jamesinalaska
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- Joined
- Feb 9, 2015
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- 256
Just read an Alaskana book, Boom Town Boy: Coming of Age on Alaskas Lost Frontier, an autobiography of Jack DeYonge.
Born in 1934 in Fairbanks, Alaska, DeYonge writes of his many experiences growing up in the rugged frontier long before the Alcan Highway or the trans-alaskan pipeline shaped our state. Naturally, he speaks about hunting and fishing and the Frontier ethos that surrounded those important activities. The following is a quote describing a fall grouse hunt that High Road readers will enjoy:
""[Dad] stopped, shouldered the shotgun, and aimed -BANG, BANG! Two grouse fell and flopped. The rest flushed.
"Dad quickly ejected the spent shells and reloaded. BANG! A grouse in the air exploded in feathers, crashed.
"I jumped out [of the family car] and scampered to do my job [retrieving the birds]...another fall weekend hunt for grouse and ptarmigan had begun, a ritual in our family over the next nine years. Dad also kept a 30-30 Winchester rifle in the car, in a case between Buzz and me in the back seat, should we see a bull moose. My dad's regular moose hunt would come later, just before river freeze up."
I think High Road readers would like to know that the shotgun DeYonge's dad used (and which he used, later) on the hunts he described was a double barreled 410. And I thought it was interesting that the rifle DeYonge's dad had choosen for the "just in case we see a bull moose" moment was a 30-30. I suppose some things never change. The 30-30 was enough rifle then (even though the 30.06 and 30-40 Krag were available) just as it is enough rifle now.
Born in 1934 in Fairbanks, Alaska, DeYonge writes of his many experiences growing up in the rugged frontier long before the Alcan Highway or the trans-alaskan pipeline shaped our state. Naturally, he speaks about hunting and fishing and the Frontier ethos that surrounded those important activities. The following is a quote describing a fall grouse hunt that High Road readers will enjoy:
""[Dad] stopped, shouldered the shotgun, and aimed -BANG, BANG! Two grouse fell and flopped. The rest flushed.
"Dad quickly ejected the spent shells and reloaded. BANG! A grouse in the air exploded in feathers, crashed.
"I jumped out [of the family car] and scampered to do my job [retrieving the birds]...another fall weekend hunt for grouse and ptarmigan had begun, a ritual in our family over the next nine years. Dad also kept a 30-30 Winchester rifle in the car, in a case between Buzz and me in the back seat, should we see a bull moose. My dad's regular moose hunt would come later, just before river freeze up."
I think High Road readers would like to know that the shotgun DeYonge's dad used (and which he used, later) on the hunts he described was a double barreled 410. And I thought it was interesting that the rifle DeYonge's dad had choosen for the "just in case we see a bull moose" moment was a 30-30. I suppose some things never change. The 30-30 was enough rifle then (even though the 30.06 and 30-40 Krag were available) just as it is enough rifle now.