Our 2020 season ended up being nothing like we expected but I am sure that is true for almost everyone. We did all we possibly could to find a way to bring our clients into camp but in the end none of those effort worked out. We were eventually allowed to go into camp to do some routine maintenance and construct a new hunter cabin at base camp. Several of our crew who came along to help out with the construction had bonus tags that needed to be filled and were allowed to hunt while we were there. We flew into camp from Mile 222 on the Canol Road on August 10th to find things in good shape at Palmer Lake Base Camp. We could tell that it had been a dry spring and early summer–there was not as much grass on August 10 as we usually see on June 26. There must have been lots of rain in the week or two before our arrival as the lake and rivers were high and it was lush and green. The weather was typical for August–a mix of sun and cloud with lots of showers but all in all not bad. The weather cooperated during the cabin construction and we managed to get the roof on without things getting too wet. The new cabin was designed to serve as the main hunter cabin during the regular season and also to accommodate our winter wof hunts. It has extra insualtion for winter, bunks for 5 people and a small kitchen area in one corner with room for us to cook and sit around a table at meal time. We also set it up with its own solar system so that we will have lights and charging stations without running a generator during the wolf hunts. I am eager to test it out next April! Here is a photo of the new cabin at Palmer Lake.
I am happy to report that we saw lots of game around base camp while we were there–lots of ewes and big healthy lambs again this year. The caribou were also coming by camp in decent numbers the whole time we were there. Two of the boys took nice velvet bulls from base camp while we were working on the cabin–it always pays to glass the hill when you stop for coffee! One bull was grossed 406 and the other 435 B&C. Two of the boys also filled their sheep tags with nice old rams and one was able to take a great 400 net B&C hard horned caribou late in August. We all had a great time; enjoying the clean fresh air, working hard, hunted hard and enjoyed relaxing and getting away from the craziness in our world today. I only wish we could have stayed longer.
I want to close by thanking all of our amazing clients who have been so supportive and understanding with the cancellation of our 2020 season. We have rescheduled our 2020 clients to the same hunt dates in 2021, the 2021 clients to the same dates in 2022 and so on. Of course we are working to accomodate any that just cannot postpone their hunts a year. The understanding and support that we have received from our clients as we go through this rescheduling process is truly wonderful. Hunters truly are some of the most wonderful people in the world!
Good Hunting!
Harold & the Gana crew