Another year's Krag hunt

[jon_norstog]

Well the hunting aREa has expanded this year. We got an invite to hunt down in the Salmon River country, season opens there 10/10. I couldn't see buying an elk tag, but supposedly there are a lot of big deer there so I got an "A" tag for deer. CWD hasn't hit that area (yet). I'm putting together some 150 grain loads for this one.

I also got an Oregon elk tag. It's a bull elk tag good only inside the Eagle Cap wilderness area in the Wallowas. It is a muzzle-loader hunt, that one goes from 10/19-27. I'm hoping to find some tracking snow, go in on the south side of the wilderness area. If the animals are there, they will be maybe 1/4 mile down from snowline.

We are also going to hunt our old grounds in the Lolo Zone. We may have located a monster bull last year, see if he's still around. ID F&G can hardly give away elk tags in that zone any more.

Last year we met up with some of the regulars, locals. The year before, when Paul left me alone and then there was 3 feet of heavy snow, they came by to see if I was OK - I had lost my car keys when my tent collapsed and was getting around on a bicycle, they were worried. It was kind of touching. The guy's teenage son and wife both collected on moose tags last year; his mother in law got HER moose the year before. I guess they must like moose meat. I expect they will be around again - where else they gonna go?

CWD is spreading: the whole uplands around Grangeville and Craigmont are mandatory test areas, as are the Little Salmon and Payette River valleys from Riggins down to Wheezer. And now Unit 1, from Canada down to the north side of Lake Pend d'Oreille. Any deer you take in those areas, you have to cut out the lymph glands and submit them to one of the ID F&G stations for testing.

I am thankful that we can get out at our ages, and to have a partner that can look out for me and vice versa.

jn

[barretcreek]

First willows turned about ten days ago here at 7700 feet. That's early, so maybe you'll get some snow to track in.
Have fun.

[JohnMOhio]

Jon, always enjoy your posts detailing your hunts. Good Luck! Look forward to this years detailed adventure.

[Kragrifle]

CWD is here in Arkansas. You sure want to test before you eat the deer meat, but can?t always be sure.

[jon_norstog]

Here's a short Krag story. When my cousin-uncle Knut Haukelid was hiding out in the "vidda" (windswept, no trees, high country) with his small resistance group, lot of times they had to hunt their own food. Knut was the designated hunter (of course, that's what we do) so he would go out every few days and bring down a reindeer. He tried it first with a captured Mauser, he'd aim and fire and the animal would run away. Finally he took a Krag with him, got close to a 'deer and fired. The animal dropped. They all ate that night. Knut said it proved the Krag was better than a Mauser, but I think he probably got some sporting ammo out of one of those summer cabins they were breaking into. It's in his book, I think the 1958 edition.

jn

[jon_norstog]

knut_haukelid_1940_small.jpgHere is picture of him in 1940, at the beginning of the occupation (and the resistance). I think the rifle is a Krag. It's sure not a KAR 98 or a Lee Enfield. Later on they tended to use the Sten gun, which the Resistance was building in small, underground shops. I also think this may have been taken before he crossed over to England and trained at the SOE base in Scotland.