie. I would soon find out.

The fog really messed us up. We would catch glimpses of deer on the hillsides when the fog rolled out but those occasions were rare - and greatly appreciated.

The glowing red coat of these early season deer contrasted with the dark green surroundings. In many ways they were easier to spot than goats. We continued hiking and moving around the high country, spotting more deer as we climbed. By late day, the fog had lifted and the valley was crawling with deer. We counted over 25 on one hillside and Bobby spotted some real dandy bucks. We tried to get close to them but they were movin' out.

After looking over several decent deer on the hillside, we decided that it was getting late and we should start heading back. On the way down, Johnnie took out his deer call and made this whistling/whining sound. My first thoughts were skeptical - I had never had much luck calling deer back east, but when a doe literally barrelled us over on a dead run I was a believer. According to Johnnie, Blacktails answer deer calls like nothing on this planet I only wished elk were as responsive. The deer would not back off either - she stayed within a few yards of me the entire time and as she started to get nervous, Johnnie would blow the call again and she would come right back.

We made it back to camp at dusk and built a comforting campfire. We had one more day of hunting and we would make the most of it tomorrow.

Prince of Wales Island

How named: Explorer Capt. George Vancouver named the island in 1793 for the oldest son of King George III of England.

Population: 6,844, which includes the six municipalities of Coffman Cove, Craig, Hydaburg, Kasaan, Klawock, and Thorne Bay, the unincorporated communities of Edna Bay, Hollis, Naukati, Point Baker, Port Protection and Whale Pass, and floating and land-based logging camps in more remote areas of the island.

Location: At more than 2,600 square miles, Prince of Wales Island is the third largest island in the nation, and the largest of the thousands of islands within Southeast Alaska's Alexander Archipelago. It's about 15 miles west of Ketchikan. Prince of Wales Island is in the 16.9 million-acre Tongass National Forest. Island landowners include communities, private landowners, the state of Alaska, the federal government and Native corporations.

Economy: Prince of Wales Island has prospered from several activities throughout its history: fur trading, fox farming, fishing, canneries and salteries, sawmills, timber and mining. Fishing, timber, tourism and mining are today's main industries.

Special attractions: Prince of Wales Island is a scenic mix of mountains, trees, waters and islands. The Forest Service maintains several day use areas, campsites and trails, including El Capitan Park, best known for its caves. Scuba diving and kayaking are popular, but less so than sport fishing. Haida and Tlingit Native cultures are preserved in totem pole parks in Hydaburg and Klawock. Thorne Bay, once the world's largest logging camp, is the home of the Prince of Wales Fair and Logging Show in July.

Transportation: Prince of Wales Island is accessible by ferry and airplane. The Alaska Marine Highway System operates a terminal in Hollis on the island's eastern shore. Float planes service several communities and wheeled planes land at Klawock's paved airport. The island also has an extensive system of over 1,100 miles of road, most of which are updated logging roads. Paving and chip sealing are scheduled for portions of two main highways running north and south this year.

Government: Prince of Wales Island has no island-wide governmental body. The Prince of Wales Community Advisory Council was established in 1989 and acts solely in an advisory capacity. Prince of Wales Island is represented at the state level by Sen. Jerry Mackie, D-Craig and Rep. Albert Kookesh, D-Angoon. The Prince of Wales Chamber of Commerce, with offices in Craig, serves as a resource of information for visitors and residents.