I Have Returned From Alaska's Pribilofs.....

Well after literally the trip of a lifetime in where everything turned from gold to platinum with each passing day; and after a four day extension of unplanned stay in the island due to some ferocious winter weathter......I finally returned home a day ago. I have a story to tell but my mind is still on go equal to the brutal winds we had blow on the island. I will resume the blog with some of the many hundreds of photos we all took last week........stand by!!! Here's one to show the benefits we reaped of sticking to the plan and ultimate goal!

A King is Born...........

Always a lover of waterfowl decoys, I was intrigued to see if I could make a block of cork or wood look like a duck. I just started a couple years ago and although I was hesitant at first; with the help of good friend Brian Muck.....I decided to give carving a King a shot. This is the step by step process of most of the work done to make a King Eider. The most difficult part of this venture was the colors involved in painting the head. With the help of more of the decoy carving community by phone and or email; I think it turned out fairly good.

Meet "Ataninnuaq Kinalik" -  Unangan/Aleut for King Eider duck.

Like I say......he's not perfect but he's built to do a job, a working decoy, a gunner!!!!

Can't wait to see him float on the Bering Sea!!!

Follow me as I travel to the "Great Land"...........

This will be the first of a series of blogs as I travel to the land of the Unangan; a volcanic rock of an island that formed in the middle of the Bering Sea a long time ago. It is the land of fierce winter storms with sometimes brutal, hurricane strength winds that forces temperatures to drop below freezing with a salty spray that burns when you get hit in the face with it. It is a hub for the fleet of Alaskan fisherman to offload their catch including the famed fleet of crab boats who brave the elements for Bering Sea gold that include Red King crab and Opilio (Snow crab). It is also the only place on the planet to hunt to the beautiful King Eider, a large sea duck that looks like unlike any other waterfowl on earth sporting it's large lobe and baby blue head. It is a bird that stirs the emotions of seasoned watefowlers like no other in their quest to take one. It is deemed by my guide and outfitter as Island X, one of the pieces of rock that is part of the Pribilof chain of islands.

Due to it's extreme location and weather issues; I hope I get to add a post or two to my blog about the trip while I'm there.......if not; with any luck and the good lord willing I'll have plenty of stories and pictures when I return!!